BEIJING: China is considering re-classifying petrol-electric hybrid vehicles so they get more favorable treatment than all-petrol or diesel counterparts under clean car rules, making it easier for automakers to meet environment quotas and offer more choice.
Global hybrid leaders Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. would be among the biggest beneficiaries of such change, which could allow them to make more hybrids and less of the more costly all-electric vehicles, experts said, after reviewing the draft policy proposal published on Tuesday by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
China has some of the world’s strictest rules regarding the production of greenhouse gas-emitting vehicles, as it battles unhealthy levels of air pollution in its crowded cities.
In the draft proposal, hybrids would still be considered fossil-fueled but re-classified as “low fuel consumption passenger vehicles.” Significantly, the number of negative points incurred for making hybrids will be less than for traditional vehicles.
The proposed change came as a surprise, some experts and industry officials said, because the government has never given any preferential treatment for hybrid technology. Previously, the government offered subsidies for, for instance, the purchase of all-electric cars.
Hybrid cars sold in China include versions of Toyota’s Corolla, Levin and Camry sedans, and versions of Honda’s Accord and CR-V. Beijing-based spokesmen for both Japanese automakers declined to comment.
Beijing ponders support for petrol-electric hybrids
Beijing ponders support for petrol-electric hybrids
- Hybrid cars sold in China include versions of Toyota’s Corolla, Levin and Camry sedans, and versions of Honda’s Accord and CR-V
Middle East war economic impact to depend on duration, damage, energy costs, IMF official says
- Katz: Prolonged increase in energy prices could unanchor inflation expectations
- IMF: 2026 global GDP outlook was solid, too early to judge war’s impact on growth
WASHINGTON: The Middle East war’s impact on the global economy will depend on its duration and damage to infrastructure and industries in the region, particularly whether energy price increases are short-lived or persistent, the International Monetary Fund’s number two official said on Tuesday.
IMF First Deputy Managing Director Dan Katz told the Milken Institute Future of Finance conference in Washington that if there is prolonged uncertainty from the conflict and a prolonged impact on energy prices, “I would expect central banks to be cautious and respond to the situation as it materializes.”
He said the conflict could be “very impactful on the global economy across a range of across a range of metrics, whether it’s inflation, growth and so on” but it was still early to have a firm conviction.
Prior to the US and Israeli air strikes on Iran and counterattacks across the region, the IMF had forecast solid global GDP growth of 3.3 percent in 2026, powering through tariff disruptions due in part to the continued AI investment boom and expectations of productivity gains.
Katz said that the economic impact from the Middle East conflict would be influenced by its duration and further geopolitical developments.
Earlier, the IMF said it was monitoring the conflict’s disruptions to trade and economic activity, surging energy prices and increased financial market volatility.
“The situation remains highly fluid and adds to an already uncertain global economic environment,” the Fund said in a statement issued from Washington. Katz said the IMF will look at the conflict’s direct impacts on the region, including damage to infrastructure, and disruptions to key sectors.
“Tourism is an important one. Air travel. Is there physical damage to infrastructure, production facilities, and the big industry in particular that everyone will be focused on is, of course, the energy industry,” he said.
Oil rose further on Tuesday as Iran vowed to attack ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude oil , the global benchmark, surged to $83 per barrel, up 15 percent from its level on Friday.
Katz said he expected central banks to “look through” a temporary rise in energy prices, given their focus on core inflation. But central banks could respond if a more persistent energy shock results in “a destabilizing of inflation expectations.”
He said the post-COVID inflation spike of 2022 was influenced by energy impacts from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with more pass-through from headline inflation to core inflation.
“And so I’m sure central banks, as they are thinking about how the geopolitical situation is translating into energy markets, will be looking at the lessons of the pandemic and seeing if they can apply any of those lessons in setting monetary policy,” Katz said.
