Industry Trends
U.S. Department of Defense Becomes Largest Shareholder of MP Materials, Accelerating Domestic Rare Earth Supply Chain
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has taken a historic step by acquiring a 15% stake in MP Materials through a $400 million preferred stock purchase, making it the largest shareholder of the U.S.-based rare earth producer . This move aims to address critical national security vulnerabilities by reducing reliance on foreign (particularly Chinese) rare earth supplies, which are essential for advanced military systems, electric vehicles, and renewable energy technologies.
U.S. Aid Cuts Leave Dozens of Global Infrastructure Projects Abandoned
Reuters, citing sources and documents, reports that dozens of global health and water supply infrastructure projects have been halted after the U.S. terminated related aid. The news agency verified 21 stalled projects across 16 countries.
U.S. House Approves Two Crypto Bills to Boost Legitimacy
On July 17, the U.S. House passed two key crypto bills, marking the first major step toward formal industry regulations. The moves aim to legalize digital assets and pave their way to mainstream financial status.
Russian Online Pharmaceutical Sales Surge 35.7% in Q1 2025, Driven by Cold Remedies and Smoking Cessation Products
Online pharmaceutical sales in Russia soared by 35.7% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, reaching 139.5 billion rubles, triple the average growth rate of the sector. This marked the first time online drug sales accounted for over 1.15% of the total pharmaceutical market share.
Nvidia and AMD Get U.S. Approval to Resume Chip Sales in China
Foreign media reports that Nvidia and AMD have received U.S. government support to restart AI chip exports to China. Nvidia announced it will resume selling the China-customized H20 chip and launch a new compliant product, the RTXPRO GPU. CEO Jensen Huang stated in Beijing that the Chinese market is "vital" to the company, with H20 ready: "We are very pleased to ship as soon as possible."
U.S. Launches National Security Probe into Drone, Polysilicon Imports
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced on July 14 that the Trump administration has initiated an investigation into imports of drones and polysilicon—a semiconductor material—to assess their impact on U.S. national security. The Section 232 probe, which began quietly on July 1 without public disclosure, could pave the way for higher tariffs on these imports.