The European Union is preparing to soften part of its latest sanctions package after warnings from carmakers that a ban on a Chinese semiconductor supplier could trigger another round of production disruption across the automotive industry. The European Commission is expected to propose a temporary exemption that would allow companies to keep dealing with the Chinese chip supplier, even though the firm was included in the bloc’s latest Russia-related sanctions measures.

The proposal would still need approval from all 27 EU member states, but the fact that Brussels is considering a derogation so soon after adopting the measure shows how exposed Europe remains to highly specific bottlenecks in the semiconductor supply chain.

The U.S. Treasury has enacted new regulations for electric vehicle (EV) battery sourcing, impacting the eligibility for federal tax credits of up to $7,500. These guidelines, effective from January 2, aim to reduce dependence on Chinese suppliers and diversify the EV supply chain…

Despite planning their first collective output increase in over three years, OPEC+ producers are struggling to materially raise oil production in 2025, leaving the global crude market far tighter than expected. The disparity between stated targets and actual deliveries has helped push Brent crude prices back up to $68 per barrel, up from a low of $58 in April, highlighting growing tensions between market expectations and supply realities.

Officially, the OPEC+ coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, intended to boost production by 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) between March and September. But data suggests actual increases are falling significantly short. Much of the shortfall stems from two factors: some countries are physically unable to increase production, while others are under punitive constraints imposed by the group for exceeding past quotas.