| | OCTOBER 20268IN FOCUSDubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) recorded AED246 billion ($66.98 billion) in trade during the first half of 2026, marking a 17 percent increase year-on-year. This marks its sixth consecutive year of record first-half trade.Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attributed the growth to Dubai's economic and logistics infrastructure, highlighting its ability to maintain continuity amid trade challenges.DIEZ's share of Dubai's non-oil trade increased to 16 percent, compared with 15.4 percent last year. Imports rose 14 percent to AED134.8 billion, while re-exports surged 22 percent to AED108.8 billion. Direct exports reached AED2.4 billion. Machinery, equipment, and electrical devices accounted for 66 percent of trade, while precious metals and jewellery contributed 30 percent. China has proposed export restrictions on more than 40 advanced technologies across solar manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI), and biotechnology, citing national security concerns.The draft proposal, announced Friday by the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology, identifies 14 technologies for complete export bans and 26 for restricted exports.Proposed controls cover perovskite and tandem solar-cell manufacturing, polysilicon engineering, AI foundation models, intelligent agents, and certain cell and gene therapy platforms.China stated that most solar and AI technologies would remain exportable, while publicly available technologies would generally be exempt. The proposed measures could affect countries, including India, seeking to reduce dependence on Chinese solar manufacturing technologies and strengthen domestic production capabilities. The restrictions also reflect Beijing's efforts to regulate sensitive technologies and prevent potential security risks. DUBAI INTEGRATED ECONOMIC ZONES RECORD $67 BILLION TRADE IN H1 Hyosung Heavy Industries has expanded its high-voltage circuit breaker production capacity by opening a new export-focused plant in Changwon, South Korea, following an investment of approximately KRW 100 billion.Completed on October 16, the 18,996-square-meter facility commenced commercial operations, the company announced on October 17. It will manufacture circuit breakers rated at 420kV, 550kV, and 800kV, while the existing plant focuses on domestic demand.The facility integrates component production, assembly, testing, and shipping, improving manufacturing efficiency and delivery timelines. Production capacity for insulating components has also doubled, strengthening supply chain reliability.The expansion addresses rising global demand for power infrastructure driven by artificial intelligence data centers and electricity grid modernization worldwide, supporting the company's international growth strategy. TRADE & COMMERCE ENERGY & POWER BUSINESS & ECONOMY SEMICONDUCTORS & ELECTRONICS HYOSUNG HEAVY INDUSTRIES DOUBLES EXPORTS THROUGH CHANGWON FACTORYCHINA WEIGHS NEW EXPORT RESTRICTIONS ON SOLAR, AI AND BIOTECH
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