Economy

Gold price
Gold price at record level: “I’m really worried”

The price of gold has risen to new record levels, with an increase of over 40 percent this year alone. The development, which is noticeable among other things at pawn shops, is a warning signal rather than a sign of strength. That’s what commodities expert Torbjörn Iwarson thinks.

– I’m really worried, he says in Ekonomiekot Extra.

According to him, the rise is partly driven by Donald Trump’s strategy to weaken the dollar, which has caused investors and central banks to seek protection in gold. 

The tariff crisis Voices about tariffs
Analysis: China wins – is already a pro at Trump politics

The fact that the world has chewed up Donald Trump’s tariffs looks like a crushing victory for the “America First” policy – ​​but only if you ignore China, writes Bloomberg’s John Authers in an analysis.

China has been a master of mercantilism for decades and has a head start. As the US closes its doors, China is simply reorienting its exports to the rest of the world.

At the same time, the country is investing in the technology of the future, which could give it a long-term advantage. The US’s investment in fossil fuels risks becoming a “mercantilist defeat” if green energy wins, writes Authers.

At the UN this week, Trump called renewable energy a “fraud”, but even taking into account the limitations of today’s technology, the UN estimates that 90 percent of all newly installed renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels, writes the Financial Times’ Gillian Tett.

She sees Trump’s fight for fossil fuels as yet another example of his “geonomics”. “With China now dominating the production of green energy, Trump is fighting back by trying to crush that boom and force regions like Europe to buy American fossil fuels instead,” writes Tett.

In the long term, she doubts that Trump can win that fight.

SvD Näringsliv's Katrine Kielos refers to Canadian Dan Wang's acclaimed book "Breakneck" with the main thesis that China will emerge victorious from the showdown with the US.

The former technology analyst Wang believes that China is a country of engineers - while the US is a country of lawyers. This means that China builds things, while the US's weapons are tariffs and complicated sanctions. His conclusion is that the US tactics will not work, writes Kielos. 

The development of AI
Goldman Sachs: AI boost of over 1,000 billion is missed in GDP statistics

US GDP statistics underestimate the importance of the AI ​​sector, according to Goldman Sachs. This is reported by Dagens Industri.

The reason is that semiconductors are considered input goods and only appear in the statistics when they are used in finished products such as computers. In fact, they are used extensively to run AI models, which creates value in the form of intangible assets that are not taken into account.

Officially, AI has contributed $45 billion to GDP since 2022. However, Goldman Sachs estimates the real contribution at $160 billion – just over 1,000 billion kronor.

Travel agency warns: Fewer and fewer want to travel to the US

Travel to the US has decreased by 22 percent in the past year and is now at risk of falling further when the fee for the Esta entry permit is increased from $21 to $40 on September 30, says Tiyoneh Jah, head of communications at travel agency Ticket, to DI.

– This increase risks becoming another factor that negatively affects travel.

For a family of four, this means just over 1,500 kronor compared to just under 800 previously. Ticket advises travelers to apply before the increase. The fee partly finances American tourism, and Esta is valid for two years.