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India's NIFTY IT index fell 1%.
[Japanese Government Plans to Test Autonomous Trucks on Public Roads] According to Japanese media reports, the Japanese government plans to conduct commercial tests of autonomous trucks, including not only highways but also public roads, to enable autonomous transportation between specific logistics bases. The government will finalize the test routes and participating companies by the end of fiscal year 2026. Because driving on public roads requires a higher level of technical capability than on highways, the Japanese government believes that conducting tests on public roads is crucial for building a logistics network that utilizes autonomous trucks for long-distance transportation.
[Indian Government Plans to Expand Tax Incentives to Boost Foreign Investment and Domestic Manufacturing] According to sources familiar with the matter, India will seek parliamentary approval for a series of tax adjustments to boost foreign investment and domestic manufacturing. Citing internal discussions and a publicly available list of bills, sources say lawmakers will seek to pass legislation formalizing tax breaks for overseas investors purchasing Indian sovereign debt and exempting offshore funds from tax obligations if their investments are managed by Indian fund managers. The sources added that parliament will also vote on whether to extend tax breaks for overseas suppliers providing equipment to domestic electronics manufacturers and to offer incentives for data centers and diamond mining. Modi has been taking a series of measures to curb capital outflows and support the rupee. This move is particularly urgent in the wake of the Iraq War, as it aims to cushion the economic impact and enhance the economy's resilience to external shocks.
The bid-to-cover ratio for the Japanese 10-year government bond auction was 2.56, lower than the 3.13 of the previous auction.
Traders said India’s palm oil imports surged 50 percent month-on-month in July to 733,000 tons, a five-month high.
Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama: I have nothing more to add regarding the joint foreign exchange intervention by Japan and the United States.
Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama: I will not comment on the effectiveness of joint intervention.
According to Japan's Kyodo News, Toyota will partially suspend production at its Tahara plant from August 17 to 31.
A warehouse facility in Russia’s Leningrad region was attacked by a drone.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara announced that 24.2 billion yen of reserve funds will be used to support relief and recovery efforts following the Kumamoto earthquake.
Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Minoru Jonouchi: We will not comment on specific exchange rate levels, but we will closely monitor the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on the economy and prices.
Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Minoru Jonouchi: I hope the Bank of Japan and the government will maintain close communication on policy guidance.
Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Minoru Shirou: I hope the Bank of Japan will implement appropriate monetary policy to achieve its 2% inflation target in a stable and sustainable manner.
Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Minoru Jonouchi: Forecasts shared by the government and the Bank of Japan indicate that consumer inflation will accelerate in the second half of this year, before slowing down.
Japanese Economy and Fiscal Policy Minister Minoru Shirou: We must be wary of the possibility of food cost pass-through, a situation that could continue from summer into autumn.
Japanese Economy and Fiscal Policy Minister Minoru Shirou: June's overall CPI showed that year-on-year price increases remained moderate.
Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Minoru Shirou: The cost transmission of rising commodity prices remains limited to date.
TSMC: Will donate 250 million yen for earthquake relief and recovery efforts in Kumamoto.
Australia's seasonally adjusted ANZ total job advertisements rose 2.1% year-on-year in July, compared with 0.5% previously.
Australia's seasonally adjusted ANZ total job advertisements rose 0.8% month-on-month in July, compared with a previous reading of -0.20%.