With U.S.-South Africa ties in the deep freeze, it was notable to see the sheer size of the U.S. delegation sent to this week’s Mining Indaba in Cape Town – one of the most prominent industry gatherings and one of the few where the Global South gets a prominent voice.
The Trump administration’s famous Afrophobia seems (momentarily at least) tempered by its greed for minerals. It is reportedly walking ...
Category: Automotive
Chinese EV Brands Rely on Tech and Cost Advantages to Lure Gulf Drivers
The Persian Gulf region is poised to emerge as the next major destination for China’s booming electric vehicle exports, particularly SUVs, as automakers seek new growth markets beyond Southeast Asia, a Chinese media outlet Deep Mena (看中东) predicted. Chinese SUVs ...
WTO to Examine Chinese Complaint Over India Batteries, E-Vehicles
The World Trade Organization said Tuesday it would establish an expert panel to examine a Chinese complaint over Indian incentive schemes in the automotive and renewable energy sectors. The WTO said in a statement that its Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) had ...
Foreign Cars Flow to Russia Through China, Skirting Ukraine War Sanctions
By Alessandro Parodi, Gleb Stolyarov and Alexandr Reshetnikov Tens of thousands of cars are being exported from China to Russia under gray-market schemes that often circumvent Western and Asian government sanctions and automakers' commitments to exit the Russian market, according to ...
After Volkswagen Deal, Chinese EV Makers Eye EU Tariff Talks of Their Own
Major Chinese automakers will be next to knock on Brussels' door after Volkswagen secured a breakthrough EU tariff reprieve for its China-made Cupra Tavascan SUV, industry insiders and analysts said. The European Commission this week approved a request by the German ...
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: More Speed, Less Policymaking Will Power African Countries’ Electric Vehicle Dreams
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service. This week, we continue looking at the alternatives African countries have for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing. Across the continent, employment ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
South Africa Targets Chinese, Indian Auto Imports With New Tariffs to Boost Local Production
The South African government is considering imposing new tariffs on imported cars to boost the country's ailing auto manufacturing sector. "We're looking specifically at how we can turn the tide on localization," said Mkhululi Mlota, chief director of automotives at the ...
Chinese Autonomous Vehicle Firm Minieye Targets Saudi Arabia with 1,000 Robovans by 2030
Chinese smart driving solutions provider Minieye Technology has partnered with Saudi cross-border investment firm Ewpartners to deploy autonomous delivery vehicles in Saudi Arabia, marking the Shenzhen-based company's first foray into the Middle East market. The partnership aims to deploy up to ...
Chinese EVs Flood Argentina as Milei’s Free-Trade Pivot Contradicts Trump’s Tariff Strategy
Over 5,800 Chinese electric and hybrid vehicles arrived in Argentina this week aboard BYD's Changzhou vessel, marking an unprecedented expansion for Chinese automakers into a market historically closed to imports. The shipment underscores how China has emerged as the primary beneficiary ...
Vietnam’s VinFast and the “China Plus One” Paradox
By Zhang Shiyao VinFast, Vietnam's largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, wrapped up 2025 with strong momentum: its domestic deliveries more than doubled in 2025, reaching 170,000 units - roughly one third of the country’s total car sales. With new ...
China’s CATL Signals Sodium-Ion Battery Return as Lithium Prices Surge
CATL on Monday said it plans to deploy sodium-ion batteries at ...
China’s BYD to Overtake Tesla as World’s Top EV Seller in 2025
China’s BYD is set to overtake Tesla as the world’s largest electric-vehicle EV seller in 2025, based on disclosures and forecasts. BYD sold 2.07 million EVs by the end of November, the Shenzhen-based automaker said. Tesla reported 1.22 million deliveries ...
China to Enforce 2026 EV Rule Aimed at Longer Driving Range
China will begin enforcing mandatory limits on how much energy a pure battery-electric passenger cars can use starting Jan. 1, 2026, replacing a voluntary efficiency framework with binding national rules. For drivers, the change can deliver longer driving range on a single charge without larger batteries, ...