Latest News
-
Maguire: Southeast Asia is a key driver for China's clean tech exports.
Southeast Asian nations are the key drivers behind China's clean energy export boom. The region has made record purchases this year of grid equipment, clean power generation components, and electric vehicles. According to Ember, the energy think-tank, ASEAN countries have spent over $20 billion in total on clean-tech Chinese products by?2026. This total is 50% higher than the same period last year. It has?solidified Southeast Asia as the largest Asian market for Chinese clean-tech components. Southeast Asian demand is important because while Europe was the main destination for China's exports of clean-tech products in recent years ASEAN represents the next frontier. It could provide Chinese exporters with a demand boom lasting for years. BROAD BASED DEMAND ON CHINA’S DOORSTEP ASEAN is demanding a wide range of clean-tech products from China. The year-to-date purchase of solar panels, batteries, grid components and heating and cooling systems has all reached record levels. This wide-ranging demand is a positive development for Chinese exporters. They have relied heavily on advanced economies over the past few years, but they are now facing increasing trade tensions with Europe and North America which could slow down future growth. As electricity consumption, industrial activity, and energy investment all increase, the demand for Chinese-made products will also continue to grow. The economies of the region continue to urbanize at an increasing rate, industrialize more and digitize. The governments are increasing renewable energy capacity, expanding the power grids, encouraging electric vehicle adoption, and strengthening domestic manufacturing. Solar panels, batteries and EVs are all products that China produces in unprecedented quantities. Southeast Asia has become a major market for?China's clean tech output, at a moment when the access to certain developed markets is uncertain. SOLAR SHINES Export data for solar systems is one of the most obvious examples of Southeast Asia's importance for China's manufacturers. ASEAN countries have collectively spent $4.1 billion on solar panels made in China so far this season, which is a 90% increase from the same period of 2025. ASEAN accounts for 57% (of China's total exports of solar products across Asia), making it a crucial market for the solar industry. Philippines, Malaysia Indonesia and Vietnam are among the top buyers. They have nearly doubled their solar imports in 2026, compared to a year ago. The region spent just over $7 billion on energy storage batteries and about $1.6 billion on grid component imports. The region imported EVs worth $6.3 billion, and spent an additional $1.2 billion on heating and cooling systems. WORSE IMPACT Demand for clean energy components is increasing across Southeast Asia, and this has implications beyond China's manufacturing base. The trajectory of emissions will be increasingly shaped by economies in development with increasing populations, expanding industries and rising electricity needs. Southeast Asia, which has a population of around 700 million people, is the fastest growing economic bloc in the world, with an annual GDP growth rate of about 5%. According to Ember, the economic growth requires a?constantly increasing power consumption. Coal currently makes up a large part of the power mix in this region. But every shipment of solar panels, batteries, electric vehicles (EVs) and grid equipment to Southeast Asia could accelerate the deployment of low-carbon energy systems in one of the fastest-growing regions of the world. Clean-tech is no longer just about the place where products are manufactured. The story is not only about where products are made, but also how they are used. Southeast Asia, by this measure, is one of the key regions in the global transition to energy. Clean-tech imports from China are growing faster than global markets. The share of Asian demand is increasing. Its appetite spans all major segments of the clean energy economy. Southeast Asia is a key region as China looks for markets that can absorb its massive clean-tech production. You like this column? Check out Open Interest, your new essential source for global financial commentary. Follow ROI on LinkedIn, X and X. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast daily on Apple, Spotify or the app. Subscribe to the Morning Bid podcast and hear journalists discussing the latest news in finance and markets seven days a weeks.
-
Airbus deliveries at the end of August rose by 9%
Airbus jet deliveries increased 9% in the first eight-months of 2026. The European planemaker is 'broadly on target' to meet its yearly quota, but it still has some catching up to do with the A330 after a production snag. Airbus announced in a monthly bulletin it delivered 475 jets between January and August. This is up from the 434 that were delivered in the same period last year. The total included 57 deliveries during August. The France-based company released data showing that deliveries of the A330 wide body jet resumed in August with one handover, after they had been suspended for two months in June and July due to the discovery of an A330 tail segment containing a lost tool. Airbus has delivered 11 A330s this year, a 31% decrease. Delivery of the A320 family narrowbody, which is considered to be the benchmark for all other aircraft in its class, increased by 11%. The company targets 870 deliveries by 2026, up 10% from last year's 793. In August, the?planemaker shipped 67 aircraft including eight A350F cargo planes to an unnamed customer. So far this year, the company has sold 1,157 aircraft or 1,091 when cancellations are taken into account.
-
Bloomberg News reports that Europe's largest mobile operators are in discussions for a satellite-to-mobile venture.
Bloomberg News reported that?Telefonica, Orange, Vodafone Group, and Deutsche Telekom are in early talks to create a consortium for bidding on satellite spectrum, and offering direct-to mobile services. The report said that a group of 'carriers' would bid together for a?share of the 2 gigahertz airwaves the European Union has proposed to reserve for a?local operator. This plan is aimed at increasing the sovereign satellite capability. Bloomberg reported that no final decisions have been made about the consortium's bid or its plans. Vodafone and Orange refused to comment while Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica?did not immediately?respond?to requests for comments. The project would be a European rival to Elon Musk's Starlink on the continent and would align with the European Union's push to develop'sovereign satellite communications capabilities'
-
NTSB updates on fatal Amazon Prime Air cargo plane accident in Miami
The US National Transportation Safety Board announced in a X post that it will be holding a press briefing on Monday at 2:00 pm EDT (20:00 GMT) to provide the latest information about the deadly crash of an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane at Miami International Airport on Sunday. Prime Air Flight 7598, which was heading to the east, overran the diagonal runway of the airport shortly before 2 pm EDT. It struck several vehicles and killed 5 people. Five others were injured, three in critical condition. The crash trapped the pilot and copilot in the plane, according to?Miami Fire Chief Ray Jadallah. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said that more than 60 units of rescue and 200 personnel responded. Jadallah said that emergency personnel were still dealing with the fuel leak as late as Sunday afternoon. In a Sunday afternoon post on X, the NTSB announced that they had "launched a Go Team" to investigate this accident. The airport immediately halted flights after the accident, but flights were resumed on Sunday evening. The incident had lingering effects for passengers flying into Miami. FlightAware, a flight tracking website, reported that by noon EDT Monday, the average delay of inbound flights was more than five hours. 232 flights were canceled over the previous 24 hours. Flightradar24, a flight tracking service, reported that the plane was a 32 year old Boeing 767-300 freighter, which had been used as a passenger aircraft by various airlines from 1994 until 2015. Photos taken after the crash show the jet with its nose down and tail up. The right side of the aircraft had what looked like scorch marks. Flightradar24 reported that the plane had been traveling at 112 knots when it left the runway.
-
Hapag-Lloyd to improve $4.2 billion bid on Israel's ZIM
Hapag-Lloyd said that it is working with Israel to improve its $4.2 billion cash offer for ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, which the German shipping company announced on Monday. The proposed deal was met with 'heavy' opposition in Israel. This included 'ZIM's employees, Defence Minister Israel Katz 'and other government officials who claim that the transfer of Israel's shipping operations to a foreign firm undermines Israel's national security. Hapag-Lloyd's CEO Rolf Habben Jansen said, "We have developed an improved proposal to strengthen Israel's maritime independence and security." Habben Jansen said in a press release that "the revised proposal" will ensure Israel's access to important shipping routes including those from Asia. Hapag-Lloyd - which aims to be the fifth largest shipping group in the world - said the deal would create ZIM - a container shipping company that is owned by the Israeli private equity fund FIMI. In a similar deal, FIMI intends to?acquire a business that has 16 vessels carved from ZIM which secures 'direct global maritime links for?Israel via a new company named ZIM Israel. Hapag-Lloyd stated that it held several rounds of meetings, including with officials from the Israeli economy, finance and defense ministries to "revise structural elements of this proposed acquisition". The proposal is expected to go before the Israeli cabinet at the end of the month. Israel has a "golden stake", which gives Israel special ownership rights over ZIM. Habben Jensen stated that the agreement would also prevent foreign interference with the transport of Israel's sensitive goods, which is a "significant improvement" over the existing arrangement. Oren Caspi, Chairman of ZIM's Workers Committee, has said that he is against the proposed merger, stating that ZIM shouldn't be given to "hostile" parties. At present, ZIM shares up to 24 percent can be sold to a single investor from abroad without Israel's prior approval. Hapag-Lloyd proposed lowering the threshold to 10% in order to prevent foreign influence. For its part?FIMI has committed not to list ZIM Israel's shares outside Israel's stock exchange. Hapag-Lloyd stated that the parties had agreed to enhance shipping connections between Israel & Asia on the request of Israeli officials.
-
India's Shiprocket suffers narrower loss between April and June
Shiprocket, an Indian logistics company backed by Temasek, reported a smaller first-quarter loss on Monday. This was boosted by its core shipping business. The company's earnings are its first quarterly results since August, when it raised $170 million in an initial public offering. Shiprocket is a logistics platform that offers shipping, fulfillment, payment and other services to online merchants. It competes with Delhivery, Blue Dart Express and others. The company reported a consolidated profit of?137.1 millions rupees ($1.45million) for the three months ended June 30. This is down from a loss of 180.3 millions rupees one year ago. The company reported a profit on a standalone basis, excluding subsidiaries, of 201.6 millions rupees. This compares to a loss of 89.9million rupees the previous year. Shiprocket’s core business, which includes domestic shipping, software tools and marketing solutions, saw a 28% increase in pre-tax profit to 526,9 million rupees. Revenues from the company's emerging business, which includes cargo and fulfilment as well as cross-border shipping and marketing solutions, increased by 70%. The company stated that it continues to invest into its emerging businesses which reported a pre-tax profit of 437.5 millions?rupees. Shiprocket’s quarterly revenue increased by about 34%, to?5.92 billion rupees. However, expenses rose by nearly 31%. Costs for freight handling and service have increased across the industry, as inflation and network expansion add to costs. According to a Google and Deloitte study, India's ecommerce market will grow from $90 billion to $250 billion in 2030, as consumers spend more money online.
-
North Korea and Russia Open their First Road Bridge, A Symbol of Expanding Ties
North Korea and Russia opened their first bridge on Monday in a well-choreographed show of friendship. The structure spans the Tumen River and was hailed by both sides as a milestone for their growing strategic partnership. First trucks with flags trundled over the bridge's 1 km (0.6 miles) of two-lanes as Russian Premier Mikhail Mishustin, and North Korea's premier Pak Thae Song watched via video link. They addressed workers and officials from both nations. The construction of the new bridge began in April 2018 after it was decided to build the bridge during the visit by Vladimir Putin in North Korea 2024. Although there are direct rail and air links between Moscow, and Pyongyang already exists, until Monday there was no proper road connection. Since 1959, by special arrangement, planks have been placed on the nearby railway bridge, which was the sole border crossing point for decades, to allow vehicles to cross the border. "I'm convinced that the expansion of the cross-border transportation infrastructure will provide a powerful boost for the development of trade and economic, scientific and technological cooperation, and cultural exchange," said Mishustin. He said the ties between Moscow, Pyongyang and the United States were at an "unprecedented high level." The opening of the bridge was hailed as "a truly historic event." He said that the construction of the bridge wasn't just an engineering project but was "a new symbol for friendship". Mishustin stated that up to 300 vehicles could cross the bridge every day. The 'bridge' would also be connected to Russia’s federal road system and would have easy access the the transport corridor, which runs from Vladivostok in the far east to St Petersburg. The Russian government announced that trucks would immediately begin using the bridge to transport cargo. The bridge will be fully operational by the end of the year and can be used to transport passengers as well. The bridge was constructed near an existing "Friendship Bridge", which is a rail bridge that was opened in 1959, after the Korean War. The new bridge was named in honor of Yakov Novichenko. Pyongyang credits him with saving the life Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founding leader, by intercepting the grenade that was thrown towards him and other people. The ties between the two countries have strengthened since the beginning of the Ukraine war in 2022. Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops into Russia's Kursk area to repel an incursion by the Ukrainians in 2024. Mishustin referred to this in his Monday speech, saying that "the Korean Heroes who, just recently, fought side by side with our soldiers to defend Russian soil".
-
ArianeGroup examines increase in European space launch
ArianeGroup, a European rocket manufacturer, is looking at a "potential increase" in the deployment of its Ariane 6 heavy launcher. CEO Christophe Bruneau said to reporters on Monday. The European Space Agency said 'on Friday that it was looking at increasing the launch rate for Europe's Ariane 6 rockets and Vega-C in future years in order to deal with a looming satellite deployment bottleneck. Arianespace, ArianeGroup's subsidiary in charge of marketing and operating launches out of French Guiana, wants to achieve a stable launch rate between nine and ten Ariane 6 rockets per year, starting in 2027. Bruneau said at a press briefing that ArianeGroup and?ESA were discussing a possible further ramp-up. The supply chain for?ESA consists of approximately 600?companies. Bruneau explained that the main obstacle is determining how much money will be needed to increase supply of solid propellants for Europe's heavy-lift rocket. The rocket has made nine flights since it was launched in 2024. Bruneau and French space executives were speaking at a briefing for a summit to be held in France on September 9-10, which aims to "promote Europe’s independence in the space sector". Arianespace CEO David Cavailloles said there was a growing understanding in Europe that the space sector is a strategic one that shouldn't rely on third parties for access to orbit. In 2014, European nations agreed to develop Ariane 6 to meet a?growing demand for launch vehicles. However, its emergence was continually delayed. This left?Europe depending on Elon Musk’s SpaceX after a series separate setbacks.
Poste Italiane increases Telecom Italia's offer and waives the threshold condition
Poste Italiane, an Italian financial conglomerate, increased the value of its takeover bid for Telecom Italia by EUR550 million on 'Monday.
In a press release, the state-controlled group announced that it would increase its bid per share?by EUR0.30 up to EUR1.97 and, for the first, offer equity, 0.218 newly issued Poste shares, for every share of Italy's ex-phone monopoly.
Poste also waived its condition that it must receive 66.67% of all outstanding shares. The offer period expires on Friday and the take-up rate has been low.
Calculations based on bourse data show that Poste Italiane has secured Telecom Italia's shares, which accounted for 25% of TIM's capital as of Monday.
Poste's bid was launched?in?March, as part of an initiative to create a?national champion in digital infrastructure and services.
Poste announced that it would offer an aggregate maximum?cash component? of EUR3,36 billion ($3,90 billion).
(source: Reuters)