
Cambodia PM urges 'industrial recalibrations' under Trump tariff pressure
TOKYO -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said his country's businesses and communities must pursue "industrial recalibrations" as the economy comes under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policy.
Hun Manet delivered a keynote address to Nikkei's annual Future of Asia conference in Tokyo on Friday. He spoke weeks after Trump announced a 49% "reciprocal" tariff rate on Cambodia -- the highest levy among all Southeast Asian countries -- to discourage what is believed to be rampant Chinese transshipment. Although the White House tariffs are largely on hold, Hun Manet decried the impact of the trade war.
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Japan Today
3 hours ago
- Japan Today
In U.S. capital, Trump tariffs bite into restaurant profits
John Filkins, corporate beverage director at Clyde's Restaurant Group, said businesses are having to pass on some cost hikes to customers By Beiyi SEOW Brazilian coffee beans, French champagne and Chinese teas -- drinks are a profit driver for U.S. restaurants, but higher import costs have eaten into margins and fed into consumer prices in the three months since President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping global tariffs. A stone's throw from the White House, a restaurant group that takes pride in dishing up fresh local meat and produce has found itself having to raise prices on its menus. "The reality is, we have to pass along some of those to our guests," said John Filkins, corporate beverage director at Clyde's Restaurant Group. "Could be anywhere from 50 cents to $1 on certain wines by the glass, or spirits, or some of our food menu items." "We've seen huge increases in coffee and in teas, and we're beginning to see some of those increases in food, as well as paper products coming on through as well," he added. Clyde's, which opened in the 1960s in Washington, has more than a dozen restaurants in and around the U.S. capital. One of them is The Hamilton in downtown Washington, where drinks prices have ticked up. While management has tried to limit increases, Filkins said this has been tough. Businesses have encountered snarled supply chains and higher costs since Trump imposed fresh tariffs after returning to the presidency in January. In April, the president unleashed his widest-ranging salvo, a 10 percent duty on imports from most trading partners. This is expected to surge to higher levels for dozens of economies. Leaders like Filkins are eyeing a deadline next Wednesday when the steeper tariffs are due to kick in. These are customized to each partner, with the level for European Union products rising to 20 percent and that for Japanese goods jumping to 24 percent unless they strike deals to avert or lower the rates. Filkins warned that the longer tariffs remain in place, the fewer small, independent distributors, importers and restaurants there might be. "The hope is we don't see tariffs to the extent where we're seeing them any longer," he added. "Restaurants are, at the end of the day, typically low cash, low margin." A typical outfit probably runs "in the single digits in terms of profit margin," he noted. This means that cutting out 10 percent to 15 percent of their profit for wine by the glass, for example, could prove a significant blow. Clyde's sources coffee beans from places like Brazil and Indonesia for its blends, while getting teas from India and China. "Over the course of the last probably six months, we've seen about a 20 to 30 percent increase of that cost," Filkins said. This is partly because suppliers and distributors are not only paying the 10 percent tariff but forking out more due to exchange rates. Imports from China face a 30 percent tariff currently even though Washington and Beijing have temporarily lowered tit-for-tat levies on each other's goods. Without a deal, products from Indonesia face a 32 percent duty come Wednesday, and the rate for India spikes to 26 percent. "For liquor, beer and wine, most of the wine we import comes from the EU," Filkins said, noting the impact is biggest on products from France, Italy, Spain and Portugal so far. Yet, his company is trying to hold off passing on additional costs entirely. "Consumers are not comfortable spending more in the current climate," said Filkins. The world's biggest economy has fared well after the COVID-19 pandemic, helped by a solid labor market that allowed consumers to keep spending. But economic growth has slowed alongside hiring. Economists are monitoring to see if tariffs feed more broadly into inflation this summer, and households become more selective with purchases. With Trump's approach of announcing, adjusting and halting tariffs roiling financial markets and fueling uncertainty -- forcing businesses to put investments on hold -- Filkins hopes for an easing of levies. "It's hard for all of us to forecast what's going to happen in the next eight days," said Filkins. "We can't base all of our decisions on speculation." © 2025 AFP

Nikkei Asia
7 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
China spares major cognac makers from EU brandy dumping duties
SHANGHAI (Reuters) -- China spared major cognac producers Pernod Ricard, LVMH and Remy Cointreau from hefty duties on EU brandy on Friday, a rare bright spot at a time of trade tensions between Brussels and Beijing as the two sides row over tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. China will from Saturday levy duties of up to 34.9% for five years on brandy originating in the European Union, most of it cognac from France, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a final ruling. But most of France's cognac industry including big brands LVMH-owned Hennessy and Remy Martin will be exempt from the duties provided they sell at a minimum price, the ministry said in a statement. It did not disclose the minimum prices. Beijing launched its anti-dumping probe on EU brandy in January last year, in what was widely viewed as retaliation for the EU's decision to impose big import tariffs on China-made EVs. French cognac makers generate global exports of $3 billion a year combined. With premium aged bottles of the liquor selling for hundreds of dollars, they have complained they are collateral damage in the broader trade row between Brussels and Beijing. In addition to the reprieve, China's commerce ministry will also give back deposits made by brandymakers since October 2024, when provisional duties were imposed. The refund issue, which weighed particularly heavily on smaller producers, was one of the sticking points in months-long negotiations, two industry sources said. China is the world's biggest market for cognac in value terms. Remy Martin-owner Remy Cointreau said in a statement that the deal on minimum price commitments constituted "a substantially less punitive alternative" thus enabling "the strengthening of some investments in China." Pernod Ricard said it regrets the increase in the cost of operating in China but additional costs are significantly less than would be the case if tariffs had been made permanent. LVMH and Campari did not immediately respond to requests for comment. There was little sign that the rift between China and the EU was easing. Olof Gill, the European Commission's spokesperson for trade, said the tariffs were unfair and unjustified. China's foreign minister Wang Yi is visiting Europe this week seeking to lay the groundwork for a summit between EU and Chinese leaders later this month, with the EV dispute and China's curbs on the export of rare earths high on the agenda. Wang was due to meet his French counterpart in Paris later on Friday. Asked about media reports that China was poised to shorten the summit to a single day instead of two, a European Commission spokesperson said the program was still being finalized. "Nothing has been cancelled because nothing has been announced and no final program has been agreed yet," the spokesperson added. Last week ,Reuters reported that French cognac makers had reached a tentative deal on minimum import prices for the Chinese market, but that China would only finalize the deal if progress was made regarding EU tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. Shares of French spirits makers were mixed as investors digested the ruling, with many relieved Beijing had agreed to drop tariffs in return for price commitments, likely reviving sales which have suffered due to the tariffs. Remy Cointreau shares were up 0.54% and Pernod was down 0.3%, having regained some ground lost earlier in the day. LVMH was down 1.5%. Monthly cognac exports to China have fallen by as much as 70% due to the trade dispute, according to data from the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC), a French cognac industry group. Citi analysts said they expected upgrades to earnings forecasts for Pernod and Remy. Remy, which makes 70% of its sales from cognac, mostly in the U.S. and China, said it would update its annual guidance when it releases quarterly numbers on July 25. European spirits makers have also been grappling with a downturn in sales in the United States where inflation has deterred drinkers from pricier spirits. President Donald Trump has also threatened tariffs on imports from the EU. The minimum price pledges could translate into some price increases, but they will likely be small and it is too early to tell whether there could be an impact on shelf prices, a senior industry source with knowledge of the China negotiations said. "The French government has been raising this repeatedly with the Chinese government and saying this is a major bone of contention," said a senior French industry source with knowledge of the China negotiations, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. "I think both sides, France and China, did not want this to get out of hand, they wanted to find a resolution." BNIC said that the deal for minimum price commitments will be "less unfavorable" than anti-dumping duties, but still worse for its members than the historical pre-investigation norm. "This is why we renew our call to the French government and the European Commission to reach a political agreement with the Chinese authorities as soon as possible to return to a situation without anti-dumping duties," BNIC said in a statement.


Nikkei Asia
7 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Japan pension whale GPIF posts $678bn in returns over 5 years
Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund is one of the world's largest institutional investors. (Photo by Nikkei) AKIRA INUJIMA and JUMPEI KINEFUCHI TOKYO -- Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund enlarged its assets by 98 trillion yen ($678 billion) over five years ending with fiscal 2024 while posting returns of 1.7 trillion yen, or $11.8 billion, for that final fiscal year, the fund reported on Friday. Rising stock prices at home and abroad drove the heavy gains over the medium-term period. But the weak yen also played a role, accounting for about 40% of the increase, prompting concern about a backlash as the Japanese currency strengthens.