Chinese Firms’ Market Share Gains Driven by Subsidies, Says OECD
The OECD’s latest trade analysis shows Chinese manufacturers expanded their global market share across several high‑tech and consumer‑goods sectors in 2023, attributing the gains largely to state‑directed subsidies. The report quantifies an average 3.8% rise in export share, with notable jumps in solar panels, electric vehicles and smartphones. It also flags that the subsidies distort competition and could trigger retaliatory measures from trading partners. The findings arrive as Washington and Brussels intensify scrutiny of China’s industrial policy.
EU Frets as China Builds an Industrial Base in Morocco
China is financing a large‑scale industrial park in Morocco, positioning the North‑African nation as a manufacturing hub for Chinese exports to Europe and Africa. The project, valued at roughly $5 billion, includes factories, logistics infrastructure, and training centres staffed by Chinese...
How to Win a Trade War, with Paul Krugman and Chad Bown
Nobel laureate Paul Krugman joins Soumaya Keynes to discuss his new book, “How to Win a Trade War,” with co‑author Chad Bown. The FT Economics Show episode explores how fragile domestic politics shape trade conflicts and extracts lessons from China’s...
China Overhauls World’s Biggest Surveillance Network with Advanced AI
China has begun a sweeping upgrade of its Skynet surveillance system, installing tens of millions of AI‑enabled cameras and expanding real‑time facial‑recognition capabilities. The overhaul adds roughly 30 million new sensors and boosts data‑center capacity to handle over an exabyte of...
Jardines Signals Pivot with $2.4bn Australian Radiology Deal
Jardine Matheson announced a $2.4 billion acquisition of an Australian radiology network, adding roughly 100 imaging centres to its portfolio. The deal is financed with $1 billion of cash and $1.4 billion of debt, reflecting the conglomerate’s push into health services. The move...
EU Braces for Fertiliser Squeeze Triggered by Iran War
The European Union is preparing for a sharp fertilizer shortage as the war involving Iran disrupts key raw‑material exports. Iran accounts for roughly one‑fifth of the EU’s nitrogen‑fertiliser imports, and the conflict has already pushed prices up 30‑40 percent. EU...
Defence Groups Clamour to Delay US Ban on Chinese Rare Earth Magnets
U.S. defence industry groups have urged the administration to postpone a pending ban on Chinese‑origin rare‑earth magnets, arguing the restriction would jeopardise critical weapon‑system production. The ban, slated for early 2025, targets neodymium‑iron‑boron magnets that power everything from guided munitions...
Chinese AI Groups Pull Ahead of US Rivals in Video Generation Race
Chinese AI firms have overtaken U.S. rivals in generative video technology, delivering higher‑resolution, faster outputs. Companies such as Baidu, ByteDance and Kuaishou unveiled models that can produce 4K video at 30 frames per second, outpacing OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Imagen...
China to Produce Jeep and Peugeot Cars Under €1bn Dongfeng Deal
Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor Group has signed a deal with Stellantis to produce Jeep and Peugeot vehicles in China. The partnership, valued at under €1 billion, will see Dongfeng assemble both internal‑combustion and electric models at its plants. Production is expected...
India More than Doubles Tariffs on Gold Imports
India has more than doubled its customs duty on gold imports, raising the levy to 22.5% from the previous 10% rate. The move follows a sharp rise in gold prices and a widening current‑account deficit, prompting the Reserve Bank of...
MSCI to Cut some of Indonesia’s Biggest Companies From Global Indices
MSCI announced it will remove several of Indonesia’s largest publicly listed firms from its global equity indices, including the MSCI Emerging Markets and MSCI ACWI indexes. The move follows a review that flagged governance concerns, reduced free‑float, and liquidity shortfalls...
FirstFT: Donald Trump to Press Xi Jinping on China’s Support for Iran at Summit
Donald Trump announced he will confront Chinese President Xi Jinping at the upcoming summit, demanding answers on Beijing's alleged military and logistical support for Iran. The move signals a direct U.S. challenge to China’s growing influence in the Middle East....
US Imposes Sanctions on Chinese Companies for Allegedly Helping Iran
Washington’s Treasury Department announced sanctions on several Chinese companies accused of providing material support to Iran’s weapons programs. The designations include firms in aerospace, electronics and shipping that allegedly transferred missile components and dual‑use technology to Tehran. The measures freeze...
Investors Dump Indian Assets as Energy Shock Sends Rupee Sliding
Investors are pulling billions from Indian equities and bonds after a sharp energy price shock pushed the rupee to its weakest level in months. Foreign portfolio outflows reached roughly $5 billion in the latest reporting week, while the rupee slipped to...
Fast-Moving Indicators Are Now Showing the Effects of the Gulf War
The Financial Times’ Monetary Policy Radar team is introduced, highlighting its four core contributors. Chris Giles, the former global economics editor, now heads the unit and produces the “Chris Giles on Central Banks” newsletter. Andrew Whiffin, a UK CFA Journalist...