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Europe Interested in Electrical Linkage with Egypt

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, hugs EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, left, as Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek El-Molla looks on, after a deal was signed between Israel, the EU and Egypt to boost East Mediterranean gas exports to Europe, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. (AP)
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, hugs EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, left, as Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek El-Molla looks on, after a deal was signed between Israel, the EU and Egypt to boost East Mediterranean gas exports to Europe, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. (AP)
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Europe Interested in Electrical Linkage with Egypt

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, hugs EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, left, as Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek El-Molla looks on, after a deal was signed between Israel, the EU and Egypt to boost East Mediterranean gas exports to Europe, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. (AP)
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, hugs EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, left, as Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek El-Molla looks on, after a deal was signed between Israel, the EU and Egypt to boost East Mediterranean gas exports to Europe, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. (AP)

Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker discussed with EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simpson ways to support and boost cooperation between the Egyptian electricity and renewable energy sector and the European Energy Commission.

The Commission is interested in ​​the electrical linkage between the EU, Africa, and the Middle East through Egypt.

Simpson praised the achievements of Egypt's electricity and renewable energy sector, expressing her desire to increase cooperation in various electricity fields, especially in renewable energy and green hydrogen.

She expressed the Commission's interest in completing a linkage project with Greece so that Egypt becomes a regional hub for energy exchange between Europe, Arab, and African countries.

For his part, Shaker praised the distinguished relations between the Egyptian electricity and renewable energy sector and the Commission.

He highlighted the achievements of the electricity and renewable energy sector, stressing interest in spreading the use of renewable energies.

The Minister pointed out the significant challenges Egypt faced in providing energy to the local market in the past and the efforts made to secure and sustain the electricity supply to meet demand.

Moreover, Shaker noted that the ministry is interested in renewable energies through an ambitious plan to produce around 10,000 megawatts in 2023.

He stressed that the electricity sector is working on improving and developing the transmission and distribution networks.

It also establishing networks to strengthen the national grid to contain the new capabilities added from renewable energy, reduce electrical losses in the network, and enhance linkage with neighboring countries.

The Minister noted that Egypt is linked with Jordan, Libya, and Sudan.

The ministry has signed contracts to award the electrical linkage project between Saudi Arabia and Egypt to increase the reliability of the electrical supply.

Cairo also signed memoranda of understanding to implement interconnection projects with Cyprus and Greece, making Egypt a regional hub for energy exchange with Europe and Arab and African countries.

The Minister indicated that cooperation is ongoing with international companies to start discussions and studies to implement experimental green hydrogen production projects in Egypt as a first step towards the possibility of export.

Green hydrogen would soon become a promising energy source, Shaker remarked, adding that a ministerial committee is currently studying hydrogen as a source of energy in Egypt.

Egypt is keen to support the efforts of African countries to access clean energy from renewable sources, he said.

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US Locks in Steep Tariff Hikes on Chinese Imports

Stacked containers and cranes are shown at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California (AFP)
Stacked containers and cranes are shown at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California (AFP)
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US Locks in Steep Tariff Hikes on Chinese Imports

Stacked containers and cranes are shown at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California (AFP)
Stacked containers and cranes are shown at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California (AFP)

The Biden administration on Friday locked in steep tariff hikes on Chinese imports, including a 100% duty on electric vehicles, to strengthen protections for strategic domestic industries from China's state-driven excess production capacity.

The US Trade Representative's office told Reuters that many of the tariffs, including a 100% duty on Chinese EVs, 50% on solar cells and 25% on steel, aluminium, EV batteries and key minerals, would go into effect on Sep 27.

The USTR determination showed a 50% duty on Chinese semiconductors, which now include two new categories - polysilicon used in solar panels and silicon wafers - are due to start in 2025.

Adjustments to the punitive “Section 301” tariffs on $18 billion worth of goods announced in May by President Joe Biden were minimal and disregarded auto industry pleas for lower tariffs on graphite and critical minerals needed for EV battery production because they are still too dependent on Chinese supplies.

USTR left unchanged the tariff increase to 25% from zero on lithium-ion batteries, minerals and components, with the increase for batteries for EVs taking effect Sep 27 and those for all other devices, including laptops and cell phones, on Jan 1, 2026.

Lael Brainard, the top White House economic adviser, told Reuters that the decision was made to ensure that the US EV industry diversifies away from China's dominant supply chain.

She said such “tough, targeted” tariffs are needed to counteract China's state-driven subsidies and technology transfer policies that have led to over-investment and excess production capacity.

But Washington is investing hundreds of billions of dollars worth of its own tax subsidies to develop domestic EV, solar and semiconductor sectors.

“The 100% tariff on electric vehicles here does reflect the very significant unfair cost advantage that Chinese electric vehicles in particular are using to dominate car markets at a breathtaking pace in other parts of the world,” Brainard said.

China has vowed retaliation against the “bullying” tariff hikes and argued that its EV industry's success is due to innovation, not government support.

The higher US tariffs take effect as Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are both courting voters in auto and steel producing states, trying to position themselves as tough on China ahead of the November presidential election.

Trump has vowed to impose 60% tariffs on all Chinese imports.

The European Union and Canada also have announced new import tariffs on Chinese EVs, the latter matching the 100% US duties.

The final tariff decision does provide some temporary relief for US port operators who were facing a new 25% tariff on massive ship-to-shore cranes, an industry that China dominates with no US producers.

The duty would add millions of dollars to the cost of each crane.

USTR said it will allow exclusions from the tariffs for any Chinese port cranes that were ordered prior to the May 14 initial tariff announcements, as long as they are delivered by May 14, 2026.

USTR raised tariffs to 50% on medical face masks and surgical gloves, from an initially proposed 2%, but delayed their start to allow a shift to non-Chinese suppliers.

The planned duty on Chinese syringes, which were in short supply during the COVID-19 pandemic, will immediately rise to 100% from a previously planned 50%, but USTR will allow a temporary exclusion for enteral syringes, used to feed infants, for a year.

The agency also said it will consider requests for tariff exclusions for five Chinese industrial machinery categories, including those for machinery for purifying or filtering liquids, industrial robots and printing machinery.

It will allow tariff exclusions for Chinese solar wafer and cell manufacturing equipment, but not for equipment used to make full solar modules.