China's chip material control, Australia rate, Japan-Italy drill

Welcome to Your Week in Asia.

Underscoring ongoing U.S.-China economic tensions, Beijing's new export controls over several key inputs for electric vehicles and semiconductors will take effect this week. China's official manufacturing purchasing managers' index for July will also be released.

Pakistan, Australia and Thailand are scheduled to announce monetary policy decisions, while five major Japanese trading companies, now Warren Buffett's favorite investment stocks, are set to announce their latest earnings results.

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This is an adapted version of Nikkei Asia’s Your Week in Asia newsletter - a briefing of the most important business, economic and political events happening across Asia this week.?Register to our full selection of newsletters.

MONDAY

China PMI

China will release its official manufacturing purchasing managers' index for July. The index gauges export orders and other types of business activity. The PMI fell in the second quarter, hit by subdued global and domestic demand.

EU's Von der Leyen visits Philippines

European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen starts a two-day official visit to the Philippines. She is scheduled to meet President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., government officials and business people during her stay. This marks the first visit by the president of the EC, the executive branch of the European Union, to the Philippines in the nearly 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two.

Monetary policy: Pakistan

GDP: Hong Kong

TUESDAY

Australia central bank announces monetary policy

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will release its official cash rate on Tuesday. Close attention will be paid to whether the RBA keeps the policy interest rate at the current 4.1%. In July, the central bank paused rate hikes after raising them in May and June. Inflation in the April to June quarter inched down to 6% from 7% for the same period last year.

China export ban on germanium and gallium starts

Chinese?export controls on germanium and gallium, two key raw materials used in semiconductors and other electronics, take effect Tuesday. The global chip industry is still digesting the implications of the restrictions and wondering how strict enforcement of the new rules will be. But they are expected to affect chipmakers and key substrate suppliers, including Coherent, Wolfspeed and AXT of the U.S.; Israeli-German Freiberger; and Japan's Sumitomo Electric, all of which require those raw materials. The export controls may also have ripple effects down the chip supply chain as, on average in recent years, China has produced 90% of the world's germanium and over 90% of its gallium.

Japanese trading houses' earnings

Five major Japanese trading companies will announce their latest earnings from Tuesday through Friday. The trading companies have attracted attention recently due to recent additional purchases of their shares by prominent U.S. investor?Warren Buffett. Their results will be scrutinized to see if they meet Buffett's expectations, and to what extent geopolitical tensions have dented their business.

Earnings: Toyota Motor, HSBC Holdings, Mitsui & Co.

WEDNESDAY

Monetary policy: Thailand

THURSDAY

Earnings: Apple, Mitsubishi Corp., Sumitomo Corp., Nintendo

FRIDAY

U.N. working group's findings on Japan talent agency sex abuse scandal

The United Nations' Working Group on Business and Human Rights on Friday will comment on findings from its first visit to Japan at a news conference in Tokyo. The working group's investigation into human rights-related issues in Japanese workplaces, which?began on July 24, included conversations with people allegedly sexually assaulted by Johnny Kitagawa, founder of the country's largest J-pop idol agency, Johnny & Associates. Rights advocates hope the working group will offer concrete recommendations to the agency and the Japanese government on how to deal with the issue.

First Japan-Italy fighter jet drills

Through Tuesday, the Italian Air Force and Japan's Air Self-Defense Force will hold their first joint fighter jet exercises to improve tactical skills and promote mutual understanding at the JASDF's Komatsu Air Base in Ishikawa prefecture. Italian fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets, KC-767A refueling aircraft and C-130J military transport aircraft are expected to take part.

Earnings: Marubeni, Itochu

RELATED ARTICLES

• China's chip material export curbs: 4 things to know
• EU's Von der Leyen to make first state visit to Philippines
• Warren Buffett adds to Japan trading company holdings
• Australia central bank holds rates, signals more hikes may be needed
• HSBC wins shareholder battle to foil spinoff of Asia business
• Toyota to sell 20% of its KDDI share holdings, worth $1.8bn
• Thailand's household debt swells amid policy stagnation concerns
• France's Rafale fighters swoop into Japan for first joint drills
• Nintendo's Mario mission: grab IP limelight as Switch sales dim
• U.N. group begins probe of alleged Japan talent agency sex abuse

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