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Tariff concerns could lead UK chip supplier IQE to move some production from the UK to the US
Apple supplier IQE wants to move some production from China to the United States and share tariff costs with its customers in order for it not be subjected any potential U.S. duties against the chip sector, said its new CEO on Tuesday. Last month, Donald Trump announced that he would consider tariffs on semiconductors starting at "25% and higher", without specifying when they could be implemented. Jutta Meira, confirmed CEO of IQE on Tuesday, stated that IQE constantly talked to customers about ways to mitigate tariff risk. She added that this would require a lot of investment and time. Meier explained that the Cardiff-based firm is looking for gallium outside of China to diversify its supply chain and ensure it does not depend on a single supplier. Trump announced tariffs against global trading partners, as well as industries such as steel and aluminum. While countries negotiate with the U.S. government, some broader tariffs are being delayed. IQE, a company with manufacturing facilities in the U.S.A., Britain, and Taiwan, stated that there is "currently" no direct impact from the implementation U.S. Tariffs. DIVERSIFICATION STATEGY IQE said that it may sell its Taiwan operation as part of a review of strategic options to reduce debt and boost the growth of the company. Previously, IQE had considered an IPO. Meier said that a full sale "makes sense" from both a timing and valuation perspective. We can use the proceeds to accelerate our growth and diversification strategies. According to a consensus provided by the company, IQE anticipates that revenue in 2025 will be between 115.1 and 123 millions pounds ($151.9-162.5 million) within the market expectations. The company reported revenue of 118 million pounds for 2024. In afternoon trading, shares of the company rose 4.6%.
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Volkswagen Suppliers on list of first export permits for rare earth magnets issued by Beijing
China has granted export permits to four rare earth magnet manufacturers, including suppliers to Volkswagen. The German carmaker, and industry sources, said that this was the first time since Beijing restricted shipments in the last month. It is a sign the vital materials will continue to flow. Three sources confirmed that Baotou Tianhe Magnetics which produces magnets for electric and hybrid motors received a license from Volkswagen late April. Three sources said that Volkswagen had reached out Beijing for assistance during the process. Volkswagen responded to questions by saying that it was in constant contact with its suppliers. It had also received information that some of the magnet suppliers for Volkswagen AG have been granted export licences by China. Two sources confirmed that Zhongke Sanhuan had received at least one license. One source added that Baotou INST Magnetic, Earth-Panda Advanced Magnetic Material and Baotou INST Magnetic were all granted at least one license. Sources declined to name themselves due to the sensitive nature of the issue. Requests for comment from the four magnet manufacturers and China's Commerce Ministry were not immediately responded to. Beijing does not confirm whether all four companies' clients have received export licenses. According to one source, permits were only granted to suppliers who had customers in Europe or Vietnam. The permits were issued prior to the Monday truce in the trade war with Washington, according to industry sources. This is likely to make approvals easier for U.S. clients. Beijing issued the permits in less than a week after it placed restrictions on seven rare-earth elements and related materials, as a reaction to U.S. president Donald Trump's previous tariffs. Sources said that the permits were the very first ones issued since Beijing implemented its restrictions. China is the dominant supplier of rare earths, which are used in clean energy, defense, and auto manufacturing. Companies have very few alternative suppliers. Volkswagen's involvement and lobbying by other large Western users demonstrate this dependence. Elon Musk stated last month that Tesla was in discussions with Beijing about licenses for its Optimus robotics.
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Salt is dropped from the ODIs against West Indies. Cricket-Dawson will return to England's T20 Squad.
The England & Wales Cricket Board has not selected Phil Salt for the upcoming home white-ball series against West Indies. Will Jacks, a batting all-rounder, has been recalled to the England squads that will face West Indies in three ODIs (over 20-overs) and three T20s between May 29 and July 10. Harry Brook, the white-ball captain, is leading both teams. Luke Wood and Tom Hartley have both returned to England's T20 and ODI teams, respectively, after not playing white-ball cricket since September 2023. Jacks was playing in the Indian Premier League along with Jos buttler, Jacob Bethell and Jamie Overton, before it was suspended due to fighting between India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The IPL will take place in 2019. Resuming on May 17, The final is now scheduled for 3 June, which coincides with the West Indies ODI series. British media reported that all 10 English IPL players will meet with the Professional Cricketers' Association to discuss security arrangements in case they return to India. Cricket Australia has also stated that they are. Working with the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI). Several of their players are deciding whether or not they will play the remainder of the IPL. England will play a four day test against Zimbabwe starting on May 22 at Trent Bridge. England squads Harry Brook (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton (Surrey), Jacob Bethell (James Smith), Brydon Carett (Ben Duckett), Tom Hartley (Tom Hartley), Will Jacks (Saqib Mahmood), Jamie Overton (Matthew Potts), Adil Rashid (Joe Root), Jamie Smith (Jamie Smith). Harry Brook, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton (captain), Jacob Bethell, Brydon Care, Liddell Dawson, Ben Duckett Will Jacks Saqib Mamood Jamie Overton Matthew Potts Adil Rashid Phil Salt Luke Wood. (Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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France reduces its soft wheat area estimates and predicts a drop in maize planting
The French farm ministry lowered Tuesday its estimate for the soft wheat area that will be sown in 2025. However, it expects to see a strong rebound after a rain-damaged planting last year. The Ministry's Crop Report estimated that the area of soft wheat was 4.60 million ha, down from 4.63 millions hectares in April estimates but still 9.1% higher than last year's harvested areas. Last year, France, the largest grain producer in the European Union, harvested the smallest wheat crop it has ever produced since the 1980s after torrential rainfall and lower-than-normal sunlight disrupted and damaged plant development. FranceAgriMer's crop ratings suggest that the wheat plants are better than last year. This reinforces expectations of a strong production rebound this summer. The Ministry's first estimate for this year's corn (maize) area put the total area including the maize sown as seeds at 1,48 million hectares. This is down 7.6% compared to 2024. It is widely believed that the maize area will shrink due to the increased wheat sowing in autumn. The ministry increased its estimate of France's sugarbeet harvest area to 393,000 ha, up from 391,000 ha last month, but still 4.6% less than last year. In the case of sunflower seed, it was estimated that in 2025, there would be 674,000 ha, a decrease of 10.7% from 2024, and a third consecutive annual decline. The Ministry of Agriculture's estimate for rapeseed (France's main oilseed) was slightly increased to 1.3m hectares, up from 1.29m last month. However, this was still 2.3% lower than last year.
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Thames Water in the UK says that fines should be delayed to avoid state intervention
When questioned on Tuesday by lawmakers, the bosses of Britain’s Thames Water claimed that the company needs relief from fines in order to avoid nationalisation. Thames Water has been fighting against financial collapse for the past year. The water sector is under fire for allegedly polluting Britain’s rivers and seas, while at the same time increasing bills. Thames Water has been trying to reach a deal with the financial investor KKR in order to raise new equity and avoid being subject to the Special Administration Regime of government. However, due to its poor performance it will likely face large fines. CEO Chris Weston stated that it would not be able to achieve equity without regulators agreeing to deferred or reduced fines. Weston stated that "Discussing the concept of a turn-around regime with the regulator that could provide some relief from the usual regulatory environment while a business recovers its operation is absolutely imperative for Thames, otherwise we won't be invested in." There is no sense in punishing someone continuously if it will only exacerbate the problem. Steve Buck, the company's CFO, said that he had calculated the potential of 900 million pounds ($1,19 billion) in penalties for the period 2025-2030. Weston stated that if Thames Water fails to raise new equity, the debt investors can proceed with a swap of debt for equity which would put them in control. If this fails, Thames Water may enter SAR. This is a temporary form of nationalisation. Chairman Adrian Montague stated that a SAR would make life difficult for everyone. The government will have to finance the programme because no other funding is available.
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As the trade deal sugar rush fades, stocks edge up and dollar falls.
The dollar and global stock markets lost momentum on Tuesday as investors' concerns over the impact of the trade standoff between the United States, China and other countries on the global economy grew. The two biggest economies in the world have agreed to a 90-day truce in their trade dispute. They will lower tariffs on both sides and remove other restrictions while they work out a permanent agreement. The agreement reignited investors' appetite for stocks and commodities. Wall Street rallied 3.3% on Monday. On Tuesday, the enthusiasm for the stock market had diminished. European stocks were up by 0.2% at midday, thanks to positive corporate results, such as those of the German pharma company Bayer and the Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas. Both companies saw their shares jump by 10%. Futures for the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow fell between 0.2-0.3%. This shows the caution in the U.S. asset market. It's the pause which refreshes you and makes you feel good. You hope there will be more. This does prove that the current administration is not immune from market volatility. Chris Beauchamp, chief market strategist at IG, said that the market has reached a breaking point. After the Geneva talks, both the U.S. and China announced that they would reduce tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%. The ratings agency Fitch estimates that the U.S. tariff rate has dropped to 13.1% from 22.8% before the agreement, but is still above the 2.3% at the end 2024. The U.S. Government went further on Tuesday and announced that it would cut the "de minimis tariff" on Chinese shipments up to an amount of $800. This latest concession by the United States was not met with much reaction from the broader market. Amazon shares fell 0.4% on premarket trading after Monday's 8% gain. FAREWELL "CRAZY US EXCEPTIONALISM"? Trump's unpredictable attitude towards the economy, international diplomacy and trade has sparked concern over the outlook for U.S. economic growth. These factors, along with the lack of progress made in negotiating trade deals, have driven investors away from U.S. assets, resulting in a move to safe-haven assets like gold, Japanese yen, and Swiss franc. Economists and fund managers have stated that the 90-day break is welcomed, but it hasn't changed the larger picture. Christopher Hodge said that the tariffs would still be higher after all was said and done and this will have a negative impact on U.S. economic growth. On Monday, the dollar rose against a basket currency by more than it had in any day since April 22, 2007. On Tuesday, the dollar's gains had waned and most major currencies were stronger. The dollar fell 0.3% to 148.04 and the yen rose, causing the euro to rise 0.18%. Meanwhile, the pound increased 0.2%, reaching $1.3206. "You're still getting the sense that people are generally saying that we'll be putting money back into the U.S. for the time being, but that we won't go back to the crazy 'U.S. "We've got to become more circumspect," IG's Beauchamp stated. Investors will now focus on the U.S. inflation figures on Tuesday. Trade relations between the United States and China have changed, leading traders to lower their expectations of Federal Reserve rate reductions. They believe that policymakers will be more flexible if inflation risks decrease. The traders are now pricing in a 56 basis point reduction this year. This is down from the forecasts of over 100 basis points at the height of tariff anxiety in mid-April. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield is flat at 4.455%. Oil prices rose 0.8% on Tuesday to $65.48 per barrel. They had risen by 1.2% on Monday, reaching a new two-week high. Gold rose 0.6% to $3.254 per ounce after falling 2% on Sunday as investors abandoned some safe havens.
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Sinopec China launches HK$7.75 Billion exchangeable bond, shows term sheet
Sinopec, a Chinese oil company, is seeking to raise HK$7.75billion ($994.42m) via an exchangeable bond. This was revealed in a termsheet seen by us on Tuesday. The term sheet stated that the bond will have a zero to 0.99% coupon and be issued by an affiliate of Sinopec Group. The term sheet stated that the bonds would be exchangeable for shares of Sinopec's Hong Kong-listed subsidiary. The bond's exchange price is HK$6, which is 47.1% higher than Sinopec Hong Kong's closing price of HK$4.08 for Tuesday. Sinopec failed to respond to a request for comments sent by fax outside normal business hours. According to the terms sheet, the company, the world's largest refinery group by capacity plans to use the proceeds of the transaction to reduce debt. Goldman Sachs is the only bookrunner. Sinopec reported in April that its first-quarter profits fell by 27.6% from a year ago, as a result of lower oil prices. Its refining operations also struggled with falling fuel sales and thin profit margins. Reporting by Scott Murdoch, with additional reporting from Ella Cao. Editing by Louise Heavens (with Andrew Heavens & David Evans).
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Russian seaborne diesel exports fell in April, data shows
According to LSEG and market sources, the number of Russian diesel and gasoil seaborne exports decreased in April due to refineries performing seasonal maintenance. The industry also held back supplies for the expected increase in domestic demand over the summer months. Calculations based on LSEG data and other market sources showed that the total diesel and gasoil exported from Russian ports dropped to about 3.3 millions metric tons in March, a 10% drop. Shipping data shows that in April, the two main importers of Russian gasoil and diesel were Turkey and Brazil. Last month, diesel and gasoil exported from Russian ports reached 1.12 million tonnes, an increase of 6% over March. However, loadings to Brazil dropped by a third, from 1.0 to 0.66 millions tons. Shipping data revealed that Russia's April exports of diesel and gasoil to African countries dropped by 20% compared to the previous month, totaling about 0.75 millions tons. The top importers were Libya, Senegal Tunisia, and Ghana. The traders said that cargoes are piling up near the cypriot port of Limassol due to increased ship-to-ship transfer to avoid tougher Western sanctions on fuel loaded into Russian ports. Data showed that in April, more than 0,42 million tonnes of diesel remained there awaiting discharge or orders to other destinations. The destination of vessels carrying about 150,000 tonnes of diesel loaded in Russian ports is marked "for orders", which means that their discharge points have not been declared or are not known. (Reporting and editing by Barbara Lewis; Reporting by In Moscow)
POSCO Future M, a South Korean battery materials manufacturer, will raise $775 million via a share issue
POSCO Future M is a South Korean manufacturer of chemical and battery materials. On Tuesday, it announced that it would be issuing new shares in order to raise approximately 1.1 trillion won (775 million dollars) for its expansion both at home and abroad. This includes its joint venture with General Motors Canada.
The plan states that the company will continue to invest in the future despite "political risk" in Korea and in the United States. It also says that tariffs in the United States and possible cuts in federal subsidies for electric vehicles under the Trump Administration could slow down EV sales.
POSCO Future M is spending 353 billion won to help finance its cathode-manufacturing factory in Canada with General Motors, which was pushed back until 2026 due to a cooling of EV demand.
In a press release, its parent company POSCO Holdings announced that it would purchase all new shares in the company proportionally to its 59.7% stake in POSCO FutureM worth 525.6 billion dollars.
Separately the company said that it would also acquire new shares valued at 328 billion won in its joint venture with Australia’s Pilbara Minerals which produces lithium hydroxide batteries materials. Reporting by Hyunsu Yaim and Hyunjoo Ji; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Ed Davies
(source: Reuters)