China's market regulator suspends antitrust investigation into DuPont China
The regulator launched an investigation into DuPont China in April for its alleged violation of the country's anti-monopoly law, amid a heated trade war between China and the Unites States.
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Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Oil prices dip to settle at 3-week low on US and China economic concerns
NEW YORK, July 25 (Reuters) - Oil prices eased on Friday and settled at a three-week low as traders worried about negative economic news from the U.S. and China and signs of growing supply. Losses were limited by optimism U.S. trade deals could boost global economic growth and oil demand in the future. Brent crude futures fell 74 cents, or 1.1%, to settle at $68.44, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 87 cents, or 1.3%, to settle at $65.16. Those were the lowest settlement levels for Brent since July 4 and WTI since June 30. For the week, Brent was down about 1% with WTI down about 3%. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday in Scotland. European Union officials and diplomats said they expected to reach a framework trade deal this weekend. The euro zone economy has remained resilient to the pervasive uncertainty caused by a global trade war, a slew of data showed on Friday, even as European Central Bank policymakers appeared to temper market bets on no more rate cuts. In the U.S., new orders for U.S.-manufactured capital goods unexpectedly fell in June while shipments of those products increased moderately, suggesting business spending on equipment slowed considerably in the second quarter. Trump said he had a good meeting with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and got the impression that the head of the U.S. central bank might be ready to lower interest rates. Lower interest rates reduce consumer borrowing costs and can boost economic growth and demand for oil. In China, the world's second-biggest economy, fiscal revenue dipped 0.3% in the first six months from a year earlier, the finance ministry said, maintaining the rate of decline seen between January and May. The U.S. is preparing to allow partners of Venezuela's state-run PDVSA ( starting with U.S. oil major Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab, to operate with limitations in the sanctioned nation, sources said on Thursday. That could boost Venezuelan oil exports by a little more than 200,000 barrels per day (bpd), news U.S. refiners would welcome, as it would ease tightness in the heavier crude market, ING analysts wrote. Iran said it would continue nuclear talks with European powers after "serious, frank, and detailed" conversations on Friday, the first such face-to-face meeting since Israel and the U.S. bombed Iran last month. Venezuela and Iran are members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Any deal that could increase the amount of oil either sanctioned country could export would boost the amount of crude available to global markets. OPEC said the joint ministerial monitoring committee (JMMC) scheduled to convene on Monday does not hold decision-making authority over production levels. Four OPEC+ delegates said an OPEC+ panel is to raise oil output when it meets, noting the producer group is keen to recover market share while summer demand is helping to absorb the extra barrels. OPEC+ includes OPEC and allies like Russia. In Russia, the world's No. 2 crude producer behind the U.S., daily oil exports from its western ports are set to be around 1.77 million bpd in August, down from 1.93 million bpd in July's plan, Reuters calculations based on data from two sources show. In the U.S., energy firms this week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for the 12th time in 13 weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on Friday.
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Pernod Ricard sells Imperial Blue whisky to India's Tilaknagar for $486 million
PARIS, July 23 (Reuters) - France's Pernod Ricard ( opens new tab has agreed to sell its Imperial Blue whisky brand to India's Tilaknagar Industries ( opens new tab for an enterprise value of 412.6 million euros ($486 million), as the spirits group boosts its focus on premium labels. Pernod Ricard sold 22.4 million 9 litre cases of Imperial Blue whisky in the fiscal year ended March 2025 across India and other markets. Its sale of the brand includes a 28 million euro deferred payment due four years after the deal closes. The world's second-largest Western spirits maker by revenue after Diageo (DGE.L), opens new tab on Wednesday said the deal would be "immediately and meaningfully accretive" to Pernod Ricard India's margin and sales growth upon closing. The French group has been streamlining its business and focusing on its core portfolio of pricey, global brands amid a sector-wide downturn in sales. Chairman and CEO Alexandre Ricard said the sale would "sharpen our focus on more profitable and faster growing brands in India, as in the rest of the world". Jean Touboul, CEO of Pernod Ricard India, said the deal would notably allow Pernod Ricard to allocate resources more effectively towards high-growth brands in India such as Royal Stag and Blenders Pride, as well as international brands like Chivas, Jameson, Absolut and Ballantine's. Pernod Ricard sees India, the group's second-largest market after the United States, as key to future growth. Alcohol sales in India are projected to hit $61.35 billion in fiscal 2025–26, showed data from analytics firm CRISIL. Imperial Blue, a leading mass-market whisky, competes with United Spirits' McDowell's No.1 in India. Pernod Ricard regards it as a local-value brand, less central than its premium global labels like Chivas Regal. For Tilaknagar Industries, a dominant player in India's brandy market with Mansion House, the deal marks a strategic shift into whisky - a faster-growing, higher-margin segment. Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Inbrew Beverages and Tilaknagar Industries each sought to bid around $500 million for Imperial Blue. Global spirits makers are reworking strategies as post-pandemic liquor demand slumps amid inflation, interest rate hikes, tariff risk and shifting consumer habits. ($1 = 0.8491 euros)
Reuters
5 hours ago
- Reuters
Oil prices ease to 3-week low as negative economic news offsets trade optimism
NEW YORK, July 25 (Reuters) - Oil prices eased to a three-week low on Friday on negative economic news from the United States and China and signs of growing supply despite optimism U.S. trade deals could boost global economic growth and oil demand in the future. Brent crude futures fell 76 cents, or 1.1%, to $68.42 a barrel by 1:44 p.m. EDT (1744 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 91 cents, or 1.4%, to $65.12. That put Brent on track for its lowest close since July 4 and WTI on track for its lowest close since June 30. For the week, Brent was down about 1% and WTI down about 3%. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday in Scotland after European Union officials and diplomats said they expected to reach a framework trade deal this weekend. The euro zone economy has remained resilient to the pervasive uncertainty caused by a global trade war, a slew of data showed on Friday, even as European Central Bank policymakers appeared to temper market bets on no more rate cuts. In the U.S., meanwhile, new orders for U.S.-manufactured capital goods unexpectedly fell in June while shipments of those products increased moderately, suggesting that business spending on equipment slowed considerably in the second quarter. Trump said on Friday that he had a good meeting with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and got the impression that the head of the U.S. central bank might be ready to lower interest rates. Central banks, like the Fed or ECB, use interest rates to keep inflation in check. Lower interest rates reduce consumer borrowing costs and can boost economic growth and demand for oil. In China, the world's second biggest economy, fiscal revenue dipped 0.3% in the first six months from a year earlier, the finance ministry said on Friday, maintaining the rate of decline seen between January and May. The U.S. is preparing to allow partners of Venezuela's state-run PDVSA ( starting with U.S. oil major Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab, to operate with limitations in the sanctioned nation, sources said on Thursday. That could boost Venezuelan oil exports by a little more than 200,000 barrels per day (bpd), which would be welcome news for U.S. refiners, as it would ease tightness in the heavier crude market, ING analysts wrote. In the Middle East, Iran said it would continue nuclear talks with European powers after "serious, frank, and detailed" conversations on Friday, the first such face-to-face meeting since Israel and the U.S. bombed Iran last month. Venezuela and Iran are members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Any deal that could increase the amount of oil either sanctioned country could export would boost the amount of crude available to global markets. A meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, which includes top ministers from OPEC and allies like Russia, a group known as OPEC+, is scheduled for 1200 GMT on Monday. Four OPEC+ sources told Reuters the meeting was unlikely to alter the group's existing policy, which calls for eight members to raise output by 548,000 bpd in August. In Russia, the world's second biggest crude oil producer behind the U.S., daily oil exports from its western ports are set to be around 1.77 million bpd in August, down from 1.93 million bpd in July's plan, amid the expected rise in refinery runs, Reuters calculations based on data from two sources show. In the U.S., energy firms this week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for the 12th time in 13 weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on Friday.
