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Global Economy
China's Quiet Weapon: Rare Earths and Battery Supply Chains as the Biggest Bottlenecks for Global Industry in 2026
In October 2025, China expanded its rare earth export controls to 12 categories and introduced a 0.1% extraterritorial application, with many of the related measures suspended until November 10, 2026. Japan experienced actual, un-suspended controls, leading to sharp 88% and 82% declines in its rare earth imports from China in March and April respectively, with dysprosium and terbium imports dropping to virtually zero since January. Rare earth prices have surged since the beginning of the year, forming a "dual-market" structure where supplies sourced outside China command a 4 to 6 times premium over domestic Chinese prices. While MP Materials and Lynas have established initial milestones for a non-China supply chain, they are still far from sufficient to replace China's refining market share (approximately 91%). The South Korean battery industry must build the framework for alternative supply chains within this year, caught between a double deadline: the expiration of China's suspension on November 10 and the expiration of the US FEOC graphite suspension at the end of the year.
이지영 기자 · 07/10/2026
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Global Economy
Rate Cuts Are Over, Hikes Are Next: How the Warsh Fed Reversed the Course of Interest Rates
강지혜 선임기자 · 07/04/2026
Global Economy
New Zealand's 'Brain Drain' Warning: Why Young People Are Leaving for Australia
박찬호 선임기자 · 06/16/2026
Global Economy
The Fourfold Invoice of Low Birth Rates: Labor, Pensions, Domestic Demand, and Fiscal Health Shaken Simultaneously
최수진 기자 · 06/15/2026
Global Economy
"The $200 Billion Illusion" — The True Structure of World Cup Host Country Economic Impacts
이태민 책임기자 · 06/15/2026
Global Economy
US Inflation Re-ignites at 4.2% & Launch of Warsh Fed: South Korea's Economy Navigates Dual Turbulence of High Exchange Rates and High Oil Prices
With the concurrent convergence of three variables—re-igniting inflation, robust employment, and new Federal Reserve leadership—the South Korean economy faces dual pressures of a won-dollar exchange rate soaring to the mid-1,500 KRW range and high oil prices hovering around $90 per barrel. If shocks originating from energy spill over into services and wages, pushing core inflation upward, the prolonged period of high U.S. interest rates will become a fait accompli, potentially extending the upward pressure on the strong dollar.
이지영 기자 · 06/11/2026
Global Economy
Triple Shock of War, Tariffs, and Blockade: The Reality of April 2026 Faced by the Global Economy and South Korea
With the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz effectively cutting off the transportation of crude oil and LNG produced in the region, an unprecedented shock is being dealt to the global energy supply chain. As of April 23, 2026, a Middle East-originated energy crisis and U.S. tariff shocks are simultaneously striking the global economy.
KBR 편집부 · 04/23/2026
Global Economy
U.S. Tariffs: Even if the Law Changes, Tariffs Do Not Stop
Amid a multi-layered structure where Sections 122, 301, and 332 operate simultaneously following the ruling against IEEPA's illegality, customs clearance strategies for South Korean companies remain a work in progress. The tariff war intensified by the Trump administration after returning to power in January 2025 has reached the present day through five structural shifts over the past 15 months: imposition, suspension, hikes, negotiations, illegality rulings, and alternative legislation.
강지혜 기자 · 04/15/2026
Global Economy
Day 38 of the Strait of Hormuz Blockade: The Intersection of Trump’s Deadline and Ceasefire Negotiations
A panoramic view of the Strait of Hormuz. Situated between Iran and Oman and spanning approximately 34 km in width, this waterway is a critical energy corridor through which roughly 20% of the world's crude oil supply passes. A de facto blockade has persisted following the US-Israel airstrikes on Iran on February 28, 2026.
최수진 기자 · 04/07/2026
