Most Japan Firms See No Need to Follow the US with Tariffs on China

A businessman walks in Tokyo's business district, Japan·Reuters
A businessman walks in Tokyo's business district, Japan·Reuters
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Most Japan Firms See No Need to Follow the US with Tariffs on China

A businessman walks in Tokyo's business district, Japan·Reuters
A businessman walks in Tokyo's business district, Japan·Reuters

Most Japanese companies see no need for their government to follow the US in raising tariffs on Chinese imports, saying excessive production capacity in China's industrial sector does not affect them, a Reuters survey showed on Thursday.

US President Joe Biden last month unveiled steep tariff increases on an array of Chinese goods including electric vehicles, batteries and semiconductors, criticizing Beijing for generous subsidies and policies that he said help flood global markets with cheap goods.

The European Union has also slapped hefty duties on EV imports and the Group of Seven major economies, which includes Japan, last week echoed concerns about what they called harmful non-market practices by China.

But 61% of respondents to the survey, conducted June 5-14, said there was no need for Japan to embark on similar measures. The rest said Japan should. Around 53% said China's excessive production capacity had little to no impact on their business, Reuters reported.

"It could lead to an escalation in measures and countermeasures against each other and economic conditions will get worse," a manager at a chemical company wrote in the comment section of the poll.

In response to the tariffs, China has accused the United States of subverting its own free trade principles and has said the G7 statement lacks factual basis.

The survey of 492 companies was conducted for Reuters by Nikkei Research, with firms responding on condition of anonymity. Roughly 230 companies responded.

The companies were also asked whether they think a pledge by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to have wages consistently climb faster than inflation was attainable but only 7% did.

"I'm afraid there are many mid-sized and small companies that just can't make ends meet if they implement wage hikes that keep pace with inflation," a manager at a wholesale company wrote.

Half said the goal was not attainable while 43% said it was hard to tell.

As a temporary measure to cushion the economic blow from rising inflation, Kishida's government is cutting annual income tax by 30,000 yen ($190) and the residential tax by 10,000 yen for each taxpaying citizen who can also claim the same amount in tax breaks for dependents and a spouse with limited income.

But 69% of the companies in the poll saw the measure as having little or no effect in stimulating consumer spending.

On domestic politics, 54% of the companies expect Kishida to be replaced as prime minister by the end of the year in the wake of a fund-raising scandal.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has said more than 80 of its lawmakers received proceeds from fund-raising events that were kept off the books. Prosecutors have indicted three lawmakers.

An Asahi newspaper poll conducted last week showed support for Kishida's government fell to 22%, down 2 percentage points from a month ago and the lowest since he took office in October 2021.

Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba was corporate Japan's top choice for the country's next leader, with 24% of firms deeming him a suitable successor. Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi was next with 14%.

A security maven, Ishiba regularly ranks high in voter surveys on future prime ministers but is less popular with fellow LDP lawmakers whose backing is necessary to win the party's leadership election.

About 80% of companies said they want the LDP and junior coalition partner Komeito to remain in power if Kishida calls a snap election this year.

If the coalition government were to lose power, "I fear that political confusion might develop into economic confusion and the weakening of Japan's competitiveness," a manager at a food company wrote.

Only 6% of the companies surveyed wanted a government led by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, currently the largest opposition party.



Derayah Financial Joins Flurry of Saudi Firms Seeking a Listing

Derayah Financial Joins Flurry of Saudi Firms Seeking a Listing
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Derayah Financial Joins Flurry of Saudi Firms Seeking a Listing

Derayah Financial Joins Flurry of Saudi Firms Seeking a Listing

Saudi Arabia's Derayah Financial became the first firm to announce plans this year to float on Riyadh's main market, after it said on Thursday it was offering investors a 20% stake via an initial public offering (IPO).
The company is planning to sell 49.94 million existing shares in the IPO, it said in an intention to float document, adding the price for the offering will be determined at the end of a book-building period, without providing further details, Reuters said.
"I am excited to welcome new shareholders to join us on this journey as we continue to drive innovation, create value, and contribute to the Kingdom's ambitious economic transformation," co-founder and chairman Taha AlKuwaiz said in the document.
Founded in 2009, Derayah provides brokerage and trading services, as well as asset and wealth management solutions, with 15.1 billion riyals ($4.03 billion) in assets under management as of the end of June.
The possible listing is part of a flurry of IPOs in the Gulf driven in part by local governments' economic diversification strategy and listings by private groups and family businesses.
Saudi Arabia's red-hot IPO market saw a number of financial services firms including Rasan Information Technology and Yaqeen Capital make their market debut last year.
Others like the investment banking arm of one of the Kingdom's biggest lenders, Riyad Bank, could follow suit this year.
Derayah posted a net profit of 228 million riyals ($60.80 million) in the first half of 2024, up 70% from the same period a year earlier, it said on Thursday.
It appointed HSBC Saudi Arabia as sole financial adviser, bookrunner, global coordinator, lead manager and underwriter for the IPO.