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☆ China, South Korea agree to strengthen talks on chip industry, Chinese commerce ministry says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Printed Chinese and South Korean flags are seen in this illustration, July 21, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationBEIJING, May 27 (Reuters) - China and South Korea have agreed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation on semiconductor industry supply chains, amid broader global concerns over chip supplies, sanctions and national security, China's commerce minister said. Wang Wentao met with South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in Detroit, which ended on Friday. Wang also said that China is willing to work with South Korea to deepen trade ties and investment cooperation. South Korea is in the crosshairs of a tit-for-tat row between the United States and China over semiconductors.

☆ Factbox: Old disputes overshadow visit by Japan's Kishida to South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will be visiting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday in the latest effort to improve bilateral ties. - Relations between the two North Asian U.S. allies have been strained over disputes dating to Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of Korea. - Relations deteriorated in 2019 when Japan restricted exports of high-tech materials for making chips and display panels to South Korea. - In late March, Japan's trade ministry lifted export curbs to South Korea on the high-tech materials, while South Korea withdrew its complaint filed at the World Trade Organization on Japan's export controls. Under Yoon, South Korea has resumed trilateral military drills and agreed to more intelligence sharing on issues like tracking ballistic missile launches from North Korea.

☆ South Korea exports suffer longest losing streak in three years, China sales tumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, May 1 (Reuters) - South Korea's exports fell for a seventh straight month in April for their longest losing streak in three years, driven by an extended slump in sales to China and suggesting persistent pressure on the economy from frail global demand. A breakdown of the data showed exports to China tumbled 26.5% for their 11th consecutive month of declines, while those to the United States fell 4.4% in their first shrinking month in three. By product, semiconductor exports dived 41.0%, extending their losses to the ninth straight month. Imports in April fell 13.3% to $52.23 billion following a 6.4% fall in March, also faster than a 10.6% decline expected by economists. Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Choonsik Yoo & Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ South Korea exports contract for seventh month, longest streak in 3 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, May 1 (Reuters) - South Korea's exports fell for a seventh straight month in April in annual terms, data showed on Monday, marking their longest losing streak in three years and suggesting persistent pressure on the economy from frail global demand. Overseas sales by Asia's fourth-largest economy fell 14.2% year-on-year to $49.62 billion in April, the trade ministry data showed, after a 13.6% fall in February and compared with a 13.5% drop tipped in a Reuters survey. Imports in April fell 13.3% to $52.23 billion following a 6.4% fall in March, also faster than a 10.6% decline expected by economists. As a result, the country posted a trade deficit of $2.62 billion in April, the 14th month in a row that the export-reliant economy suffered monthly trade deficit. Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Choonsik Yoo & Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan nuclear disaster: Fukushima's fishing industry fears Tokyo's next move may finish it off
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Emiko Jozuka Krystina Shveda Junko Ogura Marc Stewart Daniel Campisi | Emiko Jozuka | Krystina Shveda | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Ocean currents have since dispersed the contaminated water enough that radioactive Cesium is nearly undetectable in fish from Fukushima prefecture. A year before the 2011 disaster, government data shows Fukushima’s coastal fishing industry landed catches worth around $69 million. At the same time, ground and rainwater have leaked in, creating more radioactive wastewater that now needs to be stored and treated. This isotope is radioactive tritium, and the scientific community is divided on the risk its dissemination carries. He argues TEPCO should build more storage tanks to allow for the decay of the radioactive tritium, which has a half-life of 12.3 years.

☆ Samsung Display to invest $3.1 bln in OLED production in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, April 4 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics' (005930.KS) unit Samsung Display plans to invest 4.1 trillion won ($3.14 billion) until 2026 in Asan, South Korea to make advanced organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panels used in tablets and computers, the trade ministry said on Tuesday. The investment is part of a previously-announced plan by Samsung Electronics and affiliates to invest 60.1 trillion won in the next 10 years in regions outside the capital, Seoul. ($1 = 1,307.7000 won)Reporting by Joyce Lee, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ South Korea exports fall for sixth consecutive month in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Jihoon Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It was the longest losing streak in exports in annual terms since August 2020. South Korea is the first major exporting economy to release trade data each month, with a diversified portfolio from chips to cars and ships, providing an early glimpse into the state of global demand. By destination, exports to China dropped 33.4% in March, extending losses to a 10th straight month and marking the worst since January 2009. Semiconductor exports slumped 34.5%, in the eighth month of falls, but with the pace easing from a month before. Imports in March fell 6.4% to $59.75 billion, versus a 3.5% rise in the previous month and a 6.6% fall expected by economists.

Hong Kong/Tokyo CNN —Japan will restrict the overseas sale of chip manufacturing equipment, joining the United States and the Netherlands in curbing the export of key technology to China. The ministry said it would require stricter procedures to export to about 160 destinations such as China, while 42 territories — including the United States, South Korea and Taiwan — are recognized by Japan as having adequate export controls in place. All exports to countries not formally recognized will now require approval from the Japanese trade ministry, it added. The restrictions are not aimed at a specific country, the trade ministry told CNN on Friday. In October, the United States banned Chinese companies from buying advanced chips and chipmaking equipment without a license.

☆ Britain expected to reach broad agreement on joining Pacific trade pact soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Kaori Kaneko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Two sources say CPTPP agreement expected shortlyBritain: CPTPP discussions to be held later this weekSeeks to join trade pact as part of post-Brexit pivotAim to conclude talks at "earliest possible opportunity"TOKYO, March 29 (Reuters) - The 11 members of a trans-Pacific trade pact which includes Japan and Australia are expected to soon reach broad agreement with Britain on it joining the partnership, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. An announcement is expected to be made soon, the sources added, declining to be identified because the information has not been made public. Britain said negotiations with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) had been going well. Membership will supplement existing bilateral trade deals Britain has with several of the member countries, with the overall aim of further cutting tariffs on goods and reducing barriers to services and digital trade. "We are making great progress on the UK's accession to CPTPP, and aim to conclude talks at the earliest opportunity," a spokesperson for Britain's business and trade ministry said.

Other investors who have held Toshiba longer may not be so lucky: the offer price represents a 15% discount from a December 2014 high. Some were introduced to JIP by Toshiba's management, some of the people said, declining to be identified because the information is not public. Toshiba's management, including CEO Taro Shimada, will stay on, while the government keeps Toshiba's sensitive defence and nuclear technologies in Japanese hands. Toshiba felt stable shareholders were desirable to end the tumult, unlike current shareholders "with many differing views", it said. JIP does not see the need for big strategy adjustments, Toshiba said.

☆ Toshiba board accepts Japan Industrial Partners' $15 bln buyout proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Makiko Yamazaki | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, March 23 (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp's (6502.T) board has accepted a buyout offer from a group led by private equity firm Japan Industrial Partners, valuing the company at 2 trillion yen ($15.2 billion), the company said on Thursday. [1/2] The logo of Toshiba Corp is seen at the company's facility in Kawasaki, Japan June 10, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo 1 2The fallout from that debacle eventually led to the strategic review and the buyout proposal. Toshiba started an auction process about a year ago, receiving eight initial buyout proposals as well as two offers for capital alliances. The JIP consortium last month submitted a binding buyout proposal backed by $10.6 billion in loan commitments from major banks.

☆ The long-running crisis at Japan's Toshiba
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Makiko Yamazaki | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Faced with more than $6 billion in liabilities linked to Westinghouse, Toshiba decides to put prized chip unit Toshiba Memory up for sale. Nov. 2021 - Toshiba says it will split into three companies, one for energy, one for infrastructure and the third to manage its Kioxia stake. Feb. 2022 - Toshiba announces a new plan to split into two, spinning off only its devices unit. April 2022 - Toshiba sets up a special committee to resume a strategic review that could see it taken private. Under pressure from shareholders, Toshiba announces a special dividend of some $545 million.

☆ Toshiba board accepts Japan Industrial Partners' $15 billion buyout proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Toshiba Corp's board has accepted a buyout offer from a group led by private equity firm Japan Industrial Partners, valuing the company at 2 trillion yen ($15.2 billion), the company said on Thursday. A successful deal would see the scandal-ridden industrial conglomerate taken private and firmly in domestic hands after much tension with overseas activist shareholders. Some 20 Japanese companies including financial services firm Orix Corp, chipmaker Rohm Co <6963.T> and Chubu Electric Power plan to take part in the deal, sources have said. Toshiba started an auction process about a year ago, receiving eight initial buyout proposals as well as two offers for capital alliances. The JIP consortium last month submitted a binding buyout proposal backed by $10.6 billion in loan commitments from major banks.

☆ Chip plants in China won't be forced to shut if firms receive US funding, says S.Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday proposed limits for recipients of U.S. chip manufacturing and research funding, including limits on investing in expansion in countries such as China and Russia. The world's largest and second-largest memory-chip makers, Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and SK Hynix (000660.KS), have chip production facilities in China. Samsung is building a chip plant in Texas that could cost more than $25 billion, while SK Hynix parent SK Group announced last year plans to invest $15 billion in the U.S. chip industry. The proposed rules for funding recipients limit chip production capacity growth in China to 5% over 10 years as measured by wafers, and 10% for older legacy chips, the trade ministry said. Samsung and SK Hynix said they would review the details of the announcement.

ISTANBUL, March 20 (Reuters) - Turkey halted the transit of Western-sanctioned goods to Russia this month after a year of war in Ukraine and mounting U.S. and European pressure on Ankara for action, a top export official and a diplomat said. "Any goods on that list are blocked from Russia no matter which country they come from," he said. "There was a list of restrictions on re-exports from free trade zones to Russia beginning in March, and an instruction was given," he said. However goods produced in Turkey even with components from other countries can still be shipped to Russia without restrictions, he said. At least $777 million of these products were made by Western firms whose chips have been found in Russian weapons systems.

NEW DELHI, March 20 (Reuters) - India plans to extend restrictions on the export of diesel and gasoline after the current fiscal year ends this month to ensure the availability of refined fuels for the domestic market, two government sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. That forced state refiners to fill the void and meet demand at home by selling fuels at government-capped lower prices. "We would like to extend it ... we want private companies to sell diesel and petrol in the Indian market. Why should only state-run companies suffer when all Indian refiners are buying discounted Russian oil," the official said. Reporting by Nidhi Verma and Nikunj Ohri; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ S. Korea's trade minister to raise concerns over Chips Act in US meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Heekyong Yang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, March 8 (Reuters) - South Korea's trade minister will meet with counterparts in Washington this week to express concerns that the U.S. Chips Act could make the U.S. a less attractive investment destination, its trade ministry said. During his trip, South Korea's trade minister Ahn Duk-geun plans to meet with senior officials from the U.S. Commerce Department and White House as well as officials from major think tanks to discuss the Chips Act. The Chips Act plays a central role in the Biden administration's effort to bring semiconductor manufacturing home, and its success is vital to U.S. ambitions to keep ahead of China in global markets. Under the Chips Act, companies that accept the incentives are required to share with the U.S. government a portion of their profits that exceed initial projections by an agreed-upon threshold. Companies winning chips subsidies would be barred from engaging in joint research and technology licensing efforts or expanding semiconductor manufacturing capacity in foreign countries of concern like China for 10 years.

SEOUL, March 6 (Reuters) - South Korea will halt a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute process sparked by a complaint against Japan as the two countries discuss Japan's export curbs on high-tech materials to South Korea, the two countries' trade ministries said on Monday. In July 2019, Japan imposed export curbs on materials used in smartphone displays and chips amid a decades-old row with Seoul about South Koreans who said they were forced to work under Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of Korea. As South Korea has proposed its companies would compensate those people, both countries will quickly begin discussions to return export curbs to their pre-July 2019 state, the ministries said on Monday. "The suspension of the WTO dispute resolution process is not really a withdrawal... but a pause," said Kamchan Kang, director-general at Korea's trade ministry. Reporting by Joyce Lee and Heekyong Yang; Editing by Kim Coghill and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Electric vehicle maker Tesla to open office in Malaysia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Tesla Inc FollowKUALA LUMPUR, March 1 (Reuters) - Malaysia on Wednesday said electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) will open an office in the Southeast Asian country and establish a network of charging stations for its cars. Tesla's application to import battery-run EVs into Malaysia has been approved, and the company will also open showrooms and services centres, Malaysia's trade ministry said in a statement. The U.S. firm's presence in Malaysia is expected to create skilled jobs and increase participation of local companies in the Tesla ecosystem, the ministry said. Malaysia did not say when Tesla would open an office. Reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dow said it was recycling our shoes. We found them in Indonesia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +19 min

While the sample was small, the fact that none of these shoes made it to a Singapore recycling facility underscores weaknesses in the system. Dow said these builds will use the 10,000 kilograms (22,000 pounds) of recycled shoe material that have been produced through the Singapore recycling project so far. Reuters had dropped those shoes into a Dow recycling bin at a Singapore community center in September, three months earlier. Recycling flopsThis is not the first novel recycling scheme launched by Dow that hasn’t lived up to its billing. In its Jan. 18 statement, Dow said the shoe recycling partners are “energized by the common vision of sport championing a greener and more sustainable Singapore.” Dow did not comment on the Journal of Consumer Psychology study.

☆ Russia was cut off by Viagra's manufacturer, leaving the Kremlin scrambling to commission generic erection pills
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia has been cut off by the pharmaceutical company that produces Viagra, according to the Washington Post. On Wednesday, Russia also announced that 36 companies were raring to produce a domestic alternative. Viatris initially stopped clinical trials in Russia after the Kremlin launched an invasion into Ukraine in February 2022, the Post reported. Throughout the year, Viatris suffered financial losses in Russia due to supply chain issues but continued to supply pills to pre-existing patients. According to the Post, Ukraine adopted a law in May 2022 which banned the sale and distribution of medication from companies that maintained ties with Russia.

☆ Indonesia to suspend some palm oil export permits - officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Bernadette Christina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Cooking oil prices up ahead of Islamic festivalsPalm oil export quotas linked to domestic salesExporters accumulated export quotas last year - ministerTwo-thirds of existing quotas suspended till May 1 - officialJAKARTA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Indonesia will suspend some palm oil export permits to secure domestic supply amid rising cooking oil prices ahead of upcoming Islamic festivals, senior cabinet minister Luhut Pandjaitan said on his official Instagram account on Monday. Indonesia issues export permits for palm oil companies that have already sold a proportion of their products to the domestic market, under a policy known as "Domestic Market Obligation" (DMO). Sahat Sinaga, chair of the Indonesia Palm Oil Board, said companies have been holding back exports, due to lower global market prices and high export levies. Malaysian benchmark palm oil prices have fallen more than 40% since reaching a peak last year. Rattling global edible oil markets, Indonesia last year banned exports of palm oil used in everything from margarine to cosmetics and fuel for three weeks due to soaring cooking oil prices.

Exports fell 16.6% in January from a year earlier, trade ministry data showed, worse than an 11.3% decline predicted in a Reuters survey and the fastest drop in exports since May 2020. Imports fell 2.6% compared with a year earlier, less than a 3.6% drop predicted in the survey. As a result, the country posted a monthly trade deficit of $12.69 billion, setting a record amount for any month. Leading the sluggish trade performance in January were a 44.5% dive in semiconductor exports and a whopping 31.4% plunge in sales to China, the trade ministry data showed. The government has forecast this year's exports would fall 4.5% after posting a 6.1% gain in 2022, and the trade ministry has said it would do what it can to avert a decline.

The trade gap with China widened 28% in April-December 2022 from the same period a year earlier, as India's domestic demand continued to support Chinese imports while COVID lockdowns in China crimped imports from India. If a trading partner were found to have engaged in unfair practices, it would be necessary to introduce safeguards such as the imposition of anti-dumping duties, the official said. India's federal trade ministry and China's embassy in New Delhi did not immediately respond to requests for a comment. The officials said India would also intensify checks on imported goods to make sure they adhere to national quality standards, the two government officials added. The government is also likely to detail some of the steps to tackle the issue in the Feb. 1 budget.

☆ Japan eyes easing S.Korea export controls as Seoul seeks to improve ties -media
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Japan is considering relaxing controls on exports to South Korea as its president, Yoon Suk-yeol, seeks to improve ties amid a strained East Asian security environment, the Sankei newspaper reported on Saturday. Japan's foreign ministry and trade ministry officials were not immediately available for comment on the report when Reuters contacted them outside regular business hours. "Given the growing need to promote cooperation among countries sharing universal values at a time when the importance of economic security is increasing, we hope that Japan will judge wisely," the South Korean ministry said. Their diplomatic officials are due to meet on Monday in the South Korean capital, Seoul, as they near a conclusion of a plan for the resolving their dispute, Jiji news reported on Friday. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Additional reporting by Joyce Lee in Seoul; Editing by William Mallard, Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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