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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.

☆ South Korea posts the worst trade deficit in its history
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

05 November 2022, South Korea, Pusan: Containers are loaded from the container freighter "Alula Express" at Busan Newport International Terminal, one of the largest container ports in the world. Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa (Photo by Bernd von Jutrczenka/picture alliance via Getty Images)It marked the worst trade deficit since the agency started compiling data in 1956 and far more than the $20.6 billion trade deficit in 1996. South Korea recorded a trade deficit of $47.5 billion for 2022, official data from the customs agency showed. January exports fell $46.3 billion, or 16.6% – declining more than expectations for a drop of 11.3%. That resulted in a deficit of $12.7 billion for January, more than the $9.27 billion expected by economists polled by Reuters.

Playing down the economic slowdown as part of a global trend, Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho pledged prompt support measures for exporters, such as tax breaks and administrative help. Central bank estimates showed gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 0.4% in the October-December period from the previous quarter. Markets showed a muted reaction to the data, which was largely in line with repeated warnings in recent weeks by the government and central bank. The central bank estimated that in 2022 the full-year value of the economy, Asia's fourth-largest, had been 2.6% larger than in 2021, when it showed growth of 4.1%. Reporting by Jihoon Lee and Choonsik Yoo; Editing by Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Capri names insider Cedric Wilmotte as CEO of Michael Kors
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 23 (Reuters) - U.S. luxury group Capri Holdings Ltd (CPRI.N) on Monday named company veteran Cedric Wilmotte as the chief executive officer of its Michael Kors brand. Wilmotte, 48, who will take charge from April 3, recently served as the interim CEO of the group's Versace brand and is currently the label's chief operating officer. He previously led Michael Kors' EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) business from 2008 to 2021. In March, Capri said the head of its Michael Kors brand, Joshua Schulman, who was set to become the group's top boss later in the year, would exit. Schulman was named Michael Kors' chief executive in August 2021.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the market Monday: Industrials, Salesforce activists, semis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Another activist investor, Elliott Management, takes a big stake in Club holding Salesforce (CRM), according to media reports . Same upgrade for Club holding Advanced Micro Devices (AMD); PT increase to $85 from $70. Club holding Ford (F) will have to lower prices for Mustang Mach-E. Not much competition for F-150 Lightning EV pick-up. JPMorgan downgrades Levi Strauss (LEVI) to neutral from overweight (buy); cuts price target by $2 to $17 per share. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

AFTER THREE YEARS of upheaval and change, many women are realizing their old wardrobes are no longer a good fit—both literally and figuratively—for their post-pandemic selves. Here, two writers of different generations seek guidance on suiting up for their next chapters. The Woman in her 40s: Baze MpinjaA couple of months ago, I went to a sample sale for the first time since the pandemic began. For instance: While most of my fellow crazed shoppers were throwing elbows to snag sky-high pumps, I only had eyes for kitten heels. Apparently, after years of working from home in cozy socks or sneakers, I’m no longer interested in suffering for chic footwear—even if I can get it at a deep discount.

☆ South Korea's economic slump to bottom in H1 2023 - finance minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

FILE PHOTO: South Korea Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho attends the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, 16 July 2022. Made Nagi/Pool via REUTERSSEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea’s finance minister said on Monday the economy is slowing at a more rapid pace than previously expected and would bottom in the first half of next year. “Our economy’s growth is expected to slow next year due to the effects from a global economic slump, and the difficulty will be focused on the first half,” Minister Choo Kyung-ho said at the opening of a meeting with the ruling party leadership. The meeting was held ahead of the government’s announcement later this week of its economic policy strategies for next year, which will be the first full-year statement for President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration since its launch in May.

☆ South Korea flags economic slump deepening for while
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Choonsik Yoo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO: South Korea Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho attends the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, 16 July 2022. South Korea’s economy, the fourth-largest in Asia, relies heavily on exports ranging from cars and ships to chips and smartphones. The central bank last month cut its projection for next year’s economic growth to 1.7% from the previous 2.1% in its scheduled revision, citing falling exports and the resultant reduction likely in corporate investment. The ministry is due to unveil its 2023 economic projections and strategies on Wednesday. President Yoon, struggling against low approval ratings, says exports are the best choice for the manufacturing-heavy country to overcome its slump.

☆ South Korea's economic slump to bottom in first half of 2023, finance minister says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, Dec 19 (Reuters) - South Korea's finance minister said on Monday the economy is slowing at a more rapid pace than previously expected and would bottom in the first half of next year. "Our economy's growth is expected to slow next year due to the effects from a global economic slump, and the difficulty will be focused on the first half," Minister Choo Kyung-ho said at the opening of a meeting with the ruling party leadership. The meeting was held ahead of the government's announcement later this week of its economic policy strategies for next year, which will be the first full-year statement for President Yoon Suk-yeol's administration since its launch in May. Reporting by Choonsik Yoo; editing by Diane Craft and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ How this millennial CEO steered the world's largest vaccine maker during the pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Olivia Choo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Adar Poonawalla became the CEO of the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, Serum Institute of India, when he was 30 years old. | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesAdar Poonawalla became the CEO of the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, Serum Institute of India, when he was 30 years old. Today, it is the world's largest vaccine manufacturer — by number of doses produced and sold globally. In 1966, at the age of 25, the elder Poonawalla embarked on a journey to set up the Serum Institute of India. Vaccine production at the Serum Institute of India pharmaceutical plant in Pune, Maharashtra, India.

☆ South Korea authorities to continue efforts to stabilise markets -finance minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, Dec 15 (Reuters) - South Korea's finance minister said on Thursday that local financial markets have comparably stabilised recently, while reaffirming that authorities will continue to take measures for the markets to further stabilise. Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho said authorities will continue to proactively support companies' smooth bond issuance and strengthen liquidity support for financial institutions, as planned in the recently announced support package. The comments came before the meeting of South Korea's top economic financial officials, including the central bank governor and financial regulator chief, to discuss implications of the U.S. Federal Reserve's overnight rate decision. Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Miner BHP accused of delaying $6 billion-plus Brazil dam case
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Global mining giant BHP Group (BHP.AX) was on Tuesday accused of trying to "forever put off" the question of liability for a 2015 dam collapse that triggered Brazil's worst environmental disaster. BHP, the world's biggest miner by market value, denies liability and earlier this month applied to join Vale to the case. BHP has applied to the Supreme Court to overturn that decision and its application is pending. He argued BHP was trying to "forever put off the question of substantive liability for another few years – that would no doubt be very convenient." Charles Gibson, representing BHP, said in court documents that the list of current claimants was "chaotic" and there was "continuing uncertainty" around whether thousands of individuals wanted to continue their cases.

☆ Australian battery metal players key to South Korea's EV ambition
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Australia will play a big role in South Korea's ambition to lead the electric vehicle batteries market and diversify from China for its battery metals needs, a top South Korean executive said on Wednesday. In recent years, U.S. allies have moved to reduce their dependence on China amid heightened concern about Beijing's control over the critical minerals sector. South Korea needs critical mineral supplies, having pledged to become a battery manufacturing powerhouse by 2030 as part of a plan to be carbon-neutral by 2050. POSCO last year entered into a joint venture deal with Pilbara Minerals Ltd (PLS.AX) to build a 43,000 tonne lithium hydroxide chemical facility in Gwangyang, South Korea. The Australian government should offer similar incentives so the country can be a leader in global hydrogen exports, he said.

☆ The New Office Status Symbol Holds a Lot of Water—and Has a Wait List
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Callum Borchers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The $50 Stanley Quencher boasts a double-walled design that puts an end to melting ice and frequent refills. Its real achievement might be solving a less technical problem: how to show off in today’s casual, hybrid workplace. Put the Jimmy Choo shoes and Armani suits back in the closet. The new on-the-job status symbol is a tumbler only slightly smaller than hockey’s Stanley Cup and nearly as valuable to some. Sometimes going for two to three times its retail price on the secondary market, this desktop trophy allows its owner to flaunt a combination of trendiness, disposable income and, presumably, bladder control.

☆ Michael Kors-owner Capri cuts holiday forecasts on slow China recovery
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 9 (Reuters) - Michael Kors-owner Capri Holdings Ltd (CPRI.N) on Wednesday lowered its sales and profit forecasts for the holiday period, blaming a slow demand recovery in China due to persistent COVID-19 curbs and uncertainty about the global economy. Luxury goods companies have managed to pass on higher costs to affluent shoppers, but China remains a sore spot as Beijing's "dynamic zero-COVID" policy hampers the return of consumers to high-fashion stores. COVID disruptions in China have also weighed heavily on Kering's (PRTP.PA) Gucci, Canada Goose Holdings (GOOS.TO) and L'Oreal (OREP.PA). Capri, which also owns Versace and Jimmy Choo, cut its holiday-quarter sales forecast to $1.53 billion, from $1.65 billion, and lowered its profit forecast to $2.20 per share from $2.45 per share. It forecast fiscal 2023 revenue of $5.70 billion, compared with its prior estimate of about $5.85 billion.

☆ S.Korea to expand corporate-bond buying program - finance minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Oct 23 (Reuters) - South Korea's financial authorities will raise the ceiling for their corporate bond-buying facility to 16 trillion won ($11 billion) from the current 8 trillion won, Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho said on Sunday. The measure is aimed at easing concerns of a liquidity crunch in corporate bond and short-term money markets, Choo said after a meeting with top financial officials, including the Bank of Korea governor and financial regulatory agency chief. Commercial paper issued by securities firms will be included in the facility's purchase list, while an additional 3 trillion won of liquidity will be supplied by the Korea Securities Finance Corporation for securities firms experiencing temporary liquidity shortages, he said. ($1 = 1,428.3200 won)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Christopher Cushing and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ South Korea expands corporate bond-buying program amid credit crunch concern
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

South Korea Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho speaks with his staff attending the G-20 Finance Ministers Meeting in Bali, Indonesia on July 16, 2022. South Korea's government will expand its corporate bond-buying program among other liquidity supply measures amid growing worries about a credit crunch in bond and short-term money markets. The government will double the ceiling of its corporate bond-buying facility run by state-run banks to 16 trillion won ($11 billion), Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho said on Sunday. Commercial paper issued by securities firms will be included in the facility's purchase list, while an additional 3 trillion won of liquidity will be supplied by the Korea Securities Finance Corp for securities firms experiencing liquidity shortages, he said. The Bank of Korea's monetary policy board will also consider its own measures, such as reactivating a special purpose vehicle to purchase corporate bonds and commercial paper first introduced during the pandemic, Governor Rhee Chang-yong told reporters.

☆ S.Korea to scrap taxes for foreigners' income from bonds - minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Oct 16 (Reuters) - South Korea's finance minister said the government will scrap taxes on foreigners' income from investments in treasury bonds and monetary stabilization bonds from Monday. Speaking to reporters late on Saturday in the United States after a meeting of Group of 20 finance ministers and central bankers, Choo Kyung-ho said the government decided to bring forward the timing of the planned tax removal from 2023 to next week to boost capital inflows into the local bond market. FTSE Russell, a global index provider, said on Sept. 30 it had added South Korea to a list for possible inclusion in its World Government Bond Index (WGBI). "We were included in the WGBI watchlist at the end of September but were thinking there is a need to make a quick move to attract more foreign investment into our treasury bond market," Choo said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Best Buy, Lyft, and Adobe are hiring more execs from marginalized backgrounds thanks in part to this woman
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

To date, nearly 600 companies including Ralph Lauren, Lyft, Best Buy, Adobe, Oracle, and Cisco have signed on. Josh James, the CEO of cloud-software company Domo, is a cofounder of Parity.org and a signatory of Parity.org's gender pledge in 2017 and its race pledge in 2020. Signing the Parity.org gender and race pledges does not hold CEOs accountable to a specific goal or target date. "Imposing a one-size-fits-all deadline or quota would just lead to failure on the part of many companies," Stickney said. Now, the nonprofit is expanding to conduct pay-equity analyses based on race, gender, and age.

☆ South Korea finance minister says more foreign-exchange stabilizing measures are on the way
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Sept 25 (Reuters) - South Korea's finance minister said the government would prepare more measures to stabilise the foreign exchange market, while downplaying the need for a currency swap arrangement with the United States. The measures include utilising the government's foreign exchange equalisation fund to meet shipbuilding companies' FX hedging demands, thereby increasing dollar supply in the local market, minister Choo Kyung-ho said during a televised interview on Sunday. It is part of FX authorities' efforts to ease volatility in the FX market, Choo said, in addition to a currency swap arrangement between the country's central bank and a pension fund announced on Friday, as they are seeing the South Korean won recently weakening at a faster pace than most peers. On a question about the possibility of a currency swap deal between the Bank of Korea and the U.S. Federal Reserve, Choo said it would definitely be helpful for the local market, but is not necessary yet in the current market situation. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Jihoon Lee Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ S.Korea 20-day exports fall on holiday effects, slow global economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterA truck carrying a shipping container travels past cranes at Pyeongtaek port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, July 9, 2020. The country's imports for the same 20-day period rose 6.1%, producing a trade deficit of $4.1 billion, the Korea Customs Service data showed. Average exports per working day during the Sept. 1-20 period rose 1.8% from a year before, it added. Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho held a meeting of senior government officials to review trade conditions and vowed to focus policy to help exporters. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Choonsik Yoo; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Sam HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ S.Korean won falls through key level after Fed hike
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Choonsik Yoo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A South Korea won note is seen in this illustration photo May 31, 2017. The won fell as much as 0.9% to 1,406.8 per dollar in early onshore trading, marking the first time it crossed the 1,400-won mark since late March 2009. Both the finance ministry and the central bank separately issued warnings that they would act against excessive movements in the foreign exchange market. "The authorities will introduce various measures aimed at easing a supply-demand imbalance for foreign currencies from the pension fund and foreign trading companies," Minister Choo Kyung-ho said at a meeting of senior officials. Both the Bank of Korea and the National Pension Service declined to comment on the reports.

☆ Ralph Lauren Has an Ambitious New Look
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Jinjoo Lee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Ralph Lauren started out as a tie business 55 years ago before it eventually became known for its iconic polo shirt. The brand now wants to keep the spirit of that expansion going, setting its sights on women’s apparel and less penetrated cities such as Atlanta and Houston. At an investor day on Monday, Ralph Lauren set out a target to grow revenue at a compound annual growth rate in the mid- to high-single-digit percentage range over the next three years, a clear upgrade from its 0.15% CAGR over the past four years. It also expects adjusted operating margins to reach 15% in fiscal year 2025, taking that number closer to American luxury brand peers Capri Holdings , which owns Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo, and Coach-owner Tapestry . That margin target doesn’t seem like such a stretch given that it already expects adjusted operating margins to reach 14% to 14.5% in the current fiscal year, an impressive upgrade from a 5.6% margin four years ago.

☆ California Wants to Ban Your Choo-Choo
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Review & Outlook: Despite regular power shortages in California, on Sept. 16, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed 40 new climate bills to amp up California’s green-energy shock experiment. Images: Shutterstock/Getty Images Composite: Mark KellyGavin Newsom wants to be President, but in some respects the Governor already is, as the Biden Administration lets California impose its climate rules on the other 49 states. In the latest example, the Environmental Protection Agency has green-lighted Sacramento’s plan to outlaw diesel locomotives. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) in April approved a regulation that would require railroads to replace diesel with “zero emission” locomotives. Diesel locomotives typically have a useful life of 40 years or more, but the regulation would bar those that are 23-years or older from running in the state after 2029.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Mark Kelly Gavin Newsom Organizations: Biden Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, California Air Resources Board, Diesel Locations: California

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