Europe

InnerWorkings, a leading global marketing supply chain company, recently announced a contract expansion with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) to include Europe and the Middle East regions. The expansion creates a global partnership and follows a recent renewal and services extension in the Americas, Greater China and Asia Pacific.

China's trade data on Wednesday is expected to underline concerns about the pace of a U.S. recovery and recession in Europe and that economic growth in the world's second-biggest economy is struggling to pick up.

The median forecast pointed to annual export growth of 10.3 percent in April, up from an increase of 10 percent in March.

China's imports were seen rising 13.9 percent in April from a year earlier, compared to a rise of 14.1 percent in March.

That would leave an estimated trade surplus of $15.1 billion, compared with a slight trade deficit of $0.88 billion in March.

European supplier Giving Europe BV, the Dutch branch of leading U.K. supplier Impression Europe Limited, has acquired Mid Ocean Brands BV, located in The Netherlands.

Emperor Marketing, a Green Lane, Pennsylvania-based promotional products supplier specializing in USBs, has recently opened a European sales office in Nice, France, to cope with the growing demand for promotional items in Europe through PSI.

Cotton futures fell for the fifth straight session, marking the longest slump since July, on signs that slowing economic growth will curb demand for supplies from the U.S., the world's largest exporter.

The debt crisis in Europe and political squabbling over how to prevent contagion are raising concern that the risk of defaults by governments is increasing, the International Monetary Fund said today. The MSCI World Index of equities fell as much as 2.5 percent. Cotton futures have plunged 53 percent from a record in March.

(Reuters) - The global manufacturing sector grew at its slowest pace in June in nearly two years, when the latest upturn began, as factories in Europe and Asia saw a drop off in new orders, a survey showed on Friday.

The Global Manufacturing PMI, compiled by JP Morgan with research and supply organisations, fell in June to 52.3 from 53.0 in May, its lowest reading since July 2009.