Auto Manufacturing: Mercedes-Benz has started series production of the new electric C-Class at its Kecskemét plant, expanding the site to 440 hectares with local battery and body-part production after about €1bn in investment. Industrial Exports: Foxconn’s Komárom-area subsidiary is driving Hungary’s manufacturing rebound, with a surge in AI-server and cloud-infrastructure hardware output. Housing & Construction: Budapest’s new-build market is cooling after two record years, with sales down 25% in H1 2026 and more unsold inventory piling up. EU Climate Policy: Ten EU countries, including Hungary, are urging the Commission to rethink the planned ETS2 carbon price on heating and transport fuels from 2028, warning it could disrupt the broader ETS overhaul. Waste Compliance: The European Commission has launched legal steps against 14 member states over missed waste recycling targets and failures to transpose key packaging and single-use plastics rules, with Hungary among those named. Energy Finance: IFC is considering risk-sharing with OTP Leasing on up to EUR 50m of SME and corporate leasing in Ukraine, including renewable energy and climate-smart agriculture. Trade Sanctions: A revised US Russia sanctions bill would cap potential tariffs on major Russian oil buyers (including Hungary) at 100% instead of 500%, while keeping broader sanctions pressure on Russia’s economy. Food Manufacturing: A handcrafted Neapolitan pizza producer, The Dough LAB, has opened a high-capacity Szigetszentmiklós plant, scaling output via par-baking and liquid-nitrogen freezing for retail and export.