Volkswagen's truckmaker Scania said on Friday it had agreed to buy bankrupt Northvolt's division that makes battery packs for heavy industry, reviving a transaction first presented in February, for an undisclosed price, Reuters reported. Sweden's Northvolt filed for bankruptcy last month in one of the country's largest corporate failures, bringing to an end Europe's best hope of developing a rival to Asian electric vehicle battery makers.
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When Indian education-technology company Byju’s was ordered last year to freeze over $500 million as part of a U.S. court battle with its lenders, it said the funds were safely within the business, WSJ Pro Bankruptcy reported. Byju’s by that time had already moved the half-billion dollars out of the U.S. through transactions involving a little-known hedge fund that were obscured in financial statements showing the cash sitting in its accounts, court records show.
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Several businesses under the Sunterra banner, known in Alberta for its agriculture and high-end grocery operations, have taken steps toward creditor protection as three of its U.S. subsidiaries face legal and financial scrutiny, CBC.com reported. Late last month, Sunterra Quality Food Markets, Sunterra Food Corporation, Sunterra Farms, Trochu Meat Processors and Sunwold Farms all filed notices under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, a process that gives financially strained companies 30 days of protection from creditors while they come up with a plan to restructure.
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E.U. officials ​announced on Thursday that they would delay their plans for retaliatory tariffs after President Trump’s abrupt decision to hit pause on some of the levies he had placed on Europe and much of the rest of the world, the New York Times reported. Mr. Trump’s announcement, a day before, had signaled what European leaders were hoping for: a possible willingness to negotiate. Washington’s pivot came just hours after European officials had approved retaliatory levies of 10 to 25 percent on about $23 billion of U.S. imports. But given the American shift in stance, E.U.
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U.S. lawmakers have introduced legislation that could block International Monetary Fund support for some Central African countries, in an effort to guard billions of dollars that oil companies must set aside for environmental restoration, Reuters reported. The bill highlights a standoff between foreign investors on one side and Central African monetary authorities trying to enforce tighter capital controls on extractive industries to shore up depleted reserves on the other. Introduced by U.S.
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China on Wednesday announced an additional 50% retaliatory tariff on all U.S. imports, bringing the total tariff level to 84%, NPR.org reported. The measures are a response to President Trump's latest round of tariffs, which went into effect overnight, and include a 104% levy on Chinese goods. The Chinese finance ministry says the new charges will take effect at midnight in China, or Wednesday noon Eastern time. "The US's practice of escalating tariffs on China is a mistake on top of a mistake," the ministry said in a statement announcing the fresh round of levies. China calls on the U.S.
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European Union member states voted Wednesday to approve retaliatory tariffs on $23 billion in goods in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, as the largest U.S. trading partner described them as “unjustified and damaging," the Associated Press reported. The tariffs will go into effect in stages, with some on April 15 and others on May 15 and Dec. 1. The EU executive commission didn’t immediately provide a list of the goods. Members of the 27-country bloc repeated their preference for a negotiated deal to settle trade issues.
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U.S. trade tariffs could lead to layoffs in French industries worst affected by the steep duties, a government minister warned, the Wall Street Journal reported. Job losses are “a risk,” industry minister Marc Ferracci told radio station France Inter on Wednesday. “If the U.S. tariffs are made to last, there will be an impact on jobs,” he said. “In terms of numbers, it’s difficult to assess the impact,” which will depend on exporters’ ability to translate tariff costs into higher prices, or absorb them into their margins, he said.
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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lowered its key repo rate on Wednesday for a second consecutive time and changed its monetary policy stance signaling room for more cuts ahead, as it seeks to boost the sluggish economy in the face of fresh U.S. tariffs, Reuters reported. India became the second central bank after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to cut interest rates since the wide-ranging trade levies were announced. The tariffs have raised the risk of a global slowdown and a U.S.
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South Korea on Wednesday announced emergency support measures for its auto sector, seeking to reduce the blow of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on a sector that has seen years of sharply rising exports to the United States, Reuters reported. The measures include financial support for the auto industry as well as tax cuts and subsidies to boost domestic demand, while the government also vowed efforts to negotiate with the U.S. and help expand markets. Trump has announced a 25% tariff on imported cars and light trucks starting on Thursday.
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