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Sources say that US refiners Phillips 66 and Citgo are looking to purchase crude oil directly from Venezuela.
According to sources who are familiar with these efforts, Phillips 66, Citgo Petroleum, and other U.S. refiners want to purchase heavy crude oil directly from Venezuelan oil giant PDVSA in order to maximize their profits. They do not plan to use trading houses or the U.S. oil giant Chevron. Trafigura Trading and Vitol secured the first U.S. export licenses for Venezuelan oil in January as part of a $2 Billion deal between Caracas & Washington. Chevron holds an authorization to ship and operate in Venezuela since last year. Refiners have purchased cargos from these three companies in the U.S. as well as other countries. The pool of buyers will gradually expand after the U.S. President Donald Trump issued a general licence late last month, which authorized broader oil imports from the OPEC nation. Three sources confirmed that Phillips 66 is a major refiner in the United States and has been seeking internal approval to buy directly from PDVSA. One of the sources said that once the company is ready to go, they plan to charter tankers and load crude oil at PDVSA terminals. Sources spoke anonymously due to commercial sensitivities. A Phillips 66 spokeswoman declined to comment on 'commercial activity, but stated that the refiners Gulf Coast facilities are capable of processing a variety of crude oils and access to heavy oil presents a valuable business opportunity. Last month, the company purchased Venezuelan oil at a price of $9 per barrel less than Brent crude. The White House announced on Friday that the Trump administration is responding in large part to the overwhelming interest of oil and gas companies. Taylor Rogers, a spokeswoman for the president's office, said that "the team works around the clock" to respond to requests from oil companies. CITGO WANT OIL DELIVERED - TO U.S. GULF Citgo Petroleum, a Venezuelan-owned U.S. refining company, is also in discussions to buy crude from Venezuela directly. However, the company wants to have it delivered to U.S. Gulf Coast. This is difficult due to PDVSA’s limited number vessels, according to another source. Citgo intends to use the opportunities under the general licence to purchase crude from Venezuela directly, the company stated in an email statement. It added that it plans to process Venezuelan oil in the coming month at its Gulf Coast refining facilities. Citgo bought from Trafigura in January a cargo of Venezuelan heavy oil for delivery in February. This was its first Venezuelan import since 2019. Three other sources confirmed that Valero, which is the second largest U.S. refiner, and the top buyer of Venezuelan crude oil from Chevron in the United States, will buy directly from PDVSA after assessing the state of Venezuela's loading facilities. The company had previously purchased Venezuelan crude for delivery to the U.S. Gulf Coast from Vitol. Valero will increase its imports of Venezuelan Oil. Up to 6.5 Million barrels of Venezuelan Crude are expected for delivery in March at its Gulf Coast Refineries, making Valero the largest foreign refiner. Chevron is expected to make the bulk of these purchases. Valero and PDVSA didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. Chevron and Vitol have not responded to requests to comment on the impact of refiners buying directly. Trafigura declined a comment. CHALLENGES Ahead Washington is adjusting regulations to do business with Venezuela which remains under sanctions. This could cause refiners to face difficulties in the weeks ahead when trading for April delivery starts. PDVSA told potential buyers that they needed individual licenses from the US or clearance specific to their business. Four sources reported last week that the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control lifted cargoes in its ports. Three sources also said that many U.S. Banks were reluctant to finance Venezuelan oil transactions. Many refiners, in addition to the general license that they intend to use over the next few months, have also submitted individual license requests. Venezuelan crude oil prices have fallen in recent days, as more Venezuelan oil is heading to the U.S. and not China. Sources say that Vitol and Trafigura 'offered Venezuelan Merey Cargoes at $10 Per Barrel Below Brent' in the last few days. This is cheaper than prices as low as $6-$7.50 Per Barrel below Brent from last month. Vitol and Trafigura, according to the U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, have negotiated prices that are around $15 below Brent per barrel for initial Venezuelan crude purchase. This has resulted in $500 million of sales in a single month. Estimates claim that they made up to $4 profit per barrel, after transport and storage costs. Reporting by Nicole Jao, Marianna Pararaga and Arathy Smasekhar from Houston. Editing and editing by Nathan Crooks, Rod Nickel and Rod Nickel.
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Rare Earths prices rise above the MP Materials price floor
Prices for two rare earths that are crucial to making super-strong magnets used in EVs or defence equipment have risen on the back of a?firm supply and a?firm demand. This is above an unprecedented price floor set by the U.S. As long as the price of MP Materials' neodymium & praseodymium remains above $110 per kilogram, the U.S. Government will not be required to subsidise the company. The price increase to $123 per kg, which is the highest level since July 2022 will also help other rare earth companies that Western governments are hoping will be able reduce their reliance on China, as it is currently the largest producer. China is the dominant supplier of rare earths in the world, with 90% of its refining capacity and 70% of its mined output. The price rally has been driven primarily by the strong downstream magnet demand in China and deliberate supply management. She warned that the price increases are only temporary and that a correction downward is expected by the end March. NdPr oxide: Chinese price The benchmark price, which is 850,000 yuan or $123 per kilogram, has increased from $63 per kilogram on July 9 when MP Materials announced its multi-billion dollar deal with the U.S. Oversupply has pushed down NdPr's prices in recent years. In March of last year, they fell to 345,000 Yuan, their lowest level since November 2020. Mukherjee said that while many operations could sustain production at today's high prices, current market tightness was a?short-term phenomenon and did not reflect the underlying fundamentals of the market. In a 'ground-breaking agreement' with MP, the Pentagon offered MP a price support of $110 per kilogram for its NdPr production to help it better compete against China. According to Adamas, the U.S. government stipulated that the company must stop shipments to China once the material has fed between 7% and 9% of China's NdPr production in the previous three years. Analysts attributed the cutoff in supply to a tightening of the supply in China, due to lower quotas for rare earth mining and melting. However, the Chinese government has not made a public announcement about these quotas.
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Trump cancels rule that incentivizes EV production to meet fuel efficiency requirements
The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it is rescinding the rule which?incentivized carmakers to make electric vehicles?to meet fuel economy requirements?by overstating energy savings. Environmentalists have long criticised the Energy Department's rules for assigning unreasonably high fuel economy values to electric cars, which then are used to calculate fleetwide medians under Federal Corporate average Fuel Economy rules. After an appeals court ruling in September, the Energy Department announced that it would remove the provision known as fuel content factor and propose further revisions. Fuel Content Factor The DOE said that it concluded the fuel content factor to be "illegal" and issued a rule to remove it immediately from fuel economy calculations. Biden's administration originally proposed eliminating the fuel content from the calculations in 2027. This would have lowered the compliance value for electric vehicles by approximately 70%. The 'Energy Department' decided to phase it out in 2030, under pressure from the automakers. The automakers had noted that the fuel content factor resulted in an estimated fuel economy approximately seven times higher than what would have been calculated using only the Energy Department’s gasoline-equivalent electricity energy content. Fuel Economy Values Environmental groups in the Biden administration argued that the EV mileage calculation should be revised. They argued "that excessively high imputed values for EVs mean that a relatively few EVs can mathematically ensure compliance without meaningful improvement in the average fuel efficiency of automakers fleets." The Trump administration, in December, proposed to slash fuel economy standards set by Biden?in 2020, as part of a push to encourage automakers to offer gasoline-powered vehicles. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed a significant reduction in fuel economy requirements from model years 2022-2031. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposes a 34.5 mile per gallon?average by 2031. This is down from the current 50.4 miles per galon (21.4 km/liter). Trump signed a law last year that eliminated fuel economy penalties for automakers. The NHTSA confirmed they faced no fines going back to the 2022 model year. Automakers worry that a future administration may reinstate these penalties. Trump has taken a number of steps that disincentivize EV production and purchases, and make it easier for gas-powered vehicles to be produced. (Reporting and editing by David Shepardson)
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Sources say that Thyssenkrupp may divest its materials trading division by 2026.
Three people with knowledge of the matter have said that Thyssenkrupp is looking at separating, listing or selling its materials trading division this year. They are also considering changing the legal structure to maintain control in the event of a major sale. Thyssenkrupp Materials Services MX, which represents more than a quarter of Thyssenkrupp sales, is another step forward in the overhaul of the group under CEO Miguel Lopez. This comes after a spinoff of its Defence division and as talks continue to be held about selling its Steel unit. MX, with 11.4 billion euros in sales and more than 15000 employees, could be split up via an IPO in the autumn, according to one of those people. The shares of the company, which manufactures everything from automobile parts to chemical plants rose up to 4.2% after the report and were up 2.9% by 1444 GMT. Marc Tuengler, of DSW, the lobby group representing Thyssenkrupp private shareholders said: "This is a logical next step." He said that the move would give a division a more focused and clearer purpose. "Lopez is doing what he promised to do." THYSSENKRUPP MULLS CHANGE OF LEGISLATIVE FORM Thyssenkrupp stated in a press release to? that MX was "well on track" to become capital-market-ready. The company had previously stated that it was looking for a standalone solution to run the business. It was not previously reported when MX might divest and what the legal structure could change to. The people stated that a successful divestment requires the division, which offers both warehousing and trading services for metals and raw materials, to show an improved performance during the second quarter of the fiscal year ending in March. Thyssenkrupp also?examines whether to give MX a legal form of a KGaA. This structure ensures that control remains with the parent, even if the majority of the company is sold. Sources said that the discussions were ongoing and no decisions had been taken, but added that details could change. "We're?confident? that Materials Services can be successfully introduced to the capital markets - despite a difficult environment. The exact timing of any planned transaction will depend on the market conditions, Thyssenkrupp stated in its statement. MX, which sees the U.S. market as its main one, is facing consolidation with its competitors there. Ryerson has?recently merged Olympic Steel, and Worthington Steel plans to purchase Kloeckner & Co. for $2.4 billion. MX, the fourth largest steel service provider in North America, is now ranked behind Reliance Steel, Ryerson/Olympic Steel & Kloeckner. Thyssenkrupp stated that it "sees potential for consolidation on the market. We do not see this as a threat, but rather an opportunity for Materials Services." Thyssenkrupp Material Services' value could be around 2 billion euro based on Worthington’s bid for Kloeckner. This deal values the German company at 8.5x its core profit. ($1 = 0.8442 euros)
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Andy Home: ROI-Power overrules tariffs, as another US aluminum smelter closes.
The United States has lost another primary metal production plant due to the U.S. import duties. Century Aluminum will cease production at its Hawesville Smelter in 2022 due to the increase in energy prices following Russia's invasion in Ukraine. Once power prices dropped, the company expected to resume operation within a year. Century sold the Kentucky site to TeraWulf, a digital infrastructure company. Aluminum smelters consume a lot of energy. A modern plant can use more than a city of the size of Boston. Big Tech is also willing to pay more for data centers, and the fight for long-term energy supply. HALTING THE SLIDER Last year, U.S. president Donald Trump raised the import tariffs on aluminium to 50% with the stated aim of stopping the decades-long decline in the domestic primary metals capacity. Century's Mount Holly smelter, in South Carolina, has had a limited impact on the immediate future. It will restart 50,000 metric tonnes of annual production capacity. Tariffs were important, but extending the power supply agreement with Santee Cooper (local energy provider) was more?important. By the middle of 2026, the plant will be operating at near-capacity of 220,000 tonnes per year. A 60:40 joint-venture between Emirates Global Aluminium and Century in Oklahoma promises a future of a greenfield smelter that is state-of-the art. Bechtel, a U.S. engineering company, has been selected by the partners to conduct preliminary studies on the proposed plant. It would have an annual capacity of approximately 750,000 tons. Oklahoma is able to produce three times as much energy as it consumes. A power supply agreement for the new plant is still in the works. Even if construction starts on time by the end this year, the first metal production will likely not begin until 2030. Loss of Capacity Flex The permanent 'closure' of Hawesville reduces the idled capacity which could be activated to fill in the gaps before the new Oklahoma Smelter is online. Hawesville is not only the second largest remaining smelter of aluminum in the U.S., with an annual capacity of 252,000 tonnes but it's also a major supplier of high purity aluminium for aerospace and defense applications. Alcoa has a 54,000 ton-per-year production at Warrick in Indiana that is idle, but it does not seem to be in a hurry to restart it. The cost of reactivation is estimated at $100 million, and it would take two years. "At this point, we are unlikely to restart," William Oplinger, Alcoa's President and CEO, told analysts during the company's Q4 results call for 2025 last month. The only remaining smelter is the New Madrid one in Missouri. It was reactivated by 2018 and closed in 2024. Tariffs have reignited hope that the 263,000 ton-per-year facility could be brought back to life, but it would cost a lot and take time, just like with Warrick. Magnitude 7 Metals, the current owner of Magnitude 7, has not indicated its intentions. No Tariff TRUce According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 60% of aluminum consumption in the United States last year was imported. It won't change until the Oklahoma Smelter moves from project status into?actual production. The Trump administration does not seem to be willing to back down on its import tariffs. The White House dismissed media reports that it might lower tariff rates or grant more exemptions, as "baseless speculative". According to an official in the administration, Trump "will not compromise on reviving domestic manufacturing which is crucial to our economic and national security. This includes steel and aluminum production." Some tweaks may be made to the tariffs on aluminium, but a wholesale rollback is unlikely. The price of aluminium in the United States will be high for a few years. S&P Global Platts assesses the Midwest Aluminium Premium, which is traded on CME. This premium captures the tariff impact of the market. The London Metal Exchange Cash Price is $2,290 higher than the premium. This results in a "all-in price" of $5,300 for a ton. Hawesville's inability to survive despite such a?high premium speaks volumes about the fierce competition with Big Tech over competitively priced energy. AI still wins out against aluminium. Andy Home is a journalist. This column is a favorite of yours? Open Interest (ROI), a data-driven, thought-provoking commentary on the markets and finance is available at Open Interest. Follow ROI on LinkedIn, X and X. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast daily on Apple, Spotify or the app. Subscribe to the Morning Bid podcast and hear journalists discussing the latest news in finance and markets seven days a weeks. (Editing by Marguerita choy)
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Rio Tinto acquires majority control over Canada's Nemaska Lithium
Rio Tinto announced on Wednesday that it had acquired a majority stake in Canada's Nemaska Lithium. This is a step forward for its plan to create an integrated lithium business in Quebec. Anglo-Australian mining company now holds 53.9% of the stake and will take over direct management of the lithium producer, while Quebec government owns 46.1%. Rio Tinto wants to create a "fully integrated" lithium supply chain, starting with the mining of raw ore and ending with chemical processing in Quebec to serve the North American market for electric vehicles. Rio Tinto, the eastern Canadian province and its economic development agency Investissement Quebec have invested in Nemaska 'Lithium' since March - 2025. It was added that the partners would continue to fund this project, which includes the lithium hydroxide facility in Becancour. The first production is expected in 2028. The company announced that Quebec would invest an additional $200 millions?in Nemaska Lithium via share subscriptions. This is on top of the $300 million investment made by Rio Tinto to develop the lithium sector in Quebec in 2026. Through its acquisition of?Arcadium, in March 2025 Rio?Tinto acquired a half interest in Nemaska Lithium. This includes the lithium?hydroxide?plant in Becancour?Quebec and the Whabouchi spodumene?mine located in the Eeyou Istchee region of James Bay, Quebec.
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Data shows that the share of Russian oil imported by India in January is at its lowest level since late 2022.
According to industry sources, data from January shows that India's oil imports were the lowest since late 2022. Middle Eastern crude supplies rose to their highest level in the same time period. India, which is the third largest oil consumer and importer in the world, has increased its purchases of Russian oil discounted by Western nations following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Volumes have topped 2 million barrels a day in certain months. But Western sanctions on the war, and the pressure to sign a trade agreement with the United States have forced New Delhi to reduce its Russian oil purchases. The data revealed that New Delhi has been forced to reduce its Russian oil purchases. Since November, China has replaced India as Russia's largest buyer of seaborne oil. According to data, India imported about 1.1 millions barrels of Russian crude per day last month. This is the lowest level since November 2022. Moscow's share of overall oil imports has declined to 21.2% - the lowest share since October 2012 The data showed that imports to Russia in January fell by 23.5% compared with December, and about a third from a year ago. Sumit Ritola is a lead research analyst for refining and modeling at Kpler. He said that import levels will likely fall to between 1 million and 1.2 million bpd on average in February, and 800,000 to 1,2 million bpd by March. The timing of some end-month cargoes may cause the February numbers to appear lower, he explained. "February numbers could be slightly lower because they discharge in the next month." INDIA TURNS AWAY FROM RUSSIA AND TOWARDS MIDDLE-EAST Data showed that Indian refiners used alternative grades of oil from the Middle East and South America to make up for lower Russian oil volume. The data revealed that the Middle Eastern oil made up about 55% (or more) of India's total imports for January, while the share of Latin American grades reached a record high of 10%. Ritola stated that "month-to-date February data shows Saudi Arabia regaining their position as India's top supplier, with the imports tracking to a new record high." The data revealed that the lower purchases of 'Russian oil' in India's crude oil imports in January led to a record high of OPEC crude oil. Washington increased import?tariffs for goods coming from India because of its purchases of?Russian crude oil. Under an interim trade deal, the U.S. reduced the tariff to 18%, and removed the 25% punitive tax, claiming that New Delhi agreed to stop purchasing from Moscow. The Trump administration wants India to increase its energy purchases, both from the U.S. as well as Venezuela.
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Nine skiers are missing and six have been rescued in California after an avalanche
Authorities said that nine skiers are missing after an early morning avalanche occurred in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of?California. However, six other stranded skiers have been rescued. According to a statement on Facebook posted by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office, an avalanche hit the Castle Peak area in Truckee, California about 10 miles from Lake Tahoe at 11:30 am Pacific time Tuesday and buried a group skiers. The injured were treated in a hospital. The sheriff’s office revised an earlier estimate that stated 16 people were in the group. HIGH AVALANCHE RISK The incident will rank as one of the most deadly avalanches in US history if all nine missing skiers perish. Colorado Avalanche Information Center has tallied six U.S. fatalities in avalanches this season. The center reports that on average, 27 people have died each winter from avalanches in the United States during the last decade. On Tuesday, there was a winter storm warning for most of northern California. Heavy snow is forecast at the upper elevations of Sierra Nevada. According to a statement from the Sheriff's Office, the Sierra Avalanche Center posted an alert Tuesday morning before sunrise, warning that there was a "high" avalanche risk in the ski area. Captain Russell Greene of the Nevada County Sheriff's Office said that rescue teams were faced with additional avalanche dangers. Greene told Sacramento-based KCRA-TV that it would be a long, difficult process. "The avalanche risk is still high and they have to take great care when accessing this area," he said. Greene stated that it wasn't a good decision for a ski tour operator to send paying customers into the backcountry in such dangerous conditions. Rescue ski teams from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort, Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center and Tahoe Donner’s Boreal Mountain Ski Resort were sent to the avalanche area. The survivors took refuge in an improvised shelter made partly from tarpaulin and communicated via radio beacons and text messages with rescuers. Greene refused to say how many ski guides or how many customers are missing. According to a sheriff's report, weather conditions remain hazardous on the Sierra backcountry slopes. Additional avalanche activity is expected Tuesday night and into Wednesday. California - Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed about the avalanche. State authorities are "coordinating a search-and rescue effort with local emergency teams," his office stated in a post on X. Steve Gorman reported from Los Angeles, and Devika Nair from Bengaluru. Saad Sayeed and Edwina Gibbs edited the story.
Who is Trump's target?
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has continued to criticize and take action against corporate executives, institutions and corporations, even months after assuming office. His actions, from new export deals to freezing university grants, have changed the status quo in the United States between government, law and academia.
Trump has publicly criticised a number of influential individuals and entities.
NETFLIX
Netflix has acquired Warner Bros Discovery’s film studios, streaming service and Warner Bros Discovery’s streaming arm for $72 billion. This gives Netflix control over one of Hollywood’s most iconic assets.
After a lengthy bidding war, Netflix's offer of nearly $28 per share beat out Paramount Skydance, who had made several unsolicited offers to purchase Warner Bros Discovery and its cable television assets.
U.S. president
Donald Trump said
He would comment on the proposed merger, citing concern over the combined market share. It's up to some economists to decide .... It is still a large market share. "There's no doubt it could be a serious problem," he said.
The CEO of GUNVOR will step down
Gunvor, a global commodity trading company, announced that its CEO Torbjorn Tornqvist would step down and sell all of his shares in a management-led buyout. This comes after the U.S. labeled the company the "Kremlin’s puppet" because of its previous Russian connections.
The company announced earlier this month that Americas Head Gary Pedersen will take on the top position. Pedersen was hired just last year by the firm.
In November, the U.S. Treasury sank Gunvor's largest ever deal for the acquisition of international assets owned by Russian oil giant Lukoil sanctioned by the U.S.
Pedersen’s promotion coincides Gunvor’s efforts to improve its relations with the U.S. The firm has been in active discussions to invest in U.S. assets producing oil and gas in recent weeks.
GOLDMAN SACHS
Goldman's Economic Research arm published a report in August that stated U.S. Consumers had absorbed 22 percent of tariff costs up to June. Their share could increase to 67%, if recent levies continue the same pattern.
Trump stated shortly after that "David Solomon, and Goldman Sachs, refuse to give credit when credit is due." In a post made on Truth Social.
Trump claimed that "mostly, companies and governments, some of which are foreign, pick up the tab". Solomon's former hobby of DJing was also a target for Trump.
Trump asked Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tang to resign in early August because of China ties. In April, it was reported that Tan had invested $200 million into hundreds of Chinese chip and advanced manufacturing firms, including some linked to the Chinese military.
"The CEO at INTEL has a great deal of CONFLICT and must resign immediately." Trump stated in a Truth Social post that there is no solution to the problem.
Tan replied to Trump by saying that he shared his commitment to the advancement of U.S. economic and national security, and that the Intel Board was "fully supportive" of the transformation work our company is doing.
After a meeting with Tan, Trump praised him and the U.S. Government decided to buy a stake in this chipmaker.
MICROSOFT
Trump said in September that the tech company should fire Lisa Monaco, its global affairs director who has served in previous Democratic administrations.
Trump stated on Truth Social that "she is a threat to the National Security of the United States, especially in light of the large contracts Microsoft has with the United States Government." "I believe that Microsoft should terminate Lisa Monaco's employment immediately."
Trump stated that Monaco's position at Microsoft would give her access to sensitive information. "This kind of access cannot stand," said Trump.
Monaco, who joined Microsoft in July, worked as a security adviser in the administration of former President Barack Obama and was deputy attorney general under former President Joe Biden.
Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla's electric car company, spent hundreds of million dollars to support Trump's reelection. Investors who bid up Tesla's stock anticipated that this move would benefit Musk's empire.
Musk and Trump, however, had a falling out in June, after Musk criticised Trump's tax-cutting and spending bill, claiming that it would increase the federal debt.
Musk responded to Trump's comments on Truth Social by threatening to cut off federal contracts and subsidies to Musk's businesses. Trump also said that the billionaire had "gone CRAZY", after the bill was amended to remove the mandate for electric vehicles.
JAGUAR LAND RIDER
Trump criticised Jaguar's rebranding campaign in August. He called the campaign "woke", "stupid" and linked it to the departure from the CEO of the company.
Trump's remarks came at the same time that Tata Motors announced the retirement from the British automaker of Adrian Mardell who had spent over three decades with the company.
Jaguar unveiled last year a new visual identity and logo as part of its brand refresh to reposition itself as an electrical automaker. This move sparked a backlash online and was criticized by brand loyalists.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs on Apple and Tim Cook for selling iPhones in the United States outside of the country.
After a meeting with Cook in Doha, Qatar in May, Trump said that he confronted him about Apple's plans to manufacture the majority of iPhones sold in America in factories in India by 2026.
In a post on social media, Trump said he had told Cook "long time ago" "I expect that their iPhones will be sold in America, and not in India or anywhere else".
Early in August, Trump announced that Apple would invest another $100 billion dollars in the U.S. This will bring its total commitment domestically to $600 billion within the next four-year period. Cook gave Trump an American souvenir made with 24-karat-gold base.
AMAZON.COM
Trump complained to Jeff Bezos, former CEO of Amazon.com in April about a report that stated the company would display the prices to show the impact tariffs have on the ecommerce retailer Amazon.com.
Amazon, however, said that it only briefly considered charging import fees for certain goods following Trump's announcement of tariffs in April, but abandoned the plan after the White House accused Amazon of a hostile political act.
Trump told reporters later that Bezos "very quickly" solved the problem and was "very nice".
BANK OF AMERICA & JPMORGAN CHASE
In August, Trump claimed that JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon and BofA CEO Brian Moynihan discriminated against him. He had earlier said that they didn't provide banking services for conservatives.
In a video speech at the World Economic Forum, Trump stated, "What you are doing is wrong." In a question and answer session with CEOs and corporate leaders assembled on stage, Trump did not provide any evidence of wrongdoing.
Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase was also mentioned. "You, Jamie, and everyone else, I hope that you're going to open your bank up to conservatives." Both lenders have repeatedly denied allegations of "debanking."
WALMART
Trump stated in May that Walmart, China and other retailers should "eat tariffs" to avoid burdening American consumers. This was after Doug McMillon had said that the retailer couldn't absorb all tariff-related cost due to narrow retail margins.
Walmart should STOP blaming tariffs for the price increases across the chain. Walmart made BILLIONS of DOLLARS in the last year. This was far more than anticipated, Trump wrote on social media.
Trump didn't call McMillon out personally but he did publicly criticize Walmart for attributing the price increases in May to tariffs that his administration imposed.
CRACKER BAREL
A retail chain was blindsided by an unexpected reaction when it changed its logo to remove the image of a man in overalls known as "Uncle Herschel", leaning on a barrel.
Cracker Barrel announced in late August that it would stick with its decades old logo. Plans for a brand new one were scrapped after social media backlash from the U.S. president Donald Trump, among others.
"Congratulations Cracker Barrel on changing your original logo. "All of your fans really appreciate it," Trump told Truth Social following the company's change.
COMCAST
Trump criticised Comcast's cable news network MSNBC over its coverage of his government. Trump told reporters that MSNBC was changing its name to MS NOW because the network's owners were ashamed.
Trump called Comcast "weak, ineffective and headed by Brian Roberts" last week.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
In anticipation of the U.S. 250th Anniversary, the White House announced that it would lead an internal review for some Smithsonian Museums and Exhibitions. Declaration of Independence.
In an executive directive issued in March, Trump stated that the institution was under the influence of "a divisive, race-centered ideologie" over the past few years.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Trump has targeted the oldest and wealthiest university in the United States, canceling federal grants worth $2.5 billion and mounting efforts to stop research funding for Harvard. This is part of an overall campaign to change U.S. Universities, which Trump claims are dominated by antisemitic, "radical-left" ideologies.
We are going to remove Harvard's tax exemption status. "It's what they deserved!" In May, Trump posted a message on his social media platform.
Trump announced on September 30, that his administration is close to reaching a deal with Harvard University, which would include a payment of $500 million by the Ivy League school. This comes after months spent negotiating over policies at schools.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
The Trump administration announced in March that it would cancel $400 million of federal funding for Columbia University because of how the university handled protests last year.
This is just the beginning of many arrests to come. "We know that there are many more students at Columbia University and other Universities in the Country who have engaged pro-terrorists, anti-Semitic and anti-American activities, and the Trump Administration won't tolerate it," Trump wrote in a post on social media.
These comments were made after the arrest Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate who was a major participant in the protests.
In July, the University announced that it would pay more than $200 million in settlement to the U.S. Government as part of a deal with Trump's Administration.
LAW FIRMS
Trump issued an executive order in March that restricted access to federal facilities and suspended security clearances of its employees due to their ties with Hillary Clinton and DEI policy.
Trump said that it was an "absolute honor" to sign the order. Trump had also issued a similar order in March against the New York law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, which he subsequently retracted after reaching a settlement.
In February, the law firm Covington & Burling was confronted with Trump's Presidential Memorandum, which suspended all security clearances of Peter Koski, and Covington employees, who had assisted former Special Counsel Jack Smith in prosecuting Trump.
Covington has said that it will continue to represent Jack Smith in spite of these measures.
Trump said, "We will continue to hold those who are responsible for weaponizing government and who supported this accountable."
THE NEW YORK TIMES PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE
Trump has filed a $15 Billion lawsuit
defamation lawsuit
In September, he filed a lawsuit against the New York Times as well as book publisher Penguin Random House. He accuses these major media companies of unfairly treating him.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Trump sued
The Wall Street Journal, its owners and employees
Rupert Murdoch was sued in July by the New York Times for $10 billion over a report that revealed that his name appeared on a 2003 greeting to Jeffrey Epstein, which included a sexually explicit drawing and references to secrets that they shared. (Reporting by Deborah Sophia, Juveria Tabassum, Niket Nishant, Shivansh Tiwary, Savyata Mishra, Kritika Lamba, Arsheeya Bajwa, Zaheer Kachwala, Puyaan Singh, Pooja Menon and Dharna Bafna in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva, Sriraj Kalluvila and Arun Koyyur)
(source: Reuters)