Business
Thailand’s Board of Investment Says Chinese Companies Flocking to Thailand
BANGKOK – Thailand’s Board of Investment said that they have received a massive increase in the number of applications from Chinese businesses looking to relocate their supply chain to other Asian countries.
While some of this can be chalked up as a relatively new phenomenon in China due to rising costs and regulations there, others are looking to set up shop in Thailand to avoid current tariffs, or future ones.
“Part of those investment projects are the result of trade disputes. These are investment plans only so some of them may never see the light of day, or take a few more years to complete,” says Khun Chokedee, deputy secretary general of the Thailand Board of Investment. “More Chinese companies and Chinese investors are visiting our offices in China to inquire about moving,” he says, adding that in the first quarter of 2019, the number of Chinese companies that have visited all three of their offices in mainland China rose by 40% from last year.
“That’s an indicator of interest. I’d say most of that is due to the trade war.”
For much of the past year, China has seen companies speed up relocation efforts. For some industries, especially apparel, companies have already moved. China’s environmental and labor laws are getting more strict, a long overdue effort on the part of Beijing to get the country up to par with World Trade Organization rules on such things. Now that the trade war is in full swing, companies have gotten a shot in the arm and are moving faster abroad.
Others are using Hong Kong ports to export to the U.S. in order to avoid tariffs. Some are shifting sources of origin from Vietnam. On commodities, mainly soybeans, Chinese companies have avoided paying Beijing’s tariffs by buying from Brazil or having the government buy the beans for them in order to absorb port duties imposed by Beijing.
Recently, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said he would advise U.S. companies to reconsider China as a source of supply. Other companies are taking a “wait-and-see” approach, assuming President Trump is gone by 2020.
China-watchers believe that countries like Thailand will see an even greater uptick of interest on the part of Chinese corporations should Trump win his re-election bid.
Others are waiting to see what becomes of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, initiated out of Japan from the ashes of President Obama’s anti-China Trans-Pacific Partnership. It has not yet been ratified by the 11 member states, which include China-centric economies like Australia and Vietnam and U.S.-centric ones like Mexico and Canada.
Chinese investments in Thailand thus far have been focused on electrical products and auto parts.
“American companies in China have come to us saying they are thinking of relocating and Thailand is a destination for them in Asia,” says Chokedee.
In the past, U.S. companies that source goods from China were paying an average of 4% port duties. At least half of the now pay 25% duties. If tariffs go up on every China import, some companies will be looking for other supply chain models.
“Trump’s trade wars are realigning economic interests. We haven’t yet fully seen the impact this will have on the global supply chain, but wheels are in motion,” says Kim Catechis, head of global emerging markets and portfolio manager for Martin Currie Investment Management in the U.K.
What if Trump wins in 2020? “Trade tariffs will continue,” says Catechis.
That means a few years from now, say in just two or three, Thailand could find itself in the crosshairs.
“It’s all about opportunity versus risk and right now the opportunity in Thailand outweighs that risk,” says Chokedee.
Thailand used to be a lower skilled manufacturing country. Now they are moving up the value chain, have a solid local market, solid infrastructure at logistics like the Laem Chabang Port. Based on the World Bank’s Doing Business rankings, it is easier to set up a business there than in Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam, but not as easy as it is in Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and the more expensive South Korea.
‘Two months ago, a U.S. company came here and met with me to discuss their three investment prooposals,” Chokedee says from his New York office at No. 7 World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan. “One of those projects came to us; the other two went to Vietnam and Singapore.”
It’s not all because of the trade war realigning things. It is unclear if those projects, on which Chokedee did not elaborate, were eyeing southeast Asia as an alternative to mainland China.
Neither the U.S. nor China are the number one source for foreign direct investment in Thailand. That’s Japan’s job. But China and the U.S. are in the top five, led by automotive, auto electrics and chemicals.
Last year, a $6.3 billion investment by Exxon, however, put the U.S. ahead of Japan in terms of FDI into Thailand.
Business
PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.
(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.
This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.
Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.
Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.
The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.
Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.
Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.
The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.
Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.
Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.
Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.
Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.
Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”
Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.
The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.
Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.
The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.
Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”
Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.
The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.
Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.
The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:
SOURCE: CNBC
SEE ALSO:
Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.
Business
Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.
(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.
This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.
For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.
This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.
Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”
This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.
This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.
Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.
Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.
Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.
This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.
It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.
Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”
This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.
We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.
Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.
SOURCE: THBL
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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
States Sue TikTok, Claiming Its Platform Is Addictive And Harms The Mental Health Of Children
Qantas Airways Apologizes After R-Rated Film Reportedly Airs On Every Screen During Flight
Business
American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.
American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.
According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
SOURCE | AP
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