Chevron has struck new agreements with Venezuela to expand oil production in the Orinoco Belt, tightening its focus on the country’s vast extra-heavy crude reserves at a time when Caracas is trying to pull foreign capital back into its energy sector and Washington has loosened some restrictions on dealings with the country’s oil industry. The agreements, reached with state oil company PDVSA, give Chevron a larger position […]
DUBAI, UAE — Red Rock Technology FZ-LLC has entered into an exclusive strategic agreement with Innobotics, securing sole rights to deploy and commercialize its robotics and automation technologies across the GCC, Africa and India. The agreement establishes a cross-regional infrastructure layer combining AI governance, automation and physical deployment systems, positioning Red Rock as a primary integrator in markets where food security, supply chain resilience and technological sovereignty […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Apple is testing four design directions for smart glasses as it weighs a more fashion-led push into wearable computing, with premium materials and a 2027 target emerging as central themes in the company’s plans to challenge Meta in a market that is moving from novelty towards a more serious consumer category. The designs under consideration are said to include two rectangular frames and […]
BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 April 2026 – The 2026 Beijing E-Town Half-Marathon and Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon is scheduled to kick off on April 19. To ensure better preparation for the event, the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA), also known as Beijing E-Town, organized a full-process, all-element test run for the 2026 Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon from the night of April 11 to the early hours of April 12. The drill comprehensively simulated core scenarios such as track passage, process scheduling, equipment coordination, and emergency support, serving as a combat-ready exercise to safeguard the official race. Of the registered teams, more than 70 participated in this test, including four international teams, with both autonomous navigation and remote-controlled teams conducting night trials on the course together.
From the night of April 11 to the early hours of April 12, the full-process, all-element test event for the 2026 Beijing E-Town Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon was held in Beijing E-Town. Pictured is a robot running during the test.
As the world’s first humanoid robot marathon event brand, this competition has reached new heights in terms of scale, technological innovation, and organizational requirements. Therefore, the drill was conducted to drive a further upgrade in the quality of event preparations.
In terms of scale, the number of participating teams for this year has grown by nearly five times compared to last year, exceeding 100 teams. Covering two major categories—autonomous navigation and remote control—with autonomous teams accounting for nearly 40%, the number of participants, types of technology, and scope of testing have all reached historic highs. Consequently, full-process drills are required to solidify operational links, hone team coordination, and ensure the efficient operation of the event.
Regarding technological innovation, the first large-scale application of autonomous navigation technology has become a major highlight and challenge. In complex and changing environments, robots face difficulties in perceiving and making decisions within intricate surroundings, posing huge challenges to their computing power. At the same time, long-distance running places severe tests on the robots’ endurance, specifically examining their long-range stamina and energy management capabilities. Furthermore, dynamic balance and gait control capabilities are put to the test; robots must maintain dynamic balance at all times. Especially during high-speed running or sharp turns, the requirements for adaptive gait and millisecond-level posture correction are extremely high to prevent falls caused by shifts in the center of gravity.
In terms of regulations, this year’s event has also seen systematic upgrades in five areas: stricter rules on human intervention, more scientific start and movement protocols, clearer scoring and penalty criteria, more standardized supply and equipment management, and tighter safety and emergency procedures.
Facing these numerous challenges, the main purpose of this full-process, all-element test is to conduct technical validation, process refinement, risk prevention, and standard consolidation, ensuring the official race proceeds safely, smoothly, efficiently, and in an orderly manner. This drill, adhering to the standards of “full-process, all-scenarios, and all-elements,” followed the complete official race route of 21.0975 kilometers for the first time. It followed official race timelines, track rules, and support systems, covering two categories of teams (autonomous and remote-controlled), two types of scenarios (urban main roads and eco-parks), and two major segments (technical competition and service support). Through full-chain stress testing, the organizers carried out targeted breakthrough verifications to precisely identify potential issues and optimize procedural details.
The entire event involves a full chain of operations including start-line assembly, track control, battery swapping and resupply, finish-line diversion, emergency containment, vehicle dispatch, timing and judging, and security and medical services. All these must undergo practical drills to identify risks, optimize movement lines, and unify standards. This test comprehensively inspects the stability and reliability of humanoid robot technology, laying a solid foundation for the successful hosting of the official event.
During this test, team positioning was strictly verified and orderly arranged based on technical data submitted by each team, ensuring the process was open, standardized, fair, and orderly. As a realistic pre-race simulation drill, the test focused on process refinement, problem identification, and detail optimization. Test results were for reference only and did not count towards official rankings or race results. At the same time, speed performance and operational data of the teams during the test were within the scope of verification and do not represent their level in the official competition.
Currently, the short-distance speed of robots has improved significantly, and some teams predict that their half-marathon results may approach the level of elite human athletes. As a competition that serves as an extreme test of comprehensive performance and adaptability to complex terrain, the final results are worth looking forward to. On April 19, this human-robot co-running half-marathon will officially kick off, providing more impetus for the development of the robotics industry and accelerating the transition of humanoid robots from the laboratory to real-world applications.
China’s export growth lost momentum sharply in March, offering the clearest sign yet that the war centred on Iran is beginning to weigh on the world’s second-largest economy through higher energy costs, disrupted shipping patterns and weaker overseas demand. Official trade data showed exports rose 2.5 per cent from a year earlier, far below market expectations and down from the 21.8 per cent jump recorded in the combined January-February period.
The slowdown matters because overseas sales have been doing much of the heavy lifting for China while the property downturn and soft household spending continue to restrain growth at home. Economists surveyed by Reuters expect the economy to have expanded 4.8 per cent in the first quarter, up from 4.5 per cent in the previous three months, but they also see the outlook dimming as the Middle East conflict pushes up input costs and clouds demand in key markets.
March’s figures suggest that what had looked like a strong start to the year is becoming harder to sustain. Earlier gains had been supported by front-loaded shipments, strong demand for artificial intelligence-linked electronics and a rebound in some advanced manufacturing exports. That mix is now facing a harsher external backdrop. The conflict involving Iran has disturbed energy markets, with the Strait of Hormuz under severe strain and oil prices climbing towards the $100 a barrel mark, a level that raises transport, production and logistics costs across Asia and Europe.
Imports into China, by contrast, jumped 27.8 per cent in March, the strongest increase since late 2021. Part of that rise reflected demand tied to semiconductors, components and technology supply chains, but it also pointed to stockpiling and shifting trade flows as businesses prepared for a more volatile energy and freight environment. The divergence between softer export growth and surging imports may complicate Beijing’s effort to keep its large trade surplus intact through 2026.
Pressure from the Iran conflict is being transmitted through more than one channel. China remains heavily exposed to imported energy, and although it has reserves and a diversified supply base, higher crude and gas costs squeeze manufacturers’ margins and can erode the price competitiveness that has underpinned the country’s export machine. Reuters reported that March also brought the first rise in factory-gate prices in more than three years, indicating that cost pressures are building just as external demand becomes less predictable.
There are also direct trade effects. Reuters reported that crude and natural gas imports fell as the regional conflict disrupted flows. OPEC, in its first formal assessment of the war’s economic effect, cut its forecast for second-quarter global oil demand by 500,000 barrels a day, saying the conflict had become a meaningful drag on consumption and trade. For export-oriented economies such as China, that points to a tougher environment in which customers abroad may curb discretionary spending while producers face steeper energy bills.
Yet the picture is not uniformly bleak. China’s technology and clean-energy manufacturers still have areas of strength that could cushion the blow. Overseas demand for electric vehicles, batteries and solar equipment has been supported by the same oil shock that is hurting traditional exporters. Associated Press reported that Chinese new-energy vehicle exports continued to surge in March, while another AP analysis said the energy crisis was sharpening global interest in Chinese clean-tech supply chains. Those sectors are unlikely to offset every weakness, but they do show that the country’s export story is becoming more uneven rather than simply weaker across the board.
That unevenness is visible across product categories. Lower-value consumer goods such as clothing, furniture and other labour-intensive shipments were hit by seasonal factors and softer foreign demand, while higher-end electrical and AI-linked exports remained more resilient. South Korea’s sharp rise in exports to China, driven by chip demand, underlined the point that advanced technology supply chains are still expanding even as broader goods trade loses pace.
Beijing now faces a familiar policy dilemma made more acute by war. It wants to preserve growth without adding excessive leverage, support exporters without worsening trade tensions, and stabilise domestic demand while avoiding another debt-fuelled property cycle. Current forecasts still place full-year growth within the official 4.5 to 5 per cent target range, but many analysts now expect a weaker second quarter than they did before the Iran crisis deepened. Fiscal support, bond issuance and selective easing remain on the table, though officials appear cautious about deploying a large stimulus immediately.
Greenlogue/AP QatarEnergy has announced a hydrocarbon discovery offshore the Republic of Congo, adding fresh momentum to its international upstream drive and strengthening the case for further low-cost development around existing West African production hubs. The find was made at the MHNM-6 NFW exploration well in the Moho G structure under the Moho offshore exploration and production licence. The well encountered a hydrocarbon column of about 160 metres […]
Microsoft has lifted prices across its Surface hardware range, making its premium laptops and tablets significantly more expensive as a global memory shortage ripples through the personal-computer market and forces manufacturers to pass higher component costs on to buyers. The move places Microsoft alongside other device makers that have warned of steeper bills for DRAM and NAND components, with the pressure tied largely to booming demand from […]
MSBuild, a legitimate Microsoft build tool embedded in many Windows and developer environments, is drawing renewed scrutiny after fresh threat research showed how attackers are using it to run malicious code in memory, evade signature-based defences and blend into normal system activity. Security researchers and defenders say the technique is not new, but its continued effectiveness underlines how cyber intrusions are shifting away from obvious malware files […]
Federal investigators in the United States, working with Indonesian police, have dismantled the W3LL phishing network, a cybercrime operation that authorities say enabled the theft of thousands of account credentials and supported more than $20 million in attempted fraud. The action, led by the FBI’s Atlanta field office, included the seizure of infrastructure linked to the service and the detention in Indonesia of an alleged developer identified […]
Singapore’s crowded digital marketing sector has gained a new entrant after SEOExpert said it was launching with proprietary artificial intelligence tools and a results-only commercial pitch aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises, stepping into a market where agencies are increasingly selling automation, search visibility and measurable returns as core differentiators.
The company, which appears to have been incorporated in Singapore in March 2026 as SEOEXPERT PTE. LTD., is presenting itself as a performance-driven agency focused on SEO, paid advertising and social media marketing. Its public-facing claims centre on AI-assisted content publishing, competitor monitoring, campaign optimisation and lead qualification, alongside a “no long-term contracts” offer and a promise to be judged on outcomes rather than retainers alone. That message lands at a time when many smaller businesses are under pressure to justify every marketing dollar and are increasingly wary of vague promises around rankings and traffic.
The broader backdrop helps explain why such positioning may resonate. Singapore’s digital economy accounted for 18.6 per cent of gross domestic product in 2024, up from 14.9 per cent in 2019, according to the Infocomm Media Development Authority, while SME adoption of AI more than tripled in one year to 14.5 per cent in 2024. That expansion has widened the addressable market for agencies promising to help firms compete online, but it has also sharpened scrutiny of whether AI-branded services genuinely improve sales, lead quality and discoverability or merely repackage familiar tactics with new language.
SEOExpert is entering a field where established players already market many of the same ideas. Rival agencies in Singapore promote AI-assisted SEO, performance pricing, flexible contracts and proof-of-results case studies, while independent directories and agency marketplaces show a busy, fragmented sector serving everything from small retailers to larger regional brands. That means the newcomer is not inventing a category so much as trying to sharpen a proposition around trust, transparency and speed of execution. The challenge will be whether it can demonstrate that its systems produce durable gains rather than short bursts of visibility.
For SMEs, the appeal of a results-linked arrangement is obvious. Search marketing has long suffered from an information imbalance: agencies control the technical work, clients often lack the tools to assess quality, and outcomes can depend on shifting search algorithms, website health, content quality and competition in a given niche. In that environment, a promise that reduces fixed commitment can sound attractive, particularly for businesses that have previously paid monthly retainers without a clear link to revenue. Yet such offers also deserve careful reading. “Results” can mean rankings, clicks, leads or sales, and those metrics do not carry equal commercial value. A company can rise in search results without converting more customers.
The AI element also cuts both ways. Automation can help agencies monitor competitors, scale content operations and identify technical issues faster, which may lower delivery costs and shorten turnaround times. At the same time, search platforms and clients alike are becoming more alert to thin, repetitive or mechanically generated material. That raises the bar for agencies claiming proprietary tools. The real test is not whether software is involved, but whether the work improves relevance, authority and user experience in a way that survives algorithm changes and stricter expectations from search engines and AI-driven discovery platforms.
Another factor is credibility. Public records indicate the company is newly formed, which is not unusual for a startup agency but does mean prospective clients will have limited operating history to assess. Its website advertises more than 100 brands served and showcases commercial claims around measurable growth, though such statements are difficult to independently verify from public information alone. For buyers in Singapore’s SME segment, that typically shifts due diligence towards contract terms, reporting standards, client references, attribution methods and whether performance targets are clearly defined before money changes hands.
A newly disclosed security flaw in Axios, one of the most widely used HTTP client libraries in the JavaScript ecosystem, has raised concern across software and cloud security teams after official advisories warned it could be chained into remote code execution or a broader compromise of cloud infrastructure. The issue, tracked as CVE-2026-40175, affects Axios versions earlier than 1.15.0 and was published through GitHub’s advisory system on […]
Cisco is closing in on a deal to buy Astrix Security for as much as $350 million, according to multiple reports, in a sign that one of the world’s largest networking and security groups is moving faster to secure the fast-growing risks created by AI agents and other non-human identities inside large organisations. The talks, first reported on April 10, value the Israeli startup at roughly three […]
KK Éclat, a France-founded luxury skincare label with Hong Kong ties, has staged an invitation-only gala in Central after its UV and Pollution Blocker Cream won “Best Everyday Sunscreen” at the 2026 Vogue Hong Kong Beauty Awards, giving the brand a fresh marketing lift in an increasingly crowded premium sun-care market. Vogue Hong Kong’s awards coverage lists the product among this year’s winners, while the company said the celebration was held in March at The Pin, a private club in Central.
The company said more than 30 guests attended the dinner, including business figures, tastemakers and industry personalities, as founders Karen and Katherine used the event to underline the brand’s positioning at the intersection of prestige beauty and science-led formulation. The award matters because it comes from a high-visibility fashion and beauty title in Hong Kong, where premium skincare remains a strong draw and brand differentiation is increasingly tied to product efficacy claims, texture, convenience and visible daily-use appeal.
Vogue Hong Kong published a dedicated winners’ article on 22 March naming KK Éclat’s UV and Pollution Blocker Cream as the new “Best Everyday Sunscreen”, and a broader recap of the 2026 awards ceremony on 19 March also listed the same product in that category. That dual confirmation helps anchor the company’s claim to a recognised editorial accolade rather than a self-created brand distinction.
KK Éclat has built much of its identity around what it calls Nano Frame Technology, which the brand says helps active ingredients disperse evenly, remain on the skin surface where needed and deliver hydration over an extended period. On its website, the company presents itself as a science-backed luxury line designed for consumers with irregular routines, frequent travel and high exposure to urban stress. The product page and brand materials place the sunscreen within a broader narrative of multifunctional skincare that promises protection, hydration and cosmetic elegance in a single formula.
That pitch aligns with a wider industry shift. Market researchers tracking sun-care cosmetics say Asia-Pacific is one of the strongest growth regions for the category, with demand increasingly favouring SPF products that merge protection with skincare benefits and easy everyday wear. Industry analysis has also pointed to a move toward lighter, less visible formulas and premium products that can slot into daily beauty routines rather than sit apart from them as purely functional beachwear items.
KK Éclat’s own messaging leans heavily on a long-running debate in sunscreen formulation. Founder Katherine, speaking in the company-issued announcement, contrasted the white cast often associated with mineral blockers with continuing consumer questions around the absorption of some chemical filters. That is a commercially potent argument, though one that requires careful reading. US regulators and medical literature have indeed examined systemic absorption of certain sunscreen ingredients, but dermatology guidance continues to stress that sunscreen use remains essential and that both mineral and chemical formats can play an important role depending on skin type, tolerance and formulation.
For KK Éclat, the commercial challenge now is scale and credibility. Awards can accelerate awareness, especially for younger labels, but the premium skincare segment is unforgiving and crowded with multinational incumbents, heritage luxury houses and a fast-growing pipeline of boutique science-led brands. Vogue Hong Kong’s 2026 awards list itself illustrates that competitive backdrop, with winners spanning names such as Chanel, Dior, La Mer, Clé de Peau Beauté and SkinCeuticals alongside smaller players.
GitHub and Jira notification emails are being hijacked by threat actors who have found a way to turn trusted software alerts into convincing phishing lures, using the platforms’ own mail systems to slip past many of the checks that companies rely on to stop malicious messages. Security researchers say the tactic marks a notable shift in email abuse because the messages are not crudely spoofed copies […]
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 April 2026 – Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS), the world’s leading company for elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation, service and modernization, and WeMaintain today announced that they have closed an agreement under which Otis will acquire a majority stake in WeMaintain, a fast-growing, technology-enabled service company for the elevator and escalator industry. The investment reflects Otis’ continued focus on advancing service and service technology to deliver the best possible solutions for customers.
Otis and WeMaintain leadership teams. Pictured left to right is Nora LaFreniere, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Otis Worldwide Corporation; Judy Marks, Chair, Chief Executive Officer and President, Otis Worldwide Corporation; Jade Francine, Chief Growth Officer, WeMaintain; Benoit Dupont, Chief Executive, WeMaintain.
“Service is the foundation of our business, and innovation in how service is delivered is increasingly important as customers seek greater reliability and better visibility into performance,” said Judy Marks, Chair, CEO and President, Otis Worldwide Corp. “WeMaintain has built a strong technology platform and agile operating model that reflects how quality service is delivered in a fast-paced, digital and customer-centric environment. We are confident in their growth potential and believe this investment supports their continued success while creating long-term value for both organizations.”
“Otis’ investment allows us to stay focused on what we do best – continuing to build and advance our technology and scale our business as an independent company,” said Benoit Dupont, WeMaintain CEO. ” With the stability and support of the global industry leader, we are well positioned to strengthen our offering while maintaining the close customer relationships and high standards that have always defined our approach.”
Otis and WeMaintain will operate as separate entities, and WeMaintain will continue to offer its agnostic IoT and AI-based solution to its current and future customers.
Hashtag: #Otis #WeMaintain
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Otis
Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation, service and modernization of elevators and escalators, we move 2.5 billion people a day and maintain approximately 2.5 million customer units worldwide – the industry’s largest Service portfolio. You’ll find us in the world’s most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 72,000 people strong, including 45,000 field professionals, all committed to manufacturing, installing and maintaining products to meet the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook @OtisElevatorCo.
About WeMaintain WeMaintain was founded in 2017 by Benoit Dupont and Jade Francine on the belief that building maintenance could be smarter, more transparent, and more impactful. We combine AI-driven insights, IoT-powered data, and on-the-ground expertise to deliver real-time visibility, enhanced operational efficiency, and increased asset reliability for building owners and operators.
With operations across Asia and Europe and more than 350 employees, we provide services and solutions for elevators, escalators, automatic doors, and fire safety systems.
Our human + tech approach sets a new standard for service quality, customer experience, and growth.
Dubai still delivers, even in the shadow of war. I’ve just arrived back in the city where we have our headquarters and several core offices, and what strikes me immediately is not disruption, but continuity. The US-Iran conflict has injected real tension into the region, with the Strait of Hormuz under pressure and the wider Middle East adjusting to a far more uncertain backdrop. Yet here in […]
Kraken said on April 13 that it is being extorted by a criminal group threatening to publish videos showing parts of its internal systems and limited client data, as the cryptocurrency exchange sought to reassure users that its core platform had not been breached and customer funds remained safe. The company’s public statement said the threat followed unauthorised access tied to a small number of accounts rather […]
Iran-linked cyber operatives using the CyberAv3ngers banner are again in the spotlight after U. S. authorities warned on April 7 that Iranian-affiliated hackers have stepped up efforts to compromise programmable logic controllers and supervisory control systems used in water, energy and government facilities, with some intrusions already causing operational disruption and financial loss. The alert marks a sharper phase in a campaign that security officials say has […]
Rockstar Games has confirmed that a data breach affected company information, saying a “limited amount of non-material company information” was accessed through a third-party incident and that the episode has had no impact on its operations or players. The disclosure lands at a sensitive moment for one of the world’s most closely watched game developers, with Grand Theft Auto VI still one of the industry’s biggest commercial […]
JAKARTA, INDONESIA/ MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 April 2026 – Green and Smart Mobility Joint Stock Company (GSM) today announced the launch of its shared business platform, Green SM Platform, in Indonesia and the Philippines. This marks a strategic milestone following more than two years of international expansion, while opening up attractive livelihood opportunities for people across Southeast Asia’s urban centers.
From April 13, 2026, VinFast EV owners and renters in Indonesia and the Philippines can register to operate on the Green SM Platform.
Starting from April 13, 2026, owners and renters of VinFast electric vehicles in Indonesia and the Philippines can register to become service partners on the Green SM Platform. Developed within GSM’s fully electric mobility ecosystem, the platform is designed to expand driver and vehicle supply, while ensuring all operations are delivered under consistent, professional service standards.
Upon successful registration, driver partners will undergo structured training programs covering operational procedures and service standards to ensure a consistent and high-quality customer experience. The platform offers a competitive revenue-sharing model of up to 90%, along with performance-based incentive schemes, enabling driver partners to maintain stable income and pursue long-term development opportunities.
In parallel, Green SM Indonesia and Green GSM Philippines are introducing comprehensive support policies to help partners access vehicles more easily through VinFast electric vehicle purchase and rental programs. These initiatives reducebarriers to entry and accelerate the expansion of the driver network.
In Indonesia, partners can register for the program and quickly gain access to VinFast electric vehicle models such as VF 5, VF e34, VF 6, and Limo Green, enabling them to begin operation as soon as the required procedures . are completed. The model requires no loans or significant upfront investment, enabling drivers tobuild stable income streams.
In the Philippines, Green GSM is rolling out the program with VF 5 and Limo Green models, supported by comprehensivepolicies covering registration, insurance, and operations. This enables drivers to join the platform with ease and gradually build stable operations, with income potential aligned with local market conditions and business needs.
Notably, drivers operating VinFast electric vehicles will continue to benefit from free charging policies through March 31, 2029, significantly reducing operating costs and improving income efficiency.
Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Global CEO of GSM, said: “Green SM Platform is not only a step forward in service expansion, but also a solution to accelerate the transition to green mobility across Southeast Asia. By building an open platform with high service standards, we aim to rapidly increase the number of electric vehicles in operation, delivering a sustainable, modern, and reliable mobility experience for the community. This is a strategic move toward shaping a comprehensive green transportation ecosystem across the region.”
Amid growing demand for flexible employment in major cities, the Green SM Platform enables workers to quickly access vehicles, start earning, and generate stable income withoutlarge upfront investments or complex financing schemes. The platform rollout in Indonesia and the Philippines not only strengthens Green SM’s regional presence but also helps shape a sustainable urban mobility model, where technology, environmental responsibility, and livelihoods can grow in parallel.
Further information on the Green SM Platform, including partner registration and vehicle leasing programs, is available at:
South Korea’s exports rose 36.7 per cent from a year earlier in the first 10 days of April, extending a powerful trade run driven by semiconductor demand and offering fresh evidence that the country’s technology cycle remains firmly supported by global spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure. Outbound shipments reached $25.2 billion in the April 1-10 period, the highest ever recorded for the opening 10 days of a month, according to Korea Customs Service data carried by Yonhap on Monday.
The early-April figures reinforce a broader pattern already visible through the first quarter. South Korea, one of the world’s most closely watched export economies because of its central role in memory chips, displays and consumer electronics, has been benefiting from a steep recovery in semiconductor sales after a prolonged industry downturn. Reuters reported at the end of February that the country’s chip exports had jumped 160.9 per cent in that month alone, passing $20 billion for a third straight month as AI investment and stronger memory prices lifted demand.
Semiconductors were again the main engine in the latest 10-day release. Chip exports surged 152 per cent from a year earlier, underscoring how heavily South Korea’s trade performance is now tied to data-centre investment, high-bandwidth memory demand and the wider AI build-out led by large technology firms. That strength has helped offset a less even backdrop in other parts of the economy, where investment, household demand and external policy risks remain more mixed.
The export rebound matters well beyond monthly trade headlines. South Korea’s central bank raised its 2026 growth forecast to 2.0 per cent in February and signalled that a chip-led upswing was giving policymakers more room to hold interest rates steady while watching inflation and financial stability risks. Reuters also reported this month that central bank officials see strong semiconductor exports and an extra budget as factors easing downward pressure on growth, even as won weakness and higher energy costs complicate the inflation outlook.
Factory data has pointed in the same direction. A Reuters report on S&P Global survey findings showed South Korea’s manufacturing activity expanded in January at the fastest pace in nearly a year and a half, helped by stronger export orders from China, North America and Europe. Manufacturers reported improving optimism as orders strengthened in sectors such as autos and semiconductors, indicating that the recovery is not only statistical but also visible in production and order books.
Still, the trade picture is not free of risk. South Korea remains highly exposed to swings in global demand, to US trade policy and to supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East. Reuters polling before the March trade data showed imports rising sharply as higher oil prices pushed up the energy bill, even while exports surged on semiconductor strength. That combination can support headline trade values, but it also leaves the economy vulnerable to a renewed squeeze from commodity inflation and currency volatility.
Another uncertainty lies in concentration. The same chip boom that is lifting exports also raises dependence on a narrow cluster of products and companies. South Korea’s trade resilience is being powered largely by memory and advanced semiconductor demand, especially products linked to AI servers. Investment plans such as SK Hynix’s announcement in February of 21.6 trillion won in new facilities show confidence in long-term demand, but they also underline how central the semiconductor cycle has become to the country’s broader growth model.
For now, the momentum remains hard to ignore. Reuters polling ahead of the March data had already pointed to the fastest export growth in nearly five years, with shipments to the United States and China both showing strong gains alongside the semiconductor surge. Monday’s early-April figures suggest that pace has carried into the second quarter, strengthening the case that South Korea’s exporters are entering another period of outsized performance after a weak stretch in 2025.
Hexagon has agreed to buy Waygate Technologies from Baker Hughes for about $1.45 billion in cash, giving the Swedish measurement technology group a bigger presence in industrial inspection and opening a new front in its push beyond traditional metrology. The deal, announced on Monday, hands Hexagon control of a business that supplies non-destructive testing equipment used to inspect critical components and assets without taking them apart or […]
Brussels is preparing to urge European Union governments to cut electricity taxes and trim power-grid charges, betting that cheaper power can both shield households and industry from the latest oil and gas shock and speed the shift towards cleaner technologies. The move comes as the European Commission tries to contain the economic fallout from surging fossil-fuel prices without abandoning the bloc’s longer-term decarbonisation plans. The recommendation would […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai AD Ports Group is accelerating its effort to turn itself from a Gulf port operator into a broader trade and logistics network, using expansion in Egypt, Africa, Pakistan and the Mediterranean to win a larger role in global supply chains as companies seek more resilient routes and integrated cargo services. For the Abu Dhabi-based group, 2025 marked another year of record financial growth. […]