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In October 2025, LiuGong Indonesia, the Indonesian subsidiary of the Chinese construction machinery manufacturer LiuGong, signed a memorandum of understanding regarding its investment plan for an industrial zone. The new factory in Karawang, which is expected to begin operations in 2026, will have an annual production capacity of 5,000 units and will require a total investment of $317 million. The factory will incorporate AGVs, MES and a dedicated R&D center for electric construction machinery, advancing the adoption of advanced technologies.
Through partnerships with local suppliers, the company aims to increase its TKDN (local content requirement) and achieve certification within five years. Products will be exported to the domestic market, as well as to Southeast Asia, Australia and North America, with an expected annual foreign exchange earnings effect of $40 million. LiuGong views this investment as a contribution to strengthening Indonesia’s heavy equipment industry ecosystem and supporting sustainable development.
The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced tariffs of up to 50% on 407 steel and aluminum derivative products from South Korea.
The department’s Bureau of Industry and Security said this measure would apply to hundreds of products, including wind turbines and their components, mobile cranes, bulldozers, railway vehicles, furniture, compressors and pumps.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has launched a generator engine that runs on a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen. It can operate using a hydrogen blend of up to 30% by volume relative to natural gas. This is the world’s first product of its kind to be launched.
The newly launched ‘Hydrogen-Blended Gas Engine’ is based on existing natural gas-fueled power generation engines. Due to the explosion risk posed by hydrogen, it is equipped with safety devices and mechanisms to remove residual hydrogen from piping. The engine can also run on a fuel blend of city gas and hydrogen.
When blended with 30% hydrogen, an 18-cylinder model operating at 50 Hz has a power output of 7,800 kilowatts. Kawasaki Heavy Industries is expanding its product range to include hydrogen supply network products.
PSR Analysis: Using existing natural gas power generation facilities while transitioning to hydrogen utilization is expected to reduce customer investment risk. This approach is likely to attract the attention of infrastructure companies and local governments in domestic and international energy transition markets, particularly in Asia and Europe. It aligns with Japan’s policy of promoting a ‘hydrogen society’, and its adoption in public projects is anticipated.
However, resolving challenges in the fuel supply network, such as hydrogen cost and stable procurement, will be key to the speed of adoption.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries will enhance its brand value across the entire shipbuilding, power generation and hydrogen supply chains, thereby strengthening its position as a comprehensive energy company. In the medium to long term, market expansion is anticipated as a stepping stone towards full hydrogen combustion. PSR
Akihiro Komuro is Research Analyst, Far East and Southeast Asia, for Power Systems Research
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry says it will support the development of an industry-wide system for sharing information on the degradation status of EV batteries. Toyota and Honda will provide battery-related data to used car dealers, insurance companies and others. The aim is to prevent the export of used EVs overseas and enable the domestic utilization of batteries containing critical minerals.
Currently, battery degradation is difficult to assess, resulting in low trade-in prices for used EVs in the domestic market. The fact that approximately 80% were exported overseas was a cause for concern.
Proton, Malaysia’s national car brand, opened its first EV factory in the state of Perak. The factory has an annual production capacity of 20,000 units, which can be expanded to 45,000.
Construction of the factory costs a total of 82 million ringgit (approximately $19.47M). Proton receives technical support from its major shareholder, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group of China. Previously, Proton imported EVs produced at Geely’s factory in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
Vietnam, a country known for its large number of motorcycles, is experiencing controversy over its electric vehicle policy. The policy bans gasoline-powered motorcycles in certain areas of Hanoi, the capital, and has caused a stir. Honda, which holds an 80% share of the local motorcycle market, must rethink its strategy because most of its models run on gasoline. This sudden policy change could also disrupt daily life for residents.
In July, the Vietnamese government outlined bold measures to regulate gasoline-powered motorcycles in “Prime Ministerial Directive No. 20.” Starting in July 2026, operating gasoline-powered motorcycles within the Inner Ring Road in Hanoi will be banned. The Inner Ring Road spans over seven kilometers and includes the city center, home to government offices, the Japanese embassy, and the historic Old Quarter, a popular tourist destination.
The South Korean government has reached an agreement with the United States regarding tariff negotiations. Mutual and automobile tariffs will be reduced to 15%, which is the same rate as those of Japan and the European Union (EU).
According to the Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), automobiles are South Korea’s leading export to the United States. Exports to the United States account for over 50% of South Korea’s total automobile exports. The South Korean government prioritized reducing automobile tariffs and engaged in negotiations with the United States.
CEMA (The Japan Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association) said it expects domestic shipments of construction equipment in fiscal 2025 to decline 3% YOY to US$ 19.65 billion (2.8488 trillion yen). This reflects declining capital investment sentiment due to rising interest rates and the impact of the Trump administration’s tariff policies.
Exports are also expected to decline by 3%, reaching US$ 13.60 billion (1.9717 trillion yen). Sales of hydraulic and mini excavators, the mainstay products, are expected to decline. Domestic sales are expected to decrease by 4%, down US$ 365.5million (52.9 billion yen) from the previous forecast, to US$ 6.05 billion USD (877.1 billion yen). Companies are expected to reduce their capital investment due to concerns about increased borrowing costs associated with rising interest rates.
BYD announced that it has delivered a cumulative total of 90,000 vehicles to the Thai passenger car market since entering it three years ago. Last year, BYD began producing EVs at its Thai plant. BYD is preparing to produce plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHVs) to further expand its market share.
BYD reported that 6,100 of the factory’s 6,900 employees are Thai nationals. BYD also announced that it will produce plug-in hybrid electric (PHV) sedans at the Thai factory. This will be the first time BYD has produced PHVs in Thailand. The factory has an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles. Expanding the range of models produced will increase consumer choice and the factory’s operating rate.
BYD entered the Thai passenger vehicle market in 2022 by exporting the EV SUV “ATTO3” from China. BYD is focusing on establishing local factories to expand into overseas markets. The Thai factory began operations in July 2024 and is positioned as BYD’s first full-scale passenger vehicle factory overseas.
Mitsubishi Logisnext plans to increase the electrification rate of its forklifts from approximately 60% to 90% by 2035. The company has its roots in Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., and it specializes in high-output engine vehicles. However, the global electrification rate has already surpassed 70%, with Chinese companies leading the way in technology. To catch up, the company is introducing new models in China that align with the trend toward electrification.
“The price of lithium-ion batteries has dropped, which has led to increased customer demand for electric forklifts,” said President Maeno of Mitsubishi Logisnext. He highlighted the need to expand the company’s product lineup to meet market needs. As part of this strategy, the company plans to introduce a locally produced electric vehicle model in China by the 2025 fiscal year. The key feature is thorough “localization.” The company has adopted locally sourced batteries, motors, hydraulic components, and other parts to reduce prices to levels comparable to those of Chinese manufacturers. Until now, the company has sold vehicles developed in Japan but has struggled against low-priced local competitors. In China, battery prices have fallen rapidly due to the increased popularity of electric vehicles (EVs). Mitsubishi Logisnext has adopted a “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” strategy to counter this trend. Depending on sales performance, the company plans to expand into markets such as Southeast Asia.
