
Trump announces 50% tariff on copper effective Aug 1
"Copper is necessary for Semiconductors, Aircraft, Ships, Ammunition, Data Centers, Lithium-ion Batteries, Radar Systems, Missile Defense Systems, and even, Hypersonic Weapons, of which we are building many," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump signalled on Tuesday that he was imposing fresh tariffs on copper, sending US Comex copper futures to record highs.
He also released a new set of letters to trading partners on Wednesday, outlining tariff rates for six countries as Washington seeks to finalise a flurry of trade deals.
The letters, addressed to leaders of the Philippines, Brunei, Algeria, Libya, Iraq and Moldova, spelt out duties ranging from 20 per cent to 30 per cent that would take effect on Aug 1.
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CNA
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Roblox launches IP licensing platform, partners with Netflix, Lionsgate
Roblox launched a licensing feature on its videogame platform on Tuesday, allowing intellectual property holders to integrate their characters and worlds into its games. It has signed licensing partnerships with companies such as Netflix, which would allow developers to use characters and names from the streaming giant's popular shows "Stranger Things" and "Squid Game" in their games. Other licensing partners include Lionsgate, Sega and Japanese publisher Kodansha. Roblox has been aggressively trying to grab a larger share of the videogame market and expand its revenue sources by diversifying beyond gaming and turning the platform into a hub for socializing, commerce and advertising. Introducing a platform for licensing property with popular characters and names from highly recognizable media could draw more people to its games, which appeal to a large cohort of Gen Z users. "We have a goal to have 10 per cent of all gaming content revenue flowing through the Roblox ecosystem and benefiting our community," said Manuel Bronstein, chief product officer at Roblox. "This will require having a wide range of experiences and giving creators the opportunity to partner with rights holders of the most recognizable IP," he said. Roblox had previously worked with media companies such as Warner Bros Discovery, launching special advertising campaigns and games around a specific property to drive consumer engagement. The License Manager would enable rights holders to register and create licenses, offering them quickly to creators in days or hours rather than months, Roblox said. The company also plans to onboard more IP holders throughout the year and aims to open the License Manager to all eligible IP holders in the coming months. It is even exploring additional license types.


Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
US tariffs may last well after Trump; crucial for countries to deepen trade ties: SM Lee
SINGAPORE - Countries that support free trade should strengthen cooperation and work together to adapt to evolving global trade dynamics in response to the United States' increasingly protectionist stance. This is crucial, as it may be difficult for the US and the rest of the world to return to the pre-April 2 landscape, when President Donald Trump unveiled his so-called reciprocal trade policy, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The former prime minister was speaking at the Economic Society of Singapore's (ESS) annual dinner on July 15. SM Lee noted that once tariffs are in place and new businesses emerge that rely on that protection, it becomes politically unfeasible to remove them, as these businesses, now with vested interests, will push back against any rollback. 'It will not go back to the status quo in trade policy, in economic policy. Once you make a move, you can't take it back.' He noted that former US president Joe Biden did not overturn earlier tariffs that Mr Trump imposed on China in his first term. SM Lee said that it is unclear if the US will in the future abandon its protectionist stance, but that should not stop other countries from strengthening international cooperation among one another. He noted that the US has taken a more narrow, bilateral and transactional view of international trade, and, while not perfect, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) framework has nonetheless enabled extensive free trade among many countries. 'We will have to see whether that is (still) possible, because when you have the biggest economy in the world taking a radically different approach and really not just withdrawing from, but expressing its disapproval of the WTO system, that will have repercussions.' Acting in defiance of economic laws and the interests of other countries will be very hard to sustain for the US, SM Lee said. 'One thing I have learned in government is that you can fail to follow economic principles, but you cannot repeal an economic law, whether you follow (it) or not, the economic law exists. 'That's just the way the world works. That's just the way human society works, and if you don't follow it, you may have your reasons and you want to override it and do something different, but market forces, incentives for people to act in certain ways in their own interests are very powerful,' he said. He noted that the Americans still have to trade with the rest of the world, such as in rare earths. 'Maybe at some point you (the US) can come back and participate again in a more open and constructive way, but that's the best possible scenario. It may or may not happen.' Asked what other countries should do in the meantime, SM Lee said they can build partnerships with like-minded economies within a region such as Asean, a broader grouping like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or through wider trade pacts such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. 'And I think we can also work together on the WTO to make the WTO work without being paralysed by consensus gridlock.' He said countries should also diversify their trade relationships by exploring new markets in regions like Latin America and Africa. SM Lee's dialogue with ESS president Euston Quah also touched on domestic economics and policies, such as on Singapore's certificate of entitlement (COE) system. A preferential system where COEs are offered at a lower cost to certain groups is not feasible for Singapore, SM Lee said. He was responding to a question by Prof Quah which made reference to calls for COEs to be made more affordable to some drivers, based on need, such as families with young children. This cannot work in tandem with the current COE system, which is meant to allocate scarce space on the road according to economic principles, SM Lee said. 'It becomes very difficult for the government to design a system which takes into account how many kids you have, how young they are, whether you've got somebody disabled in the family, whether you have an old folk, whether your job requires you to go place to place, delivering supplies, meeting customers, or whether you are driving to a place of work very far away,' he said. 'I think if you want to design a scheme which worries about all those things, it would fail.' He likened the COE to a proxy for road space, with prices fluctuating depending on demand from prospective car buyers. This system is working quite well, SM Lee said, adding that the government has issued additional COEs to give more people the right to own vehicles. 'If you want the price to be lower, then you must put out more COEs, which is what the government is now doing. We took from the future. We are putting out five, 10 per cent more, and therefore the supply is higher,' he added. 'There's really no easy way to make something which is valuable be distributed fairly, and at the same time, very cheap.' The Land Transport Authority has said it would add up to 20,000 additional COEs across all five vehicle categories over several years from this February. SM Lee also cited the Chinese city of Beijing, which adopted lotteries to determine which drivers could own licence plates. He said he did not believe this was the right solution for Singapore. 'I can guarantee every Singaporean affordable, convenient transportation. I cannot guarantee every Singaporean an affordable car.' He added that cars differ from Housing Board flats, where 'every Singaporean can get one, maybe three-room, maybe five-room, maybe two-room, but every Singaporean household can get one. But cars, no'. SM Lee noted that it is better to provide direct cash assistance to the group in need instead of creating complicated schemes to help them. 'You have a special need, for example, you have a kid. Rather than I give you a cheaper COE, I give you a bigger baby bonus, and if you want, you can use that to... help to pay for a little bit of a car,' he said.
Business Times
2 hours ago
- Business Times
Trump lands Indonesia trade deal as EU readies retaliation
[WASHINGTON] US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Jul 15) announced a trade deal with Indonesia, the latest pact in a bid to cement better terms with trading partners and reduce a massive trade deficit, even as the European Union readied retaliatory measures should talks between Washington and its top trading partner fail. 'Great deal, for everybody, just made with Indonesia. I dealt directly with their highly respected President. DETAILS TO FOLLOW!!!' Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Indonesia's total trade with the US – totalling just under US$40 billion in 2024 – does not rank in the top 15, but it has been growing. US exports to Indonesia rose 3.7 per cent last year, while imports from there were up 4.8 per cent, leaving the US with a goods trade deficit of nearly US$18 billion. The top US import categories from Indonesia, according to US Census Bureau data retrieved on the International Trade Centre's TradeMap tool, last year were palm oil, electronics equipment including data routers and switches, footwear, car tires, natural rubber and frozen shrimp. Susiwijono Moegiarso, a senior official with Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, told Reuters in a text message: 'We are preparing a joint statement between US and Indonesia that will explain the size of reciprocal tariff for Indonesia including the tariff deal, non-tariff and commercial arrangements. We will inform (the public) soon.' Trump had threatened Indonesia with a 32 per cent tariff rate effective Aug 1 in a letter sent to its president last week. Trump sent similar letters to roughly two dozen trading partners this month, including Canada, Japan and Brazil, setting blanket tariff rates ranging from 20 per cent up to 50 per cent, as well as a 50 per cent tariff on copper. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up The Aug 1 deadline gives the targeted countries time to negotiate agreements that could lower the threatened tariffs. Some investors and economists have also noted Trump's pattern of backing off his tariff threats. Since launching his tariff policy, Trump has clinched only a few deals despite his team touting an effort to bring home '90 deals in 90 days.' So far, framework agreements have been reached with the United Kingdom and Vietnam, and an interim deal has been struck with China to forestall the steepest of Trump's tariffs while negotiations continue between Washington and Beijing. EU readies retaliation The breakthrough with Indonesia came as the European Commission, the EU's governing body, gets set to target 72 billion euros (S$107.5 billion) worth of US goods – from Boeing aircraft and bourbon whiskey to cars – for possible tariffs if trade talks with Washington fail. Trump is threatening a 30 per cent tariff on imports from the EU from Aug 1, a level European officials say is unacceptable and would end normal trade between two of the world's largest markets. The list, sent to EU member states and seen by Reuters on Tuesday, pre-dates Trump's move over the weekend to ramp up pressure on the 27-nation bloc and responds instead to US duties on cars and car parts and a 10 per cent baseline tariff. The package also covers chemicals, medical devices, electrical and precision equipment as well as agriculture and food products – a range of fruits and vegetables, along with wine, beer and spirits – valued at 6.35 billion euros. Following a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels on Monday, officials said they were still seeking a deal to avoid Trump's heavy tariff blow. But EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said those at the meeting expressed unprecedented resolve to protect EU businesses using European countermeasures if negotiations with Washington fail to produce a deal. REUTERS