Tainan's Yongkang police raided a Vietnamese KTV, seizing over 100 packets of drugs and 1.5 kg of raw materials. Nine individuals, including three undocumented migrant workers, were arrested. The owner and two hostesses were detained.
India is reviewing the extension of customs duty relief on critical raw material imports beyond June 30. An inter-ministerial panel will discuss easing curbs on inputs, consider new duties on local electronics, and evaluate requests from the pharma and steel sectors.
Italy is ready to open a critical raw materials and rare earth depot in Porto Marghera (Venice) by October, according to Minister Adolfo Urso. The site is a candidate for one of the first European storage hubs, aligning with EU regulations to boost domestic extraction, processing, and recycling.
The Trieste-Monfalcone port system, with its deep-water access, international free port, and rail connections, is positioned to be a key hub for Europe's future critical raw materials supply chains. Its scientific and university cluster further enhances its strategic value.
Russia holds the seventh-largest global reserves of rare earth metals, with 28.4 million tons. Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov stated the country's raw material base can satisfy all domestic and export demands, producing 2,200 tons annually against a domestic consumption of 1,100 tons.
Kazakhstan is offering exclusive benefits, including tax and customs preferences and investment agreements, to major Russian investors in critical minerals and rare-earth metals projects. Minister Yersaiyn Nagaspayev highlighted this at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, emphasizing cooperation and a complete cycle from exploration to finished products.
A medical supply company, Gentell, is facing increased costs for raw materials and shipping due to the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. CEO David Navazio notes price surges and longer shipping times, impacting company margins as they cannot immediately pass costs to the US government, their largest customer.
One of Japan’s best-loved snack brands is switching to monochrome packaging for a number of its products due to a shortage of naphtha – a crude-oil derivative used in petrochemicals and printing inks – caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Calbee said it would “temporarily revise packaging specifications for certain products in response to supply instability affecting certain raw materials amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East”. The decision by the...
The United States has sanctioned a total of nine mainland Chinese and Hong Kong companies and individuals accused of helping Iran’s military. The decision, which risks complicating Donald Trump’s visit to China next week, was announced on Friday by the Treasury and State departments. A Treasury Department press release said those targeted were “enabling efforts by Iran’s military to secure weapons” or securing “raw materials with applications in Iran’s Shahed‑series unmanned aerial vehicles and...
The US has sanctioned ten individuals and companies, including those in China and Hong Kong, for aiding Iran's drone and ballistic missile programs. These measures aim to curb Iran's military capabilities and its threat to regional shipping. The sanctions target entities involved in procuring weapons components and raw materials, with a warning to foreign firms engaged in illicit Iranian trade.
Monthly rise in prices of fuel and raw materials, driven by Iran war, is one of steepest since survey began in 1997Business live – latest updatesConstruction companies in the UK are experiencing some of the sharpest cost rises in nearly 30 years as the war in Iran drives up prices for fuel and raw materials, according to a closely watched survey.The poll of UK construction companies found that input cost inflation – which accounts for expenses such as raw materials, energy and labour – rose last month to the highest level since June 2022 when there was a spike in commodity prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...
Iran war is driving up prices for fuel and raw materials, says survey Business live – latest updatesConstruction companies in the UK are experiencing some of the sharpest cost rises in nearly 30 years as the war in Iran drives up prices for fuel and raw materials, according to a closely watched survey.The poll of UK construction companies found that input cost inflation – which accounts for expenses such as raw materials, energy and labour – rose last month to the highest level since June 2022 when there was a spike in commodity prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...
Among more than 70 individual indicators used by the authors are quantitative data from open sources on damage to military and civilian infrastructure, data on fluctuations in prices for energy resources and certain types of critical raw materials
India's leather and footwear sector is grappling with a 40-60% surge in input costs due to the Middle East crisis. The industry is petitioning the government for import duty exemptions on critical raw materials, machinery, and components to mitigate these rising expenses.
Renault's UK managing director Adam Wood has reported a 'seismic shift upwards' in electric vehicle interest following oil price spikes caused by the Iran war. EV enquiries on Renault's website are up 42%, with electric vehicles now accounting for almost 50% of the company's UK sales in April. The Renault 5 was Britain's bestselling electric car that month. Oil prices remain above $111 per barrel amid ongoing tensions over the strait of Hormuz.
China's industrial profits jumped 15.8% year-on-year in March, the fastest growth since September, with Q1 profits up 15.5% — the strongest start since 2017. Equipment and high-tech manufacturing sectors led the surge with 21% and 47.4% profit growth respectively, while AI and semiconductor demand drove outsized gains in optical fiber (336.8%), optoelectronics (43%), and drone manufacturers (53.8%). The profit upswing came despite rising global oil prices, which have surged 48% since late February, pressuring manufacturers dependent on imported raw materials.
China's industrial profits jumped 15.8% year-on-year in March, accelerating from 15.2% in the first two months, data showed Monday. Profits expanded 15.5% in Q1—the fastest start since 2018 excluding the 2021 pandemic spike—following a stabilization in 2025 when earnings grew just 0.6% after three straight years of contraction. The surge came even as Brent crude prices soared 48% since U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran began in late February, driving up costs for chemicals, fibers and plastics. Producer price growth turned positive in March for the first time in over three years, ending the longest deflationary streak in decades.
