East Asia








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Transport Infrastructure

Transport Infrastructure

Gulf oil markets reduce prices

The major Gulf stock markets fell on Thursday morning, mainly due to persistently low oil prices and a series of disappointing corporate earnings reports. Oil prices, which are a major catalyst for Gulf financial markets, fell on Thursday. This was a continuation of the losses that were made in the previous session. A report showing increased crude inventories at the U.S. confirmed concerns that global supplies would be more than enough to meet the current fuel demand. OPEC's report on Wednesday showed that the world oil market would see a small excess in 2026, after OPEC+ production increased and other...

Transport Infrastructure

A bridge partially collapses months after its opening in Southwest China

Local authorities reported that a part of a newly opened bridge in China's southwest province of Sichuan collapsed on a national highway connecting the heartland of China with Tibet Tuesday. However, there were no casualties. The local government reported that the police in Maerkang, China, had shut down the 758-metre long Hongqi Bridge to all traffic Monday afternoon after cracks appeared in nearby roads and slopes, and a shift in the terrain was observed on a mountain. The report said that on Tuesday afternoon, conditions on the mountainside deteriorated and triggered landslides. This led to the collapse of both the...

Transport Infrastructure

Trump's trade battle with China in 2025

U.S. president Donald Trump has targeted China as his top economic rival with a cascade on tariffs that are worth billions of dollar. He is trying to reduce a trade surplus, bring back lost manufacturing and cripple fentanyl traffic. In reverse chronological order, here are the key events of this year in U.S. China trade war: China has announced that it will continue to expand access to and investment opportunities for U.S. firms, especially in the services sector. On November 10, China suspends for a full year the port fees it charges vessels with ties to the United States, as...

Transport Infrastructure

China suspends port charges on US-linked vessels for one year

China has suspended port fees for vessels linked to the United States, said its transport ministry on Monday. This comes after Washington announced an equivalent pause in punitive measures against China's shipbuilding and shipping sectors. The reciprocated pauses are in line with the agreements made by U.S. president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping at a recent summit in South Korea. According to a statement from the Transport Ministry, the suspension began at 13:01 local (0501 GMT). Beijing has welcomed the announcement by the U.S. Office of Trade Representative on November 9 that it will pause all punitive measures...

Transport Infrastructure

SoftBank-backed Metropolis raises $1,6 billion to expand beyond AI parking lots

Metropolis Technologies has raised $1.6 Billion in new capital for its expansion into other sectors, such as retail, gas stations and restaurants. This funding round includes a $500,000,000 Series D equity round, led by LionTree. The company was valued at $5 billion. SoftBank Vision Fund and Vista Equity Partners were also involved in the round. Los Angeles-based company secured a syndicated $1.1 billion term loan led J.P. Morgan and backed by cashflow from its parking operations. In an interview, Chief Executive Alex Israel stated that the new capital would be used to hire and accelerate technical talent, speed up product...

Transport Infrastructure

SoftBank-backed Metropolis raises $1,6 billion to expand beyond AI parking lots

Metropolis Technologies has raised $1.6 Billion in new capital for its expansion into other sectors, such as retail, gas stations and restaurants. This funding round includes a $500,000,000 Series D equity round, led by LionTree. The company was valued at $5 billion. SoftBank Vision Fund and Vista Equity Partners were also involved in the round. Los Angeles-based company secured a $1.1billion syndicated loan led by J.P. Morgan backed by cash flow from its parking operations. In an interview, Chief Executive Alex Israel stated that the new capital would be used to hire and accelerate technical talent, speed up product development...

Transport Infrastructure

Trump's trade battle with China in 2025

U.S. president Donald Trump has targeted China as his top economic rival with a cascade on tariffs that are worth billions of dollar. He is trying to reduce a trade surplus, bring back lost manufacturing and cripple fentanyl traffic. In reverse chronological order, here are the key events of this year in U.S.-China Trade War: November 5 - Beijing suspends all retaliatory duties on U.S. goods imports until November 10, including farm products at up to 15%. However, it keeps 10% levies as a countermeasure to Trump's "Liberation Day tariffs". China is easing measures against U.S. companies and reducing tariffs...

Transport Infrastructure

Europe probes Chinese bidder in Lisbon railway project over possible market distortion

The European Commission announced that it had opened an investigation on possible market distortions by China's state owned CRRC, in a bid to build railways in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. According to a preliminary investigation, the Commission found that the Portuguese subsidiary of the Chinese rolling-stock manufacturer may have received foreign subsidies for its participation in a bid in April to build Lisbon's "violet line", a surface section linked to the city underground. According to Metropolitano de Lisboa (the issuer), the tender attracted four bids ranging between 599 million Euros ($698.55 millions) and 716 million Euros. The winner has...

Transport Infrastructure

Tesla's German auto sales fell by more than half in October, as EV sales grew across the board

The German road traffic agency KBA reported on Wednesday that Tesla's German sales volume had more than halved from the same period last year. However, sales of battery-electric vehicles were up overall. KBA reported that Tesla sold 750 vehicles in Germany in October. This is a 53.5% decrease from the previous year. Teslas were sold at a 50.4% lower rate in January-October, to 15,595 cars, than the same period a year ago. KBA said that the number of electric vehicles registered in October increased by 47.7% to 52.425 units. Tesla's sales in October fell in several European countries, including Spain...

Transport Infrastructure

Canada - November 5

These are some of the most important stories in selected Canadian newspapers. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for the accuracy of these stories. THE GLOBE AND MAIL India and China have imposed steep tariffs of 30% and 100% on Canadian yellow peas. This has crippled exports to Canada’s two biggest markets, and prompted farmers to call for Ottawa to resolve the trade disputes. The first federal budget of Prime Minister Mark Carney encourages private sector investment with targeted incentives and infrastructure expenditures. However, it falls short on sweeping regulatory or tax reforms. Business leaders are...

Transport Infrastructure

Sources say that Russia's Tuapse has halted fuel imports following drone attacks and the refinery was shut down.

According to two industry sources, and LSEG ship tracking, Russia's Black Sea Port of Tuapse suspended fuel exports while the local refinery halted crude processing following the November 2 Ukrainian drone attack on its infrastructure. Ukraine announced on Sunday that its drones had struck Tuapse - one of Russia's major Black Sea oil port - causing an explosion and damage to at least one vessel. This was part of Kyiv’s effort to undermine Russia’s war economy through targeting its energy infrastructure. The regional administration confirmed that the strike caused an fire in the port. Since several months, Ukraine has been...

Transport Infrastructure

Taiwan: China ignores requests for information about new airport safety concerns

Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration stated on Wednesday that China had not provided any information regarding a new airport that will open in the next year, less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) away from a Taiwanese Airport. This raises flight safety concerns. Xiamen's Xiang'an Airport is located only 3 km away from Taiwan's Kinmen Islands, the site of the Cold War's on-off battles. Construction work can also be heard and seen from Taiwan. Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration sent a statement to saying that close airports need to be planned and coordinated in advance to ensure safety and smooth operation. It said...

Passenger Transportation Services

Passenger Transportation Services

Japan's tourism share falls as diplomatic dispute with China worsens

After China warned its citizens not to travel to its North Asian neighbor following an increasing diplomatic split over Taiwan, shares in Japanese tourism companies plunged Monday. Isetan Mitsukoshi is a department store with a large number of Chinese customers. Its sales have dropped 11.4% and are on track to be the largest drop in over a year. Tokyo Disneyland operator Oriental Land dropped 5.1% while Japan Airlines fell 3.9%. China warned Japan on Friday that it would suffer a "crushing defeat" if Japan used force to interfere over Taiwan and warned Chinese citizens not to visit Japan. Kyodo reported...

Passenger Transportation Services

Hair dye and nail art are allowed! Japanese companies relax their rules to win workers' loyalty

Hinako, 22, moved to Tokyo in 2011 and chose to work at Don Quijote a discount retailer because it didn't really care about the colour of her hair. Mori, who was wearing ash blonde hair with dark and light blue streaks at the time of her interview, likes to change the colour of her hair every six weeks. She had a very different experience when she worked for a Japanese convenience store chain which required black or dark brown locks. "One day, I dyed my hair blonde. Mori said that the next morning, she was told either to wear a...

Passenger Transportation Services

Ashfall from Japan's Sakurajima volcanic eruption cancels flights

On Sunday, a volcano on Japan's western island of Kyushu erupted several times. A plume of smoke ad ash reached as high as 2.73 miles (4.4 km) in the air. This caused dozens of flights to be cancelled. Japanese Meteorological Agency said that the volcano, called Sakurajima, located near Kagoshima on the southern tip Kyushu, erupted around 1 a.m. (1600 GMT Saturday), according to the agency. Two more eruptions occurred at around 2:30 and 8:50 in the morning. Kyodo News Agency reported that this is the first time in nearly 13 months that an eruption has reached a height of...

Transportation

Ground Freight

Ground Freight

Japan's super-long JGB yields near 1-month high due to spending concerns

Investors cited concerns over Prime Minister Sanae Takayichi's plans to spend. The yield on the 20-year JGB rose by up to 2 basis points to 2,695%. And for the 30-year JGB, it rose by 2 bps to 3,195%. These are their highest levels since October. Takaichi announced this week that she would set a new fiscal goal extending over several years in order to allow for more flexibility with spending. This is a way to water down Japan's commitment towards fiscal consolidation. Takashi Fujiwara is the chief fund manager of Resona Asset Management’s fixed income division. The increase in yields...

Ground Freight

LME to implement permanent restrictions on large-position holders

The London Metal Exchange said Thursday that it intends to set permanent rules imposing restrictions on members who have large positions in contracts near them due to low inventory levels. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd., the world's largest and oldest market for industrial metals which is owned, placed temporary restrictions on June following a spike in premiums for copper contracts near by. LME stated that these measures were implemented in response to a low-stock situation combined with large positions in nearby dates. This had led the LME Special Committee to instruct market participants to reduce their large on-exchange position....

Ground Freight

Temasek-backed group to buy China's ANE at $1.84b valuation

ANE (Cayman), a Chinese-based transport and delivery services company, said Tuesday that a consortium including its largest shareholder Centurium Capital and Temasek, had offered to buy it out. The deal valued the group at HK$14.33bn ($1.84bn). Shareholders can choose between a cash payment of HK$12.18 for each ANE share, an alternative share, or a mix of both. The cash consideration represents a premium to the last closing price of the company on October 24, which was 29.6%. Centurium Capital owns around 24.32% ANE shares. Temasek, True Light and other investors do not hold any ANE shares. ANE had earlier this...

Ground Freight & Logistics

UPS forecasts fourth-quarter revenue above estimates, shares surge

United Parcel Service on Tuesday forecast revenue for the fourth quarter above Wall Street estimates, relying on price increases to offset a soft demand from business-to-business in the U.S. The company estimated revenue at about $24 billion. According to LSEG data, analysts' average quarterly revenue was $23.8 billion. In premarket trading, shares of the company rose 12%. The largest parcel delivery company in the world reported a net profit of $1.48billion, or 1.74 cents per share for the three-month period ended September 30. This compares to $1.50billion, or 1.76 cents per share a year ago. UPS and FedEx have seen...

Ground Freight

China's ANE receives take-private bid from Temasek-backed Consortium

ANE (Cayman), said that it received on Friday a conditional offer from a consortium, including Centurium and Temasek, for a potential take-private transaction which could lead to the delisting of ANE from Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In a filing to the stock exchange, the Chinese transport and delivery company stated that an indicative proposal had been submitted on 17 September. It involved Centurium Capital which owns approximately 24,422% of ANE shares and entities related to Temasek, True Light Capital and other companies. After trading was resumed after the announcement on September 18, shares in ANE fell 12%. According to the...

Ground Freight

Wall Street is over; Zions raises concerns about regional banks

Wall Street fell on Thursday as signs of weakness among regional banks frightened investors who were already on edge due to the U.S. - China trade tensions. Zions Bancorporation shares fell after the regional lender disclosed an unexpected loss in two loans made to its California division. This added to investor anxiety about hidden credit pressure as lenders navigate economic uncertainty while interest rates are still relatively high. Western Alliance's slump also fueled concerns about regional banks after it announced it had initiated a lawsuit for fraud against one of their borrowers. Investors were watching the S&P 500, which recently...

Ground Freight

Transnet gets control of Chinese spares disputed by S.African court

Transnet's CEO announced on Thursday that a South African court had ordered China's CRRC E-Loco, which has been in a long-running dispute with Transnet, to release locomotive parts it had refused to provide. This decision is a boost to the plans of Transnet to improve its performance. Both parties are involved in a legal battle after Transnet halted 1,064 locomotives supplied by four original equipment manufacturers, including CRRC E-Loco. Transnet claimed that contracts for 2014 worth $54.4 billion rand (3.18 billion dollars) were illegally awarded by previous company leadership. Transnet reported that in 2023 161 locomotives provided by CRRC E-Loco...

Ground Freight

The third quarter of 2018 was both one of the best and worst in recent M&A history.

The third quarter of recent history was both one of best and worst for dealmakers around the world. According to Dealogic, megadeals generated a staggering $1.26 trillion worth of global mergers and purchases during the third-quarter - an increase of 40% over the previous year. This was the second best third-quarter ever by deal value. Data show that only 8,912 transactions were completed, down 16% on last year. This is the lowest third-quarter deal volume for 20 years. Dealmakers are in a strange situation, as they had high hopes for 2025 following the election of Donald Trump. Trump's punishing Tariffs,...

Ground Freight

The third quarter of 2018 was both one of the best and worst in recent M&A history.

The third quarter of recent history was both one of best and worst for dealmakers around the world. According to Dealogic, megadeals generated a staggering $1.26 trillion worth of global mergers and purchases during the third-quarter - an increase of 40% over the previous year. This was the second best third-quarter ever by deal value. Data show that only 8,912 transactions were completed, a drop of 16% compared to last year. This is the lowest third-quarter deal volume for 20 years. Dealmakers are in a strange situation, as they had high hopes for 2025 following the election of Donald Trump....

Ground Freight

Sources say that Mercuria intends to remove large quantities of aluminum from LME storage.

Three sources with knowledge of the matter have confirmed that Mercuria plans to remove almost 100,000 metric tonnes of aluminum from the London Metal Exchange's warehouses. This could result in a reduction in the dominant position held by the commodity trader. Since May, Mercuria, a Swiss company, has held over 90% of all aluminium warrants (title documents conferring ownership) 0#LMEWHL>. LME data shows that as of September 4, LME's holdings of aluminium on or available warrant totaled more than 426,000 tonnes . Aluminium is not illegal in the United States. Mercuria announced on September 5 and 8 that it would...

Ground Freight

Wall Street Journal, September 11,

These are the most popular stories from the Wall Street Journal. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch their accuracy. Mexico is planning to increase import tariffs on almost 1,500 products including cars, steel, textiles and appliances to protect the domestic industry and job opportunities, particularly from cheap Chinese goods. This comes amid wider trade talks with both the U.S. Oracle has signed an unprecedented $300 billion cloud computing contract with OpenAI to support massive AI expansion starting in 2027. This is one of the biggest tech contracts ever, and signals a high-stakes wager on ChatGPT’s continued...

Integrated Logistics

Sources say that JD.com, a unit of China's largest tech company, JD.com, and two other companies plan to invest $1 billion in Singapore REIT.

Two sources familiar with the matter said that JD.Com's property investment arm and two other firms are planning to launch a Singapore based real estate trust (REIT), with assets valued at potentially more than $1 billion. Sources said that JD Property (the unlisted infrastructure investment platform and asset management platform for JD.Com) is creating the REIT in partnership with Partners Group, a Swiss investment firm, and EZA Hill Property which is backed up by Asian investment firm Hillhouse. Sources who refused to name themselves because the matter was private said that the REIT plan could be listed at the Singapore...