Amazon wants to be everything to everyone
Mount Juliet, United States — Amazon is bolstering its e-commerce empire while continuing a march deeper into people’s lives, from robots to healthcare and entertainment. Innovations unveiled in recent days by the Seattle-based tech titan included a delivery van computer…
Argentina’s triple-digit inflation slows, but workers still struggle to pay bills
BUENOS AIRES — Argentina’s triple-digit inflation, among the world’s highest, is starting to slow down but this offers little relief for workers whose salaries have stayed the same while costs of basic goods skyrocketed and the government slashed state subsidies….
China tees up fresh spending to boost ailing economy
BEIJING — China said Saturday it would issue special bonds to help its sputtering economy, signaling a spending spree to bolster banks, shore up the property market and ease local government debt as part of one of its biggest support…
China to lift 4-year ban on Australian lobster imports, Australia’s prime minister says
MELBOURNE, Australia — China will resume importing Australian live lobsters by the end of the year, removing the final major obstacle to bilateral trade that once cost Australian exporters more than 20 billion Australian dollars ($13 billion) a year, Australia’s…
Expansion of ASEAN-China free-trade pact questioned amid summit
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — As Laos hosts this year’s summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Beijing is calling for additions to its free-trade agreement with the regional forum that focus on smart cities, 5G, artificial intelligence and e-commerce. Ahead…
Global oil traders anxiously await Israel’s expected strikes on Iran
International oil traders have been anxiously watching for Israel’s expected military response to Iran’s latest rocket attack, with prices rising and dipping according to the latest guesses on whether Israel will target Iran’s oil infrastructure and how Tehran might respond….
China targets brandy in EU trade tit-for-tat after EV tariff move
Beijing/Paris — China imposed temporary anti-dumping measures on imports of brandy from the EU on Tuesday, hitting French brands including Hennessy and Remy Martin, days after the 27-state bloc voted for tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, or EVs. China’s commerce…
China is oversupplying lithium to eliminate rivals, US official says
LISBON — Chinese lithium producers are flooding the global market with the critical metal and causing a “predatory” price drop as they seek to eliminate competing projects, a senior U.S. official said on a visit to Portugal that has ample…
Skechers opens store in Xinjiang amid scrutiny over Uyghur forced labor sanctions
Washington — Despite ongoing U.S. sanctions targeting Chinese companies linked to Uyghur forced labor in Xinjiang, United States-based footwear and apparel company Skechers opened a new outlet in Urumqi, the region’s capital. The store opened on September 28, days before…
Europe braces for Chinese retaliation over EV import tariffs
The European Union is braced for retaliation from China after the bloc voted Friday to impose tariffs on the import of Chinese electric vehicles, which Brussels says receive unfair state subsidies. As Henry Ridgwell reports, there’s speculation that Beijing could…