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July 12, 2026
 

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MANUFACTURING

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer talks with Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard as they leave National Palace amid talks to review the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact, in Mexico City last month.
BUSINESS
May 30, 2026
Trump administration wants to raise North American auto content to 82%, with half from U.S.
The proposed new thresholds were revealed to automakers during two days of bilateral talks to revise the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade that concluded on ‌Friday.
The government's 2026 white paper on manufacturing industries says that companies need to make management decisions from a medium- to long-term perspective without being deterred by short-term costs, in order to make progress on economic security efforts.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 29, 2026
Few Japan firms take steps toward economic security, government paper finds
Only about 30% of Japanese companies have taken substantive measures to ensure economic security, such as diversifying procurement sources and strengthening cybersecurity.
Workers in the sewing section of a factory, in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, in November 2025
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
May 21, 2026
Garment workers face heat risks in Bangladesh as energy cuts curb cooling
Factories have turned off cooling amid energy restrictions caused by the Mideast war, with workers sweltering and a drop in productivity likely costing billions of dollars.
Seasonally adjusted core machinery orders fell 9.4% in March from the previous month to ¥1,01 trillion, the Cabinet Office said Thursday, reversing the previous month’s jump driven by large-scale orders.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 21, 2026
Japan’s core machinery orders fall 9.4% in March
Private-sector orders excluding those for ships and power equipment, closely watched as a leading indicator of corporate capital spending, dropped to ¥1.01 trillion.
ANA President and CEO Koji Shibata speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on April 30.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 18, 2026
Japanese firms post AI-driven rosy profits, but Iran woes remain
Many companies opted not to reflect the impact of the conflict in their earnings projections, as it could affect various aspects such as procurement, manufacturing and consumer sentiment.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's plant in Kumamoto Prefecture. Japan plans to create industry clusters in 10 regions as a key component of its regional future strategy.
BUSINESS
May 18, 2026
Japan plans industry clusters in 10 regions
The draft plan names the Tohoku region a green transformation center candidate, citing the presence of many nuclear and renewable-energy power sources.
Toyota's manufacturing facility in San Antonio
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2026
Toyota files to build $2 billion assembly plant in Texas
The forthcoming factory would create 2,000 new jobs and deepen Toyota’s manufacturing footprint in its largest market.
David Cheung, co-owner of Shaoguan Guanghua Plastic & Hardware Products, speaks during an interview in the company's showroom in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, China, on May 9, 2025.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 14, 2026
U.S. tariff whiplash pushed toy factory in China to brink of collapse
Had the United States kept tariffs on Chinese imports at triple digits for even one more day last year, toy manufacturer Huntar Company would have collapsed.
Calbee will start selling potato chips in black and white packages due to a naphtha-derived ink shortage amid the war in Iran.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 13, 2026
Calbee’s switch to black-and-white packaging brings home impact of Iran war
The government maintains that there is enough naphtha for local industries, though bottlenecks have been identified.
Nidec founder Shigenobu Nagamori in 2023. Nagamori instilled a hard-charging corporate culture at the company, demanding results pegged to ambitious, and at times unrealistic, targets.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 13, 2026
Nidec shares tumble after product quality issues compound bookkeeping scandal
The Kyoto-based world’s largest maker of precision motors said the issues involved changes made to materials, processes and designs without approval.
Yuki Kusumi, president of Panasonic Holdings, in the city of Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture, in April 2025
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
May 13, 2026
After cost cuts and reforms, Panasonic enters decisive stage in turnaround
Fiscal 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for the major manufacturer as it seeks to break free from prolonged stagnation and place its recovery on firmer ground.
Batteries for electric vehicles at a Gotion High-tech Co. plant in Hefei, China
BUSINESS / Tech
May 12, 2026
China’s green tech firms target new consumers hit by Iran war energy shock
Chinese manufacturers of electric vehicles, batteries and solar panels have been wooing nations looking to wean themselves off costly fuel imports.
A worker runs a machine in the process of building a solar panel at First Solar in Perrysburg, Ohio, on July 8, 2022.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 11, 2026
Trump’s crackdown on China-linked solar firms stalls U.S. factory boom
The policy could backfire by imperiling growth in U.S. manufacturing jobs and power generation at a time of rising utility bills and soaring electricity demand.
A solar panel manufacturing plant in Ohio. Policy uncertainty is driving installers and insurers away from U.S. solar factories with China ties.
BUSINESS / FOCUS
May 9, 2026
Trump’s crackdown on China-linked solar firms stalls U.S. factory boom
Policy uncertainty is driving installers and insurers away from U.S. solar factories with China ties.
Honda vehicles at an auto show in Detroit in January. Honda is reviewing its strategy for its North American operations, shifting its focus from EVs to prioritize hybrid vehicles.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 7, 2026
Honda reconsiders Canada plant as U.S. demand for EVs slows
Honda is reviewing its strategy for its North American operations, shifting its focus from EVs to prioritize hybrid vehicles.
People gather near BYD's new electric cars at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition last month.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
May 5, 2026
China’s carmakers chase ‘Yaris moment’ to ignite overseas growth
Automakers are re-engineering vehicles from the ground up for foreign buyers.
Components for Murata's Echorb Wonder Stone device. The company is the world’s leading supplier of multilayer ceramic capacitors, essential components for every device that uses electricity because they regulate power flow.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 30, 2026
Murata beats profit estimates as AI data-center demand strains production
The company says it is struggling to catch up with runaway demand for its multilayer ceramic capacitors, sought by U.S. hyperscalers for artificial intelligence data centers.
Japan's industrial production dropped 0.5% in March from the previous month, as the war in Iran clouded prospects for global demand.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 30, 2026
Japan’s factory output fell in March as Iran war clouded demand outlook
The data reflects a period in flux, with business prospects for manufacturers starting to dim as the impact of the Middle East conflict rippled through the global economy.
Toyota's parts suppliers are grappling with rising raw material costs, shortages of basic supplies and ongoing logistical turmoil.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 29, 2026
Toyota suppliers start to feel strain of supply chain disruptions due to Iran conflict
Toyota’s parts suppliers are grappling with rising raw material costs, shortages of basic supplies and ongoing logistical turmoil.
A Japanese machine tool industry group is concerned about a potential shortage of thinners and cutting oils amid prolonged conflict in the Middle East.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 28, 2026
Japan industry group warns of war’s impact on supply of thinners
There are no shortages now, but the prolonged conflict in the Middle East could affect supplies in the future, the head of an industry group has said.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
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