The United States housing market has been on a steady increase over the past few years. There has been a major increase in the number of new homes being bought and sold across the nation. During the start of the pandemic, the interest rates on houses were lowered to help revive the economy and keep it afloat during hard times. This year, there is a steady rise in mortgage rates outside of slight dips here and there. This rise in mortgage rates combined with an already high-priced housing market is making the market even less affordable. However, there recently has been a change in the amount of time houses have been sitting on the market. For the first time in almost two years, the first annual increase in the amount of time a house spends on the market is being noticed. This extra time on the market is also reflecting the steady drop in the asking prices of houses seen by many owners.

As we reflect on the pandemic, conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and fluctuating economic conditions that all continue to impact communities across the globe, countries are seeing the long-lasting effects of these situations as inflation rates hit record highs. The United States, Spain, and France are only a few fighting inflation rates as the cost of living burdens citizens never like before.

Across the globe, water scarcity is beginning to affect more and more people. Climate change, broken pipes, and poor water infrastructure systems have all played a role in causing water scarcity for residents in various parts of the world.

Welcome back to the globalEDGE blog! The globalEDGE team is returning to our regular Monday through Thursday blog schedule.

Our student authors have returned to the Michigan State University Campus from their summer breaks and are ready to bring you more stories about the latest international business news. Keep checking in to find new stories regarding international topics, including specific market overviews, current events in business, breaking news, and more!

This week marks the end of the Michigan State University Spring 2022 semester, which means that this also closes another year in the books for the globalEDGE team. globalEDGE Blogs will be taking a break from its regular schedule throughout the summer months. This summer, our team members will be traveling, studying, and completing internships or full-time positions, all in the earnest pursuit of furthering our understanding of international business, which will be put to good use this Fall when globalEDGE Blogs returns.

Soccer, most commonly known as football worldwide, has an immense amount of popularity and support from individuals of all ages. It is universally known to bring others together to provide a positive and enjoyable experience. Lately, this has not been the case.

You have most likely watched a show or movie on Netflix at one point or another. Whether it was borrowing a friend’s account or purchasing the subscription for a month and then getting roped into another, streaming services have become ubiquitous. Netflix has released multiple hit shows and classics to date yet is now the worst-performing stock of 2022 in the S&P 500. It is down 62.5% year to date. What happened?

Over the last few decades, inflation has been steady and rampant incline. Inflation is the rate of increase in prices over a given period. The current cost of living for a single person in the United States is $38,266 per year. Yet, in 2002, the cost of living was around $27,924 per year. This is a notable jump over the last 20 years. To add to this, the cost to attend college has increased by 169% spanning from 1980 to 2019. One of the steady indicators of economic conditions has been the automotive industry. Specifically, in the piece, the status of the used car industry will be highlighted.

Most of us have just finished filing our tax returns, and we likely hope to avoid the thought of taxes until next year's tax season. However, some major tax proposals are being discussed in the United States Congress that could change the international business climate drastically shortly.

Cobalt, a key component in the production of lithium-ion batteries that power phones, computers, and electric vehicles, has soared in both demand and price in recent years. Lithium-ion batteries account for over half of global cobalt consumption, and with electric vehicle sales predicted to grow from 6.5 million in 2021 to 66 million in 2040, the appetite for the metal is understandably high. However, Cobalt is a unique commodity because it’s primarily controlled by only two countries: China and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The DRC supplies about 70 percent of the world’s Cobalt, but 80% of its industrial cobalt mines are owned or financed by Chinese companies. This dynamic has disproportionately favored China and has led to hostility among the Congolese government and its domestic mining companies.