Bloomberg China is expected to make its next round of American soybean purchases “relatively quickly,†while corn, ethanol, beef and poultry also have been part of trade discussions between the two countries, according to US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. China committed to buying an additional 10 million metric tons of US soybeans, a sign of progress on trade talks between ...
Read More »Weak economy hits Korea’s oldest ‘chaebol’
Bloomberg South Korea’s oldest chaebol is finding that being a big conglomerate in a weak economy can be difficult. Shares of Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co. slid as much as 9.9 percent in Seoul, its lowest since August 2004, after it announced that its affiliate Doosan Engineering & Construction Co. plans to issue 420 billion won of new shares ...
Read More »Huawei chair rejects notion it helps China open ‘back doors’
Bloomberg Huawei Technologies Co. would deny any Chinese government request to open up “back doors†in foreign telecommunications networks because they aren’t legally obliged to do so, the company’s chairman says. Liang Hua said the company had received an independent legal opinion about its obligations under Chinese law and said there is nothing forcing companies to create what he called ...
Read More »â€˜China coal delays not unprecedented’
Bloomberg Blowouts in Australian coal processing times at Chinese ports are not unprecedented and the government is working with officials in Canberra and Beijing to clarify reasons for the current round of delays, Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said. Processing times for Australian coal shipments have expanded to close to 40 days from about 25 days at some ports, he told ...
Read More »Threat of jail caps a long fall for Indian billionaire
Bloomberg Indian billionaire Anil Ambani has spent years fending off creditors and suing critics of his debt-saddled business empire. But his moment of reckoning may have arrived, as he races to pay debts or face a possible jail sentence. On February 20, India’s Supreme Court said that the Reliance Group’s phone unit had disobeyed a ruling to pay about $77 ...
Read More »Italy govt mulls Alitalia stake if talks create strong business plan
Bloomberg Italian Finance Minister Giovanni Tria cautioned that the Treasury will consider taking a stake in struggling airline Alitalia SpA only if talks between potential investors produce a strong business plan. Speaking to lawmakers in the lower house of parliament, Tria confirmed that talks are underway involving Delta Air Lines Inc. and UK discounter EasyJet Plc, with state rail operator ...
Read More »Atlas Air cargo jet crashes with three passengers aboard
Bloomberg An Atlas Air cargo plane with three people aboard plunged out of the sky and crashed into a Texas bay as it was preparing to land in Houston. The Boeing Co. 767-300, which had departed from Miami, lost radio contact about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, the Federal Aviation Administration said. It fell ...
Read More »Online retailers urged to pay higher taxes to save UK shops
Bloomberg Internet retailers such as Amazon.com Inc., Asos Plc and Boohoo Group Plc should pay higher UK taxes to help save ailing shopping districts that are losing revenue to e-commerce, according to a government report. An online sales tax, higher value-added tax and “green taxes†on shipping and packaging should all be considered to help soften the blow to physical ...
Read More »Swedish grocer braces for radical change in online shopping
Bloomberg Sweden’s largest food retailer ICA is preparing for its largest transformation yet to cater to a growing number of customers who want to shop for groceries online and have them delivered home. The 81-year-old company is following in the footprints of other Swedish retail giants like Hennes & Mauritz AB and Ikea in shifting investments towards e-commerce, advanced analytics ...
Read More »Vitol sees oil to rally as Opec, Venezuela cause shortage
Bloomberg The world’s largest energy trader says oil prices are set to rally further as Opec output cuts and American sanctions on Iran and Venezuela cause a “shortage†of the low-quality heavy crudes refiners rely on. “From here there’s probably the potential to be a little bit higher,†said Russell Hardy, chief executive officer of Vitol Group. “Oil supply is ...
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