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Britain abandons its 'taxonomy plan' for green investments
The UK has canceled plans to create a "taxonomy", which would guide companies and investors in determining what constitutes a green investment. This is the latest indication that governments are delaying reporting sustainability requirements for businesses. Taxonomies define criteria for a sustainable activity to assist economies in achieving net zero targets. The taxonomies were created to encourage more investment in green projects, but critics claim they are difficult to follow and not very useful. After determining that the taxonomy was "not the most effective tool for delivering the green transition, and should not be included in our sustainable financial framework," the finance ministry stated it would instead focus on other green policy to drive investments. The decision is made as Europe overhauls its own sustainability reporting regulations for companies to reduce red tape and boost competitiveness. The government stated that its consultation revealed the taxonomy wouldn't deliver "in a reasonable way" its goals of channeling capital, and reducing greenwashing. The UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association called it "disappointing", that the government concluded that a taxonomy of green investments had no place within the UK's sustainable financial framework. Oscar Warwick Thompson, UKSIF's head of policy and regulation affairs, said: "We want to see rapid delivery of commitments regarding transition plans and sustainability reporting standards." The British government first proposed a taxonomy for the UK in 2020. However, the work was stopped in December 2022 because it was considered a complex task that involved multiple sectors in the economy. Gemma Woodward is the head of responsible investments at Quilter Cheviot. She welcomed the decision and said that the industry already had to deal with other regulations. Virginia Furness, Tommy Reggiori Wilkes and Alexandra Hudson edited the story.
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NOPA US soybean crush in June exceeds expectations with 185.709 millions bushels
According to data released by the National Oilseed Processors Association on Tuesday, the U.S. soy crush exceeded the average trade expectations for June, and reached its highest level ever. Soyoil stock levels dropped to their lowest point in five months. NOPA members, who account for at least 95 percent of soybeans crushed by the United States, crushed 185.709 millions bushels last month. This is down 3.7% compared to the 192.829million bushels crushed in may, but up 5.8% compared to the 175.599million bushels crushed back in June 2024. That was the previous monthly record. According to an average estimate of eight analysts, the crush was predicted to drop to 185.195 millions bushels. Estimates ranged between 182.000 million and 188.000 millions bushels with a median estimate of 185.175million bushels. The June crush exceeded expectations despite the second consecutive monthly decline in daily processing pace which dropped to 6,190 million bushels. According to NOPA, this was a decrease from the 6.220 bushels per day of May. It is also the lowest daily crush rate recorded since September. U.S. crushing capacity has reached record levels due to recent processing plant expansions, new plant openings, and a soaring demand of soyoil. Analysts said that this capacity was underutilized in some cases as the glut of soymeal prevented plants from operating at full speed. As of June 30, soyoil stock levels among NOPA member companies fell to 1.366 bn pounds. This is a decrease of 0.5% compared with the stocks at the end May, which were 1.373 bn pounds. It also represents a 15.8% drop from the stocks in place a year ago of 1.622 bn pounds. Six analysts estimated that stocks would rise by a modest amount to 1.374 trillion pounds. The estimates ranged between 1.275 billion and 1.525 billion pounds with a median estimate of 1.342 million pounds.
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The US Court of Appeals temporarily suspends Argentina's 51% stake in YPF
The U.S. Court of Appeals on Tuesday temporarily suspended an order by a judge that Argentina hand over its 51% share in the oil and gas company YPF as partial satisfaction for a $16.1-billion judgment. The 2nd U.S. The 2nd U.S. The appeals court stated that Argentina had until July 22nd to respond. The dispute arose from Argentina's 2012 acquisition of the YPF stake by Repsol, a Spanish company, without making a bid to Petersen or Eton Park. Both were minority shareholders. Burford Capital is representing these shareholders. Burford Capital has stated that it expects to receive between 35% and 73% respectively of Petersen and Eton Park’s damages. Argentina warned that its economy would be unstable if it sold its majority stake in YPF - the largest energy company in the country. The country was given a deadline of July 14 for the turn-over, but U.S. district judge Loretta Preska agreed to defer enforcement until Argentina could appeal the decision.
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Watchdog asks EU to explain the speed at which it proposes to reduce green rules
In response to complaints from campaigners who accused Brussels of weakening sustainability laws without consulting the public, the EU Ombudsman demanded that the European Commission explain on Tuesday why it had fast-tracked its proposals to curb them. In February, the Commission introduced legal changes to exempt thousands smaller European businesses from European Union reporting rules on sustainability. This was done to simplify regulations for industries that are struggling to compete against rivals in China or the U.S. where President Donald Trump has been rolling back regulations. The EU Ombudsman demanded that the Commission explain why they did not perform a full impact analysis on these proposals, consult with the public about the changes or assess if the proposals are in line with Europe’s commitments to climate change. The Commission will usually perform an impact analysis when proposing new EU legislation to determine their effects. This can be skipped when the law is an emergency response to a crises and the proposals for simplifying the green reporting rules did not include an assessment. In a letter published Tuesday, Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho stated that "based on the materials made available so far, it does not appear the Commission has adequately justified derogating its rules in this instance." She said, "The Commission has not indicated any sudden or unanticipated event that would warrant the urgency." Anjinho noted that, instead of the usual 10-day consultation, the Commission gave its departments only 24 hours, beginning on Friday evening, to evaluate the plans. A spokesperson for the Commission said that it would answer the questions and make rapid changes, since some companies have already been required to report their information this year. The spokesperson said that "businesses and members states urgently need legal certainty in order to comply with sustainability framework," during a regular briefing. The European Ombudsman is responsible for investigating cases of mismanagement in EU institutions. The Commission must respond by September 15. (Reporting and editing by Barbara Lewis; Kate Abnett)
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Investors assess inflation data in the US and Canada
Investors weighed in on key inflation figures from the U.S. and Canada, which weighed down Canada's benchmark index. Toronto's S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 0.4% to 27160.74 points after briefly reaching a new intraday record earlier in the session. Analysts had predicted that the annual inflation rate in Canada would rise to 1.9% by June, and automobiles, apparel, and footwear contributed to this increase. The CPI data in the U.S. showed that prices rose in June, as expected. Federal Reserve is likely to maintain rates at the same level in July, while watching inflation pressures. Heavyweight mining shares on the TSX fell by 0.9%, following a decline in gold prices. Lundin Gold, a gold miner, fell by 2.4%. Alamos Gold Mines and Agnico Eagle Mines both dropped about 1%. Energy stocks dropped 0.5%, while financials fell by 0.4%. Consumer staples also declined by 0.9%. Utility stocks rose by 0.1%. Brookfield Renewable Partners LP, the parent company of Brookfield Asset Management, saw a 3.3% increase after signing a $3 billion hydropower deal with Google. Markets are focused on a breakthrough in negotiations with U.S. trading partners despite President Donald Trump's renewed threats of tariffs. After Trump's Monday announcement that he was willing to speak with the European Union, and other trading partners, there are new hopes. "A lot of the issues keep coming back to trading and trade negotiations." Allan Small, Senior Financial Advisor at Allan Small Financial Group, said: "The president has set a deadline of August 1st to make deals. He said that he would be firm about that. So it's all trade." Riot Platforms, a U.S. bitcoin miner, announced Monday that it owned a beneficial interest of 10,29% in Bitfarms. Bitfarms shares fell by 3.4%. Reporting by Twesha dikshit in Bengaluru and Sukriti gupta; editing by Sahal muhammed
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Source: Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill 12, including 5 Hezbollah Fighters
A security source in Lebanon reported that heavy Israeli airstrikes in eastern Lebanon killed 12 people on Tuesday, including five Hezbollah members. Israel claimed the strikes were an attempt to warn Iran-backed Hezbollah against reestablishing itself. The Israeli military claimed that the airstrikes were directed at Hezbollah training camps and weapons warehouses in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. These airstrikes are the most deadly in the area since the ceasefire brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon last November. Bachir Khodr said that seven of the dead are Syrian citizens. Israel's last conflict dealt Hezbollah a heavy blow, killing Hassan Nasrallah and other leaders as well as destroying a large part of their arsenal. Israel Katz, the Israeli Minister of Defence, said that Tuesday's strikes were a "clear signal" to Hezbollah. He accused it of planning to re-establish the ability to raid Israel via the elite Radwan forces. Israel will "respond with maximum force" to any attempts at reconstruction, he said. He said that the strikes were also meant to send a message the Lebanese Government, who he said was responsible for maintaining the ceasefire. Hezbollah and the Lebanese Government did not respond immediately to the recent Israeli attacks. The United States submitted a proposal for the Lebanese Government to secure Hezbollah’s disarmament in four months as a trade-off for Israel ceasing its air strikes and removing troops from their positions in south Lebanon. According to the terms of a ceasefire brokered between the U.S., France and Lebanon, the armed forces of Lebanon were required to seize "all unauthorized weapons", starting in the area to the south of the Litani River -- the closest zone to Israel. Reporting by Steven Scheer from Jerusalem, and Maya Gebeily, Laila Basam and Tom Perry in Beirut. Writing by Ahmed Elimam and Nayera Abdallah; Editing and production by Alison Williams and Gareth Jones.
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Ghana's cocoa regulator warns production will drop due to heavy rains
Ghana's cocoa regulator stated on Tuesday that prolonged rain and lack of sunlight can lead to an increase in disease incidence, which could cause a moderate decline in production. This comes after farmers asked for government intervention to reduce the impact of bad weather. The West African nation, the second largest cocoa producer in the world, saw its output drop in previous seasons because of diseases, bad weather and illegal gold mining. These factors destroyed cocoa plantations, reducing yields. Last week, an association of Ghanaian farmer warned that the cooler temperatures and excessive rain combined with the lack of sunlight were reducing yields. In a press release, the statement said that this could cause damage to farmers and their incomes over time. Nana Oboadie Bonsu is the president of the Farmers' Association. She said: "We visited 72 cocoa-growing districts, and we saw fungi growing on various cocoa trees because of the climate conditions." COCOBOD, Ghana's regulator, said that it has intensified its mass spraying programmes and disease control programs in response to concerns raised by the association. The regulator said that while it was too early to give definitive numbers for the current year, preliminary assessments suggested a modest decline in production compared to previous projections. COCOBOD said that it also aims to finish the distribution of fungicides planned before the peak harvest season to minimise yield loss. COCOBOD data revealed in May that Ghana would likely miss its 650,000 metric ton output target for 2024/2025. (Reporting and editing by Emmanuel Bruce, Anait Miridzhanian Rob Corey-Boulet Tomaszjanowski)
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Gold prices drop as traders wait for tariff updates
The gold price fell on Tuesday, as traders awaited updates to tariffs. Meanwhile, an inflation report revealed that U.S. consumer costs rose last month. By 0940 am EDT (1340 GMT), spot gold had fallen 0.2%, to $3,336.99 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures fell 0.4% to $3345. Gold prices for holders of currencies other than the U.S. Dollar increased by 0.2%. I think that the gold price is being supported by the continued focus on tariffs. Peter Grant, senior metals analyst at Zaner Metals, said that he remains bullish on the gold market, despite the fact that we are still within the range in which we have been since mid-May. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, threatened to increase tariffs over the weekend. These included 30% on imports coming from the European Union or Mexico. Data released on Tuesday showed that the U.S. Consumer Price Index rose 0.3% in June, as expected, following a 0.1% increase in May. This was the biggest gain since January. After the data, traders bet that Federal Reserve would be able start reducing short-term borrowing rates by September. "Gold should be more perky." This reinforces the idea that we need to find a new catalyst to push gold past $3,400," said Tai Wong. Investors will now look at Wednesday's U.S. Producer Price Index for guidance. In times of geopolitical and economic uncertainty, gold is a popular safe-haven investment. Gold tends to do well in low interest rate environments as it has no yield. Silver spot fell 0.4%, to $37.98 an ounce. It had reached its highest level since Sept. 2011 on Monday. "My next target for the silver price is $41.61/oz. Grant stated that he believes the market will view any setbacks as buying opportunities. Palladium rose 0.6% to 1,200.50, and platinum increased 1.4% to $1382.57. Reporting by Ashitha and Sarah Shivaprasad from Bengaluru
EU targeting Boeing and Bourbon for possible tariffs on US products
If trade talks with Washington do not succeed, the European Commission may impose tariffs on 72 billion euros worth of U.S. products - including Boeing aircraft, bourbon whisky and cars.
The U.S. president Donald Trump has threatened to impose a tariff of 30% on imports coming from the EU as early as August 1. European officials have said that this level is inacceptable and would stop normal trade between the two largest markets.
The list sent to EU members states, and seen by on February 2, predates Trump's weekend move to increase pressure on the 27 nation bloc, and instead responds to U.S. tariffs on cars and auto parts, and a 10% base tariff.
This package includes chemicals, medical equipment, electrical and precision devices as well as agricultural and food products. These include a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as wine, beer, and spirits.
After a meeting with EU ministers on Monday in Brussels, officials stated that they are still looking for a deal to prevent Trump's tariffs.
Maros SEFCIOVIC, the EU's trade chief, said that those present at the meeting had expressed a determination to protect EU companies using European countermeasures in case negotiations with Washington do not produce a result.
He said that the message was "the" strongest he'd seen since we began the conversation with the U.S. We'll then negotiate, but prepare at the same.
The French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated on Tuesday that Trump’s new threat "had the appearance of blackmail", and added the priority was finding a trade deal but not at the expense of becoming "a vassal to the United States".
Trump warned Brussels to avoid retaliation. He said that the U.S. will match any new European taxes by adding them simply to the 30% rate.
The European Commission (which oversees EU Trade Policy) has not specified a rate of tariff for the products listed on its list.
The EU will have to vote on the package in order for it to be implemented. There is no set date for the vote.
The Commission will usually listen to the concerns of EU governments, and proceed with countermeasures only if 15 countries are against them.
The European drinks industry is heavily dependent on the U.S.
Lobbying governments
Fear of Washington's retaliation has led to the EU excluding bourbon and any other wine or spirits from its list. France, Spain, and Italy are concerned about the impact this could have on their economies.
The first EU tariff package approved in April removed alcohol from the list. This package of tariffs on goods worth 21 billion euros from the United States was suspended immediately to give room for negotiation. The suspension of the package has been extended until August 6.
After Trump's Monday announcement that he is open to discussions with the EU and other trading partner, European shares rose slightly on Tuesday.
In May, the Commission presented its second package for public consultation. It included 95 billion euro worth of U.S. products for countermeasures. The package has been reduced, but the majority of its main elements remain. $1 = 0.8558 Euros (Reporting and editing by Joe Bavier; Additional reporting in Paris by Richard Lough)
(source: Reuters)