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BENGALURU, Feb 24 (Reuters) - G20 financial leaders must condemn Russia's aggression against Ukraine, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Reuters in an interview on Friday, adding that Europe was working on new sanctions against Moscow. Speaking on the first day of the G20 financial leaders meeting near Bengaluru, Le Maire said, "Sanctions will be more and more efficient, more and more effective". Le Maire said that India's purchase of discounted Russian oil has reduced Moscow's oil revenues. On the G20 communique, Le Maire said, "The purpose is to stick to the wordings of 2022 in Bali. Russia, which is a member of the G20, refers to its actions in Ukraine as a "special military operation", and avoids calling it an invasion or war.

☆ Germany signals support for U.S. pick to lead World Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The German government has signalled its support for the United States' nomination of Ajay Banga for president of the World Bank, with German Finance Minister Christian Lindner calling Banga's nomination a "very remarkable" proposal on Friday. U.S. President Joe Biden nominated former Mastercard Inc (MA.N) CEO Ajay Banga to lead the World Bank on Thursday, betting the India-born executive's ties to the private sector and emerging markets will jump-start the 77-year-old institution's overhaul to better address climate change. The finance minister added that Germany would follow the nomination with "great attention" and expressed "sympathy" for the proposal. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire had also previously showed support for Banga's nomination. Reporting by Christian Kraemer, Writing by Maria Martinez, Editing by Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"I think that we have a very good candidate for the World Bank," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said of Banga during a news conference at the G20 finance leaders meeting in India. The comments marked a turnabout from Tuesday, when Germany's international development minister, Svenja Schulze, who represents a different party in Germany's coalition government, said the next World Bank chief should be a woman. The G20 ministers meeting is being held on the outskirts of the Indian tech hub city of Bengaluru. 'UNIQUE SET OF SKILLS'The United States, the lender's dominant shareholder, has chosen every World Bank president since the founding of the institution at the end of World War Two. World Bank staff are bracing for Banga to make some management changes at the bank, emboldened by Yellen's repeated calls for "bolder and more imaginative" action by the bank, two bank sources told Reuters.

Participants at the meeting, however, are likely to focus on the war in Ukraine. The G20 bloc includes the wealthy G7 democracies, as well as Russia, China, India, Brazil and Saudi Arabia. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Reuters that G20 financial leaders must condemn Russia's aggression against Ukraine and that Europe was working on new sanctions against Moscow. G7 chair Japan's finance minister, Sunichi Suzuki, told reporters that the group would closely monitor the effectiveness of sanctions and "take further actions as needed". German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said the pressure on Russia must be kept high to "completely isolate" Russia's economy.

☆ Wealthy G7 nations gearing up for new volley of sanctions on Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Leaders of the bloc of developed nations will meet virtually on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion, and are expected to announce the sanctions package. Current G7 president Japan said it was considering new measures, without giving any details, and called for a unified stance towards Moscow. "Russia is refusing to change their hardline stance," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a news conference to mark the anniversary. India, which has maintained a neutral stance on the conflict, does not want the G20 to discuss additional sanctions on Russia. Speaking at the G20, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen accused Russian officials of being "complicit" in atrocities in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

☆ Germany rules out spending 'more and more money' as Europe hopes to avoid subsidy race with the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

European Union officials have been embroiled in tense discussions over how to make the region more competitive in the wake of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, also referred to as IRA. The American legislation was approved by U.S. lawmakers in August and includes $369 billion in spending on climate and energy policies. But, according to Christian Lindner, the German finance minister, the answer for the 27-member EU bloc to boost competitiveness is not via more public spending. "We need a better quality of public sector investments, not more quantity of public sector investments," he said. "Belgium is a small market, very open economy, Germany is a big market.

☆ 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.

☆ European Officials Push for Joint Effort With U.S. on Green-Technology Minerals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Yuka Hayashi | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—Representatives of Europe’s two top economies proposed new efforts with the U.S. to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals used in electric vehicles and other green-technology products, even as they continued to press the U.S. about its clean energy legislation. Robert Habeck , German vice chancellor and minister for economic affairs and climate action, proposed Tuesday creating a “critical minerals club” with the U.S. during a trip to Washington where he met with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ; Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo ; and Brian Deese , director of the White House National Economic Council, among others. Bruno Le Maire , French minister for finance, economy and industry, also attended the meetings.

[1/6] German Economy Minister Robert Habeck and French Minister for Economy, Finance, Industry and Digital Security Bruno Le Maire hold a joint news conference in Washington, U.S., February 7, 2023. "It's a process, and in a process you go step by step," Le Maire told reporters. After meetings with Yellen, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and White House officials, Habeck and Le Maire emerged with few specifics other than pledges to be clear about their competing green subsidies. Noting the agreement on both sides on the need for transparency on subsidies, Habeck said, "We will (create) a technical group to make this transparency work." But Commerce said she applauded the TTC's work to promote transparency for U.S. and EU semiconductor subsidies and support supply chains.

☆ Yellen touts battery investments in Tennessee after Biden speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen gives a speech after she visited the House of Slaves (Maison des Esclaves) at Goree Island off the coast of Dakar, Senegal January 21, 2023. "The Inflation Reduction Act is offering meaningful tax credits to spur clean energy investment and production. Importantly, the law deliberately encourages place-based investments," Yellen said in excerpts of remarks for delivery at the Ultium Cells plant. EUROPEAN COMPLAINTSBut European and Asian allies have complained that the Inflation Reduction Act's tax subsidies will pull green investments away from those regions toward the United States. Le Maire also said that U.S. rules on the tax credits, now being finalized by Yellen's staff, should be made available to a "maximum" of European components.

WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - France and Germany's economy ministers said they would push for the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act to embrace European companies as fully as possible as they headed into talks with their Washington counterparts on Tuesday. While Canadian and Mexican companies are eligible to benefit from many of its provisions, the act does not help European competitors. Le Maire and his German counterpart Robert Habeck, who are due to put their case to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, trade representative Katherine Tai and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, fear European companies could be disadvantaged. "A strong green industrial market in the U.S. and a strong green industrial market in Europe will help each other," Habeck told reporters from a noisy Washington street corner before they headed into their meetings. Le Maire said Europe needed transparency on the exact subsidies and tax credits that were on offer to ensure "fair competition" between industries on both sides of the Atlantic.

☆ Germany's Habeck optimistic that EU and U.S. can reduce trade tension
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 6 (Reuters) - German Economy Minister Robert Habeck expressed optimism before departing on a trip to the United States on Monday that a European Union trade dispute with Washington can be resolved soon. Many EU leaders are worried the local content requirements of $369 billion of green subsidies in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act will encourage companies to relocate, making the United States a leader in green tech at Europe's expense. Habeck said the European Commission was taking the lead on the trade issue, but added: "We want to lend support." "And supporting means: in the working atmosphere that we have developed, to explore ways in which the problematic parts of the Inflation Reduction Act - that is, this industrial project - can perhaps be resolved," he said. Habeck and French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire will hold talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday.

BERLIN, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck has called for cooperation in green investments between Europe and the United States ahead of meetings in Washington next week with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and other officials. "The USA is now gearing its economy towards green markets and driving forward cost reductions in the development of climate-friendly technologies," Habeck said. EU governments are worried the IRA could not only put European producers at an unfair disadvantage but lure investment away from Europe to the United States. They are likely to want to explore exceptions when the United States implements the plans. The talks will be focused on the U.S. subsidy package in the context of future trade relations between the EU and the United States.

☆ French, German ministers to tell U.S. don't poach EU investments -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Feb 4 (Reuters) - France and Germany's economy ministers will tell senior U.S. officials not to try to actively poach green investments from Europe when they visit Washington next week to raise concerns about U.S. green tech subsidies, two French officials said. "One of the ministers' messages will be to not approach European companies about moving plants to the U.S. The second official said the aim was to avoid "aggressive pitches" to EU firms to invest in the United States. They will also seek a U.S. commitment to be transparent about subsidies companies receive under the Inflation Reduction Act, both officials said. That is key because it could determine how much state support European companies can receive under a European Commission proposal to allow third-country subsidies to be matched in Europe.

☆ Airbus and Qatar Airways settle bitter A350 jet row
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The "amicable and mutually agreeable settlement" ends a $2 billion row over surface damage on the long-haul jets. The spat led to the withdrawal of billions of dollars' worth of jet deals by Airbus and prompted Qatar to increase purchases from Boeing. The deal heads off what amounted to an unprecedented public divorce trial between heavyweights in the normally tight-knit and secretive $150 billion jet industry. Airbus' decision to revoke that order, separate from the disputed A350 contract, had been criticised by global airlines group IATA. Airbus said it had done its best to avoid pushing Qatar too far back in the queue.

Experts estimate that about half of the German electric vehicles registered in the United States are leased. While the scale of the U.S. subsidies has attracted most attention, the EU has large potential resources of its own. THE REAL PROBLEM"The amounts of subsidies in Europe are in line or even more than those in the United States, that is not the problem," said one senior European Union official. "The real problems are the incentives to make firms move production to the United States," said the official, referring to the local content requirements. To ensure Europe can compete with the United States, the European Commission on Wednesday proposed measures including loosening EU state aid rules and repurposing existing EU funds.

☆ Explainer: Why the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act has rattled Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The European Commission presented its Green Deal Industrial Plan on Wednesday in response to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with increased levels of state aid to help Europe compete as a manufacturing hub for clean tech products. The Treasury is set to provide guidelines in March for electric vehicles bought by consumers, but there appears less room for manoeuvre. The European Commission and the White House have set up a high-level task force to discuss the issue. France has led calls for Europe to respond with state support of its own for European companies, including through a "buy European act" and large-scale subsidies. Longer term, the European Commission says it will propose a European Sovereignty Fund, but it is unclear how it will operate and how it will be funded.

"Major economies are rightly stepping up investment in net zero industries," von der Leyen told a news conference. And we want to be an important part of this net-zero industry that we need globally," von der Leyen said. RESISTANCEThe European Commission is hoping member states will back its plan at a Feb.9-10 summit but it faces a hot debate. Solar sector industry group SolarPower Europe said it was concerned by what it called a "lack of focus" on specific technologies in the EU plan. The bloc is heavily reliant on China for rare earths and lithium, which are vital materials for the green transition.

☆ Airbus and Qatar settle A350 jetliner row
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA) and Qatar Airways have settled a dispute over surface damage on grounded A350 jets, the companies said on Wednesday, averting a potentially damaging UK court trial. The "amicable settlement" ends a $2 billion row over the safety of Europe's premier long-haul jet - an unprecedented public rift that had led Airbus to revoke dozens of other jet orders from Qatar ahead of a scheduled June court trial. The announcement comes after Reuters reported that a deal could be reached as early as Wednesday. Airbus has acknowledged quality flaws but insisted that the jets are safe. Reporting by Tim Hepher Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Davos 2023: Key takeaways from the World Economic Forum
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/4] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Poland's President Andrzej Duda and Canada's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland take part in the World Economic Forum session on "Restoring Security and Peace. REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannDAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Global leaders and business executives departed a freezing World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting on Friday after a frank exchange of views over how the world will tackle its biggest issues in 2023. Here's what we learned:ECONOMY: Gloom and doom heading into Davos turned into cautious optimism by the end with the global economic outlook for the year ahead looking better than feared. On the inside, political leaders like Kier Starmer railed against new oil investments and Pakistani climate minister Sherry Rehman pushed for loss and damage funding. The lesson I have learned in the last years ... is money, money, money, money, money, money, money."

☆ 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.

☆ 'China cannot be out, China must be in': France says it's diverging with Washington on Beijing ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

DAVOS, Switzerland — The European Union does not see eye-to-eye with the United States when it comes to opposing China, the French finance minister told CNBC Friday. Speaking at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, looking at the economic outlook, France's Bruno Le Maire said: "China cannot be out, China must be in. "We don't want to oppose China, we want to engage with China, we want China to obey by the same rules," he said, "this is our policy." The United States has taken a confrontational approach with China particularly when it comes to the technology sector. The European Union, however, has looked at striking a balance between its political friendship with the U.S. and its economic ties with China.

[1/2] Climate activists Greta Thunberg, Helena Gualinga and Luisa Neubauer take part in a protest on the last day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 20, 2023. International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told the Davos audience that what had improved was the potential for China to boost growth and that the IMF now forecast Chinese growth of 4.4% for 2023. Wall Street executives in Davos said pessimism had eased as economies in the U.S. and Europe stayed resilient and China loosened its COVID-19 policies. For daily Davos updates in your inbox sign up for the Reuters Daily Briefing here. Reporting by Mark John in Davos; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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