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On April 18th, ahead of tense trade negotiations, U.S. Commerce Secretary Rutnick fiercely criticized Canada, calling the USMCA a "bad deal" that needs to be revised. Rutnick stated that President Trump believes the USMCA "needs to be reconsidered and properly reimagined" when new negotiations begin in July. Rutnick said reports that Canada is delaying trade negotiations with the U.S. are "the worst tactic I've ever heard of. It's absolutely terrible." Trump signed the 2020 trade agreement during his first term to replace NAFTA.

On April 18th, it was learned that Xiaomi Group announced two personnel appointments on the evening of April 17th: Hu Zhengnan, partner of Shunwei Capital and consultant for Xiaomi Auto, officially joined Xiaomi as Vice President of the Group and CTO (Chief Technology Officer) of the Automotive Division. At the same time, Song Gang, an expert in automotive production and manufacturing, joined Xiaomi as Vice President and Chief of Staff of the Automotive Division.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5 struck northern Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

A U.S. appeals court has allowed the Trump administration to continue construction on the $400 million White House banquet hall and is scheduled to hold a hearing in June to review an order from a Washington judge to halt the project.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration will cut flights at major U.S. airports to reduce delays.

A U.S. delegation recently met with Cuban government officials in Cuba, marking a renewed strengthening of U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations. This comes after U.S. President Trump threatened intervention, and Cuban leaders stated this week that Cuba is prepared to fight should such an intervention occur.

On April 18th, a reporter from NewsNation asked Trump about his previous claim that almost all agreements had been reached with Iran, while Iran's version differed. Trump replied that he was "just telling the truth." He stated, "They have to say something different because they also have to cater to other people." "I really didn't mean anything else, I'm just doing what I think is right, I'm just telling the truth." Trump added, "I think we're in a very good position right now, and most importantly, Iran won't have nuclear weapons. You absolutely cannot let Iran have nuclear weapons, that comes above everything else."

On April 18, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted an international conference in Paris, France, on April 17, focusing on ending the current Middle East conflict through diplomatic means, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and providing security guarantees for shipping through the strait once the situation stabilizes. Macron and Starmer stated that France and the UK will lead a defensive multinational operation to ensure the safety of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz when conditions permit, and preparatory meetings will be held in London next week. Italian Prime Minister Meloni said it is necessary to ensure the Strait of Hormuz is free of mines, and Italy is willing to provide naval support on a fully defensive basis. German Chancellor Merz stated that Germany will participate in planning discussions and welcomes the participation of the United States if possible.

On April 18, Ding Xuexiang, Special Representative of President Xi Jinping, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the fourth phase of the Renaissance Gas Field project in Turkmenistan from April 15 to 17. Ding emphasized that natural gas cooperation is the cornerstone of China-Turkmenistan relations, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries. Both sides should pay greater attention to proceeding from a strategic perspective and long-term interests, adhere to working together, accelerate the implementation of major projects, seize the opportunity of the cooperation window, expand the scale and scope of natural gas cooperation, and improve the quality and efficiency of energy cooperation. At the same time, they should further enhance cooperation in non-resource areas such as connectivity, trade and investment, agriculture, and the digital economy, cultivating new growth points. They should jointly promote China-Central Asia cooperation and work together with regional countries to seek common development and prosperity.

On April 18th, Faraday Future (FF) announced on its official Weibo account that it has secured $45 million in new funding from a US institutional investor, marking the company's lowest-cost financing deal in recent years. As of April 12th, FF has shipped a total of 34 robots, with a target of over 1,000 units shipped by 2026. Furthermore, FF plans to hold its annual shareholder meeting on May 22nd to review a series of proposals aimed at supporting the company's global EAI (Expert Assistance) strategy and long-term growth.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reports a 5.4-magnitude earthquake in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.

Musk: Tesla's engineering team redesigned the lithium refining process based on the first principles of physics.

Musk: SpaceX and Tesla will always be TSMC's main customers. TSMC simply cannot produce the "amazing" number of chips required. If they could, we wouldn't need the "Terafab" chip factory project.

According to NBC News: Satellite images show fires at two Iranian oil refineries, just days after multiple crude oil storage tanks at those refineries were damaged.

On April 18, 2026, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) held its 53rd International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) meeting in Washington, D.C., to discuss the global economic and financial situation and the IMF's work. Pan Gongsheng, Governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), attended and addressed the meeting. Xuan Changneng, Vice Governor of the PBOC, also participated. Pan Gongsheng pointed out that the rapidly changing international economic and trade environment requires the IMF to further strengthen its economic monitoring functions. Trade policy uncertainty remains high, and the negative supply shocks triggered by the Middle East situation will have a lasting impact on the global economy and financial markets. The IMF should further strengthen economic monitoring and propose more targeted policy recommendations based on an objective assessment of risks. At the same time, it should strengthen its monitoring of fiscal risks and their spillover effects in major developed economies, emphasizing that trade protectionism cannot solve global imbalances, and that stable, rational, and predictable cooperation is particularly valuable.

U.S. Treasury Department: The license allows for the delivery and sale of Russian crude oil and petroleum products loaded on ships, starting April 17.

U.S. Treasury Department: Issuing general licenses related to Russia.