A dispute between China and the US, the EU and Japan over rare earth exports has simmered for some time, and the feud has escalated with the recent involvement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), according to Xinhua News.
Canada and Japan have agreed to enter free-trade talks. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Japanese counterpart made the announcement following a bilateral meeting in Tokyo on Sunday, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) is planning to issue instant trade licences to investors under a new ‘120 days hassle free licence’ initiative that will be launched this year, according to Gulf News.
Hong Kong’s Executive Council, the territory’s appointed upper house, has endorsed a plan to construct a third runway at Hong Kong International Airport at a cost of HK$136 billion (US$17.5 billion), according to the Shipping Gazette, citing a Reuters report.
Geneva’s Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has announced a planned general rate increase for transporting sea freight from the Far East to New Zealand.
Legislation to help New York apple growers carry out their work more efficiently and reduce costs has been introduced by US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. The bill has been endorsed by the New York Apple Association and U.S. Apple Association, according to Fresh Plaza.com.
The Government has joined with Facebook billionaire Peter Thiel to create a $40 million venture capital fund aimed at getting Kiwi tech firms exporting, according to the NZ Herald.
Natural ingredients, traditional brewing techniques and sustainable shipping practices have seen Moa Beer secure impressive deals with some of America’s top retail chains, according to Foodworks’s website.
The U.S. Commerce Department announced a preliminary decision Tuesday to impose modest import duties on Chinese solar panels of below 5%, while continuing its probe into allegations by struggling U.S. producers that they are the victims of unfair competition, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Australia’s dairy farmers have given Dairy Australia the go-ahead to continue providing services to their industry, by voting to lift the Dairy Service Levy rate by 10 per cent, according to Stock and Land’s website.
Zhu Min, an International Monetary Fund official, remains optimistic about China’s chances of avoiding economic troubles even as the latest data points to a further slump in the country’s property market, according to ChinaDaily.com.
Just three days after Apple launched the newest iPad in stores, the company announced it has sold three million units, according to GulfNews.com.
New Zealand’s opposition leader David Shearer wants a law change so governments have to throw out any foreign bid to buy New Zealand farms, unless the offer would result in more jobs and more exports than any New Zealand bid could, the NZ Herald reported.
Australia’s Queensland University of Technology has signed an agreement with India’s Department of Biotechnology for developing new strains of bananas to help counter iron-deficiency anaemia in India, according to FreshPlaza.com.
The resources boom delivered Australia a record AUD$190 billion pay cheque in 2011, despite market jitters causing commodity prices to slide late in the year, according to The Age.
Tasmania is in danger of missing the growth in global demand for food due to the pressures on exports as a result of high freight costs, a strong dollar and compliance with government regulations, according to The Mercury.
China recorded a trade deficit of USD$31.48 billion in February, the largest in a decade, as import growth far outpaced exports, according to China Daily News.
The Port of Tauranga is in the top 10 of the world’s ports for the speed of handling containers and has been hailed the best performing port in New Zealand.
Australians’ love affair with Facebook and Twitter has not translated into a love of the brands active on those sites with only 18 per cent of people rating social media as a reliable place for company information, according to The Age.