French inflation at 3.1%, IMF-meeting unease and China's tech export curbs: the economy on 18 October 2026

French inflation reached 3.1% in September, its highest since January 2024, while the IMF meetings left finance chiefs uneasy about China and AI. Beijing also signalled tighter export controls on advanced technologies.

Maz Vantage ·

Inflation and living costs

France's final September figures from Insee put annual inflation at 3.1%, the highest since January 2024, according to BFM Business. The outlet attributes the rise to energy, notably diesel (+44.1%), and to higher food prices, and says fresh-food prices may keep climbing. In the US, MarketWatch reports that individual investors and second-home buyers made up one in five home purchases in September, the highest share in a little over a year, despite mortgage rates around 7%.

Central banks, the IMF and the UK Budget

The IMF meetings in Bangkok dominated the week. The BBC's Faisal Islam writes that China and AI are worrying global finance bosses, and that top IMF officials praised UK plans to reduce annual borrowing on three occasions in 24 hours (the BBC columnist ties this to the upcoming Budget). The Guardian reports that Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey was among finance leaders who left a session when Russia's finance minister addressed the group. Ahead of the UK Budget later this month, the BBC says senior bankers expect to be hit with higher taxes, a theme also taken up in a Guardian editorial.

On the policy front, the ECB published the account of its 9–10 September meeting and Christine Lagarde's IMFC statement; the Federal Reserve released the minutes of its September 15–16 FOMC meeting. The feeds provide only the titles of these documents, so their contents are not summarised here.

Technology, trade and industry

Beijing plans to oversee exports of its most advanced AI technologies, a break from its relatively open stance so far, per Le Monde. Investing.com separately reports a proposal for export controls on solar-manufacturing technologies.

In Europe, a Franco-German agreement on the car industry would require vehicles to be produced in the EU with at least 70% European components to qualify for subsidies, a lower threshold than today, says Le Monde, which adds that Renault could be disadvantaged. Le Figaro says carmakers welcome the easing of the CO2 reduction path, though a new local-content constraint comes with it, and Germany calls the deal good news for its competitiveness.

Markets, commodities and geopolitics

MarketWatch notes silver has fallen more than 50% from a record high earlier this year, which it reads as a possible hint of economic slowdown. Investing.com reports Bitcoin struggling above $80,000, and carries a headline on tanker attacks threatening Hormuz in the Iran conflict; no further detail is available from the feed. It also reports that Woodside halted work at its Scarborough gas project after a Greenpeace protest and that a strike at Antofagasta's Centinela mine has ended after a deal with unions.

CNBC could not be accessed today (access denied), so it is not reflected.

Sources