Chinese smartphone manufacturers have notified their partners of an increase in purchase prices, which could result in retail prices for devices rising by 15-30%, with smartphones bearing the new price tags going on sale in March-April 2026.
The most significant price increases are expected in the mid-range and high-end segments, as well as for models with increased built-in memory and storage capacity. Market participants cite the rising cost of components responsible for device memory, primarily RAM and ROM modules, as one of the reasons for the price increases.
The backdrop for the price increase is being formed on the global memory market: due to rapid growth in demand from AI infrastructure, DRAM and NAND manufacturers are reallocating capacity in favor of more marginal solutions for data centers, which is squeezing supply for consumer electronics and supporting the growth of memory prices.
Imports of electric batteries and separators to Ukraine in 2025 increased by 55% compared to 2024, to $1.476 billion, according to data from the State Customs Service.
According to statistics, China remained the main supplier of batteries in 2025, accounting for $1.12 billion, or 76% of imports. Next came Vietnam ($97 million, 6.6%) and Taiwan ($54.6 million, 3.7%). In 2024, China’s share of imports was 84.3%, followed by the Czech Republic (2.6%) and Bulgaria (2.5%).
In December 2025, imports of these products increased by 74% compared to December 2024, to $243.5 million, which is also 37% more than in November 2025.
Exports of batteries from Ukraine in 2025 amounted to $52.7 million, compared to $41.6 million a year earlier. The main destinations for exports were Poland (34.1%), Germany (12.5%), and France (11%). In 2024, Ukraine exported batteries mainly to Poland (30.5%), France (almost 15%), and Germany (11.2%).
As reported, at the end of July 2024, Ukraine exempted the import of power generator equipment and batteries from customs duties and VAT. According to the State Customs Service, in 2024, battery imports more than doubled compared to 2023, amounting to $950.6 million.
China’s population in 2025 decreased by 3.39 million people to 1 billion 404.89 million, according to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The population has declined for the fourth consecutive year.
This included 716.85 million men and 688.04 million women. These figures do not include the populations of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, as well as foreigners living in China.
Last year, 7.92 million children were born in the country, compared to 9.54 million a year earlier. This is the lowest level in the history of calculations (since 1949). The birth rate was 5.63 per 1,000 people, compared to 6.77 in 2024.
The sharp decline may be partly due to the increase in 2024, most of which occurred during the Year of the Dragon, which is considered auspicious for marriage and childbirth in Chinese culture, experts note.
The number of deaths in China in 2025 increased to 11.31 million from 10.93 million a year earlier, according to the NBS. The mortality rate rose to 8.04 per 1,000 people from 7.76.
People aged 16 to 59 accounted for 60.6% of the total population, while those aged 60 and older accounted for 23%.
Cities were home to 953.8 million people, which is 10.3 million more than at the end of 2024. The number of permanent residents in rural areas decreased by 13.69 million to 451.09 million people. As a result, the share of the urban population increased by 89 basis points to 67.89%.
The average number of years of schooling among the population aged 16 to 59 reached 11.3 years, which is 0.1 years more than in 2024.
At the end of 2025, China’s GDP increased by 5% to 140.2 trillion yuan. The growth rate coincided with the government’s target and the pace of economic growth in 2024.
From January 1, 2026, China has completely stopped purchasing electricity from Russia, including the minimum contractual volumes. The reason is related to prices: the export cost of supplies from Russia in 2026 for the first time exceeded domestic electricity tariffs in China, making imports uneconomic. In China, the price remains virtually unchanged and is estimated at about 350 yuan per 1 MWh.
The contract for electricity supplies to China was concluded in 2012 and is valid until 2037.
Earlier, Inter RAO had already recorded a reduction in electricity exports to China in 2025 amid supply constraints in Russia’s Far East region, Reuters reported.
Chinese state-owned company Dongfang Wind Power has signed a contract worth 495 million euros within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative to supply 48 wind turbines for a 300 MW wind power project in Serbia, Serbian Economist reports, citing the Chinese industry portal Seetao.
According to the sources, Dongfang has conducted detailed site studies and optimized the turbine design taking into account Serbian standards, climatic conditions and power grid parameters. The investor and contractor of the project is China Power Construction Group (PowerChina).
The project, which has been linked in publications to the Vetrozelena wind power plant in the Pancevo region (Vojvodina), involves the installation of turbines with a unit capacity of about 6.25 MW. The expected generation is estimated at about 750-774 million kWh per year.
Vetrozelena is the largest wind power plant under construction in Serbia, with Čibuk 1 with a capacity of 158 MW being the largest operating wind power facility in the country.
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Retail sales of passenger cars in China in 2025 increased by 3.9% – the slowest pace in three years, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). In 2024, sales growth was 5.3%.
Sales of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids rose 17.6% last year after jumping 40.7% a year earlier. At the same time, annual sales of such vehicles in the country exceeded sales of traditional vehicles for the first time.
Car exports from China rose 19.4% last year to 5.79 million units. Exports of electric vehicles jumped 48.8% to 1.52 million units, the CPCA reported.
Domestic demand for new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China declined after subsidies for buyers were reduced or discontinued in many cities and provinces across the country.
According to the CPCA forecast, car sales in China will remain at 2025 levels in 2026, and the growth rate of electric vehicle exports will slow down.
