Bloomberg The price European utilities pay for their natural gas is on a tear. Rates for Russian fuel at the German border last month jumped the most in seven years, extending their gain since September to almost 50 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund. The price of fuel from Moscow-based Gazprom PJSC may increase further even as prices …

  Bloomberg Australia is pinning its hopes on sugar to revitalize exports to Indonesia, as it seeks momentum for a free trade agreement that has been mooted for nearly a decade. With two-way trade at its lowest since 2009, Australian Trade Minister Steve Ciobo hailed a recent deal to reduce sugar tariffs from 8 percent to 5 percent, bringing the …

  Bloomberg China’s Qingdao Doublestar Co. said it has signed an agreement with Kumho Tire creditors to buy a 42 percent stake in the South Korean tiremaker in a deal that could enable Doublestar to further expand in China. The deal, worth 955 billion won, or about $830 million, could help turn Doublestar into China’s largest tiremaker if it can …