At midday close, China's main futures contracts were mostly lower. Container freight on the Europe route fell nearly 4%; synthetic rubber, glass, lithium carbonate and PVC dropped more than 3%; soda ash, Shanghai tin and live hogs fell over 2%. On the upside, Shanghai crude (SC) rose nearly 6%, ethylene glycol (EG) gained over 4%, and fuel oil, polyester staple fiber, low-sulfur fuel oil (LU), bottle-grade PET chips and asphalt advanced more than 2%.

USD/JPY fell back to 154.82, erasing earlier intraday gains.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said Europe cannot rely solely on buying AI technology from the United States and must develop its own components to avoid strategic vulnerability. She warned AI is “special”: beyond data-protection risks, issues around access, exit or contract changes would simultaneously affect all sectors, creating a form of leverage that could be used in trade negotiations, including tariffs or digital taxes. The comments reinforce ECB calls for Europe to accelerate domestic AI development to mitigate economic and sovereignty risk.