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Shell survey shows that Europeans are less willing to switch to EVs than Americans.
Shell published a survey on Tuesday that showed drivers are less willing to switch from combustion engines to electric vehicles. The trend is more prominent in Europe than the United States. According to a survey of 15 000 drivers from around the world, including Britain and China, Germany, and the United States, the main obstacle is the cost. David Bunch, Shell’s director of mobility and convenience, said: "Europe surprised us." The cost of the car is the biggest barrier. The range anxiety is still present but it is diminishing. Electric cars are 30% more expensive on average than internal combustion engines. The survey found that 41% of European respondents said they would switch to electric cars this year, compared to 48% last year. In the United States, however, the number dropped three percentage points, to 31%. Only about half of European motorists said that public charging has improved over the past year. This is below China at 74%, and the United States at 80%. Only 17% said that public charging was a good value, compared to 69% of Chinese drivers and 71% of Americans. Shell has 75,000 charging stations and focuses on on-the-go charging rather than home charging. China, Britain and Germany are its core EV markets. Singapore, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, China, Britain and Germany are also important. (Reporting and editing by Barbara Lewis; Shadia Nasralla)
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UK completes 500 million pound rail deal to save British Steel jobs
The British government will finalise the 500 million pound rail steel deal with British Steel. This is to protect thousands jobs at an Eastern England steelmaking facility that was taken over by the state earlier this year. British Steel will supply over 337,000 metric ton of rail track in five years. The government announced the contract on Tuesday. This comes two months after the Chinese took control of British Steel from Jingye. They did this so that the blast furnaces at Scunthorpe would not be closed. Jonathan Reynolds, the business minister said: "This is a great vote of confidence for British Steel. It will support thousands skilled jobs in years to come." The contract will begin in July and provide 80% of the rail needs for publicly-owned Network Rail. It will also build on the 2.5 billion pound fund that the government has set up to increase steel production during the next five-year period. The statement stated that to ensure the security of supply Network Rail will award smaller contracts for rail to European manufacturers. These companies will provide specialist rail products along with British Steel. Last month, the sector, which is struggling with high costs, and stiff competition, called for clarity about when U.S. steel tariffs would be removed under a historic U.S./UK agreement agreed in May, to remove President Donald Trump’s steel levies.
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Senate Republicans try to eliminate $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit
The U.S. Senate Republicans proposed a tax-and-budget bill on Monday that would eliminate the $7,500 credit on the sale of new electric vehicles 180 days after it is signed into law. It would also immediately terminate the credit for leased EVs manufactured outside North America. The Republicans have targeted EVs in a variety of ways, reversing former president Joe Biden's policies that encouraged the use of electric vehicles and renewable energies to combat climate change and reduce emission. The Republican Senate Finance Committee's proposal would also eliminate a $4,000 tax credit for EVs on used vehicles 90 days after it was approved. Senate Republicans propose that, as of June 16, the credit of $7,500 for leased cars, which would not also qualify for the credit, will be discontinued. The current leased vehicles are eligible for the credit without restrictions on their content or where they were built. If they meet the same requirements, leased vehicles can still qualify for the tax credit 180 days after the passage of the bill. North American battery assembly and Vehicles purchased must meet critical mineral content requirements. The House of Representatives' version would extend the $7,500 tax credit for new-EVs through 2025 and 2026, respectively, if automakers haven't sold 200,000 electric vehicles before the program is terminated. The Republican Senate proposal would exempt auto loan interest from tax for new cars manufactured in the U.S. until 2028. However, it will phase out for individuals making over $100,000 per year. The House bill would impose an annual fee of $250 for EVs to cover road repair costs, and $100 for hybrids. The House bill will phase out EV production tax credits by 2028. Last week, President Donald Trump signed a congressional resolution to block California's historic plan to stop selling gasoline-only cars by 2035. This plan has been adopted in 11 other states that represent a third the U.S. automobile market. (Reporting and editing by Leslie Adler, David Gregorio, and David Shepardson)
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Carney and Trump aim to reach a Canada-US agreement within 30 days
Mark Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister, announced on Monday that he and U.S. president Donald Trump had agreed to try to conclude a new security and economic deal between their two countries within 30 days. The announcement was made only a few short hours after Canadian officials had said that both sides still needed to work hard before they could sign the agreement. Carney, who was elected in April on the promise that he would fight Trump's tariffs and is now pushing for a "new economic and security relationship" with the United States. Trump had reaffirmed his love of tariffs during a previous meeting between the two men on the sidelines a G7 Summit in Alberta. In a press release, Carney's Office said that "Prime Minister Carney... and President Trump... exchanged updates on key issues raised during negotiations on a renewed economic and security relationship" between Canada and the U.S. "To this end, the leaders have agreed to continue negotiations in order to reach a deal in the next 30 days." A Carney spokesperson confirmed that the language of the statement meant both sides wanted to reach an agreement in the next thirty days. Carney's Office did not respond immediately when asked if the statement meant Ottawa accepted the idea of some U.S. Tariffs remaining. Trump had said that a new agreement with Canada is possible, but that tariffs must play a part. The Canadian government does not agree. "I have a concept for a tariff." Mark has a completely different idea... We're going see if it is possible to get to the bottom," Trump said. "I'm a tariff person." Canada, which is the United States' top supplier of aluminum and steel, will face tariffs on both metals, as well as auto exports, imposed by Trump. Carney stated last week that the two countries were engaged in intensive negotiations regarding the tariffs, and that Canada would prepare retaliatory measures if the negotiations failed. The optimism that a deal would be reached quickly has waned in the last 10 days. Canadian officials have privately stated that the United States does not appear to be in a hurry. "We're still in the middle of this discussion. We aren't at the end." Kirsten Hillman is Canada's ambassador in Washington. She said that Canada should not have tariffs on exports to the United States. She told reporters that they would continue to speak until the best possible deal was reached for Canada. (Reporting and editing by Rod Nickel, Stephen Coates, and David Ljunggren)
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Ember report: EU gas demand to drop by 7% in 2030
A report from the think-tank Ember on Tuesday showed that gas demand in Europe is expected to decline by 7% by 2030, as renewable energy and electricification increases. By the Numbers Ember analysed the national energy plans of EU member states and found that gas demand will fall by 7%, from 326 billions cubic metres (bcm), in 2023, to 302 bcm, in 2030. Gas demand is already down 19% from 404 billion cubic metres in 2019 to 326 bcm by 2023. Why it's important The EU's goal to increase the capacity of liquefied gas imports by 54% in 2030, as part plans to phase-out Russian pipeline gas supplies, is at odds with a long-term drop in gas demand. The report warned that this could lead to an oversupply of gas, with new investments in infrastructure at risk of being stranded. CONTEXT EU countries are aiming to double their wind and solar power over the next 5 years, so that renewables can generate 66% all EU electricity in 2030. Electricity is expected to increase from 23% to 30% of the EU's final energy demand by 2030. KEY QUOTE "An electrified EU economy is the direction that is unmistakably heading. Any rush to overbuild on gas infrastructure will result in expensive stranded assets." Tomos Harrison is an Ember electricity transition analyst. Reporting by Nina Chestney, Editing by Chizu nomiyama
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Ottawa pushes Trump back on his claim that tariffs should be included in any Canada-related deal
U.S. president Donald Trump said Monday that a new deal could be reached with Canada, but he stressed the importance of tariffs. The Canadian government is strongly opposed to this position. Mark Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister who won the election in April on the promise to combat Trump's tariffs is now pushing for a "new economic and security relationship" with the United States. "I have an idea about tariffs." Mark has a completely different idea... We'll see if it can be resolved," Trump told Carney when they met on the sidelines a G7 Summit in Alberta. "I'm a tariff person." When asked if a deal could be reached within a few weeks, Trump responded: "Yes. It's possible." Canada, which is the United States' top supplier of aluminum and steel, will face tariffs on both metals, as well as auto exports, imposed by Trump. Carney stated last week that the two countries were engaged in intensive negotiations regarding the tariffs, and that Canada would prepare retaliatory measures if the negotiations failed. Over the last 10 days, the optimism that a deal would be reached quickly has waned. Canadian officials have privately stated that the United States does not appear to be in a hurry. "We're still in the middle of this discussion. We aren't at the end." Kirsten Hillman said that Canada should not impose tariffs on exports to the United States. She told reporters that they would continue to speak until the best possible deal was reached for Canada. Reporting by David Ljunggren Editing Rod Nickel
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Lawyers say that the US golden share of U.S. Steel may scare away investors.
National security lawyers warned on Monday that the unusual move made by the Trump Administration to grant itself a golden stake in U.S. Steel, as part of an agreement to approve Nippon Steel’s takeover of this well-known U.S. firm, could scare away foreign investors. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Saturday that "President Trump secured a perpetual Golden Share in Nippon Steel’s acquisition of U.S. Steel." He listed a number of corporate decisions over which the Trump administration will now have veto authority. Investors bet that the Japanese company's $14.9 billion bid to buy the struggling U.S. Steel would reach its conclusion soon. Joshua Gruenspecht is a Wilson Sonsini national security attorney. He says that the Trump administration made an unusual decision by including the golden share as part of the national security agreement. This would have caused foreign investors to be wary. It leads to the question, "Am I going get what I purchased? "Do I have control over this asset?" He said. Nippon Steel declined comment. U.S. Steel, the White House, Commerce and the Treasury Department, who lead the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which examines foreign investments to determine if they pose a national security risk, did not respond immediately to requests for comments. 'RISKY' AND 'UNPRECEDENTED" On Friday, the Trump administration approved the merger via an executive agreement and an order to ease national security concerns. This culminated a turbulent 18-month process. Questions had been raised about the golden stake that President Donald Trump suggested would give the American people 51% of the struggling U.S. company as part the acquisition. Lutnick wrote in his post on Saturday that the share would stop companies from delaying or canceling investments worth $14 billion, moving production or jobs overseas, or shutting down or idleing plants before a certain date, without the consent of the president. The government also has a veto on a possible relocation of U.S. Steel headquarters from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This could include a transfer or job overseas. A U.S. official confirmed a New York Times report that this power is granted by a single class of preferred stock called Class G, which stands for "gold." The board member is directly appointed by a president. According to lawyers consulted by, it is not unusual for CFIUS in an NSA to require that certain board members are approved by the committee. It was a novel approach to have a board member with a fiduciary responsibility to the president. Jim Secreto said that a golden share approach was both risky and unheard of. He added that the United States might protest if Beijing demanded something similar in order to approve an American company's investment into a Chinese firm. "Trump’s dealmaking creates uncertainty for investors around the world and sets a precedent which could complicate future deals across borders." Before Trump became involved, these companies offered the U.S. government significant authority. Nippon Steel, in a term sheet for a national-security agreement that was submitted to CFIUS and obtained by the, pledged that the majority of U.S. Steel board members will be American and that CFIUS would approve three of these "independent U.S. directors". The term sheet said that "U.S. Steel can reduce production capacity if and only when it is approved by the majority of Independent U.S. directors." It also stated that the core U.S. management will be U.S. Citizens. Reporting by Alexandra Alper, Steve Holland and Rod Nickel
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Central banks and global markets focus on Iran ceasefire report.
Investors were encouraged by reports that Iran is seeking to end hostilities against Israel and they remained confident about their predictions for the busy week of central banks meetings. The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran is seeking a ceasefire following an attack by Israel on Friday, which sparked fears of a wider conflict and sent oil prices soaring. Stocks also fell as a result. Sources have confirmed that Iran asked regional allies press Donald Trump, the U.S. president, to convince Israel to accept a ceasefire. Geopolitics loomed large, and there were signs of cracks among the Group of Seven leaders who are meeting in Canada. Officials made contradictory statements on whether Trump would sign the draft statement that called for a de-escalation in the Middle East conflict. Peter Cardillo is the Chief Market Economist of Spartan Capital Securities, a New York-based brokerage. The market has rallied on this, I believe. After a wild session on Friday, Brent crude oil futures settled down at $73.23 a barrel, a loss of $1.00 or 1.35 %. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.75% in afternoon trading. This was just a little bit below the morning highs. The S&P 500 rose 0.90%, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.45%. The 10-year Treasury note yield rose from 4.424% to 4.452% late Friday, after initially falling due to reports about Iran's outreach towards Israel. MSCI's global stock index rose 1.09% after the U.S. opening and continued to rise on the day, closing at 0.85%. The STOXX 600 index in Europe was boosted earlier in the day by a recovery in travel stocks. Gulf stocks were also up. Data showed that retail sales and industrial production were in line with expectations. FED MEETING IN FOCUS - MORE DATA TO COME Emily Roland, Manulife John Hancock Investments' co-chief investment analyst, says that a prolonged increase in oil prices may contribute to inflation. However, the recent movements are unlikely to have a significant impact on the Federal Reserve meeting scheduled for Wednesday. Roland explained that the Fed relies on data and it can take time for oil prices to impact inflation figures (whether they are higher or lower). The Fed is likely to keep the markets on hold with no change in the Fed's view that there will be between 2 and 3 rate cuts of 0.25 percent by the end the year. The bond market still prices in two rate cuts for the year. We will see if we get a different result this week. The U.S. Retail Sales data will be released on Tuesday. It may show that auto sales are down, which could drag the headline figure down, even though core sales have increased. The weekly unemployment claims are released on Wednesday due to a market holiday on Thursday. This week, the central banks of Norway and Sweden will also be meeting. The latter is expected to lower rates. It is expected that the Swiss National Bank will meet on Thursday. The rate cut is likely to be at least one quarter point, if not more. There's a chance the rate could even go down to negative due to the strength of Swiss Franc. Bank of Japan policy meeting is scheduled for Tuesday. Rates are expected to remain at 0.5%. However, the possibility of tightening rates later in the year remains. It is also possible that it will slow down the sale of its government bonds in the next fiscal year. Gold fell 1.24%, to $3389.71 per ounce.
Greece firefighters put out a wildfire near Athens
On Monday, both a fire brigade official and a witness said that a Greek fire burning near a small village northeast of Athens seemed to be largely contained.
A fire brigade official reported that 140 firefighters, assisted by 38 engines, 18 aircraft, and 18 helicopters, continued to work on bringing the blaze under control. The situation, however, had improved.
Residents of Ano Souli village, located about 40 km (25 miles), and Marathonas town, nearby, were forced to evacuate earlier due to the flames.
By early afternoon local time, a cameraman reported that the fire did not seem to be spreading.
According to the official of the fire brigade, the absence of heavy wind, which can complicate firefighting efforts in Greece during the warmest months, helped contain the blaze.
Greece, located at the southernmost tip of Europe, has experienced frequent floods and wildfires over the past few years. Scientists say that this has been made worse by a rapidly changing climate.
In order to combat wildfires, the country has spent hundreds millions of Euros to compensate farmers and households for damages caused by extreme weather conditions. It also purchased new modern equipment to fight fires.
In anticipation of a challenging fire season, Greece has hired an unprecedented number of firefighters.
In 2023, one of Europe's biggest wildfires ever recorded burned for several weeks in northern Greece and killed at least 20 people.
A destructive wildfire that spread from a mountain down to the built-up area on the edge Of Athens forced residents to flee. Reporting by Stamos Pausalis, Angeliki Koutantou and Antonis Pohitos. Editing by Gareth Jones & Barbara Lewis
(source: Reuters)