East Asia

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...

Two sources claim that the Chinese shareholder is a potential obstacle to the Italian tyremaker’s plans to expand its business in the United States. Sinochem, a state-owned Chinese company, is the biggest investor in Pirelli. Sinochem holds a 37% share in Pirelli. This is at a time that China is the top cyber and military threat to the United States, according a report published by U.S. Intelligence agencies on Tuesday. Washington has cracked down on Chinese automotive technology, banning software and hardware that are controlled by Chinese companies from being used in U.S. roads. Vehicles that will be sold in...

Two sources claim that the Chinese and Italian Pirelli shareholders are in disagreement over the governance of the group. This could lead to the failure to approve Pirelli's financial results 2024 during a scheduled board meeting on Wednesday. Sinochem, the state-owned Chinese company, is the biggest investor in Pirelli with a stake of 37%. This could affect the group's operations in the U.S. because Washington has been cracking down on Chinese automotive technology. Sources said that discussions are underway about how to further reduce Sinochem’s influence over the company after the Italian Government intervened in 2020 to curb the Chinese...

The trade of Venezuelan crude oil to China, its top buyer, slowed on Tuesday following the U.S. President Donald Trump’s order that threatened tariffs against countries purchasing from Caracas. This came days after U.S. sanctioned China's imports of Iranian oil. Trump's surprise order caught Chinese traders and refiners by surprise. It states that, at the discretionary discretion of the Secretary of State, the U.S. can impose 25% tariffs starting April 2 on any goods imported from countries importing Venezuelan crude oil. Chinese traders and refiners are waiting to see the implementation of the order and if Beijing will instruct them...

Trafigura’s top executive for Mongolia has been suspended pending an investigation into a fraud scheme worth billions of dollars at the Swiss trading firm. The executive, however, lent more than $500 million from Trafigura to a company owned by his aunt. Lex Oil is Trafigura’s main counterparty in Mongolia. According to three sources and a document, it belonged to Erdenetuul who is the aunt of Trafigura’s suspended local boss Jononbayar Erdenesuren. Trafigura announced last October it had suffered a loss of $1.1 billion after an internal investigation found that employees within its Mongolian petroleum product supply business had engaged in...

At a Beijing business forum on Sunday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for countries to expand their markets in order to combat the "rising uncertainty and instability" as China prepares to face further U.S. trade tariffs. State media reported that Li said, "In an increasingly fragmented and uncertain world, with rising instabilities and uncertainties, it's more important for countries to open their markets and enterprise... to resist challenges and risks." He was speaking to dozens of visiting U.S. Republican senator Steve Daines and dozens other foreign CEOs at the China Development Forum. Sources previously said that foreign CEOs, including Tim...

Iranian oil shipments to China will likely fall after the new U.S. restrictions on a refiner, tankers and other vessels. This will increase shipping costs. However, traders expect buyers to find ways to continue to buy some quantities. Washington imposed new sanctions Thursday on entities, including Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical - a "teapot" or independent refinery located in the east China province of Shandong - and vessels that provided oil to these plants, which are China's top buyers for Iranian crude. The fourth round of sanctions against Iran's oil exports was imposed after President Donald Trump called for "maximum" pressure on...

These are the most popular stories from the Wall Street Journal. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch their accuracy. SoftBank Group has signed a $6.5 billion deal to buy Ampere Computing Holdings in the United States, a chip company founded by Intel’s former president. The U.S. administration of President Donald Trump is considering a proposal to extend Chevron’s license to extract oil in Venezuela. QXO, a building-products distributor, signed a deal with Beacon Roofing Supply. Beacon is valued at approximately $7.7 billion or $11 billion if debt is included. The cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, which is aiming...

Bloomberg News reported Wednesday that potential buyers of Japan's Seven & i stores and Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard (ACT) U.S. shops have until the end March to express interest and address any antitrust concerns. Bloomberg News reported that some potential buyers have been involved in the process and signed non-disclosure contracts. ACT, the Canadian company that operates Circle-K convenience shops in Canada and the United States has been attempting to buy Seven & i, the struggling Canadian retailer, since August. The Canadian firm is ready to increase its latest offer of $47 Billion. Seven & i, which opposed the takeover bid,...

Alex Miller, CEO of Alimentation Couche-Tard, said that no non-disclosure agreements had been signed regarding potential stores to be sold by Alimentation Couche-Tard and Japan's Seven & i in order to meet U.S. Antitrust requirements for a deal. Earlier that day, a Seven & i spokeswoman said that the companies signed NDAs early in March. The NDAs only covered stores which are likely to be divestiture candidates. Seven & i has not signed a non-disclosure agreement. Miller stated in a call after earnings that they were working together with Seven & i on a marketing package to show what a...

JX Advanced Metals, the metals division of Japan's biggest oil refiner Eneos, saw its shares rise 6.6% on their Tokyo debut after the largest IPO in Japan since 2018. The shares closed at $874 yen, compared to an IPO price per share of 820 yen. The benchmark index rose 0.5%. LSEG data shows that the IPO raised $2.97bn last week. This is the highest amount in Japan since December 2018 when SoftBank Group floated its telecoms unit, surpassing the Tokyo Metro IPO in October last year. JX Advanced Metals, a leader in the manufacture of sputtering target materials that are...

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Energy said that South Korea was a "sensitive country" after its president briefly declared martial law, and amid reports of Seoul possibly developing nuclear weapons. In a written answer to questions, the DOE confirmed that the administration of former-President Joe Biden placed South Korea in the bottom tier of the Sensitive & Other Designated Countries List shortly before Biden's departure. The department didn't explain why the Asian country was added to this list, nor did it indicate that Donald Trump would be inclined to reverse this measure. Seoul's spokesperson stated that there are...

The gold demand in India was sluggish due to record-high prices, and jewellers busy closing their accounts for the year. Most other Asian hubs saw a similar trend. Harshad Ajmera, a wholesaler at JJ Gold House Kolkata, said that "Jewellers weren't making purchases." India's fiscal year runs from April through March. The domestic gold price hit a new record of 89 796 rupees for 10 grams in the first week of this month. It has risen by nearly 15% since 2025. This week, Indian dealers offered a discount Discounts of up to $33 per ounce on official domestic prices, inclusive...

The price of iron ore futures fell on Friday due to rising concerns about a trade war, but they posted a gain for the week on stronger demand in China, which is the world's largest steel-making consumer. The May contract for iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange ended the daytime trading 0.19% lower, at 785.5 Yuan ($108.13). The contract is up 3.09% this week. As of 0722 GMT the benchmark April iron ore traded on the Singapore Exchange had fallen 0.14% to $103.35 per ton. This week, it has gained 3.44%. Everbright Futures reported that the monthly hot metal...

The copper price in London fell to a two-week low last Friday as the unease about looming U.S. Tariffs affected sentiment. As of 0717 GMT, the benchmark three-month price for copper on London Metals Exchange (LME), fell 0.5% to $9801.5 per metric tonne. The price had fallen briefly to $9,800 - its lowest level since March 17. Prices were down 0.6% for the week. Last month, U.S. president Donald Trump ordered an investigation into possible tariffs on imports of copper to rebuild U.S. manufacturing. The markets are nervous about Trump's promise to announce new tariffs, in addition to 25% on...

Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, was less affected by Donald Trump's auto tariffs than other automakers. Analysts said that Tesla's financial performance and supply chain may not be affected due to the large levies on global shipments, including cars and parts, to the United States. This is mainly because the company produces a majority of its products domestically. Even though Musk is now one of the primary advisors to President Trump, Musk's task may not be to improve the reputation of the brand worldwide. Musk was appointed by Trump as his chief adviser and has been tasked with cutting federal...

Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, was less affected by Donald Trump's auto tariffs than other automakers. Analysts said that Tesla's financial performance and supply chain may not be affected due to the large levies on global shipments, including cars and parts, to the United States. This is mainly because the company produces a majority of its products domestically. Even though Musk is now one of the primary advisors to President Trump, Musk's task may not be to improve the reputation of the brand worldwide. Musk was appointed by Trump as his chief adviser and has been tasked with cutting federal...

Two sources and an official statement have confirmed that a rebel group in Myanmar, which controls one of the largest rare earth zones on earth, has informed its miners it will permit shipments of rare earth to China starting Thursday. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which controls the town of Panwa, and Chipwe in Kachin State is the main mining company in Myanmar. Chinese customs data show that since the group's takeover, China has seen a sharp decline in its imports of rare-earth oxides and compounds, which have driven up prices. In a letter sent to the miners of the...

Senior executive of the Indian alloy steel producers association told reporters on Thursday that it plans to file a petition against imports from China which are cheap with the Federal Trade Ministry soon. India is the second largest producer of crude steel in the world. It has the ability to produce around 18-20 millions metric tons of alloy steel per year, which is used by the auto, aerospace and defence sectors. Anil Dhawan (Director General of the Alloy Steel Producers Association of India, ASPA) responded to a question about the petition by saying that "there has been a continuous increase...

The copper price in London rose on Thursday, as the markets watched inflows to the U.S. of industrial metals as demand increased ahead of possible tariffs. However, a stronger dollar slowed the gains. As of 0241 GMT, the benchmark three-month price on the London Metals Exchange increased by 0.4% to $9 969 per metric ton. Prices reached $10,164.5 per metric ton in the last session. This is the highest price since June 7. After U.S. president Donald Trump ordered an investigation into possible tariffs on imports of copper to rebuild U.S. copper production, traders have bid up the price of...

India's government is confident that the strong domestic steel demand will offset the European Union plans to tighten import quotas starting in April. A source with first-hand knowledge of the issue confirmed this. The European Commission announced on Tuesday that it will tighten steel import restrictions from next month, in an effort to protect the European steel industry from soaring imports. The EU will lower import quotas (also known as safeguards), limiting the amount that can be imported tariff-free into the 27-nation bloc. The source declined to identify herself as India had not publicly responded to the EU move. The...

Maros Séfcovic, the European Union's Trade Commissioner, was scheduled to meet with Donald Trump's top officials in charge of trade on Tuesday. The goal is to avoid U.S. tariffs that could be imposed on EU products as soon as next week. Sefcovic has had two prior discussions with U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that have not altered Trump's plans for raising U.S. tariffs to match those charged by major trading partners, and to counter their non-tariff barriers. The USTR and Washington's EU delegation office did not immediately comment on the discussion. The meetings take place...

An executive at Intercontinental Exchange said that the exchange plans to launch derivatives for battery metals Nickel, Cobalt, and Lithium Spodumene later this year in London. "Our customers are looking to us for products to hedge." "Our role is to ensure that there is a broad range of products," Chris Rhodes said at the FT Global Commodities Summit held in Lausanne, Switzerland. The launch of battery raw materials will begin this year with lithium, cobalt and spodumene. The global exchanges are attempting to capitalize on the expected strong growth in demand of minerals required for electric vehicles and batteries. The...

Data from the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department showed that China's net imports of gold via Hong Kong dropped by more than five times in February and fell below its exports, for a second month running. Data showed that China's total imports of gold via Hong Kong rose 7.5% in February compared to January. Why it's important China is the largest consumer of gold in the world, and it's purchasing activity can have a significant impact on global gold prices. Hong Kong's data might not be a complete view of Chinese gold purchases as it is also imported through...