News

South Korea’s Finance Minister: South Korea’s trade agreement with the United States remains “effective.”

ASUS: All after-sales support and services in Germany are operating normally.

ASUS: This temporary ban only applies to personal computers and related consumer terminal products sold in Germany that use high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) technology.

ASUS Computers: Based on the Munich District Court's ruling on a patent dispute with Nokia, it has temporarily suspended operations of its official website and online store in Germany.

[U.S. Customs stops imposing tariffs that were ruled illegal by the Supreme Court] U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it would stop imposing tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday (13:01 Beijing time). The U.S. Supreme Court has previously ruled that these tariffs are illegal. In a release to shippers on its Cargo Systems Information Service (CMSMS), CBP said it will retire all tariff codes related to President Trump’s previous orders under IEEPA starting Tuesday. At the same time, Trump imposed new 15% tariffs on global goods under a separate legal authority to replace previous tariffs that the Supreme Court ruled on Friday were illegal.

Petronas: Strong agricultural demand in India and Australia continues to support fertilizer consumption.

Australia's S&P/ASX200 index closed down 55.40 points, or 0.61%, on Monday, February 23, at 9026.00 points.

USGS: A 6.3-magnitude earthquake occurred in the Nikolski area of ​​Alaska.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that tariff codes related to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) will be retired in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) customs system on February 24.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it would stop imposing tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act at 12:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday, February 24.

Rolls-Royce has urged the UK government to commit to subsidies for a £3bn engine project.

[The killing of a major Mexican drug lord triggered riots in many places] On February 22, local time, the Mexican drug lord nicknamed "El Mencho" was shot dead by the Mexican military in the state of Jalisco, triggering retaliation from drug cartels and violent riots in many places across Mexico. Drone aerial footage from Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city and the capital of Jalisco state, showed that many cars were set on fire, thick smoke shrouded many places, and traffic was paralyzed near major roads. There is also news that Guadalajara's international airport was attacked by armed militants.

[Benefiting from the AI ​​boom, Thailand’s exports have seen their largest growth in four years] Exports of electronic products and increased demand for imports of raw materials and machinery have pushed Thailand’s imports and exports to their highest level in four years. At the same time, Thailand is also seeking to reach a trade agreement with the United States. Data released by Thailand's Ministry of Commerce on Monday showed that Thailand's exports increased by 24.4% year-on-year in January, and imports increased by 29.4% year-on-year. Both figures far exceeded economists' expectations. This is the fastest growth rate since the end of 2021. The director of Thailand's Trade Policy and Strategy Office said the surge in exports reflected an "upcycle" in demand for electronics related to artificial intelligence and data centers.

[Netanyahu: Modi will visit Israel] According to AFP, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Indian Prime Minister Modi will visit Israel on the 25th. "Indian Prime Minister Modi will arrive here. He will deliver a speech in the Israeli Knesset, and I believe you will all attend." Netanyahu said at the beginning of the Israeli cabinet meeting on the 22nd. Netanyahu welcomed the development of relations between the two countries. "The fabric of the relationship between the two countries has become closer, and (Modi) is here, we can further strengthen the relationship," he said, citing cooperation in the economic, diplomatic and security fields. Modi visited Israel as Prime Minister of India in 2017, and Netanyahu paid a return visit to India the following year.

[Iran’s Foreign Minister emphasized that he would not succumb to pressure, and Iran was exposed or considering concessions] Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi posted on social media on the 22nd that Iranians will not succumb to pressure because “we are Iranians.” Another anonymous senior Iranian official revealed that Iran is willing to make concessions in exchange for the United States recognizing its right to peaceful use of nuclear energy and lifting sanctions on Iran. An anonymous Iranian official said on the 22nd that in order to promote the Iran-U.S. nuclear agreement, Iran is willing to seriously consider making certain concessions, including sending half of the highest-abundance enriched uranium available abroad, diluting the other half, and participating in the creation of a civilian uranium enrichment regional joint venture, in exchange for the United States recognizing Iran's "peaceful uranium enrichment rights" and lifting economic sanctions on Iran.

[Former Bank of Japan member Makoto Sakurai: If the yen falls again, the Bank of Japan may raise interest rates in March] Former Bank of Japan member Makoto Sakurai said that if the yen falls again before the Japan-US summit expected to be held in March, the Bank of Japan may raise interest rates as early as March. Makoto Sakurai said: "Intervention in the exchange rate will only have a temporary effect in suppressing selling pressure on the yen. The best way to deal with the weakness of the yen is for the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates." Sakurai said that another depreciation of the yen will push up inflation by pushing up import costs and offset some of the downward pressure caused by government fuel subsidies. He added that if needed to deal with a sharp fall in the yen, the Bank of Japan could raise interest rates as early as March on the grounds that companies and unions are expected to achieve strong wage growth during annual wage negotiations in the spring.

[Asset management companies turned long on the Australian dollar for the first time since the end of 2024] Institutional investors turned long on the Australian dollar for the first time in more than a year due to the dual impact of the Reserve Bank of Australia's hawkish policy and the weakness of the U.S. dollar. Asset managers have been net short since October 2024, but they are now as bullish as their leveraged fund peers, according to data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission for the week ended February 17. Leveraged funds had already switched to long positions as early as December. Peter Dragicevich, currency strategist at Corpay Inc., wrote: "We believe the Australian dollar's current volatility will be higher than the average level of the past few years. Rising interest rates and a shift in interest rate differentials in Australia's favor may also limit the magnitude and duration of the Australian dollar's correction."

[Indian trade delegation postpones plan to visit the United States] A source in the Indian Trade Ministry said on the 22nd that India has postponed its plan to send a trade delegation to Washington this week, mainly due to the uncertainty in the situation after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the tariffs imposed by President Trump. It was one of the first concrete reactions from Asian countries to the ruling. Previously, after the court rejected relevant tariff measures, Trump announced on the 21st that a temporary tariff of 15% would be imposed on goods exported to the United States from all countries, which is the highest tax rate allowed by law. The source, who requested anonymity, said: "The decision to postpone the visit was made after consultations between officials from both countries. A new date for the visit has not yet been determined."

[The Iranian Army said it is closely monitoring enemy movements along the border] According to a report from Iran's Mahr News Agency on February 22, Iranian Army Commander Ali Jahanshahi stated that Iran is continuously monitoring all enemy movements along the border around the clock to discover and eliminate any potential threats to national sovereignty and territorial integrity. He emphasized that comprehensive combat readiness is the main deterrent means to prevent enemy miscalculation and hostile actions. The United States has recently been building up a large-scale military force in the Middle East. U.S. President Trump recently admitted that he is considering a "limited military strike" against Iran.

US President Trump: We won too much and it’s not fair.