All Hat No CATL: Are State Leaders Wising up to China’s Industrial Threat?
March 2, 2023Ford has announced that it will collaborate with a Chinese State-backed supplier in establishing a battery plant for electric vehicles in Michigan. This despite the fact that an EV battery plant dependent on Chinese technology runs contrary to ambitions to shore up dependence on Chinese players and increase sustainable American industrial capacity.
The Week That’s Done: August 14
August 14, 2022The CHIPS Act is a carrot and Manchin's EV sourcing requirements a stick: US industrial competition could be ready for a comeback - if the private sector is on board. Plus: The energy scramble continues while Turkey plays metals middleman; US inflation relaxes, but so does productivity; and China flexes its delisting muscles
The Week That’s Done: July 24
July 24, 2022The EU's twin energy and economic crises threaten the bloc's cohesion, also political losses on those struggling to hold it together. Plus: Inflationary pressures mean no tariffs on Russian fertilizer, dumping be damned; the EV revolution strengthens China's auto hand; monkeypox is a global health emergency; and more fun fun fun.
The Week That’s Done: June 12
June 12, 2022Gas prices hit all-time highs as inflation gallops ahead; Washington relaxes solar tariffs while playing softball with Russia's plunder; plus China stocks make (minor) gains, BYD makes bigger gains, and TSX launches a battery metals index
Markets Briefing: Week of May 16
May 22, 2022US stocks hit their longest losing streak since the Great Depression – while continuing lockdowns in China, energy dilemmas in Europe, and a continuing failure to invest in domestic production suggest that a reversal of fortune is not on the horizon
Markets Briefing: Week of May 2
May 7, 2022As inflation soars, the Fed tightens the screws – and markets balk; the real economy weathers the storm better than most; both government and private sector double down on EV supply chains.
Markets Briefing: Week of April 18
April 23, 2022With recession alarms blaring, supply-side solutions remain elusive; the world writes off streaming even as Netflix's revenue grows; Chinese companies target European listings; and the Dutch bet big on photonics while the US-South Korea battery alliance hits rocky waters.
Factors Briefing: Week of April 11
April 17, 2022Amid soaring inflation, the specter of global food shortage; the titanium crunch throws aerospace companies for a loop; Elon Musk weighs tossing his hat into the mining ring
Markets Briefing: Week of April 11
April 16, 2022China's CNOOC grows wary of the US, but not of a global footprint; GM and Glencore announce a flashy new supply partnership; and Beijing signals that there's more intervention in capital markets ahead.
