Rare earth shift, chip shipments resume in Europe - Nov 7, 2025

As of November 7, today's news highlights developments in trade relations, particularly concerning rare earth exports from China and updates on semiconductor supply chains. China has begun designing a new rare earth licensing regime that could speed up shipments, but it is unlikely to amount to a complete rollback of restrictions as hoped by Washington, industry insiders said. Meanwhile, semiconductor maker Nexperia has resumed some shipments of its vital chips, auto executives said today, with Germany welcoming signs of de-escalation in a fight for control of the company that has rattled the car industry. Turning to market dynamics, copper prices saw a slight rise amidst signs of relaxing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing, despite a notable decline in China's copper imports in October. Market analysts noted that while demand for copper remains strong, it is growing at a slower rate than anticipated, attributing part of this dynamic to the elevated prices of the metal. In terms of specific figures, benchmarks indicated a rise of 0.6% to approximately 10,739 dollars per metric ton. On a broader scale, India's rapid renewable energy initiatives have led to rising electricity supply costs due to a mismatch between demand growth and infrastructure expansion. A senior official from the Central Electricity Authority indicated that while India is enhancing its renewable capacity, the current transmission system is not aligned effectively with actual demand, leading to increased charges for power utilities. In international news, speculation regarding possible rifts within the Russian government was dismissed by the Kremlin. Reports suggested that the absence of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov from key meetings raised questions about his standing with President Vladimir Putin, particularly after recent diplomatic activities slowed down.