Daily brief
The United States has announced a new critical minerals partnership with Mexico, the European Union, and Japan, aiming to secure supply chains and reduce reliance on China. The agreement focuses on cooperation in areas like investment, research, and processing of key materials essential for electric vehicles and clean energy technologies. This move is part of a broader Western strategy to counter China's dominance in the sector.
The Japanese yen has weakened further, briefly hitting the mid-156 range against the US dollar ahead of domestic elections and heading for a fourth consecutive day of losses.
TSMC's CEO has indicated plans for 3-nanometer chip production in Japan, with a reported investment of around $17 billion.
Japan's Jera has signed a 27-year agreement to purchase liquefied natural gas from Qatar.
Japan is set to begin the first human trial of a Nipah virus vaccine in April, marking a breakthrough in combating the disease.