The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lowered its global economic growth forecasts for 2026 on April 14 due to the impact of the conflict in the Middle East. According to the latest IMF report titled “World Economic Outlook,” based on a scenario where the conflict extends for several weeks before the markets stabilize by mid-year, the IMF predicts global economic growth of 3.1% this year, down from 3.3% in its previous quarterly report.
The US producer price index (PPI) rose by 0.5% in March 2026. This figure is lower than the initially expected increase of 1.1%, due to less price volatility in services. However, the surge in energy prices, fueled by the Middle East conflict, continues to increase inflationary pressures.
Meta could surpass Google in terms of digital advertising revenue for the first time in 2026: according to market research company Emarketer, Meta, the owner of Instagram, is expected to achieve a global net advertising revenue of $243.46 billion in 2026, surpassing the estimated $239.54 billion for Google and ending the long-standing dominance of the search engine giant in this highly lucrative sector.
The EU has reached a new agreement to protect the steel industry against global overcapacity: The European Council and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on a new regulation aimed at addressing the negative effects of global steel overcapacity on the European Union (EU) market.
IEA: Quarterly oil demand could drop to historically low levels: The International Energy Agency (IEA) has significantly revised downwards its forecasts for global oil supply and demand growth. The agency indicated that both indicators are expected to decrease from 2025 levels, due to the Middle East conflict disrupting oil flows and exerting pressure on the global economy.
The increase in gasoline prices boosts record sales of electric vehicles in Europe: According to data released on April 14 by consultancy firm Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (BMI), high gasoline prices have led to record sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe in March 2026, marking the first month of global EV sales growth this year.
Copper prices reach one-month high on expectations of US-Iran talks resumption: On April 14, copper prices rose by 0.4% to reach $13,107.50 per ton on the London Metal Exchange (LME), briefly hitting $13,162 per ton, their highest level since March 10. Additionally, most other industrial metal prices also increased, as the market anticipates a resumption of peace talks between the US and Iran.
Drop in oil production in the Middle East: According to data published by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on April 13, crude oil production in major Gulf exporters sharply declined in March 2026 due to the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran. OPEC’s total production in March 2026 decreased by 27% compared to the previous month, from 28.7 million barrels per day to 20.8 million barrels per day.
Iran could lose $435 million per day due to the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz: Analyst Miad Maleki from the research group Foundation for Defense of Democracy (FDD) estimates that the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could cost Iran about $435 million per day, with $276 million in export losses, mainly in crude oil and petrochemical products.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/diem-tin-kinh-te-the-gioi-noi-bat-ngay-1442026-20260414213052425.htm
