DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

A cut in the import duty by the world's second-biggest consumer could lift retail sales by making gold cheaper ahead of peak demand season and support global prices . The effective duty is now 18.45%, which includes the 12.5% import duty, 2.5% agriculture infrastructure development cess and other taxes. The finance ministry declined to comment while the trade ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "Smuggling is going up," said the commerce ministry official, adding that the duty could be cut in an upcoming budget. Indian gold prices jumped to a record 56,850 rupees per 10 grams last week.

☆ South Korean exports fall 2.7% in Jan 1-20 period
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Jan 21 (Reuters) - South Korea's exports for the first 20 days of January fell 2.7% from a year earlier, but the pace of drop was slower than that recorded in December, customs data showed on Saturday. In December, South Korean exports fell 9.0% on-year during the first 20 days and declined 9.6% for the full month, as global demand cooled after a wave of aggressive policy tightening to contain inflation. For the first 20 days of January, exports to China fell 24.4%, whereas shipments to the United States rose 18.1%, the Korea Customs Service data showed. Imports over Jan. 1-20 rose by 9.3% on-year, bringing South Korea's trade deficit to $10.26 billion over the period. South Korea's government expects overseas sales in 2023 to fall 4.5%, after a 6.1% gain in 2022, but the trade ministry has vowed to do all it can to achieve growth in exports.

☆ Turkish 2022 trade deficit leaps 138% to $110.2 billion -ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The Turkish trade deficit widened 138.4% from the previous year to $110.19 billion in 2022, the Trade Ministry said on Monday, with exports rising 12.9% to $254.2 billion and imports jumping 34.3% to $364.4 billion. In December, the trade deficit widened 52% from a year earlier to $10.381 billion, with exports up 3.1% to $22.92 billion and imports rising 14.6% to $33.30 billion. Reporting by Daren Butler and Ebru Tuncay; Editing by Ece ToksabayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Sony plans smartphone sensor factory in Japan - Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 15 (Reuters) - Sony Group Corp (6758.T) is considering building a new factory to make smartphone image sensors in the Kumamoto prefecture of Japan, Nikkei reported on Thursday. The company plans to break ground on the plant as soon as 2024, and bring it online in fiscal 2025 at the earliest, the report said, adding the company expects the cost to run into the billions of dollars. Japan, which long ago lost its lead on chip manufacturing, particularly advanced semiconductors, is rushing to take advantage after Washington restricted Beijing's access to the technology and asked its allies to do the same. Sony plans to source chips from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's (2330.TW) planned chip plant in the area, the report said. ($1 = 137.8500 yen)Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ British trade minister heads to India to kick off new round of trade talks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - British trade minister Kemi Badenoch will hold her first face-to-face meeting with her Indian counterpart on Monday in New Delhi in an effort to spark life into talks over a free trade agreement (FTA) between the countries. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in April set an ambitious target to agree an FTA with India by Diwali in October. New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he is committed to getting a deal with India but won't sacrifice quality for speed, in a change of tone compared to Johnson. Badenoch, who was appointed to her role in September, will meet Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal and address the negotiating teams before the round of talks begins. We applaud the Secretary of State and Prime Minister for listening and prioritising substance over pace," said Andy Burwell, International Director at the Confederation of British Industry.

[1/3] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar attend a news conference following their talks in Moscow, Russia, November 8, 2022. India is keen to boost trade in this way, said the source, as it tries to narrow a ballooning trade deficit with Russia. During the Moscow visit, Jaishankar said India needed to boost exports to Russia to balance bilateral trade that is now tilted towards Russia. The list of items from Russia, which runs to nearly 14 pages, includes car engine parts like pistons, oil pumps and ignition coils. India is hoping to boost its exports to nearly $10 billion over coming months with Russia's list of requests, according to the government source.

[1/2] Hyundai displays the new Ioniq 6 vehicle at the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, U.S., November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoSEOUL, Nov 29 (Reuters) - South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group has signed an agreement to source electric vehicle (EV) batteries in North America from battery maker SK On, the companies said on Tuesday. "We expect the stable supply of EV batteries from SK On will also enable us to contribute to emissions reduction and meet climate goals in the market," Hyundai said in a statement. South Korea's trade ministry said on Tuesday that Hyundai Motor was considering building EVs at its existing factories in the United States to qualify for U.S. federal EV tax credits. Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Joyce Lee; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia relaunches production of Soviet-era Moskvich at ex-Renault plant
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It sold its plant, now renamed the Moscow Automobile Factory Moskvich, for another rouble. The ultimate target of producing 100,000 Moskvich vehicles a year, some of which will be electric, is far below the industry average for a car plant of between 200,000-300,000. "The first Moskvich cars will come off the production line in December 2022," truck maker Kamaz <KMAZ.MM>, the plant's technological partner, said in a statement. Sources have told Reuters that Chinese carmaker JAC's design, engineering and production platform will be used to produce the brand. The ministry said the launch of full-scale production would provide jobs for around 40,000 more people.

☆ Tesla safety at centre of South Korean trial over fiery, fatal crash
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

SEOUL, Nov 21 (Reuters) - In an upscale Seoul neighbourhood two years ago, a white Tesla Model X smashed into a parking lot wall. The criminal trial about to begin in South Korea hangs on questions about the safety of Tesla cars, at a time when the EV maker faces a range of lawsuits and increased scrutiny by regulators. A lawyer for the family of Yoon Hong-geun, who owned the car and died in the crash, declined to comment. Tesla sold 17,828 vehicles in South Korea in 2021, registration data shows. Judge Park Won-gyu said that he plans to call Tesla engineers to testify and that the safety of Tesla vehicles would be examined at trial.

☆ Indonesia plans to tighten oversight of crypto market, task OJK with regulation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Indonesia plans to move the regulation, supervision and oversight of cryptocurrency investments to the Financial Service Authority (OJK) to better protect investors, its finance minister said on Thursday. The new plan, laid out by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, is part of financial sector legislation that is being debated in parliament. Sri Mulyani said as of June, there were 15.1 million cryptocurrency investors in the country, an exponential rise from just 4 million in 2020. That compared with 9.1 million investors in the stock market as of June. The new bill would empower OJK to regulate and supervise "digital asset activities, including crypto assets and financial sector technology innovation," Sri Mulyani added.

Differences over JIP's plan to retain Toshiba CEO Taro Shimada and his team were a source of friction between the two bidders, according to two sources familiar with the talks. Despite being selected as preferred bidder, JIP has struggled to secure enough equity commitments from potential partners, sources have said. It now looks set to miss a Monday deadline to deliver a firm proposal that includes letters of commitment from banks, sources have said. In late October, JIC expanded the size of its buyout fund to 900 billion yen ($6.11 billion) from 200 billion yen. Two of the sources said the expansion was not just for a Toshiba buyout but also aimed at other deals.

The French and Japanese automakers said this month they were in talks about the future of their alliance, including Nissan potentially investing in an electric vehicle business being spun out of Renault. With Nissan holding only 15% of Renault - and without voting rights - French dominance of the alliance has long been a point of contention. Renault wants Nissan to invest in its electric vehicle unit, while Nissan wants Renault to cut its stake to 15%, Reuters previously reported. Given its investment needs, Renault is the more eager of the two to reach a deal, said a person familiar with negotiations. Alliance junior partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp (7211.T) will likely invest a few percent in the new Renault unit to retain its alliance relationship, said another person familiar with the matter.

☆ Russia faces turmoil, says former diplomat who resigned over war
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Guy Faulconbridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In a 6,500 word critique of Putin's Russia, Bondarev said the state was infested by sycophantic "yes men" who repeated the Kremlin's line, allowing Putin to make crucial decisions in an echo chamber of his own propaganda. "It’s entirely possible his successor will try to carry on the war, especially given that Putin’s main advisers hail from the security services. But no one in Russia commands his stature, so the country would likely enter a period of political turbulence. The foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Bondarev's article. "Russians might unify behind an even more belligerent leader than Putin, provoking a civil war, more outside aggression, or both," he said.

TOKYO, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Shares in Toshiba Corp (6502.T) surged on Thursday following a report that a domestic investor-led group was looking at a $19 billion bid in a deal that could lead to foreign activist shareholders being bought out after years of tension. A consortium led by private equity firm Japan Industrial Partners has been given preferred bidder status in the second round of bidding, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterJapan Industrial Partners has contacted multiple Japanese firms, sources have said. Japan Industrial Partners declined to comment. Toshiba and activist shareholders have been at odds over the direction of the company, with several large foreign funds pushing the conglomerate to consider private equity bids.

☆ Nissan takes $687 mln loss as sells Russian business for 1 euro
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A view shows the logo of Nissan on a car in Moscow, Russia, July 6, 2016. The Japanese automaker transfer its shares in Nissan Manufacturing Russia LLC to state-owned NAMI, it said. The deal will give Nissan the right to buy back the business within six years, Russia's industry and trade ministry said. The deal makes Nissan the latest major company to leave Russia since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February. The Nissan deal was "of great significance for the industry," Russia's Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said in a statement.

☆ Japan's Nissan sells Russian assets to state, trade ministry says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A view shows the logo of Nissan on a car in Moscow, Russia, July 6, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim ZmeyevSummarySummary Companies This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Japanese automaker Nissan (7201.T) is selling its Russian assets to Russian state ownership, with an option to buy back the business within six years, Russia's industry and trade ministry said on Tuesday. Nissan in a statement said it had decided to exit the Russian market and expected to incur an extraordinary loss of approximately 100 billion yen ($686.72 million) from the asset transfer. Renault reportedly sold its stake in Avtovaz for one rouble ($0.0157). "'Nissan Manufacturing Rus' is transferring its assets to the state - a deal of great significance for the industry," Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said in a statement.

☆ Nissan takes $687 million loss as it sells Russian business for 1 euro
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Japanese company will transfer its shares in Nissan Manufacturing Russia LLC to state-owned NAMI, it said. The deal will give Nissan the right to buy back the business within six years, Russia's industry and trade ministry said. The sale to NAMI will include Nissan's production and research facilities in St Petersburg as well as its sales and marketing center in Moscow, the ministry said. Nissan said it expected an extraordinary loss of around 100 billion yen ($687 million), but maintained its earnings forecast for the financial year ending in March. The Nissan deal was "of great significance for the industry," Russia's Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said in a statement.

LONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Britain's government on Monday named an experienced Treasury official as the finance ministry's new top civil servant, after unsettling investors last month by abruptly ousting his predecessor. He replaces Tom Scholar whose departure shortly after Kwasi Kwarteng became finance minister contributed to a drop in confidence among investors since Liz Truss took over as prime minister. The removal of Scholar broke the British convention that non-partisan officials remain in post after a change of political leadership. It came shortly before Kwarteng announced a string of unfunded tax cuts that caused turmoil in financial markets. Bowler's appointment came as a surprise after newspapers last week reported that Truss wanted someone new to the Treasury to take the department's top job.

Banknotes of Japanese yen are seen in this illustration picture taken September 22, 2022. Almost a quarter of Japanese manufacturers' production is carried out overseas, according to the latest trade ministry data. The weak yen drives up the cost of acquiring businesses overseas, although that could be less of a concern for many cash-rich Japanese firms. At the same time, the weak yen makes Japanese companies cheaper targets for foreign buyers. For retailers, the weak yen has been particularly painful, as it drives up costs, including for energy and food.

☆ Indonesia to tighten rules for crypto exchanges, ensure more local control
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The measure comes following financial issues faced by Southeast Asia-focused cryptocurrency exchange Zipmex, which temporarily prevented users from withdrawing funds. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe ministry's Commodity Futures Trading Regulatory Agency (Bappebti) will issue the new rule soon, he said, without giving a timeframe. It will also require an exchange to use a third-party to store client funds and to prohibit exchanges re-investing stored crypto assets, according to a document issued by the ministry. Asked about a plan to launch an Indonesian crypto asset bourse, which has been delayed from last year, Sambuaga said the plan could hopefully be completed this year. ($1 = 14,980.0000 rupiah)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Stefanno Sulaiman Editing by Ed DaviesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

A man walks on the street in heavy rain and wind caused by Typhoon Nanmadol in Kagoshima on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu September 18, 2022, in this photo taken by Kyodo. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN JAPANTOKYO, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Typhoon Nanmadol brought ferocious winds and record rainfall to western Japan on Monday as one of the biggest storms to hit the country in years killed at least two people, disrupted transport and forced manufacturers to suspend operations. "We need to remain highly vigilant for heavy rains, gales, high waves and storm surges," a Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) official told a news conference. Up to 400 mm (15.75 inches) of rain was expected in central Japan's Tokai region, the nation's industrial heartland, over the next 24 hours, it said. Intermittent bouts of heavy rain lashed Tokyo but businesses in the capital were largely operating as normal.

Search resuls for: "Trade Ministry"

21 mentions found