Kazakhstan is poised to push its seaborne crude exports to near-record levels next month, adding fresh strain to its already tense relationship with the OPEC+ alliance, which is grappling with excess supply and internal discipline issues. The country’s CPC Blend shipments via the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk are expected to rise to between 1.65 and 1.70 million barrels per day (bpd) in June.

If realized, that would match the all-time high set in February, reinforcing Kazakhstan’s position as a growing wildcard within the oil producers’ cartel. Kazakhstan’s production and exports have exceeded its OPEC+ quota for months, driven by the ramp-up at the Tengiz oil field, one of the largest and most technologically advanced oil projects in the world, operated by Chevron.

The deepening trade imbalance between China and the European Union is intensifying fears in Brussels that the bloc is becoming collateral damage in the intensifying economic confrontation between Beijing and Washington. With China’s export surplus to the EU hitting a record $90 billion in the first four months of 2025, policymakers are bracing for a new wave of cheap Chinese goods that could flood the continent—an outcome that threatens to destabilize the EU’s industrial base, already reeling from sluggish growth and rising competitive pressure.

While most of the re-routing of Chinese exports amid the U.S.-China tariff war has so far passed through Latin America and Southeast Asia, the EU’s role as a global open market makes it a natural pressure valve for displaced Chinese shipments—especially as Washington’s 30% base tariff on Chinese imports remains significantly higher than pre-2025 levels.

Saudi Aramco’s announcement of $90 billion in potential agreements with U.S. companies marks a major deepening of economic ties between the kingdom and the United States, and underscores how energy diplomacy is evolving in the era of strategic realignment and technological transition.

The deals—34 in total—were signed through Aramco’s domestic and international subsidiaries, including its U.S.-based Aramco Americas and Aramco Group Co. They span a wide array of sectors beyond traditional oil, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), fuels, petrochemicals, carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen, and artificial intelligence. While not all the agreements carry firm dollar commitments yet, their combined potential value could reach $90 billion, according to the company.

China’s coal market is mired in a deepening glut, with prices sinking and producers under mounting strain despite the broader optimism spurred by Beijing’s recent trade truce with Washington. Domestic coal prices are locked in a downward spiral driven by excess supply and waning demand — a dynamic unlikely to reverse without meaningful intervention or a sharp spike in power usage.

The benchmark coal price at the major port of Qinhuangdao has fallen to a four-year low of 630 yuan ($87) per ton, down 17% since the beginning of the year. That drop has pushed prices near or even below production costs for many miners, slicing into profits and raising concerns over sustainability across the sector. Mining companies are facing pressure from local governments to maintain output in order to bolster regional tax revenues, even as inventories rise and buyers pull back.

South Korea is rapidly emerging as one of the most credible contenders in the global race to scale up nuclear energy, thanks to its rare blend of industrial capability, cost control, and geopolitical acceptability. As climate change, energy security, and the demands of an AI-powered digital economy push nations toward zero-emission baseload power, the global nuclear industry is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation—and South Korea is positioning itself at the center of it.

At the heart of Korea’s success is the combination of a deeply integrated industrial ecosystem and a long-standing commitment to nuclear power that has persisted without the decades-long pauses seen in other major nuclear nations. Since launching its first nuclear power plant in the 1970s, South Korea has maintained continuous development of domestic reactors and infrastructure, accumulating invaluable expertise in project delivery, design, and supply chain coordination.

Aluminium prices are under pressure in 2025 as global demand softens amid ongoing trade tensions and economic uncertainty, but analysts say downside risks are likely to be capped by structural limits on Chinese output and a relatively tight global supply-demand balance.

Since rising 7% last year, aluminium prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) have slipped 2% year-to-date, primarily due to weaker demand from key sectors such as transport, construction, and renewable energy—all of which are sensitive to broader macroeconomic shifts. The tariff standoff between the United States and China has further dampened confidence, with importers and manufacturers holding back on purchases amid an unpredictable trade environment.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between U.S. rare earths miner MP Materials and Saudi Arabia’s Maaden marks a significant move in the reshaping of global supply chains for critical minerals—especially at a time of heightened geopolitical competition, trade protectionism, and surging demand for technologies dependent on rare earths, such as electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines, robotics, and artificial intelligence systems.

The partnership envisions the development of a full-spectrum rare earth supply chain in Saudi Arabia—from mining and separation to refining and magnet manufacturing, a key input in EV drivetrains and other high-tech applications. This positions Saudi Arabia not merely as a passive supplier of raw materials but as an active participant in value-added production, breaking into areas long dominated by China.

The Dutch government announced on Wednesday that it has signed an agreement to purchase at least 46 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks from KNDS, the German-French defense consortium, marking a major step in rebuilding its armored ground forces. This is the first time in over a decade that the Netherlands is re-establishing its own tank unit.

The tanks are scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2031 and will form the backbone of a new Dutch tank battalion, which the government says could eventually be expanded with an additional six tanks, bringing the total to 52. The move is part of the Netherlands’ broader strategy to boost defense spending to meet NATO’s benchmark of 2% of GDP, amid growing security concerns across Europe.