Kyodo News Digest: June 30, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 14 minutes ago - 09:00 | All, Japan, World
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
----------
China lifts ban on Japanese seafood imports imposed in 2023
BEIJING - China on Sunday lifted its ban on Japanese seafood imports imposed in August 2023 following the release into the sea of treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Beijing introduced the blanket ban in a demonstration of its strong opposition to the ocean discharge. The Asian neighbors agreed to begin procedures to resume Japanese seafood imports in May, but it may take a few months until shipments begin following the completion of procedural steps.
----------
Japan PM to consider best governing framework after July poll
TOKYO - Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday he will consider what will be "the most appropriate" framework for his coalition government after a crucial election next month for the House of Councillors where his ruling coalition is seeking to retain its majority.
In an interview with Kyodo News, Ishiba called securing a majority of the 248-member upper chamber a "must-attain" goal but said it is not an easy task, at a time when conservative supporters are increasingly looking to alternatives to his Liberal Democratic Party.
----------
Trump shows no willingness to compromise on Japan auto tariffs
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump made clear in an interview broadcast Sunday that he has no plans to roll back hefty auto tariffs imposed on Japan, despite its strong opposition expressed in now-stalled negotiations.
Trump said his administration is ready to unilaterally send letters "starting pretty soon" to Japan and many other trading partners informing them of tariff rates for their exports to the United States.
----------
50% want Japan ruling bloc to lose upper house majority: Kyodo poll
TOKYO - Half of Japanese voters want Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition to lose its majority in the House of Councillors in next month's election, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday.
The nationwide telephone poll conducted Saturday and Sunday found that 50.2 percent of respondents want the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito party to lose their upper house majority, while 38.1 percent want them to retain control following the July 20 election.
----------
China to invite Trump to Sept. military parade marking WWII victory
BEIJING - China is planning to invite U.S. President Donald Trump to a military parade scheduled for Sept. 3 in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, sources familiar with the matter said Sunday.
The United States, meanwhile, has proposed that Chinese President Xi Jinping visit the country during the same month, coinciding with a U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, the sources said.
----------
Harley-Davidson Japan faces fine over excessive sales quotas
TOKYO - Japan's antitrust watchdog is set to fine the domestic unit of motorcycle company Harley-Davidson Inc. around 200 million yen ($1.4 million) for imposing excessive sales quotas on dealers in violation of the antimonopoly law, sources close to the matter have said.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission will also issue a cease and desist order to Harley-Davidson Japan K.K., based in Tokyo, over pressuring dealers by implying their exclusive sales contracts might not be renewed if they failed to meet the quotas, leading some to buy unsold motorcycles themselves.
----------
Hong Kong pro-democracy bloc nears end with last party disbanding
HONG KONG - Hong Kong's pro-democracy bloc has been virtually blotted out as the last functioning party announced its dissolution Sunday, a day before the territory marks the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-imposed national security law amid increasing doubts over its autonomy.
The League of Social Democrats, considered one of the more radical voices in the city's opposition spectrum, cited "immense political pressure" as the reason for the party's unanimous decision, adding that it might have otherwise faced consequences.
----------
Japan's May industrial output rises 0.5% on month
TOKYO - Japan's industrial output in May rose 0.5 percent from the previous month, government data showed Monday.
The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines stood at 101.8 against the 2020 base of 100, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report.
Video: Mt. Shinmoe eruption in southwestern Japan
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Harley-Davidson Japan to Be Fined for Unfair Trade Practices; Company Enriched Itself by Setting Overly High Sales Quotas for Dealers
The Japan Fair Trade Commission has decided to issue a cease and desist order against Harley-Davidson Japan K.K. (HDJ), a Tokyo-based motorcycle sales company, for unfair trade practices in violation of the antimonopoly law, sources report. According to the sources, HDJ unilaterally imposed difficult-to-meet sales quotas on dealers, a practice which was detrimental to them. The JFTC is also expected to issue a surcharge payment order of about ¥200 million. Harley-Davidson is the leading manufacturer of large motorcycles in the United States, with some models costing over ¥5 million. HDJ, its Japanese subsidiary, has an exclusive distribution agreement with about 90 dealers in Japan. The sources say that no later than January 2023, HDJ began saddling dozens of dealers with sales quotas that they could not meet without purchasing new motorcycles from themselves. HDJ also indicated that it would not renew the dealers' exclusive sales contracts if they did not at least partially meet these quotas. The dealers, not wanting their contracts to be terminated, bought new motorcycles in the names of their own executives and employees to drive up their sales numbers. It is believed that the purchased vehicles were registered in the names of the executives and others and resold as 'registered unused vehicles' at discount prices lower than those of new vehicles. Some dealers spent tens of millions of yen a year buying their own motorcycles. The JFTC found that HDJ used its strong position to gain profits for itself at the dealers' expense, and that such practices legally constituted 'abuse of a superior bargaining position.' It has already sent HDJ a plan for measures to be taken and will formally issue the order after hearing HDJ's opinion.
Asahi Shimbun
2 hours ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Survey: Majority of big companies feel economy is at a ‘standstill'
Supermarket employees display bags of stockpiled rice released by the central government on May 31 in Tokyo's Ota Ward. (Tatsuo Kanai) Fifty-seven of 100 major Japanese companies believe the domestic economy is 'at a standstill,' the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic for a majority to feel that way, an Asahi Shimbun survey showed. The figure represents an increase of 16 companies from the previous survey in July 2024. The latest 100-company survey was conducted from June 6 to 19. The last time more than 50 responding companies said the economy was at a standstill was in spring 2021, during the crisis over the novel coronavirus. The number of companies in the latest survey that say the economy is 'moderately receding' was nine, up six from the 2024 survey. Only 33 companies feel the economy is 'moderately expanding,' a significant decrease from 53 in the 2024 survey. And zero companies believe the economy is 'significantly expanding,' the same as in the previous survey. When asked to choose up to two reasons for their evaluations, 'consumer spending' was selected by 54 companies, followed by 'capital investment' by 28 and 'wages' by 25. 'Wage growth has not kept pace with the sustained rise in prices of food, energy and other items, and households are saving money,' Makoto Tani, chairman of Skylark Holdings Co., said. The survey also found that the most common concern for Japan's economy is 'intensifying trade friction, including tariffs,' cited by 65 companies, followed by 'sluggish personal consumption,' selected by 41. 'If trade friction intensifies, it could put pressure on corporate profits and cause employment uncertainty,' Shinichiro Funabiki, president of MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings Inc., said. 'There are concerns that this could lead to a decline in domestic consumption and investment stagnation, contributing to a slowdown in the overall economy.' Teiichi Goto, president of Fujifilm Holdings Corp., said, 'The future of tariff negotiations with the U.S. remains uncertain, and depending on the outcome, there could be a negative impact.' The majority of survey respondents also take a cautious view of the global economy. Sixty-one said the world economy is 'stagnant,' up 17 from the previous survey, while 18 believe the global economy is 'moderately decelerating.' Two companies said it was 'solidly decelerating,' compared with zero in the previous survey. Among the optimists, 15 companies feel the global economy is 'moderately expanding,' and one responded that it is 'solidly expanding.' Eighty companies said the biggest threat to the global economy is 'tariff action by the U.S. Trump administration.' And half of the 100 companies said they are concerned about the outlook for the U.S. economy. 'The uncertainty caused by the U.S. tariff policy is covering the entire world,' said Toru Nakashima, CEO of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group. 'Excessive pessimism is being corrected, but the economy remains unpredictable with significant downside risks.' Six companies cited 'the impact of international conflicts and terrorism in the Middle East and elsewhere' as a concern for the global economy.
Nikkei Asia
2 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Trump tariff tracker: the latest on US levies affecting Asia
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One after departing early from the G7 summit in Canada to return to Washington, June 17. © Reuters GRACE LI TOKYO -- U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on nations around the world in the first months of his second term to revive American manufacturing, rattling Asian economies that rely heavily on exports for prosperity. The unilateral U.S. moves -- which include country-by-country blanket levies known as "reciprocal" tariffs, and duties on specific items such as steel and automobiles -- are causing major disruptions to the global economy, where close links in supply chains have become the norm for doing business.
