Rising geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran in late February 2026 drove a sharp rally in global crude oil and petrochemical feedstock prices, including ethylene and propylene, lifting prices across the petrochemical chain. Against expectations of potential supply disruptions, customers moved quickly to rebuild inventories, boosting first-quarter revenues for Taiwan's major petrochemical producers, according to earnings releases on April 10.
As artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates the buildout of data centers, the race to supply their enormous energy demands is drawing new alliances between China's technology and industrial giants.
Sony Honda Mobility, the joint venture between Sony and Honda, has scrapped the two "Afeela"-branded electric vehicles it had been developing, citing Honda's recent strategic shift that canceled three planned US EVs—moves that could cost the automaker nearly US$16 billion. The decision leaves the joint venture's hundreds of employees in Tokyo and California facing uncertainty, as the companies evaluate the venture's future.
