German manufacturing recovery remains on track in August: PMI

BERLIN (Reuters) – German manufacturers’ recovery from lockdown measures continued last month, with output growing at the fastest pace since February 2018, a survey showed on Tuesday. IHS Markit’s final Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for manufacturing, which... More »

Global funds once again opt out of stocks, despite rally, Reuters polls show

BENGALURU (Reuters) – Funds recommended equity holdings be trimmed to the lowest in over four years in August, despite record-breaking gains by world stocks, as the pandemic drags on and new data suggest the nascent economic rebound is stalling, Reuters polls ... More »

China agrees with U.S. to push forward implementation of Phase 1 trade deal

BEIJING (Reuters) – China said on Tuesday it agreed with the United States to continue pushing forward the implementation of the bilateral Phase 1 trade deal reached earlier this year during a call between the two countries’ top trade negotiators. Vice Premier... More »

Japan’s record economic plunge wipes out Abe era gains

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan was hit by its biggest economic slump on record in the second quarter as the coronavirus pandemic emptied shopping malls and crushed demand for cars and other exports, bolstering the case for bolder policy action to prevent a deeper rec... More »

Facebook faces heat from Indian lawmakers on content practices

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian politicians are trading barbs over a media report that Facebook Inc’s (FB.O) content policies favoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, putting the social network at the centre of a political storm in its biggest market by use... More »

Thai economy sees biggest contraction since Asian financial crisis in second-quarter

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s economy saw its biggest annual contraction in 22 years and a record quarterly fall in the April-June period, as the coronavirus pandemic and restriction measures hit tourism, exports and domestic activity, prompting an outlook do... More »

British trade minister pledges to fight ‘unfair’ U.S. tariffs – The Telegraph

(Reuters) – British Trade Secretary Liz Truss pledged to fight U.S tariffs on Scotch whisky, calling them “unacceptable and unfair” in an op-ed in the Telegraph on Sunday. “I will fight to consign these unfair tariffs to the bin of history”, she wrote (AIR.PA)... More »

Trump says looking at pressuring other Chinese companies after Bytedance

BEDMINSTER, N.J. (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he could exert pressure on more Chinese companies such as technology giant Alibaba (BABA.N) after he moved to ban TikTok. Asked at a news conference whether there were other particular C... More »

China sends fighter jets as U.S. health chief visits Taiwan

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Chinese air force jets briefly crossed the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait on Monday and were tracked by Taiwanese missiles, Taiwan’s government said, as U.S. health chief Alex Azar visited the island to offer President Donald Trump’s support.... More »

China imposes sanctions against U.S. lawmakers over Hong Kong

BEIJING (Reuters) – China said it would apply sanctions against 11 U.S. citizens including officials from Monday in response to Washington’s move on Friday to impose sanctions on 11 Hong Kong and Chinese officials whom it accused of curtailing political freedo... More »

India to promote manufacturing of some products to boost market share

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s government plans to promote the manufacturing of selected products, especially lines in which China enjoys a big share in the global market, as part of efforts to reduce imports and push exports, a cabinet minister said on Monday.... More »

Huawei to stop making flagship chipsets as U.S. pressure bites, Chinese media say

SHANGHAI/SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) – Huawei Technologies Co [HWT.UL] will stop making its flagship Kirin chipsets next month, financial magazine Caixin said on Saturday, as the impact of U.S. pressure on the Chinese tech giant grows. U.S. pressure on Huawei’s ... More »

Russia to deliver COVID-19 drug to South Africa, Latam countries: wealth fund

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has signed deals to supply South Africa and seven Latin American countries with an anti-viral drug Russian authorities have approved to treat COVID-19, its sovereign wealth fund said on Monday. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF... More »

Global prospects dim for China’s tech champions as great powers clash

SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) – Huawei Technologies’ founder Ren Zhengfei’s global ambitions are marked in bricks and mortar at a new company campus in southern China, where the buildings are replicas from European cities. Zhang Yiming, founder of ByteDance, the ... More »

UK asks Japan for Huawei alternatives in 5G networks: Nikkei

TOKYO (Reuters) – The British government has asked Japan to help build its 5G wireless networks without Huawei Technologies [HWT.UL], the Nikkei said on Sunday, a further step in a global technology and security war between the United States and China. Britain... More »

EU leaders show first signs of compromise on stimulus plan

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Signs emerged that leaders of northern European Union countries were willing to compromise on a 1.8 trillion euro ($2 trillion) coronavirus stimulus plan on Monday as talks in Brussels extended to a fourth day. Divided and slow to respond ... More »

Analysts’ View: EU progress lifts euro, stocks on the defensive

LONDON (Reuters) – EU leaders reported some progress on Monday after three days of haggling over a coronavirus stimulus plan, sending the euro to a four-month high and Italy’s borrowing costs to lows not seen since March. An attempt to reach a compromise faile... More »

Euro hits four-month high on hopes for EU recovery fund deal

LONDON (Reuters) – The euro retreated after hitting a 19-week high of $1.1467 on Monday after EU summit chairman Charles Michel said a recovery fund to revive economies hit by the COVID-19 pandemic could contain 390 billion euros in grants. EU leaders have mad... More »

Amazon says exports from India-based sellers cross $2 billion

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc’s (AMZN.O) total exports from small and medium sellers in India, part of a company programme to export products to global markets, have crossed the $2 billion mark, two company executives said on Monday. Amazon’s “Global Se... More »

Japan plans to invite TSMC to build joint chip plant: Yomiuri

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan is aiming to invite Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (2330.TW) or other global chipmakers to build an advanced chip manufacturing plant jointly with domestic chip equipment suppliers, the Yomiuri daily reported on Sunday. The J... More »

G20 finance officials eye solution to digital tax row this year

WASHINGTON/BERLIN (Reuters) – Finance officials from the Group of 20 major economies on Saturday vowed to resolve major differences over taxing big tech companies and reach a broad, consensus-based solution on international taxation this year. The United State... More »

UK to ban Huawei from 5G network

LONDON (Reuters) – Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government will ban Huawei from Britain’s 5G network by ordering telecoms companies to remove its equipment by 2027, Media Secretary Oliver Dowden said on Tuesday. Operators will not be able to purchase 5G comp... More »

UAE wants to see a return of Libya’s oil production with safeguards: minister

DUBAI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates wants to see a return of Libya’s oil production as soon as possible but with safeguards in place to prevent proceeds from fuelling further conflict in the north African country, a senior Emirati official tweeted on Mo... More »

One fifth of German firms fear for their survival amid pandemic: Ifo

BERLIN (Reuters) – Around one fifth of German companies (21%) believe their survival is threatened by the coronavirus crisis, Germany’s Ifo institute said on Monday, with travel agents, hotels and restaurants particularly concerned. “We could see a wave of ins... More »

UK minister says Huawei must meet conditions for involvement in 5G network

LONDON (Reuters) – China’s Huawei has clear conditions to meet for Britain to continue to allow its involvement in the development of 5G telecoms infrastructure, Britain’s health minister said on Sunday, after a report that the firm would be banned from the pr... More »

India’s Modi warns of coronavirus ‘negligence’ as some cities extend lockdowns

CHENNAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s prime minister on Tuesday warned citizens against flouting rules to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, as he extended a vast social security scheme until November. Several Indian cities prepared to extend their l... More »

U.S. starts paring back Hong Kong’s special status due to security law

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States began eliminating Hong Kong’s special status under U.S. law on Monday, halting defense exports and restricting the territory’s access to high technology products as China prepares new Hong Kong security legislation. The... More »

Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg vie for Eurogroup leadership

BRUSSELS/MADRID (Reuters) – Finance ministers of Spain, Ireland and Luxembourg are in the running to chair meetings of the powerful Eurogroup of euro zone finance ministers, with euro zone officials saying it is likely to be a close race between the Spanish an... More »

France’s Macron to visit Dutch PM Rutte to break EU budget impasse

PARIS (Reuters) – Emmanuel Macron will travel to the Netherlands on Tuesday to try to break Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s resistance to the European Union’s 750 billion euro aid package that the French president wants to see approved at an EU summit in Jul... More »

Japan, New Zealand discuss importance of trade for world economic recovery, economy minister Nishimura says

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura on Monday discussed the importance of free trade for a world economic recovery with New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker, Nishimura said. Parker and Nishimura also talked... More »

Acting DHS head says U.S. doing ‘great job’ getting economy back up

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration is doing “a great job” reopening the country after lockdowns to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said on Sunday, as infections continued to spike in some key st... More »

With a bit of oomph, Brexit deal feasible in July, says UK’s Johnson

BRUSSELS/LONDON (Reuters) – Leaders from Britain and the European Union agreed on Monday that talks on their future relationship should be stepped up to clinch a deal, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggesting an agreement could be reached in July with “a b... More »

What do new U.S. sanctions mean for Syria?

AMMAN (Reuters) – The toughest U.S. sanctions yet on Syria take effect this week, increasing the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad as he grapples with a deepening economic crisis after a decade of war. Washington says sanctions will help hold Assad and his... More »

U.N. expert says some are ‘starving’ in North Korea

GENEVA (Reuters) – A United Nations human rights expert voiced alarm on Tuesday at what he called “widespread food shortages and malnutrition” in North Korea, made worse by a nearly five-month border closure with China and strict quarantine measures against CO... More »

EU’s Vestager wants power to investigate foreign aided bids for European companies

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Foreign state-backed or state-owned companies seeking to acquire European companies may be investigated to see if they are benefiting from unfair subsidies, EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said on Tuesday. “They (foreign subsidies) c... More »

Japan, UK agree to work on swift trade agreement: Japan government statement

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan and the United Kingdom agreed to start negotiations for a swift agreement on an economic partnership to secure business continuity for both nations, Japan’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi welcomed i... More »

Household spending plunge pulls down euro zone GDP in first quarter

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A plunge in household spending and investment pulled down euro zone gross domestic product in the first quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic struck, but the fall was slightly smaller than first estimated, the European Union’s statistics office... More »

A crisis that has blunted the euro’s global profile

LONDON (Reuters) – The coronavirus crisis may have dealt a lethal blow to the idea that the euro could one day replace the dollar as the world’s preferred currency, by exposing euro zone frailties and cementing the U.S. Fed’s role as global lender of last reso... More »

German economy to shrink by at least 10%: DIHK

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s DIHK chambers of industry and commerce expect Europe’s largest economy to shrink at least 10% this year due to the coronavirus crisis, its president said on Tuesday, a much more pessimistic view than the government’s forecast. “Thi... More »

Electric car sales to fall, but not as much as other vehicles: research

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Worldwide electric car registrations are set to fall 18% this year, but those of combustion engine cars are set to drop even faster, analysts BloombergNEF (BNEF) said on Tuesday, as the automotive sector is hammered by the coronavirus cri... More »

Trump ‘not interested’ in reopening U.S.-China trade deal after report of Beijing discontent

BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he opposed renegotiating the U.S.-China “Phase 1” trade deal after a Chinese state-run newspaper reported some government advisers in Beijing were urging fresh talks and possibly invalid... More »

China suspends imports from four Australian abattoirs as spat sours trade

SYDNEY (Reuters) – China has suspended imports from four of Australia’s largest meat processors, Australia’s trade minister said on Tuesday, as the trade of several key agricultural commodities suffers in the wake of souring ties. The suspension comes after Au... More »

China announces new tariff waivers for some U.S. imports

BEIJING (Reuters) – China announced on Tuesday a new list of 79 U.S. products eligible for waivers from retaliatory tariffs imposed at the height of the bilateral trade war, amid continued pressure on Beijing to boost imports from the United States. China’s fi... More »

VW’s Skoda braces for second quarter hit after earnings drop

PRAGUE (Reuters) – Czech carmaker Skoda Auto, part of the Volkswagen Group (VOWG_p.DE), reported a 25% drop in first-quarter operating profit on Monday, but said the biggest hit from the coronavirus outbreak would come in the second quarter. Skoda, the Czech R... More »

China eases restrictions on exports of some coronavirus equipment

(This April 26 story has been refiled to correct spelling of commerce ministry official’s first name in paragraph four) BEIJING (Reuters) – China is dropping a requirement that a number of key virus care products get domestic regulatory approval before export,... More »

A battle far from over: Five questions for the ECB

LONDON (Reuters) – The European Central Bank meets on Thursday, the ink barely dry on its emergency bond-buying scheme, and markets are already asking what more it will do to help the euro zone economy through the coronavirus crisis. Its emergency stimulus, wh... More »

U.S. Treasury currency report on trade partners delayed, Taiwan central bank sources say

TAIPEI (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury’s latest semi-annual report on trade practices of its major trading partners which was due this month has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, two sources with direct knowledge at Taiwan’s central bank told Reuters... More »

Euro zone economy set for deepest recession on record: Reuters poll

BENGALURU (Reuters) – The euro zone economy is already in its deepest recession on record, according to a Reuters poll of economists, who have stuck to a bleak outlook and worry the downturn might be even worse as coronavirus lockdowns across the bloc take the... More »

EU leaders unlikely to agree post-coronavirus economic plan on Thursday: sources

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union leaders meeting are on Thursday expected to defer a final decision on how to finance the bloc’s economic recovery in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, diplomats and officials said. The 27 national leaders have alrea... More »

Analyst View: After U.S. oil futures crash, what next?

(Reuters) – A historic rout in oil markets sent U.S. crude prices plummeting to as much as minus $40 a barrel as traders rushed to get rid of unwanted stocks with storage capacity already overflowing amid a coronavirus-induced demand collapse. U.S. West Texas ... More »

South Korea’s April 1-20 exports collapse as pandemic paralyses production, demand

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean exports plunged nearly 27% in the first 20 days of April as the coronavirus health crisis paralyzed global manufacturing activity and crushed consumer demand. The worst may be yet to come with many of the country’s top trading pa... More »

Italy PM calls for EU solidarity in support of coronabonds

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte has repeated calls for the European Union to issue common euro zone bonds to demonstrate the bloc’s solidarity in tackling the coronavirus crisis. Conte said in an interview to be published in Germany... More »

In oil market sunk by coronavirus, giant output cuts make ripple, not big waves

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Minimal oil price gains on Monday show record output cuts by giant producers will still leave them with a mountain to climb to restore market balance, industry watchers said, with the coronavirus pandemic decimating demand just as stocks ... More »

OPEC, Russia approve biggest-ever oil cut to support prices amid coronavirus pandemic

BAKU/DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) – OPEC and allies led by Russia agreed on Sunday to a record cut in output to prop up oil prices amid the coronavirus pandemic in an unprecedented deal with fellow oil nations, including the United States, that could curb global oil... More »

Key EU states agree coronavirus economic rescue -text of draft deal

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union countries on Thursday evening agreed the emergency credit lines from the euro zone’s bailout fund “will be available until COVID-19 crisis is over”, a draft of their deal read. Afterwards, euro countries should remain commit... More »

ECB urges measures worth 1.5 trillion euros this year to tackle virus crisis: sources

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Central Bank told euro zone finance ministers that the bloc may need fiscal measures worth up to 1.5 trillion euros ($1.6 trillion) this year to tackle the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic, officials told Reuter... More »

Oil falls after Saudi Arabia, Russia delay meeting

LONDON (Reuters) – Oil prices fell on Monday, after Saudi Arabia and Russia delayed a meeting to discuss output cuts that could help reduce global oversupply as the coronavirus pandemic pummels demand. Brent crude LCoc1 fell more than $3 when Asian markets ope... More »

Euro zone investor morale hits all-time low on coronavirus – Sentix

BERLIN (Reuters) – Investor morale in the euro zone fell to an all-time low in April and the bloc’s economy is in deep recession due to the coronavirus, which is “holding the world economy in a stranglehold”, a survey showed on Monday. Sentix’s index for the e... More »

Oil prices decline $3 a barrel as market remains uncertain on supply outlook

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Global benchmark oil prices traded as much as $3 a barrel lower as the market opened for Monday’s trading session, reflecting fears of oversupply after Saudi Arabia and Russia postponed to Thursday a meeting about a potential pact to cut p... More »

Deep OPEC+ cuts won’t be enough to prevent oil inventory build: IEA head

LONDON (Reuters) – Deep oil output cuts by OPEC and other producing nations would not be enough to prevent a huge build in global crude inventories in the second quarter as measures to contain the coronavirus lead to “unprecedented” demand loss, the head of th... More »

Venezuela’s financial crisis exacerbated by oil price war, coronavirus

CARACAS (Reuters) – A price war between world oil producers has slashed Venezuela’s revenue for its top export and exacerbated the country’s financial crisis as it also faces the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. sanctions and sliding crude output. More than 90% of V... More »

Russian ventilators shipped to U.S. made by firm under U.S. sanctions: RBC

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Ventilators delivered by Russia to the United States to help treat patients of the new coronavirus were manufactured by a Russian company that is under U.S. sanctions, Russia’s RBC business daily reported on Friday. A Russian military plane ... More »

OPEC+ debates biggest ever cut as virus destroys oil demand

DUBAI/LONDON/MOSCOW (Reuters) – OPEC and allies are working on a deal for an unprecedented production cut equivalent to around 10% of global supply, an OPEC source said after U.S. President Donald Trump called on oil nations to stop the oil rout caused by the ... More »

Drop in China’s new coronavirus cases- none in Wuhan for sixth day

WUHAN, China (Reuters) – China reported a drop in new coronavirus infections for a fourth day as drastic curbs on international travellers reined in the number of imported cases, while policymakers turned their efforts to healing the world’s second-largest eco... More »

Japan to ban U.S., China, Europe travelers as coronavirus spread stokes Tokyo lockdown fears

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan will step up its efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus by banning the entry of foreign citizens traveling from the United States, China, South Korea and most of Europe, the Asahi newspaper reported on Monday. Non-Japanese citizens w... More »

White House not considering three-month tariff deferral: Navarro

(Reuters) – The White House’s top trade advisor denied on Tuesday that the Trump administration was considering a three-month deferral of tariff payments on imported goods to ease the pain of the economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Industry g... More »

Economy normalizing in China after coronavirus peaked- stark risks remain: IMF

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China’s economy is beginning to show some signs of normalization following the full-blown shock caused by the coronavirus, but stark risks remain, International Monetary Fund officials said in a blog on the economic impact of the pandemi... More »

EU states agree to suspend airline slot requirements until October

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The EU agreed on Friday to suspend requirements that oblige airlines to use at least 80% of their take-off and landing slots in order to keep them the following year until Oct. 24 due to the aviation industry crisis unleashed by coronaviru... More »

Shops close across Turkey, dimming hopes of a boom year

ISTANBUL/ANKARA (Reuters) – Shops closed across Turkey on Thursday to help halt the coronavirus spread, dimming the economy’s prospects and raising questions for hundreds of thousands of workers after Ankara pledged $15 billion in support and advised Turks to ... More »

Khamenei says U.S. sanctions forced Iran to become ‘self-sufficient’

DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a live speech on state TV for the start of the Persian new year, said on Friday that U.S. sanctions has forced the country to become self-sufficient as he called on Iranians to preserve unity. ... More »

Mnuchin urges Congress to pass massive economic relief bill by next week

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday urged Congress to move quickly to pass a $1 trillion economic relief measure by early next week, saying he expects bipartisan support for the bill to get cash payments to Americans durin... More »

Trump says he will enter Saudi-Russia oil fray at appropriate time

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would get involved in the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia at the appropriate time, saying low gasoline prices were good for U.S. consumers even as they were hurting the indust... More »

Government borrowing costs jump as virus-related support costs climb

LONDON (Reuters) – Borrowing costs in the United States, euro zone, Britain and Japan surged on Wednesday after two days in which governments across the globe announced trillions of dollars of spending to support locked-down economies frozen by the coronavirus... More »

Coronavirus impact will last at least to third quarter: German economy ministry

BERLIN (Reuters) – The German economy ministry said it no longer expected an economic upswing in the first quarter because of the impact of the coronavirus on growth, with the economy unlikely to stabilize before the third quarter at the earliest. The economy ... More »

Big Dutch galleries close until end of March due to coronavirus

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Dutch national gallery, the Rijksmuseum, and the nearby Van Gogh museum, two of the Netherlands’ premier tourist attractions in Amsterdam, will be closed to the public at least until March 31 due to the coronavirus epidemic. Their ann... More »

Portugal registers first two cases of coronavirus: SIC television

LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal registered its first two cases of the new coronavirus on Monday, SIC television channel reported. It said one case was discovered in a man who had recently traveled to Italy and another one in a man who had returned from Spain. Both... More »

Shuttered steelworks becomes crucible for Johnson’s ‘leveling-up’ plan

MIDDLESBROUGH, England (Reuters) – Looming over the skyline of Teesside in northeast England stands the rusting hulk of what used to be Europe’s largest blast furnace, which shut in 2015 with the loss of more than 2,200 jobs. Attempts to bring investment and e... More »

Fear of coronavirus pandemic grows but China eases curbs as new infections fall

BEIJING/SEOUL (Reuters) – Fears of a coronavirus pandemic grew on Monday after sharp rises in new cases reported in Iran, Italy and South Korea but China relaxed restrictions on movements in several places including Beijing as its rates of new infections eased... More »

India set to dazzle Trump with pomp and circumstance as trade rows fester

NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump will be accorded the biggest public reception given to any foreign leader in years during his visit to India beginning on Monday, officials say, one that could help paper over the two countries’ grow... More »

UK employers urge Johnson not to sacrifice services in EU deal

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain must not exclude its huge services industry from a planned trade deal with the European Union as the price for reclaiming control over its economy, a group representing British employers said on Monday. The Confederation of British I... More »

No global digital tax by end-2020 would mean chaos: France

RIYADH (Reuters) – Failure to reach a global deal on where and how much to tax digital giants such as Google (GOOGL.O), Amazon (AMZN.O) or Facebook (FB.O) would result in many digital tax regimes emerging all over the world, France’s Finance Minister said on S... More »

Euro zone ministers discuss fiscal boost options as virus worries weigh

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Euro zone finance ministers discussed ways to pursue a more growth-friendly fiscal policy mix on Monday, in a potential nudge to Germany and the Netherlands to spend more as fears of a downturn grow in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic.... More »

WTO gives somber outlook for global trade, sees virus threat

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Growth of global trade in goods is likely to remain weak in early 2020, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Monday, adding that the below-trend performance could be reduced even further by the new coronavirus. The WTO said that, bas... More »

Britain doesn’t need anything special from EU trade deal – PM Johnson’s spokesman

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain does not need any special arrangements in its future relationship with the European Union, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said on Monday, adding that it wants a trade agreement similar to other deals the EU has struck. Prim... More »

South Africa lifts foot-and-mouth auction ban: farm minister

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – South Africa has lifted a two-month ban on livestock auctions that halted trade in cattle, sheep and other animals following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Limpopo late last year, the agriculture minister said on Monday. I... More »

Factbox: Coronavirus forces delay of trade fairs and conferences

(Reuters) – Over two dozen large trade fairs and industry conferences in China and overseas have been postponed due to travel curbs and concerns about the spread of the 2019 coronavirus, potentially disrupting billions of dollars’ worth of deals. In order of s... More »

With biryani and rice balls, Malaysia aims for halal Olympic gold

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – A small factory in Malaysia’s capital is preparing thousands of ready-to-eat halal meals, from fried rice to chicken biryani, to be shipped off to Japan for 2020’s biggest sporting event. Food firms from Muslim-majority Malaysia, are e... More »

Euro zone GDP slows as expected in fourth-quarter, but employment beats consensus

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Euro zone economic growth slowed as expected in the last three months of 2019 as gross domestic product shrank in France and Italy against the previous quarter, but employment growth picked up more than expected, official estimates showed ... More »

Britain ‘reasonably confident’ of U.S. trade deal despite Huawei concerns

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Britain takes U.S. concerns about its use of Huawei equipment seriously but is confident a trade deal with the United States will be among its first after leaving the European Union, its foreign secretary said on Monday. U.S. officials ha... More »

Negative coronavirus tests on some of those repatriated to France: minister

PARIS (Reuters) – Initial tests carried out on around 20 people who were repatriated to France from China presented negative results for coronavirus, French junior health minister Adrien Taquet told BFM TV on Monday. More than 250 people from 30 countries arri... More »

On eve of Brexit, Britain faces critical test to defend drug trial crown

LONDON (Reuters) – It’s 2023. Britain’s brightest and best drug researchers are packing their bags as clinical trials start to dwindle, leaving a nation renowned as a global leader in pharmaceutical development to face a future in the slow lane. This is a wors... More »

Irish PM says EU has upper hand in Brexit trade talks with UK

LONDON (Reuters) – Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said the European Union will have the upper hand in post-Brexit trade talks with the United Kingdom and questioned Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s timetable of striking a deal by the end of the year, the BBC ... More »

China calls on Canada to release Huawei executive Meng

BEIJING (Reuters) – China urged Canada on Monday to release detained Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou as soon as possible. Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, who made the comments at a daily briefing on Monday, also said that Canada should corre... More »

Trump promises farmers that China trade deal will be good for them

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – President Donald Trump sought on Sunday to assure American farmers and ranchers hit by a protracted tariff war with China that a trade agreement he signed with Beijing will lead to major purchases of U.S. agricultural products. Trump’... More »

UK’s Johnson: I need to lose weight but becoming vegan would cheese me off

LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wants to lose weight in 2020, but will not do “Veganuary” – the popular practice of becoming vegan in January – as it would take too much concentration and mean giving up cheese. “I had thought of... More »

Auto industry cautious as China starts 2020 with forecast of a 2% sales decline

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Automakers in China need to get used to a new normal of “low speed growth” in the world’s largest car market, the country’s top auto body said on Monday, as it reiterated predictions that sales will likely shrink for the third cons... More »

China’s U.S. trade deal commitments not changed in translation: Mnuchin

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China’s commitments in the Phase 1 trade deal with the United States were not changed during a lengthy translation process and will be released this week as the document is signed in Washington, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin sai... More »

U.S. officials to visit Britain, pushing for Huawei 5G ban

LONDON (Reuters) – A delegation of U.S. officials will arrive in Britain on Monday to try to persuade Britain not to use Huawei equipment in the upgrade of its telecoms network, two people with knowledge of the matter said on Sunday. Britain is expected to mak... More »

Amazon boss Bezos to face protests from traders during India trip

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Thousands of small-scale traders in India are planning to organize protests against Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) founder Jeff Bezos, who will visit the country next week for a company event and potential meetings with government officials. Bez... More »

U.S. congressional study urges sanctions on China over ‘crimes against humanity’

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. congressional report called for sanctions against China over human rights abuses, and for U.S. officials to keep rights concerns in mind during dealings with Beijing, including trade negotiations. The annual human rights report fr... More »

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