DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ German economic weakness belies France's outperformance
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Leigh Thomas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The European Commission said on Monday the two economies were on diverging paths this year with Germany forecast to be in a recession with a 0.4% contraction and France expected to grow 1.0%. With weak construction and declining construction investment weighing on Europe's biggest economy, Germany's outlook was slashed from a previous forecast for 0.2% growth while France was upgraded from 0.7%. The contrasting fortunes of the euro zone's two biggest economies can also be explained by tailwinds working against Germany and headwinds helping France. Germany's gas-hungry chemical industry has seen production fall 18% from 2019 levels while in France it is only 8%, Colombier said. That leaves few props to lend support to French growth going forward other than household savings.

Persons: Jean, Paul Pelissier, Germany's, Mathieu, tailwinds, headwinds, Charles, Henri Colombier, Colombier, Plane, Leigh Thomas, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, European, Germany, France's Finance, Thomson Locations: Marseille, Fos, Fos sur Mer, France, Germany, PARIS, Paris

French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire attends the China-France Economic and Financial Dialogue at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, July 29, 2023. He said they had also agreed to bring forward annual price negotiations - initially planned for next year - to September. Le Maire went a step further on Thursday, naming Unilever, Nestle and Pepsi Co as being among the companies which he said were refusing to toe the line on prices. "The large multinationals could do much more," Le Maire said. "No one is willing to say 'I am going to reduce my prices' because the government is saying so," he said.

Persons: Bruno Le Maire, Thomas Peter, Le Maire, Le, Sybille De La, Silvia Aloisi, David Holmes, Frances Kerry Organizations: Finance, France Economic, REUTERS, Rights, Unilever, Nestle, PepsiCo, Federation du Commerce, Pepsi Co, Thomson Locations: China, France, Diaoyutai, Beijing, Paris

It leaves Kretinsky, who submitted a revised offer over the weekend proposing the equity injection, as the only bidder. The cash injection plan would lead to a 4.7 billion-euro reduction in overall debt, Casino said. Casino is saddled with net debt of 6.4 billion euros and is teetering on the brink of default. The board meeting followed a separate meeting between Casino's creditors and CIRI - France's finance ministry body that helps distressed companies and their creditors draw up restructuring plans. Kretinsky and Ladreit de Lacharriere would control the investment vehicle behind the 1.2 billion-euro equity injection, a source said.

Persons: Daniel Kretinsky, Kretinsky's, Xavier Niel, Jean, Charles Naouri, Kretinsky, Niel, Matthieu Pigasse, Moez, Alexandre Zouari, Casino, Marc Ladreit de, Ladreit, Mathieu Rosemain, Mike Harrison, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Casino, 3F, Attestor, French, Monde, Fnac, Metro, Forbes, Thomson Locations: Czech, PARIS, French, Paris, Casino, Britain, France, Germany

☆ France plans to close tax loophole benefiting AirBnB
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File PhotoPARIS, June 9 (Reuters) - France's finance ministry is working on plans to close a tax loophole benefiting short-term furnished rentals such as AirBnB (ABNB.O), Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday. A trio of cross-party lawmakers last month called for rules regulating such rentals to be tightened and for an end to the more favourable tax treatment such rentals receive vis a vis normal long-term rentals. "I have a hard time understanding the very favourable tax treatment for AirBnB. We are going to reform the tax rules and I will make proposals," Le Maire said on BFM TV. "When a windfall gets too big and tax is too favourable, there is no reason to keep such tax treatment that leads to excess," he added.

Persons: Charles Platiau, Bruno Le Maire, Le Maire, pollsters, Le Maire's, Leigh Thomas, Elizabeth Pineau, Louise Heavens Organizations: La Defense, REUTERS, Finance, Thomson Locations: La, Paris, France

☆ Analysis: Macron wins Pyrrhic victory on pension bill, risks fuelling anger
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Michel Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

By using special constitutional powers instead of risking lawmakers rejecting the reform, Macron has given ammunition to the opposition and to trade union leaders who cast the reform as undemocratic. LE PEN AMBUSHTo be sure, claims of authoritarianism by the pension bill's critics are far-fetched. Political observers say Le Pen played her hand well. "Mrs Le Pen is ready for the ambush," Laurent Berger, the head of the moderate CFDT union said on Thursday, hours before the vote. But the end of debates in parliament may do little to quell anger on the streets.

☆ France says sanctions against Russia are 'very efficient' as more are being considered
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

watch nowFrance's finance minister told CNBC that additional sanctions are being considered against Russia for its unjustified war against Ukraine, as current measures have proven to be "very efficient." When you are looking at the assets that have been frozen — more than $58 billion, you can say that sanctions against Russia are efficient," said the finance minister. Bruno Le Maire French finance ministerThe European Union recently ramped up its oil sanctions against Russia. The Group of 7 implemented a $60 price cap on Russian oil on Dec. 5. Reuters reported that the G-7 economies agreed to review the level of the price cap on exports of Russian oil in March.

☆ A subsidy arms race is kicking off between Europe and America
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

This premium is expected to shrink as clean energy technologies become more advanced and infrastructure to produce them is scaled up. Most of the money the IRA has earmarked for clean energy initiatives comes in the form of tax credits. In the meantime, government officials are lobbying the United States to rethink parts of the IRA. “Europe and other allied countries have nothing to fear from the Inflation Reduction Act and quite a bit to gain,” said Brian Deese, Biden’s top economic adviser. The fight over green subsidies also comes as geopolitical tensions are pushing countries to focus on greater localization of production — not just for green energy, but also for sensitive technologies like computer chips.

☆ France's finance minister: We have entered a 'new era of globalization'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFrance's finance minister: We have entered a 'new era of globalization'French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire speaks to CNBC's Geoff Cutmore at Davos 2023.

☆ France's finance minister: Europe needs to invest in its own green technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFrance's finance minister: Europe needs to invest in its own green technologyFrench Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire discusses the importance of decarbonizing the economy and what the region should do to reconcile growth and climate concerns.

☆ IMF's Georgieva and ECB's Lagarde discuss the future of global growth at Davos
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Cnbc.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

[The stream is slated to start at 5 a.m. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] Moderated by CNBC's Geoff Cutmore, top business leaders and policymakers discuss the future of growth at Davos, Switzerland, and the policies needed to stabilize the global economy. Joining CNBC is Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, Bruno Le Maire, France's finance minister, Larry Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Kuroda Haruhiko, governor of the Bank of Japan. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

☆ French watchdog orders Amazon to pay $3.5 mln in penalties
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Dec 7 (Reuters) - A French watchdog has ordered U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon.com (AMZN.O) to pay 3.3 million euros ($3.5 million) in penalties for failing to modify contractual provisions related to third-party sellers by the deadline it set, the watchdog said on Wednesday. France's DGCCRF consumer fraud watchdog said in a statement Amazon had been ordered to make the changes, aimed at correcting imbalances in contractual terms between Amazon's online marketplace and third-party sellers, by March 22. Amazon had complied with DGCCRF's orders a month later, on April 28, the watchdog said, which led to penalties equivalent to 90,000 euros per day of delay. Amazon said it would appeal against DGCCRF's penalties. "The DGCCRF has acknowledged that the changes we implemented in April are consistent with its injunction," Amazon said in a written statement.

☆ Russian oil cap will work, EU ministers insist, despite Kremlin opposition and broad skepticism
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

G7, the EU and Australia implemented on December 5 a cap on Russian oil prices. BRUSSELS — A price cap on Russian seaborne oil will work, EU ministers told CNBC, despite attempts from the Kremlin to escape sanctions and a broad market skepticism over the measure. When asked if the oil cap can work in reducing Russia's oil revenues, Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said, "Yes, it can." One of the big open questions is the role of India and China in the implementation of this price cap. "Then we will assess the consequences of the implementation of this oil cap," he added.

☆ Europe shows a united front against Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, says it threatens industry
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The sweeping U.S. legislation, which was approved by U.S. lawmakers in August and includes a record $369 billion in spending on climate and energy policies, was discussed by the 27 EU finance ministers on Tuesday. The same official added that "there is a political consensus (among the 27 ministers) that this plan threatens the European industry." The EU has listed at least nine points in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act that could be in breach of international trade rules. We don't want to see any kind of decision that could harm this level playing field. "The level playing field is at the core of the trade relationship between the two continents and we don't want to see any kind of decision that could harm this level playing field," he said.

LONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Germany, considered Europe's most reliable debtor, is having trouble selling its bonds, just as it seeks billions to tackle the energy crisis. Hit hard by its over-reliance on Russian energy, Germany intends to borrow particularly large amounts in the coming years, with Parliament last week voting to suspend the constitutional debt brake that limits new borrowing. France's finance agency, in contrast, issued 10 billion euros of medium term bonds on Oct. 20 into strong demand. VOLATILITY HURTS AUCTIONSThe uncertainty around borrowing and QT has increased volatility in euro zone bond markets, already rocked by the knock-on effects from Britain's now-scrapped plans for large unfunded tax cuts. Volatility is deterring the banks that act as dealers for German bonds from bidding in debt auctions, Tammo Diemer, head of the country's finance agency, said at an event on Tuesday.

In Spain, six vessels were frozen following sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. The "majority" of the owners are paying their maintenance, crew, docking and insurance fees, a source with knowledge of the matter said. In March, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez vowed, when announcing the freezing of one yacht in Spain, to hit Putin's allies "decisively" and "hard". read more read moreProposals by the United States and European Union to sell seized Russian assets and give the proceeds to Ukraine have stalled. In France, five yachts have been frozen.

Search resuls for: "France's Finance"

16 mentions found