The Tech Giant's DeepMind to Build Robotic Research Lab in the United Kingdom; Mexico Approves Fifty Percent Tariffs on Several Countries

International business news today featured two significant stories: a boost for the UK's AI ambitions and a notable increase in international trade tensions.

Google DeepMind's Automated Research Laboratory

Google DeepMind revealed intentions to construct its first “automated science laboratory” in the UK. This initiative is seen as a boost to the nation's artificial intelligence ambitions.

The facility will be mainly dedicated to materials science research. It will employ “cutting-edge robotics” to synthesize and analyze many hundreds of substances each day. The main aim is to dramatically shorten the timeline for identifying transformative new materials.

The organization explained that the lab, set to be built in 2026, will “help turbocharge research breakthroughs”. In a statement:

Discovering new materials is a vital pursuits in scientific research, offering the potential to lower expenses and unlock entirely new innovations.

As an illustration, materials that conduct electricity without resistance that function at room conditions could enable affordable diagnostic scans and reduce energy loss in power networks. Other novel materials could help us tackle critical energy issues by enabling advanced batteries, more efficient solar cells and higher-performance semiconductors.

The lab is one element in a wider partnership with the UK government. Under the agreement, British researchers will get priority access to a suite of advanced AI tools for research purposes.

Mexico's Tariff Move

In a separate development, global trade tensions escalated further after the Mexican Senate passed tariff hikes of as high as fifty percent starting in 2026 on imports from China and several other Asian nations.

The new levies are meant to bolster local industry. They will apply new tariffs of as much as 50% from 2026 on specific goods such as automobiles, vehicle components, textiles, apparel, plastics and steel.

These tariffs will affect imports from nations that lack free trade agreements with Mexico, including China, India, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia. Most of products will face duties of up to 35%.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has condemned the decision, urging Mexico to rectify “unilateral, protectionist measures” as soon as possible.

Other Business News

Russia's oil and fuel export earnings have hit their lowest point following the start of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022. The International Energy Agency reported that exports fell again in November due to lower export volumes and lower prices.

Meanwhile, in Switzerland, the central bank has left its key policy rate on hold at zero percent. The bank pointed to inflation that was slightly lower than anticipated, but added that longer-term inflationary pressure remained virtually unchanged.

Technology stocks experienced selling pressure following disappointing financial results from Oracle. Its shares slid in after-hours trading after it fell short of revenue and earnings forecasts and increased its spending outlook for AI data centers. The news fueled worries about the financial returns of heavy spending on AI.