Key Takeaways
- Meta Platforms (META) is reportedly engaging in early discussions with prominent media organizations, including Axel Springer and Fox News, to secure content licensing deals for its burgeoning AI products.
- Swiss gold exports to the United States saw a significant decline in August, following the imposition of a substantial 39% US tariff on specific gold bar formats.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed a new trade agreement with the U.S., establishing a 15% tariff ceiling on most EU exports and averting a previously threatened 30% levy.
- Eurozone construction output demonstrated a positive trend in July, with a 0.5% month-over-month increase and a 3.2% year-over-year acceleration.
Meta Platforms (META) is reportedly in early discussions with several media companies, including Axel Springer and Fox News, regarding content-licensing deals for its artificial intelligence (AI) products. The Wall Street Journal reported on these talks, indicating a strategic move by Meta to integrate quality, real-time news content into its AI offerings. This initiative follows a trend where other major AI developers, such as OpenAI, have already secured similar multi-year agreements with publishers like Axel Springer and Reuters for both content licensing and training data. These partnerships aim to provide AI models with reliable information while offering new revenue streams and attribution for media outlets.
In other significant economic news, Swiss gold exports to the United States experienced a notable decline in August, a direct consequence of new tariff concerns. The U.S. imposed a substantial 39% tariff on specific Swiss gold bar formats, including 1-kilogram and 100-ounce bars, effective July 31, 2025. This tariff, among the highest levied by the U.S., has raised considerable alarm within the Swiss precious metals association, which warned that such a high duty would effectively halt gold bar exports to the U.S. Switzerland, recognized as the world's largest gold refining hub, had seen a surge in gold exports to the U.S. during the first quarter of 2025, with over $36 billion in value, accounting for two-thirds of its trade surplus with the U.S. This previous surge may have influenced the U.S. decision to implement the new tariffs.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a crucial trade agreement with the U.S., which sets a 15% tariff limit on the vast majority of European Union exports. This deal, reached on July 27, 2025, successfully averted a threatened 30% reciprocal tariff by the U.S., providing much-needed stability and predictability for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. The 15% ceiling applies across most sectors, including automobiles, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals, ensuring European companies maintain a competitive position. Additionally, the agreement includes zero-for-zero tariffs on certain strategic products, such as aircraft and critical raw materials. Von der Leyen also held discussions with India's Prime Minister Modi yesterday, emphasizing the importance of finalizing a trade deal by the end of the year.
On the economic data front, Eurozone construction output showed positive momentum in July 2025. The output increased by 0.5% month-over-month, rebounding from a revised 0.7% decline in June. Year-over-year, the sector experienced an acceleration, growing by 3.2%, up from a revised 1.8% expansion in June. This growth was broadly supported across all segments, with building construction rising by 3.3%, civil engineering by 3.4%, and specialized activities by 2.8%.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.