Author: Lewis Fletcher

Maple Leaf Foods President and CEO Curtis Frank said the company does have expansion on its mind, and it is keeping its eyes open for potential acquisitions, including ones that could increase its footprint in the United States. Frank, during a quarterly earnings call on August 3, said he sees three phases for the path forward for Maple Leaf Foods. The first is improving its margins, something he said the company is making good progress toward. He said the company is also placing emphasis on bringing its two latest expansion projects — the new poultry plant in London, Ontario, and…

For those looking to leave the U.S., pursuing life as an expatriate is often an appealing option.  That’s especially true for those living in pricey locales, such as New York City or San Francisco, where the cost of living remains persistently high. In fact, New York continues to be the most expensive city in North America, ranking sixth in the world. Relocating to work abroad, however, can also come with a hefty price tag, according to Mercer’s 2023 Cost of Living Ranking, which ranks 227 cities across five continents, comparing the cost of goods and services in each location. The most expensive city…

President Biden has framed international relations in terms of a conflict between democracies and autocracies, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reaffirmed this position From its arrival at the White House, the Trump Administration made the Great Power Competition its priority guide for action, setting its sights primarily on the confrontation with the People’s Republic of China. But sanctions, tariffs and technology bans were not limited to the Asian giant. To the cry of ‘America first!’ even the most traditional partners were singled out with punitive trade measures, and transatlantic allies were branded as freeloaders who abused the US security…

A group of five American university students are learning the art of traditional Japanese puppetry in this west Japan city, as part of a summer program revived for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The students have been practicing daily at the Tonda puppet hall in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, ahead of a July 30 regular summer show at the hall featuring local “Tonda Ningyo” puppetry. Tonda Ningyo dates to the Edo period (1603-1867), when a troupe traveling from Awa (present-day Tokushima Prefecture) is said to have left puppets behind to cover their expenses, and local theater…

Stellantis signs up to obtain rare earth automotive battery pack supplies from a source in Nebraska. The automaker announces the signing of a “Rare Earth Offtake Term Sheet” with U.S. supplier NioCorp in a bid to reduce battery dependency on Asian nations while benefiting from financial incentives provided by the Inflation Reduction Act. At the same time, NioCorp expects the agreement will pave the way to its commercial production of magnetic rare earth oxides in the U.S. The deal envisions a definitive agreement for a 10-year offtake contract for specific amounts of neodymium-praseodymium oxide, dysprosium oxide and terbium oxide that…

China does not want a trade war with the United States but will retaliate against any further U.S. restrictions on technology and trade, the Chinese ambassador to the U.S. said. Ambassador Xie Feng criticized U.S. curbs on the sale of microchips and chipmaking equipment to China that were imposed last year by the Biden administration. Beijing has described the measure as part of an effort to “contain” China. “China does not shy away from competition, but the definition of competition by the U.S. side I think is not fair,” Xie said Wednesday at the Aspen Security Forum, a security and…

The announcement of Austin’s visit to Papua New Guinea came in the wake of more signs that that neighboring Solomon Islands continues to move towards China as its key partner. In a clear sign of just how vital the Pacific Islands are now perceived to be by the US military, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin plans to become the first US defense secretary to visit the island state of Papua New Guinea during his eighth visit to the Indo-Pacific. Austin will meet with Prime Minister James Marape, Defense Minister Win Bakri Daki, Defense Secretary Hari John Akipe, and Chief of Defence Force…

Mr Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Huston, United States of America, says he is engaging with the Nigerian government for the establishment of a Consular Office in Huston and direct flight to expand trade, and relations with Nigeria. Turner made this known while addressing some Nigerian journalists in Abuja on the outcomes of his meeting with some government ministries and the business community on his business trip to Nigeria. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Turner led a delegation from diverse sectors in Huston to meet with their Nigerian counterparts, to mull ways of expanding trade, investment, and bilateral…

Across the plains of America known as the Corn Belt, farmers are spending their days and nights nurturing, tending to and praying for the wellbeing of this common yet globally significant food. Scott Haerr, who harvests 4,000 acres of corn every year (an area nearly five-times the size of New York’s Central Park), is one. Inside a massive grain silo on his farm in western Ohio, the third-generation farmer examines corn kernels from last year’s harvest. “That’s some real good corn,” he says, sifting through a handful. But while the quality of last year’s harvest may have been good, the…

South Korea’s exports to the United States rose more than 5 percent per year on average over the past decade thanks to the 2012 bilateral free trade agreement, compared with a 1.5 percent increase in the country’s overall exports, a think tank said Monday. South Korea’s shipments to the U.S. jumped to US$96.3 billion in 2021 from $56.4 billion in 2011, marking a yearly 5.5 percent growth on average, according to the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP). During the period, the country’s overall exports inched up 1.5 percent on-year from $555.2 billion to 644.4 billion. By sector, shipments…