What Will Happen on 9 July? Final Deadline for Trade Deals

US President Donald Trump confirmed he will not extend the 9 July deadline for countries to reach new trade agreements with the United States. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he also expressed doubts about reaching a deal with Japan:

“I’m not sure we’re going to make a deal. I doubt it,” Trump stated.

He suggested imposing tariffs as high as 35% on Japanese imports—higher than the 24% rate announced on 2 April, which was later paused.

Markets React to Renewed Trade Tensions

According to analysts at Link Securities, trade uncertainty is once again dominating market sentiment. European stock markets ended the day in negative territory following Trump’s latest threats of unilateral tariff conditions.

“The ‘tariff factor’ is back on the table,” analysts warned.

Trump’s Mega Fiscal Plan: “The Big, Beautiful Law”

Trump is pushing a major legislative initiative that extends the 2017 tax cuts and introduces deep public spending cuts:

• Major tax reductions for high-income brackets
• Cuts to social programmes like Medicaid (around $900 billion), food assistance, and student loans
• Increased funding for border security and national defence
• A new 3.5% tax on remittances, affecting up to 40 million people

Microsoft x Premier League: Tech Meets Global Sport

Microsoft and the Premier League announced a strategic five-year partnership. Microsoft becomes the official cloud and AI partner of the world’s most-watched football league.

The collaboration will:
• Modernise digital platforms
• Optimise match analytics and organisational systems
• Transform fan experiences for 1.8 billion followers in 189 countries

🇨🇦 Canada Concedes: Digital Services Tax Removed

Canada will eliminate the Digital Services Tax that had targeted US tech giants. The decision follows Trump’s suspension of bilateral trade talks last week.

“Canada will repeal the tax in anticipation of a comprehensive and mutually beneficial trade agreement with the United States,” stated the Department of Finance.

Talks are expected to resume with the goal of finalising a new deal by 21 July 2025.

YPF Case: Major Legal Blow for Argentina

The 2012 expropriation of YPF continues to have legal consequences. After Argentina seized 51% of YPF shares from Spanish firm Repsol, minority shareholder Grupo Petersen was left uncompensated.

Burford Capital, a UK-based litigation fund, acquired the rights and sued Argentina in New York’s Southern District Court.

On 30 June 2025, Judge Preska ordered Argentina to transfer 51% of YPF shares to the beneficiaries as part of the compensation.

Palantir and Accenture Announce Strategic Federal AI Partnership

Palantir (PLTR) and Accenture Federal Services unveiled a landmark partnership to implement AI-powered enterprise solutions for key US federal agencies.

The focus:
• Optimising mission-critical workflows
• Enhancing decision-making
• Increasing operational resilience

Crypto Revolution: SEC Approves First ETF Including XRP, SOL & ADA

The US SEC approved the first-ever ETF combining multiple cryptocurrencies beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. The fund, the Grayscale Digital Large Cap Fund (GDLC), includes:

Current Allocation:
• Bitcoin (80.2%)
• Ethereum (11.39%)
• XRP (4.82%)
• Solana (2.78%)
• Cardano (0.81%)

This marks the first SEC-approved ETF to offer diversified crypto exposure, a pivotal step for institutional crypto adoption.