India approves massive rare-earth subsidies to curb reliance on China World’s third-largest reserves provide a solid raw-material base But gaps remain in processing technology and high-performance magnet materials The Indian govern

U.S.-Taiwan tariff talks conclude with $500 billion investment pledge Same tariff rate as Korea and Japan, setting off a three-way productivity race Korea faces structural challenge: high wages, weak productivity U.S.-Taiwan tariff negotia

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China’s December 2025 exports and imports rebound sharply, beating expectations Annual trade surplus jumps 20%, driven by partner diversification and an undervalued yuan Subsidy-led export growth fuels global push for higher tariff barriers on China

“Ease the cost-of-living burden,” Trump demands steep cuts to credit card interest rates U.S. financial industry warns of side effects, including reduced credit access for low-income borrowers and fewer card benefits J.P. Morgan, the largest U.S.

Japan begins deep-sea rare-earth test extraction near Minamitorishima Supply-chain self-reliance drive accelerates amid China’s rare-earth weaponization, but tech and processing limits remain a variable China raises the intensity of rare-earth export controls, stoking fears of economic blowback for Japan

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Headcount at Korea’s top 10 builders falls 6.5% in a year, signaling a real hiring collapse Property downturn, tighter PF rules, and soaring construction costs pile up, drying up demand for labor Major builders seek growth through overseas orders as the domestic market darkens

TSMC’s 2nm node pulls in AI chip demand, tightening its grip on the market With 3nm capacity tapped out, TSMC pivots to a major 2nm investment expansion Samsung bets on 2nm, but yield and customer gaps remain clear constraints Taiwan’s TSMC, the

From smartphones to refrigerators, Google–Samsung AI alliance expands across the board Google aggressively widens user touchpoints, Samsung fires a warning shot at Apple Gemini’s market influence surges, shaking OpenAI ChatGPT’s throne

China overtakes Japan to become the world’s largest new-car market, ending a 20-year run State-led, EV-focused expansion drives rapid volume growth, but quality concerns persist Oversupply-fueled price war deepens losses, fueling fears of an “Evergrande-style crisis” in autos

Memory makers’ HBM push tightens wafer supply for DRAM and NAND Wafer capacity stagnates as the post–COVID-19 supercycle memory slump drags on Capex is rising, but a near-term end to the supply crunch looks unlikely A view is emerging tha

Global memory prices keep climbing as AI demand surges and supply stays tight Samsung Electronics and SK hynix gain the upper hand in pricing talks, with earnings seen improving Despite heavy investment, China’s memory profitability and market share stagnate, with an “IPO rally” a medium- to long-term wildcard

International community warns U.S. invasion of Venezuela and forced transfer of Maduro sets a “dangerous precedent” Public comparisons grow between the current crisis and China–Taiwan relations, strengthening the case for intervention U.S.

K-food accelerates expansion into Indonesia, widening its reach beyond Vietnam as a core hub Export flows smooth further after last year’s easing of regulations on key items such as instant noodles Halal certification, a key factor for local consumers, is unlikely to become a major variable

SoftBank buys DigitalBridge for $4B, accelerating expansion of its AI infrastructure portfolio Google also moves into infrastructure M&A to secure priority access to power and land Private markets turn more optimistic, with the AI infrastructure investment boom set to accelerate

EU eases carbon-fiber rules for cars as it shifts its policy course ‘2035 ban on sales of new ICE cars’ also effectively headed for rollback Amid industry pushback, EU delays AI Act rollout; possible slowdown for DMA and DSA also raised The Eur

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Chinese Chipmakers Rush Into IPOs Moore Threads, MetaX and Others Notch IPO Pops of Up to 6x Tech Self-Reliance Surges — Driven by U.S.

Samsung Electronics Seen Supplying Up to 70% of Mobile DRAM for iPhone 17 HBM Production Focus Triggers Broad DRAM Shortage, Driving Sharp Price Gains Rising Memory Costs Set to Push PC and Smartphone Prices Higher Samsung Electronics h