World

Following a vote, an EU executive is ready to impose duties on Chinese electric vehicles.
China, Market, World

Following a vote, an EU executive is ready to impose duties on Chinese electric vehicles.

The European Commission said on Friday it had received enough support in a vote of EU members to impose tariffs of up to 45% on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles in the bloc's highest-profile trade case, risking retaliation from Beijing. France-based broadcaster Euronews cited diplomatic sources as saying that Poland voted in favor of the move, but Germany, the region's biggest economy and major car producer, opposed it.The European Commission, which oversees the bloc's trade policy, has proposed final duties for the next five years to counter what it sees as unfair Chinese subsidies after a year-long anti-subsidy investigation.In a vote on Friday, 10 EU members backed tariffs and five voted against, with 12 abstentions, EU sources said.It would have taken opposition from a qua...
The European Union decides to levy taxes on electric cars made in China.
Asia, China, Market, World

The European Union decides to levy taxes on electric cars made in China.

The European Union on Friday voted to adopt definitive tariffs on China-made battery electric vehicles (BEVs). “Today, the European Commission’s proposal to impose definitive countervailing duties on imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China has obtained the necessary support from EU Member States for the adoption of tariffs,” the EU said in a statement. The EU first announced that it would slap higher tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports in June, on the grounds that they benefited “heavily from unfair subsidies” and posed a “threat of economic injury” to electric vehicle producers in Europe. Duties were also disclosed for individual companies, depending on the extent of their cooperation with the probe. Provisional duties were put in place from early Jul...
What do Chinese people think of Xi Jinping’s concerns about the economy?
Asia, China, Market, World

What do Chinese people think of Xi Jinping’s concerns about the economy?

China’s sputtering economy has its worried leaders pulling out all the stops. They have unveiled stimulus measures, offered rare cash handouts, held a surprise meeting to kickstart growth and tried to shake up an ailing property market with a raft of decisions - they did all of this in the last week. On Monday, Xi himself spoke of "potential dangers" and being "well-prepared" to overcome grave challenges, which many believe was a reference to the economy. What is less clear is how the slowdown has affected ordinary Chinese people, whose expectations and frustrations are often heavily censored. But two new pieces of research offer some insight. The first, a survey of Chinese attitudes towards the economy, found that people were growing pessimistic and disillusioned about t...
Wall St ends higher on positive US economic data
Market, USA, World

Wall St ends higher on positive US economic data

A string of robust U.S. economic data eased concerns that the Federal Reserve may be cutting rates aggressively to curb any slowdown. Weekly jobless claims fell more than anticipated, signaling a steady labor market, while the final reading of gross domestic product confirmed that the economy grew 3% in the second quarter. "It (the GDP number) just kind of reinforces that strong economic growth backdrop that we have been seeing," said Mike Dickson, head of research at Horizon Investments in Charlotte, North Carolina. The benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab closed up 23.11 points, or 0.40%, at 5,745.37, after rising to a record intraday high of 5,767.37. The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI), opens new tab rose 260.36 point...
As per the government’s official estimate, the US economy grew at a pace of 3% last quarter.
Market, USA, World

As per the government’s official estimate, the US economy grew at a pace of 3% last quarter.

The American economy expanded at a healthy 3% annual pace from April through June, boosted by strong consumer spending and business investment, the government said Thursday, leaving its previous estimate unchanged. The Commerce Department reported that the nation's gross domestic product the nation's total output of goods and services growth picked up sharply in the second quarter from the tepid 1.6% annual rate in the first three months of the year. Consumer spending, the primary driver of the economy, grew last quarter at a 2.8% pace, down slightly from the 2.9% rate that the government had previously estimated. Business investment was also solid: It increased at a vigorous 8.3% annual pace last quarter, led by a 9.8% rise in investment in equipment. The U.S. economy, the world...
Bargaining chips: Taiwan’s implications of the Vance Doctrine
Market, USA, World

Bargaining chips: Taiwan’s implications of the Vance Doctrine

Donald Trump’s selection of JD Vance as his 2024 running mate has disquieted America’s security partners in Europe and Asia. If America’s 45th president returns as its 47th and a Vice President Vance holds sway, the implications for Europe are clear. Vance argues that President Joe Biden’s arming of the Ukrainians has passed the point of diminishing returns and that it distracts from America’s challenge of greatest import: China’s rise. But while Vance has called for a focus on Asia, what exactly a Vance-inflected foreign policy would mean for the region is not obvious. Vance’s well-documented body of thought on American society, governance, and strategy offers some clues, however, on how he would approach China, Taiwan, and related questions. The theme that ru...
Anti-China EV Laws Won’t Keep America Safe Indefinitely
Asia, China, USA, World

Anti-China EV Laws Won’t Keep America Safe Indefinitely

You may look at the auto industry's current chaos in Europe and think that those problems won't come to America. That this country is now taking aggressive steps to protect its auto market with 100% tariffs on Chinese-made EVs or a software ban that will effectively prohibit those cars from being sold here entirely. From that, you may think that it's all problem solved—the U.S. keeps new players from China out for good. But the truth is that these protectionist measures are temporary at best, and even the auto industry seems to get it. Or at least, the smart folks in the business do.  That leads off this midweek edition of Critical Materials, our morning roundup of tech and industry news. Also on tap today: Hyundai's online sales program with ...
Asia, China, Market, World

The world economy is stabilizing, but it is still weak. These are the main economists’ predictions for the economy.

The global economic outlook is stabilizing amid continuing economic uncertainty. The World Economic Forum's September 2024 Chief Economists Outlook found that a majority of chief economists (54%) expect the condition of the global economy to remain unchanged over the next year while more than a third (37%) expect it to weaken. “There are reasons for cautious optimism such as an easing of inflation and evidence of the resilience of global commerce,” the report notes. “Yet, if the economy is stabilizing, it is doing so at the weakest level in decades.” The Chief Economists Outlook, published three times a year, surveys leading chief economists from across industries and international organizations. The latest edition explores key trends in the global economy, includi...
Asia, Market, World

Rate increases will persist even when the Bank of Japan fires in September.

What’s happened? The Bank of Japan (BOJ, the central bank) decided to keep its policy rate unchanged at 0.25% at its policy board meeting on September 20th, pausing after a 15-basis-point increase in July. On the same day, official data showed that headline consumer price inflation accelerated to a 10-month high of 3% in August, from 2.8% in July, following strong growth in prices for food and utilities. Why does it matter? The BOJ is determined to pursue monetary normalisation by raising interest rates and winding down its asset-purchase programmes. However, the pace of the policy shift and the terminal policy rate will depend on Japan’s economic fundamentals, notably the strength of private demand and inflation expectations. The pause in September was factored into EIU’s foreca...
<strong>China is looking all set for a recession</strong>
China, USA, World

China is looking all set for a recession

Ray Dalio the owner of American investment management firm, Bridgewater Associates which helps top investors worldwide to grow their money, in a recent interview with Bloomberg television, said that he had sold most of the investments in China. He warned that China was facing serious economic problems. “You have an environment in China which is changing and becoming a more difficult environment,” Dalio said. The trouble is evident in the stock market. The Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 index is on a free fall for more than two years. Investors both foreign and domestic are divesting investments to stop loss. Foreign investors are going to other emerging markets. Chinese nationals are holding on cash or buying gold coins and bars to prevent further erosion of personal wealth. “The...