Morning Brief: July 23

• European automakers are growing on the back of the U.S.-Japan deal. Shares of European car companies rose following their Asian counterparts after the announcement of a trade agreement between the United States and Japan. The deal provides for a 15% tariff on Japanese exports, including cars, which account for a quarter of U.S. shipments. This has increased expectations of a similar agreement between the US and the EU.

• China and South Korea have almost doubled their purchases of Russian aluminum. China acquired it for $3 billion in the first half of 2025, compared to $1.8 billion a year earlier. South Korea increased imports to $632.6 million from $365.85 million a year ago. The European Union, which imposed sanctions on Russian aluminum at the beginning of the year, also slightly increased its purchases – by 6% in the first five months of this year, to $403 million.

• The US Department of Energy allows the introduction of secondary sanctions on Russian oil. The head of the ministry, Chris Wright, said that the prospect of new sanctions against Russian oil «is a very real possibility.» In his opinion, the sanctions related to hydrocarbons exert the greatest pressure on Moscow. New measures would help resolve the Ukrainian conflict.

• The Philippines has achieved a reduction in US duties from 20% to 19%. Although the decrease seems insignificant, the President of the country emphasized its economic importance. The Philippines now ranks second among ASEAN countries in terms of duties, strengthening its competitiveness in the US market. The Philippines, in turn, will eliminate duties on American cars and increase imports of soybeans, wheat and pharmaceutical products from the United States.