EU-China agreement limits hybrid car exports and eases rare earths licensing
The deal allows 350,000 Chinese hybrid cars into the EU annually under quotas, as officials question whether concessions will slow work on stronger trade defenses.
Rubio visits Uzbekistan for Central Asia talks with business delegation
More than 200 American business leaders are accompanying the secretary of state as Washington pursues trade, investment and security cooperation.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for meetings with five Central Asian governments, with commercial ties a major focus. The State Department said his delegation includes more than 200 American business leaders.
Rubio is due to join ministerial discussions through C5+1, the forum linking Washington with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Separate meetings with senior representatives of each country are also planned as the United States seeks broader diplomatic, economic and security cooperation.
Boeing, Citibank and Franklin Templeton are among the companies represented in the delegation. U.S. institutions providing development finance and export credit are expected to join business discussions. U.S. officials have also identified counterterrorism as a potential area of closer cooperation with some regional countries.
The commercial agenda follows the November 2025 C5+1 meetings in Washington. The U.S. Department of Commerce said those meetings produced announcements exceeding $25 billion in commercial agreements and commitments involving aviation, farm equipment, rail infrastructure and minerals. Those arrangements were at varying stages, rather than representing completed investments.
U.S. government figures put 2025 goods-and-services trade with Kazakhstan at $7.1 billion and with Uzbekistan at $1.7 billion. The region has oil, natural gas, uranium and other mineral resources, while its governments retain extensive economic links with Russia and China.
Rubio and Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov are scheduled to hold the opening round of an expanded strategic partnership dialogue. Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry said the agenda includes political ties, commerce, investment and regional and international developments.
After Uzbekistan, Rubio is scheduled to visit Mumbai and Jamnagar in India for meetings with officials and business executives, including discussions about trade and energy cooperation.