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SHENZHEN, China — Chinese vendor Yin Xinwei sometimes makes close to $1,400 a day selling low-priced pill boxes, barbecue spits and other items to U.S. online consumers. Each year hundreds of millions of packages, mostly from Chinese platforms, are sent directly to American consumers eager to take advantage of rock-bottom prices on clothing, electronics and other products. That could mean painful times ahead for the Chinese sellers that supply the platforms — and higher prices for American consumers. Chinese state media has criticized the proposal as protectionist and say it will hurt American consumers. Yin used to sell to Chinese consumers but has given up his domestic business to focus entirely on the overseas market.

Persons: Yin, ”, ” Yin, David Townsend, Dorsey, Trump, Biden, ” Townsend, Temu, “, Jacky Lu, Shein, Eunice Yoon, Jennifer Jett Organizations: CNBC, Whitney, PDD Holdings, White, U.S . Customs, U.S Locations: SHENZHEN, China, Shenzhen, United States, U.S, Singapore, Boston, Hong Kong, Europe, “

☆ German cockroaches’ unexpected origins revealed by genomic analysis
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Amanda Schupak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The nocturnal critter was most likely a German cockroach, and its ancestors were pestering people more than 2,000 years ago in southern Asia, a new study found. German cockroaches, scientifically known as Blattella germanica, are ubiquitous in cities in the United States and around the world. The research team received 281 German cockroach samples from 57 sites in 17 countries and studied their DNA to trace their evolution. And we know that transatlantic trade routes probably were the culprit for the spread of German cockroaches. “For example, the German cockroach has insecticide resistance that is not detected in many other pests,” he said.

Persons: Qian Tang, ”, Tang, Carl Linnaeus, Matt Bertone, Jessica Ware, ” Ware, Amanda Schupak Organizations: CNN, National Academy of Sciences, Harvard University, American Museum of Locations: Asia, United States, Europe, India, Myanmar, Swedish, North America, Americas, New York City

But the de minimis rule also has powerful defenders. China's exports grew only 0.6% last year, but the bright spot was cross-border e-commerce, which includes but is not limited to the de minimis packages. In a January meeting with Mayorkas, the National Council of Textile Organizations complained about unfair trade practices, including the de minimis rule. It is unclear how much fentanyl and other illicit drugs may be slipping undetected into the country in the small packages. On a recent Friday morning at Chicago's O'Hare airport, small parcels that had arrived by mail from overseas were on conveyor belts going through X-ray machines for inspection.

Persons: Lindsey Puls, Puls, ”, Alexander Mayorkas, Earl Blumenauer of, ” Blumenauer, Sen, John Thune, LaFonda Sutton, Burke, Charles Benoit, Benoit, Mayorkas, Videojournalist Melissa Perez Winder, Haleluya Hadero Organizations: WASHINGTON, Will, Homeland, National Foreign Trade Council, FedEx, UPS, DHL, eBay, South Dakota Republican, Customs, Custom, China’s Communist Party, Coalition for, Prosperous, National Council of Textile Organizations, National Association of Police, Border Protection, Investments Locations: China, U.S, Shiocton , Wisconsin, Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Shein, Singapore, Chicago, United States, Prosperous America, Chicago's, New York

☆ Stanley cup maker has a plan to make its product launches less chaotic
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It’s because the Stanley tumbler is arguably one of the most viral products of the moment. So Stanley maker PMI has taken a different approach with its newest limited edition tumbler launch of the much-hyped chocolate and gold Quencher. The new chocolate gold Stanley tumbler. From StanleyOn Tuesday, Stanley unveiled the limited-edition chocolate gold Quencher tumbler on its website. When Target dropped a limited-edition Valentine’s collection of Stanley tumblers in bright pink and cherry red tones in December, the situation wasn’t pretty.

Persons: New York CNN — Stanley, Stanley tumbler, it’s, Stanley, Nike —, ” Andrew Lipp, ”, ” Lipp, William Stanley, Jr, marveled, Stanley tumblers, ” Matt Navarro, Lipp Organizations: New, New York CNN, Stanley, PMI, Nike, CNN, “, Starbucks Locations: New York, Australia

☆ Can South Korea's untouchable chaebols change?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Nessa Anwar | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

There are 82 chaebols in South Korea as of 2023. These are conglomerates that are usually run by one single family, with total assets that exceed 5 trillion Korean won ($3.69 billion). These sprawling business dynasties have helped transform South Korea's economy from one of the poorest in the 1960s to one of the largest exporters in the world. Sang-in Park, an economics professor at Seoul National University, said that South Korea's rapid economic growth contributed to the unchecked power of the Korean chaebols. Watch the video to find out more about the history and future of the big business groups in South Korea.

Persons: Lee, Park Chung, Sang Organizations: Samsung, Hyundai, LG, Ko Global Commerce Institute, CNBC, Seoul National University Locations: South Korea, South Korea's, Park, South

☆ The US is now buying more from Mexico than China for the first time in 20 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewNew data released Wednesday by the Commerce Department showed that in 2023, Mexico was the leading source of goods imported to the US — ahead of China for the first time in over 20 years. Mexico surpassing China as America's top trade partner signals a significant shift in global commerce dynamics. Chinese imports fell 20% in the same time period, to $427.2 billion, just slightly above Canada. Additionally, the value of Chinese imports remained above the value of Mexican imports from 2002 until this most recent data. More than a third of US imports — valued over $3 trillion — come from Mexico, China, and Canada.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, HECTOR VIVAS, Biden, CLAUDIO CRUZ, Tesla, JULIO CESAR AGUILAR Organizations: Service, Commerce Department, Business, Trump, New York Times, Foreign, Investment, Automobiles, Getty Images, Bloomberg Locations: Mexico, China, Canada, Trade, South Korea, India, Vietnam, United States, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Getty Images Mexico, Nuevo León

☆ United Nations Seeks $2.7 Billion for Aid to Yemen in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations appealed for $2.7 billion on Thursday to pay for humanitarian aid operations this year in war-torn Yemen, where most of the 18 million people in need live in the north of the country ruled by the Iran-aligned Houthi group. Peter Hawkins, the acting U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, described the amount of money the U.N. was seeking as more realistic than the $4.3 billion it asked for last year. He stressed that Yemen should not be forgotten as the world deals with multiple humanitarian crises. Hawkins also said he was hoping a U.S. decision in January to return the Houthis to a list of terrorist groups would not affect aid operations in Yemen. Yemen has been mired in conflict since Houthis ousted the government from the capital Sanaa in late 2014.

Persons: Peter Hawkins, Hawkins, stoked, Washington, Houthis, Michelle Nichols, Alistair Bell Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Reuters, United Nations, The U.S Locations: Yemen, Iran, Israel, Gaza, The, Saudi Arabia

☆ Why the West can't stop the Houthi rebels' missile attacks on ships
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

They enjoy three advantages that magnify their ability to create havoc, and make it difficult for the West to stop them. Bab el Mandeb is just 70 miles long and 20 miles wide, within easy range of land-based anti-ship missiles, drones and even howitzers firing extended-range shells. The Houthis also have Iranian-made anti-ship ballistic missiles with a range of around 300 miles, as well as drones. Even a giant aircraft carrier is hard to spot in the vastness of the ocean, and an anti-ship missile's onboard radar can only scan a small area . The Houthis claim they are only attacking Israeli ships out of solidarity with Gaza, though many of the ships have nothing to do with Israel .

Persons: Bab el, Quds Organizations: Service, U.S, U.S ., International Institute for Strategic Studies, US Locations: Red, America, Yemen, Europe, U.S . East Coast, India, East Asia, Suez, Egypt, East Coast, Bab, Eritrea, Djibouti, Iran, Saudi, Gaza, Israel, Persian, Tehran isn't, Vietnam

☆ US Relists Houthis as Terrorists in Response to Red Sea Attacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Officials said the "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" (SDGT) designation, which hits the Iran-aligned group with harsh sanctions, was aimed at cutting off funding and weapons the Houthis have used to attack or hijack ships in vital Red Sea shipping lanes. The Houthis' campaign has disrupted global commerce, stoked fears of inflation and deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East. "These attacks fit the textbook definition of terrorism," said one of three administration officials who briefed reporters ahead of the announcement on condition of anonymity. The U.S. military on Tuesday carried out its latest strike against four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles, two U.S. officials told Reuters. The Houthi militia movement, which says the attacks on commercial ships are aimed at supporting the Palestinians in Israel's war in Gaza, has threatened a "strong and effective response."

Persons: Simon Lewis, Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Biden, stoked, Trump, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Steve Holland, Humeyra Pamuk, Michael Perry Organizations: Wednesday, Officials, British, Reuters, Palestinian, Hamas, United Nations Locations: Yemen, Washington, Iran, Israel, The U.S, Gaza, Lebanon, U.S, Saudi Arabia

☆ US carries out another round of strikes against Houthis in Yemen, US officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Haley Britzky | Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The US carried out another round of strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, according to three US officials, marking the fourth time the US has struck the Iran-backed rebel group in less than a week. The US used Tomahawk missiles to target approximately 14 Houthi missile launchers used to attack international shipping lanes, one of the officials said. The US strikes are the latest in a series of actions against the Houthis, following significant US-led strikes last week with the UK, and support from a handful of other allies. Hours earlier, the Houthis struck a US-owned and operated vessel for the second time this week. The new strikes also come the same day the US re-designated the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity.

Persons: Pat Ryder, ” Organizations: CNN, US, US Central Command, Central Command, Pentagon Locations: Yemen, Iran, USS Florida, Israel, Gaza, Picardy, Gulf, Aden, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Red

☆ Will Red Sea Shipping Disruptions Worsen Inflation? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Paul Krugman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There are many reasons to be horrified about recent events in the Middle East, and the prospect that attacks on shipping might undermine progress against inflation is way, way down the list. Nonetheless, if you are trying to forecast inflation, disruption of a major choke point for global commerce — the Red Sea is how ships get to and from the Suez Canal — isn’t what you want to see. Since there’s no reason to expect these more diffuse problems to return, the inflation impact of the conflict with the Houthis and its effect on Red Sea shipping will be limited. But anyone citing that number as evidence of stubborn inflation is deeply misinformed. Indeed, if he or she is in the business of giving financial advice, harping on 3.9 percent amounts to professional malpractice.

Persons: I’ve, they’ve Organizations: Consumer Locations: Suez, Los Angeles

☆ Qatar Pauses Red Sea Tankers After Western Strikes on Houthis
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

In the latest shift by a major firm, state-owned QatarEnergy has held at least four LNG tankers back from the Red Sea, a senior source said, adding that production continues. On Monday, carmaker Suzuki said production would halt at its Esztergom plant in Hungary from Jan. 15-21 as the Red Sea attacks had delayed the arrival of Japanese-made engines. U.S. ally Britain said it had no desire to be involved in a Red Sea conflict but was committed to protecting the right of free navigation. The Al Rekayyat, which was sailing back to Qatar, stopped along its route on Jan. 13 in the Red Sea. "It is a pause to get security advice, if passing (through the) Red Sea remains unsafe we will go via the Cape," the source told Reuters on Monday about QatarEnergy.

Persons: Andrew Mills, Maha, Maha El Dahan, QatarEnergy, carmaker Suzuki, Britain, Grant Shapps, Qatar's Al Ghariya, Al Huwaila, Al, Ras Laffan, Al Rekayyat, Maha El, Emily Chow, Sachin Ravikumar, Chandni Shah, Andrew Cawthorne, Catherine Evans Organizations: Houthi, Reuters, Qatari Locations: Maha El, Maha El Dahan DOHA, WASHINGTON, Yemen, Gaza, Saudi, Israel, The U.S, U.S, Esztergom, Hungary, Ras, Suez, Oman, Jan, Qatar, Red, Europe, Asia, Aden, Djibouti, Davos, Singapore, Doha, London, Bengaluru

☆ Who Are the Houthis and Why Is the U.S. Attacking Them?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Gaya Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since mid-November, the Houthis, a Yemeni rebel group backed by Iran, have launched dozens of attacks on ships sailing through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, a crucial shipping route through which 12 percent of world trade passes. The attack on Houthi bases came a day after the United Nations Security Council voted to condemn “in the strongest terms” at least two dozen attacks carried out by the Houthis on merchant and commercial vessels, which it said had impeded global commerce and undermined navigational freedom. Here’s a primer on the Houthis, their relationship with Hamas and the attacks in the Red Sea. Who are the Houthis? The Houthis, led by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, are an Iran-backed group of Shiite rebels who have been fighting Yemen’s government for about two decades and now control the country’s northwest and its capital, Sana.

Persons: “, Abdul, Malik al Organizations: United Nations Security Locations: Yemeni, Iran, Suez, United States, Britain, Yemen, Red, Sana

“President Biden this coming week will be doing a lot more than just meeting with President Xi,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters in Washington on Monday. White House officials say they are cognizant that fellow APEC nations want to see better dialogue between the U.S. and China because it reduces the risk of regional conflict. Biden on Monday welcomed Indonesian President Joko Widodo, a fellow APEC leader, to the White House for talks before both travel to San Francisco. Israel's retaliatory operations in Gaza have killed more than 11,000, sparking outrage from a slew of world leaders. The stopgap measure excludes the roughly $106 billion funding requested by Biden for Israel, Ukraine and the U.S. border with Mexico.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi, what's, Biden, Russia's, “, Jake Sullivan, Donald Trump, Obama, ”, Neils Graham, Joshua Kurlantzick, TPP, Trump, Joko Widodo, “ We’re, Matt Murray, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk Yeol, Ferdinand Marcos, Jr, Mike Johnson, Sullivan, ” Sullivan, ___ Long, Josh Boak, Chris Megerian, Darlene Superville, Zeke Miller Organizations: FRANCISCO, Economic Cooperation, U.S, Republican, House, White, APEC, Economic Forum, Pacific Partnership, Atlantic Council GeoEconomics, Southeast, Council, Foreign Relations, Biden, Administration, Indonesian, The, Office, Georgetown University, Hamas, Associated Press Locations: Asia, Pacific, United States, San Francisco, China, Israel, Washington, Beijing, U.S, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, Gaza, Indonesian, Ukraine, Japanese, South, Philippine, Philippines, South China, Mexico

☆ Panama Canal drought hits new crisis level with nearly half of vessel traffic targeted for cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA - SEPTEMBER 22: The container ship Maersk Bogor is guided by a tugboat as it prepares to enter the Miraflores locks while transiting the Panama Canal on September 22, 2023 in Panama City, Panama. The Panama Canal Authority is continuing to restrict the number of vessels that pass through the Panama Canal locks as drought has caused water levels at Gatun Lake to drop. Over one hundred ships are waiting to transit the canal and the backup could delay goods heading to the United States for the holiday season. The Panama Canal is popular for East Coast trade because it is faster than other options. Traveling through the Panama Canal takes only 35 days.

Persons: Justin Sullivan, Adil Ashiq, Alan Baer, Baer, Jon Davis, Davis, Ashiq, Paul Brashier Organizations: PANAMA CITY, The Panama Canal, Port, CNBC Supply Chain, Panama Canal Authority, East, Panama Canal, MarineTraffic, USA, CNBC, U.S, ITS Logistics Locations: PANAMA, Bogor, Miraflores, Panama, Panama City, The Panama, Colon, Caribbean, United States, Cape Horn, South America, East, Charleston, El Nino, East Coast, Shenzhen, China, Miami , Florida, Suez, North America, U.S, West Coast, Asia, Gulf

☆ Flexport is laying off 20% of its workforce
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Supply chain software startup Flexport plans to cut approximately 20% of its global workforce as part of a new round of layoffs that's expected to begin on Friday, CNBC has learned. Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen sent a note to staffers Thursday afternoon informing them of the job cuts, according to a copy of the memo viewed by CNBC. The company will inform employees of whether they're impacted or not via email beginning Friday morning, Petersen wrote. A Flexport spokesperson pointed CNBC to a company blog post from Petersen confirming the layoffs. Petersen claimed repeatedly that Clark, a 23-year veteran of Amazon , overspent and overhired during his tenure at Flexport.

Persons: Ryan Petersen, Petersen, Dave Clark, Clark, Flexport Organizations: Milken Institute Global Conference, CNBC, Amazon Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, Flexport, Canada, Asia

☆ Flexport will lay off 20% of the company starting Friday, leaked memo says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Insider first reported on September 7 that Flexport was planning layoffs , the day after its former CEO Dave Clark departed. Team,Today I have a difficult decision to share: We will reduce the size of our global team by approximately 20% with the process starting tomorrow, Friday, October 13. We will also maintain a small team of dedicated recruiters to help departing Flexport employees look for their next opportunity. This team will work closely with over 300 companies that have expressed an interest in hiring departing Flexporters to match opportunities with impacted employees. We see endless opportunities for technology to improve on-time performance and reliability, upgrade compliance processes, and save businesses money in their global supply chain.

Persons: Flexporters, Flexport, Dave Clark, Petersen, You'll, we'll, Ryan Organizations: Street, Team, People, Employees Locations: U.S, Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia

☆ Eddie Wu: Alibaba's new CEO embraces AI and wants a younger management team
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Alibaba Group will embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and promote younger people to senior management, its new CEO says, as the e-commerce and cloud giant tackles its most ambitious restructuring in its history. “Times are changing, and so must Alibaba!” Eddie Wu, who stepped into the chief executive role on Sunday, said in a memo to staff seen by CNN. Wu replaced Daniel Zhang to become Alibaba (BABA)’s fourth CEO in its 24-year history. According to a plan announced in March, Alibaba will split into six separate units, including cloud, e-commerce, logistics, media and entertainment. Top tech firms around the globe have been shifting their focus to AI, including Google (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT), especially after ChatGPT took the world by storm late last year.

Persons: Eddie Wu, Wu, Daniel Zhang, ’, “, Alibaba, ChatGPT Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Alibaba, “, CNN, Google, Microsoft Locations: China, Hong Kong

☆ US, India, Saudi, EU to unveil rail, ports deal on G20 sidelines -White House official
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden listens to the opening remarks of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the first session of the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. Evan Vucci/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Sept 9 (Reuters) - A multinational rail and ports deal linking the Middle East and South Asia will be announced on Saturday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, a White House official said. A memorandum of understanding for the deal will be signed by the European Union, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and other G20 partners, Finer said. The move comes amid U.S. efforts for a broader diplomatic deal in the Middle East that would have Saudi Arabia recognise Israel. From the U.S. viewpoint, Finer added, the deal helps "turn the temperature down across the region" and "address a conflict where we see it".

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Evan Vucci, Jon, Nandita Bose, Krishn Kaushik, Shivam Patel, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Indian, REUTERS Acquire, White, Washington, European Union, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, East, South Asia, U.S, Gulf, Europe, Saudi Arabia, United States, Israel

☆ U.S., India, Saudi, EU unveil a massive rail and ports deal on G20 sidelines
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Global leaders announced a multinational rail and ports deal linking the Middle East and South Asia on Saturday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi. Biden said it was a "real big deal" that would bridge ports across two continents and lead to a "more stable, more prosperous and integrated Middle East." A memorandum of understanding for the deal was set to be signed by the European Union, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the U.S. and other G20 partners. The move comes amid U.S. efforts for a broader diplomatic deal in the Middle East that would have Saudi Arabia recognise Israel. From the U.S. viewpoint, Finer added, the deal helps "turn the temperature down across the region" and "address a conflict where we see it".

Persons: Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Biden, Jon Organizations: Saudi, Saudi Arabian Crown, Indian, Global, Washington, European Union, United Arab Emirates Locations: Saudi Arabian, New Delhi, India, East, South Asia, U.S, Gulf, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Israel

☆ American economic power is potent but unstable
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Peter Thal Larsen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

LONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) - For the past 15 years, the iPhone has been a totem of U.S. economic power. If the country is cooling on the $2.8 trillion company, it’s a potent indicator of increasingly frosty relations with the United States. Perhaps most significantly, the U.S. government realised it could use the internet to spy on adversaries and the financial system to subdue them. The tendency of capitalism to produce a handful of giant companies, many of them headquartered in the United States, helped successive administrations exert their authority. A complete severing of economic links between China and the United States is hard to imagine.

Persons: Norman Angell, Thomas Friedman, Vladimir Putin, Edward Snowden, Henry Farrell, Abraham Newman, Johns Hopkins SAIS, Putin, Biden, ”, Farrell, Newman, Donald Trump, ” Farrell, Allen Lane, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, Apple, World Trade Organization, New York Times, National Security Agency, U.S . Treasury, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown University, WTO, Huawei, BNP, Biden Administration, Intel, U.S ., European, United, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, United States, France, Russian, U.S, North Korea, Iran, New York, Washington, Sudan, Cuba, Ukraine, America, Russia, Germany, United, Europe

☆ How gas station economics will change in the electric vehicle charging future
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Here's what gas station owners need to know about the EV charging trend and their future. By contrast, gas stations along major highways between highly traveled destinations can be ideal for electric charging hubs. While there can be a first-mover advantage for gas stations, some owners, like Blake Smith, founder of SQRL Holdings, a gas station and convenience store operator, are taking it slow. His company operates more than 150 convenience store gas station locations and offers electric charging in select locations in Florida. "I would never recoup my investment," he said, adding that a move to all electric charging could be decades away.

Persons: Seth Cutler, Neha Palmer, Shubhendra Anand, Biden, Barbara Stoyko, Sujay Sharma, Sharma, Yair Nechmad, Michael Hughes, Rohan Puri, Hughes, Albert Gore, Gore, Blake Smith Organizations: EV Connect, Gas, EV, TeraWatt, Automotive, Shell, Research, Shell Americas, BP, GM, Ford, National Automobile Dealers Association, ChargePoint Holdings, Stable Auto Corporation, U.S . Department of, Administration, U.S . Department of Energy, Royal, Emission Transportation Association, EVs, SQRL Holdings Locations: California , Arizona, New Mexico, Takoma Park, Md, Fulham, England, China, Netherlands, U.S, Local, Wawa, Florida, Arkansas

☆ Czech billionaire Kretinsky closes in on Casino after 3F abandons bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kretinsky has been vying to take control of Casino against the 3F Holding group, led by telecoms entrepreneur Xavier Niel, investment banker Matthieu Pigasse and businessman Moez-Alexandre Zouari. The group is saddled with net debt of 6.4 billion euros ($7.1 billion) and is teetering on the brink of default. "Today, after months of work, 3F has decided to not submit an offer," 3F said in a statement. Along with Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière’s Fimalac, he would inject 1.2 billion euros ($1.35 billion) in equity to take a 53% stake in France's sixth-largest retailer. The bidders would also convert 4.9 billion euros of debt into equity.

Persons: Daniel Kretinsky, Kretinsky, Xavier Niel, Matthieu Pigasse, Moez, Alexandre Zouari, 3F's, Marc Ladreit de, Fimalac, Casino, John Irish, David Holmes, Emelia Organizations: Casino, 3F, Attestor, Financial, Global Commerce, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: Czech, France's, Casino

☆ Partial de-dollarization is possible, but China won't dethrone the greenback even if it becomes the world's largest economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

JPMorgan strategists said dollar dominance isn't going away anytime soon, regardless of China's growth. Partial de-dollarization in possible as China's yuan becomes a bigger part of global commerce. De-dollarization can stem from sliding faith in the dollar, or developments that enhance the credibility of other currencies. "Historical experience thus suggests that if China were to overtake the US as the world's largest economy around 2030, dollar dominance may persist even into the second half of the 21st century." The bank maintained that China stands as the only competitor eager to supplant the role of the dollar and the US economy in the long-term.

Persons: —, reallocations, Stephen Jen, Eurizon Organizations: Service, JPMorgan, International Monetary Locations: Great Britain, China

☆ Reactions: US Treasury's new June 1 debt ceiling X-date
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

We must change course, cleanly raise the debt ceiling, and avert widespread economic pain and instability while we still can." The clock is ticking - and much faster than many suspected - so House Republicans need to drop their dangerous opposition to paying our nation’s bills." The President must negotiate on raising the debt ceiling." Let's get the debt ceiling taken care of, but let's talk about how we can reduce the deficit and common-sense ways. If we don't get the debt ceiling, then we go into it a depression."

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