☕️ Good morning, friends,

Winners of the week: garlic & onions.

Due to the US–China tariff battle, prices for these bulbs have dropped because Chinese growers are now sitting on huge stockpiles that were originally destined for the US.

Fun fact: Buddhist monks are not allowed to eat garlic or onions because they are believed to raise testosterone levels.

So, Mr. Trump – if American men keep getting more feminine, the tariffs are to blame!

P.S. In Japan and Vietnam, black teeth were historically considered a beauty ideal for women. The trend is making a comeback, though we’re not entirely sure what to think of it. See for yourself…

BENCHMARKS

NUMBER OF THE DAY

+5%

Despite a 3 % decline in the global market due to weakening demand from the automotive industry, China’s industrial robot installations rose by this amount in 2024.

🤖 Global dominance: With 290,000 new robots, China controls 54 % of the world market. The US (-9 %), Japan (-7 %) and Europe (-6 %) are losing ground.

🏭 Density leap: China has reached 470 robots per 10,000 workers, overtaking Japan and Germany. Only South Korea (1,012) and Singapore (770) remain ahead.

Watch: China is offsetting external market weakness and demographic pressure through targeted automation, strengthening its innovative capacity. This opens opportunities for technology providers, AI partnerships and suppliers in the global high-tech sector.

TOP BIT

🚘 China EV: Sales Cool as Discount War Pauses

Deliveries of new EV models fell by about five percent in July compared with the previous month, to around 1.26 million vehicles. Carmakers are scaling back discounts after Beijing set limits on the price war. At the same time, Leapmotor and Xpeng reported record figures, while Dongfeng suspended trading in Hong Kong after a sharp profit warning.

The Details

📉 July Slowdown: Down five percent from the previous month, but still…