logo
Canada Seeks Southeast Asia Trade Deal to Blunt Trump Tariffs

Canada Seeks Southeast Asia Trade Deal to Blunt Trump Tariffs

Bloomberg10-07-2025
Canada's top diplomat said she aims to finalize a free trade agreement with Southeast Asian nations 'as soon as possible,' as the country looks to expand economic ties in the face of tariffs from President Donald Trump.
'We are diversifying and we are establishing those trade relationships,' Anita Anand, who has been Canada's foreign minister since May, told Bloomberg TV Thursday on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur. 'We are currently negotiating with Asean a free trade agreement, and we look forward to the conclusion of those negotiations.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Canada's Teck Resources approves Highland Valley copper mine life extension through 2046
Canada's Teck Resources approves Highland Valley copper mine life extension through 2046

Yahoo

time8 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Canada's Teck Resources approves Highland Valley copper mine life extension through 2046

(Reuters) -Canadian miner Teck Resources said on Thursday it had approved the construction of a life extension project at its Highland Valley Copper mine in British Columbia, which will keep Canada's largest copper mine operating through 2046. The Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension project is expected to support average copper production of 132,000 metric tonnes per year over the life of the mine, the company said in a statement. "This extension of Canada's largest copper mine is foundational to our strategy to double copper production by the end of the decade," CEO Jonathan Price said. "Given the strong demand for copper as an energy transition metal, the project will generate a robust IRR and secure access to this critical mineral for the next two decades." Last October, Teck trimmed its full-year copper production forecast, citing mining delays and labour challenges at Highland Valley Copper mine. The life extension project, set to begin in August, would maintain approximately 1,500 direct jobs and is expected to create around 2,900 jobs during the construction phase, the company said. The capital cost of the project is estimated at C$2.1 billion ($1.54 billion) to C$2.4 billion ($1.76 billion) and will be invested from the second half of 2025 through 2028, the company added. The mine's life was previously projected to run through 2028 before the extension project was approved. ($1 = 1.3602 Canadian dollars)

South Korea seeks to leverage Trump's focus on shipbuilding in tariff talks
South Korea seeks to leverage Trump's focus on shipbuilding in tariff talks

Yahoo

time8 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

South Korea seeks to leverage Trump's focus on shipbuilding in tariff talks

By Ju-min Park and Joyce Lee SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea and the United States have been discussing a shipbuilding tie-up that could include investments to modernise U.S. shipyards and more help to repair the U.S. naval fleet as Seoul seeks better tariff terms, government and industry sources said. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made revitalising the ageing U.S. shipbuilding industry a priority to keep up with China, has repeatedly raised the idea of cooperating with South Korea's cutting-edge shipbuilding industry. After investing billions of dollars in shipbuilding capacity, China is the world's biggest shipbuilder. It also has the world's largest maritime fighting force, operating 234 warships to the U.S. Navy's 219, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "South Korea can use shipbuilding as leverage to gain some advantage in tariff negotiations," said Kim Suk Kyoon, a former commissioner of the Korea Coast Guard and an expert on maritime strategy. Pressure on Seoul to reach a deal on import tariffs has increased after Japan struck a trade agreement with the U.S. this week. South Korean officials are in Washington for trade talks, though a high-level meeting due on Friday was postponed over scheduling. South Korea is the world's second-largest shipbuilder and a source with direct knowledge of the talks said any partnership should include South Korean companies investing in the U.S. and helping more in repair and maintenance. South Korea's proposal of a "Korea-U.S. manufacturing renaissance partnership" in areas such as shipbuilding had drawn strong U.S. interest, as Washington called for joint efforts to counter China's shipbuilding growth, Seoul trade officials said, declining to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media. The U.S. Treasury Department and Trade Representative did not respond to requests for comment on the progress of talks about shipbuilding. South Korea's industry ministry said the U.S. and South Korea were discussing ways to cooperate in manufacturing industries, including shipbuilding, but declined to elaborate. POLITICAL WILL "The most realistic option for South Korea is, I think, to make a deal to fix a certain number of U.S. navy vessels annually or build parts of new ships," said Kim, a visiting researcher at the Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy. Repair of U.S. Navy ships is already happening in South Korea including at Hanwha Ocean's Geoje shipyard, which has the world's largest dock and a 900-ton "Goliath" crane, according to its website. In July, Hanwha Ocean secured its third U.S. Navy maintenance contract and parent Hanwha Group has also been expanding in U.S. shipbuilding. It acquired Pennsylvania-based Philly Shipyard for $100 million last year and said this week the shipyard had received an order for a liquefied natural gas carrier to be built together with Hanwha Ocean's Geoje shipyard. The conglomerate recently said it obtained U.S. approval to increase its stake in Australian shipbuilder Austal that owns a shipyard in Alabama building U.S. Navy ships. Another South Korean shipbuilder, HD Hyundai, formed a partnership this year with U.S. defence-focused shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls, and joined forces with Edison Chouest Offshore to build container ships in the U.S. But, obstacles remain to expanding the relationship. There are difficulties obtaining parts and a lack of local talent at U.S. shipyards, said Woo Jong Hoon, a naval architecture and ocean engineering professor at Seoul National University. Political will would also be needed given the raft of U.S. regulations that protect domestic shipbuilding. A South Korean trade official called for exceptions or changes to the Jones Act, which bars foreign shipyards from building commercial ships to operate in the U.S. The Byrnes-Tollefson Amendment also prohibits the construction of navy vessels in foreign shipyards, but the president retains the authority to waive its provisions for national security. To skirt U.S. regulations, South Korea could look into ideas like building modules to be delivered to U.S. shipyards or designating a South Korean shipyard as a special district so U.S. Navy ships could be built there, Woo said. 'WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL' Trump's introduction to South Korean shipbuilding probably happened nearly three decades ago. The real estate mogul flew in by helicopter to visit the Geoje shipyard in 1998, recounts Lim Moon Kyu, a retired senior executive at the former Daewoo Shipbuilding company who accompanied the VIP guest "with Hollywood looks". Daewoo Shipbuilding was acquired in 2023, becoming Hanwha Ocean. At the top of a 100-metre (328 ft) high crane, Trump was given a birds-eye view of the sprawling shipyard on a southern island. "Clearly, he was impressed, saying 'Wonderful, Wonderful' on top of the crane," said Lim, as he thumbed through photos of the meeting with Trump, who was accompanied by his son Donald Trump Jr. Lim believes the visit left Trump with a lasting positive impression that means he is now open to cooperating with Korean shipbuilders to counter China's growing naval power. "What carrots do we have to give to the U.S.? Nothing but this (shipbuilding) would be immediately possible," said Lim. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store