China

Three sources with knowledge of the situation said that India intends to eliminate taxes on U.S. imports of ethane, liquefied petrol gas (LPG), and other petroleum products. The move is part of broader talks with Washington to reduce India's trade surplus and lower its tariff burden. India is considering scrapping the import tax on U.S. LNG and increasing purchases of fuel from the United States. As President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs rattle markets and economies, several Asian nations with trade surpluses in Washington are looking to increase their imports of U.S. Energy. They hope that this will help them avoid...

HSBC reduced its Brent crude forecast on Tuesday. It cited rising trade tensions as well as an expected decrease in global oil consumption. The Bank cut its Brent Price Forecast to $68.5 per barrel in 2025, and $65 for 2026. The company also reduced its forecast for global demand growth in 2025 to 0.7 million barrels per day (mbd), and to 0.8 mbd in 2026, compared to the previous 0.9 mbd. This was due to an expected one-percentage point drop in global GDP. The ambiguous U.S. policy on trade has created uncertainty in the global oil market and prompted the...

After securing fuel, Britain announced on Tuesday that it would be able to keep its last steel blast furnaces running for the next few months. This is the latest move in the last-ditch effort by the government to save the domestic virgin steel industry. After passing emergency laws to take control of the site, in northeastern England, from Chinese owners Jingye Group on Saturday, the government has been in a race to find enough coking coal to keep the furnaces operating. The furnaces were losing over 700,000 pounds (922,950.00 dollars) per day. They needed to be continually fueled, could not...

Data released on Monday showed that China's crude imports rose sharply in March compared to the previous two month and nearly 5% compared to a year ago. The increase was attributed to a rise in Iranian oil as well as a rebound in Russian deliveries. According to records of customs, March imports totaled 51.41 millions metric tons. This is equivalent to 12.1 million barrels a day. It was the highest level since August 2023. This is an increase from 11,55 million bpd, in March 2024, and 10,38 million bpd during the period of January-February. In March, independent refiners & traders...

The Shanghai Stock Exchange said that top Chinese brokerages had pledged to stabilize domestic share prices through a concerted campaign. Scores of listed companies also announced stock-buying plans as the local markets reeled from an escalating global trade war. The Shanghai Stock Exchange announced late on Tuesday that it had held a meeting to discuss the importance of stabilising the markets when faced with external shocks. Participants, such as Citic Securities, Orient Securities, and Industrial Securities, expressed optimism regarding China's prospects for growth and vowed that they would stabilize the market. The United States announced on Tuesday that 104% tariffs...

China's regulator for state assets announced on Tuesday that it would help central government-owned firms increase their stock holdings, and buy back shares to reduce the impact of a escalating trade war in the world on the stock market. Sinopec and other state-owned Chinese companies have announced plans to purchase shares in order to boost investor confidence. In a press release, the government's Assets Supervision and Administration Commission will guide state-owned companies and their listed subsidiaries in order to protect the rights and interest of shareholders and consolidate market confidence in listed firms. The U.S. President Donald Trump imposed additional...

Marco Tronchetti Provera, executive vice chairman of the Italian tyremaker, said that Pirelli has difficulty investing in the United States as its largest shareholder is China’s state-owned Sinochem in a newspaper article on Tuesday. Pirelli's Chinese shareholders and Italian investors are in disagreement over the group's management as Washington clamps down on Chinese tech in the auto industry by banning software and hardware. Tronchetti Provera, a journalist for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, said that Sinochem's stake of 37% had been a problem when Pirelli was negotiating with local authorities about doing business in Alabama and Virginia. "Now, we are...

Four people familiar with the matter said that Chinese battery giant CATL was in negotiations to purchase a controlling interest in Nio's Power Unit, which operates more than 3,000 battery exchange stations in China. The sources said that CATL made this proposal after it announced a maximum investment of 2.5 billion yuan (342 million dollars) in Nio Power in March. They asked to remain anonymous because the talks have not been made public. Sources did not disclose how much CATL offered under the proposed agreement. One of the sources said that Nio Power was valued at over 10 billion yuan...

U.S. banks, oil companies, and tech giants all extended their losses on Friday, after Beijing responded with an additional 34% duty on U.S. products. This heightened investor concern over a escalating trade war, which has led to fears of a global recession. Beijing's tariffs will go into effect on April 10. Beijing also announced restrictions on the export of heavy and medium rare-earths and added 11 U.S. companies to its "unreliable entities" list. Tesla and Apple, two of the companies that have the most revenue exposure to China, both saw their shares plummet by more than 6%. Alphabet and Microsoft...

The oil markets shrugged Monday off the threat of U.S. president Donald Trump to impose tariffs on Russian oil buyers as the shock factor of the White House's barrage of threats begins to wear out with jaded traders. Analysts and traders have questioned the seriousness of Trump's proposal. Warren Patterson, ING's director of commodities strategy, said that the U.S. government's announcements on tariffs and other sanctions have a tired feel. He said that the market would not overreact until he could provide more concrete information. The price of oil fell on Monday. Brent crude futures, the most active, were down...

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, threatened Iran on Sunday with bombings and secondary duties if Tehran failed to reach an agreement with Washington regarding its nuclear program. In a phone interview with NBC News Trump stated that U.S. officials and Iranian officials are talking, but did not provide any further details. Trump warned that if they do not make a deal there would be bombing. "But if they do not make a deal I may impose secondary tariffs like I did in 2004." Trump, in his first term 2017-21, rescinded the U.S.'s participation in a 2015 agreement between Iran and...

Here are some company news and stories that could impact the markets in France and Benelux or even individual stocks. EXMAR: Exmar reported on Thursday a decline in FY IFRS revenues to $348.9 millions but an increase in IFRS EBITDA at $204.7 million. It will not be proposing a dividend in 2024. FLUXYS: Fluxys announced on Thursday that FY revenues and EBIT had increased to 608.8 millions euros ($657.0) and 133.9million euros, respectively. It proposes to pay a EUR 1.4 dividend per share. HAL TRUST HAL Trust reported that its NAV will increase by 2,20 billion euros in 2024 to...

MP Materials announced on Thursday that it would no longer be shipping rare earth concentrates to China as a result of the retaliatory duties and export controls imposed by China following the tariffs imposed by U.S. president Donald Trump. This sent its shares down 3,9% in the afternoon. The company stated that "Selling valuable critical materials at 125% tariffs was neither commercially logical nor in the national interest of America." MP produces rare-earths concentrate in its California mine, which is then sold to independent refineries worldwide including China through a distributor. The company is increasing the production of rare earths...

The copper price fell in London Thursday, under the pressure of a stronger dollar. However, it remained within a narrow range, despite lower trading volumes before a four-day break for Easter. There was also no sign that the trade war between China and the U.S. had de-escalated. By 1019 GMT, the benchmark three-month price of copper on London Metal Exchange was down by 0.9% to $9,120.50 per metric tonne. Metals that are important for growth have lost 6% this month due to an escalating global trade war. The two biggest economies in the world have imposed triple-digit import duties on...

Shanghai copper rose on Thursday as a weaker dollar and improved economic data from China, the world's largest metal consumer, boosted market sentiment. As of 0315 GMT, the most traded copper contract on Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE), rose 0.7%, to 76.090 yuan per ton ($10,413.02). Dollar index is near the three-year-low hit last week. This makes greenback-priced goods cheaper for buyers who use other currencies. Data released on Wednesday showed that China's economy grew by 5.4% on an annual basis in the first three months of this year, exceeding estimates. This was due to solid industrial output and consumption. Daniel...

The price of iron ore futures fell on Wednesday as the trade tensions between China and America escalated, causing concerns about demand prospects. Meanwhile, doubts grew over stimulus prospects after a series of positive Chinese data. The September contract for iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange recovered some of its earlier losses and ended daytime trading 0.14% lower, at 708 yuan per metric ton. As of 0717 GMT, the benchmark May iron ore traded on Singapore Exchange fell 1.28% to $97.35 per ton. Data released on Wednesday showed that China's economy grew by 5.4% in the first quarter of...

Three of the top copper suppliers in the United States have told the administration of President Donald Trump that the imports do not pose a threat to U.S. national security. Chile, Canada, and Peru are attempting to avoid potential tariffs for the metal, which is needed for electric cars and other industrial applications. Trump began a probe in February into potential duties under the Section-232 national security provision of Trade Expansion Act of 1964, which he had used during his first term in the United States to impose global tariffs of 25% on steel and aluminium. In recent weeks, the...

After three sessions of gains, copper prices fell on Tuesday due to uncertainty over tariffs imposed by U.S. president Donald Trump and their impact on the global economy. By 1000 GMT, the London Metal Exchange's (LME) three-month contract for copper was down by 0.3% to $9,163 per metric tonne. The contract reached its highest level in the previous session since April 4. Ole Hansen is the head of commodity strategy for Saxo Bank, Copenhagen. Trump suggested on Monday that he may grant exemptions to auto-related tariffs in place. The market may be starting to see through Trump's bluff. He won't...

Investors and traders waited for more economic data to be released by China, the world's largest consumer of iron ore. This would provide clarity on demand and potential stimulus. As of 0316 GMT, the most traded September iron ore contract at China's Dalian Commodity Exchange was 0.85% higher. It was 712 yuan (US$97.41) per metric ton. As of 0310 GMT, the benchmark May iron ore price on the Singapore Exchange had fallen 0.29% to $97.85 per ton. On Wednesday, China will release more data on industrial metals and economic indicators. Market signals are mixed, obscuring the demand outlook for this...

Copper prices rose on Monday, as the risk sentiment improved with some exemptions to U.S. duties and expectations that China, a major metals consumer, would introduce more stimulus measures. The benchmark three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange rose by 1% at 1013 GMT to $9,246 per metric ton after reaching $9,271.5, its highest level since April 4. Copper has risen 14% from a low of $8105 per ton, which was reached a few weeks ago when the tariff spat between the U.S., and China, two of the largest economies in the world, increased fears about global economic growth....

China's imports of iron ore in March were down slightly from the previous month, and reached a 20-month-low. This was contrary to analysts' expectations for a monthly increase as supply disruptions caused by weather eased. According to data, the world's biggest iron ore consumer imported 93.97 millions metric tons of this key ingredient for steelmaking last month. This was down 0.25% compared to the 94.21 millions tons of imports that were made in February, when cyclones disrupted supplies in Australia's major supplier. It was also down 6.7% compared to 100.72 millions tons of imports for the same period in 2024....

The copper price in London reached a record high of more than a week on Monday as a weaker dollar and the easing of fears about a possible trade war between China and the United States boosted market sentiment. As of 0213 GMT, the benchmark three-month copper price on London Metal Exchange was up 0.5% to $9,199 per metric tonne. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's (SHFE) most-traded contract for copper rose by 1.9%, to 76190 yuan per ton ($10,434.84). The dollar index dropped 0.6% versus its competitors. The dollar is weaker, making commodities priced in greenbacks cheaper for buyers of other...

A manager of a toy shop is bombarded with daily notifications about price increases. A lip balm producer forecasts an increase of $5 million in the cost of goods. The impresario of a concert venue was surprised by a $140,000 price increase to install new seating in the performance hall. The business owners are among 12 managers and business owners who have spoken with about President Donald Trump's new tariff regime. They provide an early indication of what more Americans may expect. Businesspeople expressed their concern over the continued economic turmoil. Trump increased tariffs on Chinese imports while announcing a...

The dollar's weakness helped copper and other base metals finish the week in London, but gains were limited by the possibility of a trade war between the U.S. The benchmark three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange was up 2.0% at $9,166.50 per metric ton as of 1622 GMT. Metal used in construction and power is up 4.5% after reaching a low of $8.105 per ton, a level not seen for a month on Monday. The tariff war between the two world's largest economies fueled fears about a global recession. Beijing raised its tariffs against U.S. goods to 125%,...