Economics 14 August 2025 - 11 February 2026

Ford earnings: $11.1 billion Q4 loss, but 2026 profit outlook holds as tariffs bite
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Ford earnings: $11.1 billion Q4 loss, but 2026 profit outlook holds as tariffs bite

Ford reported an $11.1 billion net loss for the fourth quarter and missed earnings forecasts, citing tariffs and an aluminum supply disruption. Revenue fell 5% to $45.9 billion. The company maintained its 2026 adjusted profit outlook at $8 billion to $10 billion. Ford expects about $2 billion in tariff-related costs in 2026, much of it tied to aluminum sourcing for its F-150.
February 11, 2026
Trump unveils $12B ‘Project Vault’ minerals stockpile as U.S. moves to blunt China leverage
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Trump unveils $12B ‘Project Vault’ minerals stockpile as U.S. moves to blunt China leverage

President Trump launched Project Vault, a $12 billion program to build a U.S. strategic reserve of critical minerals, combining a $10 billion Export-Import Bank loan with private investment. Shares of rare-earth and critical-minerals companies rose after the announcement. General Motors, Lockheed Martin, and Google joined the initiative for emergency access to supplies. The plan aims to reduce reliance on China, which dominates global processing.
February 2, 2026
India Budget 2026 gives Apple a five-year tax shield for iPhone-making machines
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India Budget 2026 gives Apple a five-year tax shield for iPhone-making machines

India’s 2026/27 budget exempts foreign firms from income tax on machinery supplied to contract manufacturers in bonded export zones for five years. The rule, aimed at easing Apple’s expansion, does not cover domestic sales, which remain subject to import duties. Apple and its suppliers have pushed for clarity amid rising iPhone production. The exemption runs through the 2030-31 tax year.
February 1, 2026
US set for $1.6 billion USA Rare Earth stake deal as Washington chases homegrown magnets
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US set for $1.6 billion USA Rare Earth stake deal as Washington chases homegrown magnets

The U.S. government will acquire a 10% stake in USA Rare Earth as part of a $1.6 billion debt-and-equity deal focused on a Texas mine and Oklahoma magnet plant, sources told Reuters. A separate $1 billion private investment is also expected to be announced Monday. The deal involves 16.1 million shares and warrants for another 17.6 million, both priced at $17.17 each. USA Rare Earth declined to comment.
January 25, 2026
Asteroid Mining
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The New Gold Rush: How Asteroid Mining Could Create Trillionaires and Change Earth’s Future (2025 Update)

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx returned 250 grams of Bennu material in 2023, revealing water-rich clays and organics. The DART mission altered Dimorphos’s orbit by 32 minutes in 2022. Psyche launched in 2023 to a metal-rich asteroid valued at $10,000 quadrillion, with arrival set for 2026. China’s Tianwen-2 and AstroForge’s Odin and Vestri missions target asteroid sample return and mining by 2027.
August 14, 2025
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