Author: Mark J

This new trip by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the African continent – a surprise visit to Morocco on Thursday – demonstrates ever-deepening cooperation in bilateral economic relations and diplomacy. During his brief Casablanca visit that came after the G20 Summit in Brazil, Xi received a warm welcome from Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, replicating the existing diplomacy between China and Morocco. As with any visit of short duration, much meaning could be imparted in that short span of time. This could be seen, when Xi met Aziz Ajanuch, head of Moroccan government and also get honours including members of…

This is a clear tactic that can easily aggravate trade tensions; China says it’s planning to increase exports even at a time when the world market has become apprehensive about the high volume of cheap Chinese products. During a press conference in Beijing on Friday, Wang Shouwen, the head of China’s delegation to the international trade talks and vice minister of commerce, explained to the media how the government is prepared to underwrite their exporting companies with credit and political backing. This is an initiative that was undertaken at a time when China’s rocketing shipment triggered trade tariffs and barriers…

Microsoft say it has plans for substantial growth in Italy including a new data centre and an extensive Artificial Intelligence training programme. The tech giant’s €4.3 billion investment over the next two years aims to bolster Italy’s AI infrastructure and cloud capacity, positioning the country as a key player in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. The centerpiece of Microsoft’s investment is the construction of a cutting-edge data center in Northern Italy, set to become one of the company’s largest in Europe. Besides improving its cloud computing solutions in the region, this centre will also play the role of conducting research…

New economic measures to jumpstart the economy and fix previously undetected issues were unveiled today by the Italian government. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the plan during a press conference in Rome and called for its focus on employment, investing in infrastructures, and sustainable growth of SMEs. Labelled at 50 billion euros, the package is a set of initiatives aimed at the development of growth points for Italy and the country’s strengthening in the global economy. The Product is remember as one of the key components that consists of €15 billion to be spent for infrastructures such as; transport, broadband…

At one point, the city was lauded as Spain’s economic engine, but recent data shows that the rate of corporate flight from Barcelona is only accelerating. New information from Spain’s College of Property Registers shows that in the first half of 2024, 495 companies have shifted their fiscal domicile out of Catalonia, while only 305 companies have set up in the same region. Thus, Catalonia is witnessing a clearly expressed increase in years relative to the previous one, the rate of which has four times increased in 2024. This is due to the emergence of political instabilities, which are the…

The announcement of good financial results of FC Barcelona for the 2023/24 fiscal year ensured a new spirit in the business community of Barcelona. In the official disclosure, the club’s Board of Directors agreed to the closure of accounts, which showed a €12 million profit in ordinary operations. This is particularly cheering news for the Catalan giants, which have suffered deep financial problems in the recent past. Club president Joan Laporta mentioned that the organization has managed to arrest its financial fall and lay the groundwork for a somewhat more sustainable financial trajectory. The financial entries also show that the…

In its year 2025 outlook for Mexico, the IMF says the country’s economy will continue to slow down. The growth rate is projected at 1.3% in 2025, after which the IMF predicts that the Mexican economy will grow by 1.5% in 2024. This forecast puts forward a most unpleasant picture of continued economic adversity for the second-largest economy in Latin America. The analysis follows the IMF’s routine ‘Article IV’ assessment of the Mexican economy and warns that Mexico needs to be prepared for slower global growth. As discussed in the above report, there are limber points which caused the low…

The flow of the Mexican economy is gradually slowing down as President Claudia Sheinbaum aims to advance growth via higher levels of new private investment in the United States. The IMF recently predicted that Mexico would reach only around 1.5% in 2024, from 3.2% in2023 because of certain capacity issues as well as tight monetary policy. To address the identified economic challenges, Sheinbaum has launched a strategic session with representatives of Mexican and American private companies. The event started Monday evening at the Soumaya Museum in Mexico City and seeks to establish a platform for investment and promote new projects…

They are further interested in the impending IPO of Tokyo Metro, which will be a landmark in Japan’s financial markets and will stir investors’ interest. Meanwhile, investors who are looking for some better and more promising markets apart from China are especially interested in the upco. The much-talked-of listing of the capital’s subway operator is set to be one of the big IPOs in Japan this year and is likely to spur market action besides attracting funds from within and outside the country. The decision of Tokyo Metro to underwrite its IPO now is due to global investors starting to…

Following their recent statement that the central banker should adopt a ‘modest’ approach in adjusting the interest rates, Bank of Japan board member Seiji Adachi today explained that the current interest rate increments should be very moderate due to continuing economic volatilities. While briefing the journalists in Tokyo, Adachi prominently underscored that there should be no early hikes in the rate, indicating that the BOJ will retain the easing stance in the incoming policy sessions. Adachi’s statement is made amid the gradually recovering Japanese economy but the factors like the stability of growth and external factors still can be unpredictable.…