AFP USA

EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said Thursday that reciprocity in tariffs should be made to work for both the bloc and Washington, after talks with his counterparts in US President Donald Trump’s administration.While the United States is planning “reciprocal tariffs,” the European Union is open to working with Trump officials towards lowering duties for industrial goods and stepping up purchases of US products, Sefcovic told reporters.”We will be ready to look (at) how we can lower the import duties for all industrial products,” he said, a day after meeting Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative nominee Jamieson Greer.Trump has taken aim at the EU and others over trade, announcing plans for sweeping duties tailored to each US trading partner, and taking into consideration non-tariff factors.But Sefcovic stressed after his four-hour meeting with trade counterparts that if Washington were seeking reciprocity, “it must work for both” sides.During Sefcovic’s three-day Washington visit, he pushed back against Trump’s claim of unfairness in US-EU trade ties.He said Thursday that one of his requests was to hold off US tariffs — avoiding tit-for-tat escalation — as both sides discussed their concerns.He said his impression was that the United States too would be “ready to consider” a reduction in its tariffs, adding that auto duties were a priority.Although the EU has higher tariffs for personal vehicles, the United States protects other areas like pick-up trucks, said Sefcovic, who is European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security.”While we protect European interests, we seek constructive dialogue to avoid unnecessary pain of measures and countermeasures,” he said.- Balancing trade -Brussels and Washington understand that they share common challenges such as “global overcapacities driven by non-market practices” — a concern involving China — he said.He said it would be beneficial if the transatlantic partners could tackle global overcapacity together.He also expressed optimism that the EU could allay US concerns about the trade deficit between both sides.The EU needs more LNG as it phases out Russian gas, he noted, adding that this is an area of potential collaboration.While Washington focuses on its goods deficit with the EU, he said this is somewhat offset by American firms’ surplus in services.Balancing both ends, if the EU had to resolve a 50 billion euro trade gap with the United States, he said, “we can really do it, if we put our mind to it,” adding that this could be accomplished “relatively quickly.”Sefcovic said Wednesday at the American Enterprise Institute that the EU saw “no justification for sudden, unilateral tariff increases” by the United States.”If we are hit by unfair import duties, then we will react firmly and proportionately. We’ll be prepared for it,” he added Thursday.Besides reciprocal tariffs, Trump has slapped an added tariff on Chinese goods and unveiled sweeping duties on imports of steel and aluminum to take effect in March.He has also threatened levies affecting specific sectors like imports of automobiles, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.

Amazon MGM Studios will take creative control of the James Bond franchise following a landmark joint venture agreement with longtime producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the parties announced Thursday.The deal is a major shift in the governance of one of cinema’s most valuable properties, though Wilson and Broccoli’s company will remain co-owners of the franchise through the new venture, a statement said.It also comes four years after the last Bond film, in which Daniel Craig’s secret agent bowed out, with fans left to speculate about who will replace him.Now with Amazon at the helm, the audience may not have to wait too long, with company founder Jeff Bezos taking to social media to solicit opinions.”Who’d you pick as the next Bond?” Bezos asked followers on X.The agreement coincides with the retirement of Wilson and Broccoli from active production of the Bond films. Wilson, whose career with 007 spans nearly 60 years, said he would focus on “art and charitable projects,” while Broccoli announced plans to pursue other ventures following the conclusion of “No Time to Die.””We are honoured to continue this treasured heritage,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, noting the franchise’s six-decade impact on filmed entertainment.The deal builds on Amazon’s 2022 acquisition of MGM, which included distribution rights to Bond’s extensive back catalog.The new arrangement gives Amazon MGM Studios creative authority over future productions of the franchise, which has been closely guarded by the Broccoli family since Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman first brought Ian Fleming’s character to theaters.Barbara Broccoli, who has worked with four different actors in the role of 007 — Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Craig — described her tenure as “dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy” inherited from Cubby, her producer father.The pair were steadfast in preserving the integrity of the James Bond character and brand and resisted spin-offs and licensing that they felt might have tarnished the franchise.The financial terms of the joint venture were not disclosed.”No Time to Die” — the 25th James Bond film — was released in 2021 and earned $775 million.There have been no announcements regarding the timeline for production of the next film or Craig’s replacement.

Volodymyr Zelensky called for “strong” ties with Washington on Thursday, as he met US envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv a day after Donald Trump branded the Ukrainian leader a “dictator.” Tensions between Zelensky and Trump over the US President’s outreach to Moscow have exploded this week in a series of escalating barbs traded in press conferences and on social media.The United States is Ukraine’s most important financial and military backer, but the US president has rattled Kyiv and its European backers by opening talks with Moscow they fear could end the war on terms that reward Vladimir Putin.The spat has turned personal with Trump falsely stating Zelensky is hugely unpopular among his own people and the Ukrainian leader in turn saying Trump had succumbed to Russian “disinformation”.Amid the war of words, Zelensky said Thursday he had held a “productive meeting” with Kellogg.”We had a detailed conversation about the battlefield situation, how to return our prisoners of war, and effective security guarantees,” Zelensky said on social media after the meeting.”Strong Ukraine-U.S. relations benefit the entire world,” he added.However, there was no joint press conference or statements after the discussions, as would typically be expected be for a visiting foreign envoy.- ‘Unacceptable’ -In the United States, some of Trump’s team doubled down on their attacks on Zelensky.In a post on his X social media site, Elon Musk said Zelensky was “despised by the people of Ukraine.”Trump’s National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told Fox News that Kyiv’s criticism of the US president was “unacceptable” and urged Zelensky to sign a deal giving preferential access to Ukraine’s critical minerals and natural resources.”We’re getting all this pushback… they need to tone it down and take a hard look and sign that deal,” he said.Trump is calling for Kyiv to hand over access to its mineral wealth as compensation for tens of billions of dollars in US aid delivered under his predecessor Joe Biden.Zelensky rejected a deal proposed by Trump as it did not include “security guarantees” — Kyiv’s key demand from its Western backers in any agreement with Russia to halt the fighting.The feud marks a dramatic reversal from US policy under Biden, who lauded Zelensky as a hero, shipped vast supplies of arms to Kyiv and hammered Moscow with sanctions.Trump has instead criticised Zelensky and blamed him for starting the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion three years ago.”A Dictator without Elections, Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday.Zelensky was elected in 2019 for a five-year term and has remained leader in line with Ukrainian rules under martial law, imposed as his country fights for its survival.While Zelensky’s popularity has fallen, the percentage of Ukrainians who trust him has never dipped below 50 percent since the conflict started, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).- Shock at Trump attack -Trump’s invective drew shock reactions from Europe.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it was “wrong and dangerous” to call Zelensky a dictator.The White House said France’s Emmanuel Macron and Britain’s Keir Starmer will visit Trump next week after European leaders held emergency summits in recent days over how to deal with Trump’s threats to overhaul decades of transatlantic security ties.The Kremlin, buoyed by its rapprochement with Washington, has hailed Trump’s comments.Russia, which for years has railed against the US military presence in Europe, wants a reorganisation of the continent’s security framework as part of any deal to end the Ukraine fighting.Putin said Wednesday that US allies “only have themselves to blame for what’s happening,” suggesting they were paying the price for opposing Trump’s return to the White House.Neither Kyiv nor Europe were invited to high-level talks between Russia and US’s top diplomats in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, deepening fears they are being sidelined.burs-jc/oc/gv

Walmart reported solid fourth-quarter results Thursday behind higher US sales, but shares tumbled after its quarterly and annual projections missed estimates.The retail heavyweight, the biggest US private-sector employer, pointed to strength in grocery and pharmaceutical sales in its home market as more high-income shoppers are drawn in for its value proposition.But shares of the retail behemoth fell sharply after the company projected annual profits of between $2.50 and $2.60 a share in fiscal 2026, below the $2.77 expected by analysts.The company sees three to four percent annual sales growth, lower than the 5.1 percent last year.Executives said they were pleased with the just-finished quarter, alluding to heavy store traffic that made up for a shorter-than-usual holiday shopping season. The company’s muted outlook reflects uncertainty on macroeconomic conditions.”We’re one month into the year, so I think it’s prudent to have an outlook that is somewhat measured,” said Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey. “There is certainly some unpredictability in any environment that we have, but we feel really good about our ability to navigate that,” he said.Executives expressed confidence at the company’s ability to navigate the shifting international trade picture, with US President Donald Trump announcing myriad tariffs, some of which have been paused amid negotiations with other countries.”Tariffs are something we’ve managed for many years and we’ll just continue to manage that,” said Chief Executive Douglas McMillon.- Conservative outlook -In its US division, Walmart pointed to “broad-based sales momentum” with its biggest market share gains coming from upper-income households, extending a period of growth for this category. But in a sign that inflation has moderated, Walmart also said it achieved higher general merchandise sales as consumers boosted purchases of discretionary items.The company pointed to improving economics in its ecommerce business, which has received billions of dollars in capital investment in recent years.Walmart does not break out the financial performance of ecommerce on its income statement.Overall profits dipped 4.4 percent from the year-ago level to $5.3 billion, while revenues rose 4.1 percent to $180.6 billion.The results show Walmart’s momentum “is still going strong,” GlobalData analyst Neil Saunders said in a note.”We continue to track more switching to Walmart from other retailers — especially for products like household goods where consumers are eager to save money,” he said.Saunders acknowledged disappointment with Walmart’s sales projection, but characterized it as “a solid forecast which continues to build on a very successful period of expansion.”Shares of Walmart slid 6.7 percent shortly after midday.Walmart’s guidance “spooked investors and has prompted some investors to book some of the significant profits they have gained in recent months,” said a note from Briefing.com. “In fairness, a good chunk of the guidance shortfall seems to us like Walmart is just being conservative. They cited uncertainties, which is a bit vague and did not cite definitive changes in consumer behavior.”

Donald Trump said his administration was “looking at alternatives” to Boeing following delays in delivering two new models of the US presidential Air Force One plane.”I’m not happy with Boeing,” Trump told reporters late Wednesday aboard his current jet. “We’re looking at alternatives because it’s taking Boeing too long.”The US aerospace giant agreed in 2018 to supply two 747-8 aircraft by the end of 2024 for $3.9 billion — both ready to transport whoever occupied the White House at that time.But a subcontractor went bankrupt and the coronavirus pandemic disrupted production, forcing Boeing to push back the delivery date to 2027 and 2028.Trump said he was open to buying planes “from another country” but would not consider Boeing’s European rival Airbus to build the jets.Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg acknowledged Trump’s criticism and said billionaire Elon Musk was helping the aerospace giant address the problems.”The president’s clearly not happy with the delivery timing. I think he’s made that well known,” Ortberg said early Thursday at an investor conference.”Elon Musk is actually helping us a lot in working through the requirements… so that we can move faster and get the president’s airplanes delivered.”Air Force One is a highly customized plane that includes high-tech communication facilities, a medical bay, and a defense system.The current presidential jets face rising maintenance costs and use parts that are increasingly obsolete.Trump’s comments are the latest blow to embattled Boeing, which reported a loss of $11.8 billion last year.The company continues to experience a hit from a more than seven-week labor strike that shuttered two major assembly plants.Boeing’s performance was also marred by a troubled flight in January 2024 when a 737 MAX flown by Alaska Airlines made an emergency landing after the plane suffered a mid-flight blowout of a door plug.Following that incident, Boeing faced intensified scrutiny from US air regulators and slowed output.Boeing is also suffering from legacy fixed-cost defense contracts that have led to losses for the company.Shares of Boeing fell 2.2 percent in morning trading.

President Donald Trump took a slap shot at Canada on Thursday, again suggesting a US takeover of the northern neighbor as a “fifty first state” and urging the US hockey team to prevail in a closely watched grudge match.Tensions have soared in the run-up to a tournament final in the US city of Boston following Trump’s ordering of tariffs on Canadian imports — and his repeated verbal assaults on the sovereignty of the longtime close ally.Brawls between players and booing by Canadian fans of the US national anthem marked the teams’ previous meeting in Montreal on Saturday in the Four Nations Face-Off tournament, a round-robin featuring the NHL’s top players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.The US president said he would be calling Team USA to wish them luck and will be watching the game on television when the puck drops at 8:00 pm (0100 GMT Friday).”I’ll be calling our GREAT American Hockey Team this morning to spur them on towards victory tonight against Canada, which with FAR LOWER TAXES AND MUCH STRONGER SECURITY, will someday, maybe soon, become our cherished, and very important, Fifty First State,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.Trump said a previous commitment — addressing a gathering of US governors in Washington — will “sadly” prevent him from attending the game in person.”But we will all be watching, and if Governor Trudeau would like to join us, he would be most welcome,” Trump said.The US president has repeatedly made disparaging references to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a mere US governor. Trudeau was at the Montreal game.Despite the snark, Trump concluded with a sporting remark: “Good luck to everybody, and have a GREAT game tonight. So exciting!”But both teams advanced to the final after eliminating Finland and Sweden.In the first US-Canada clash, there were three fights between players in the first nine seconds, an emotionally charged opening that many linked to the ugly politics.Canadians have a long history of taking their national team hockey seriously. But with Trump repeatedly insulting their country, the temperature ahead of Thursday’s final is decidedly icy.The Toronto Star newspaper on Thursday said Canadian national pride would “surge” should their team prevail in the rematch.The paper cited a Rogers survey which said more than three-quarters of citizens believe hockey is core to Canada’s national identity, and a similar amount say Canada’s national pride is deeply intertwined with the sport.

EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said Thursday that reciprocity in tariffs should apply to both the bloc and Washington, after talks with his counterparts in US President Donald Trump’s administration.With the United States planning “reciprocal tariffs,” the European Union is ready to engage, Sefcovic told reporters.”We will be ready to look (at) how we can lower the import duties for all industrial products,” he said, a day after meeting Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative nominee Jamieson Greer.Trump has taken aim at the EU and others over trade, announcing plans for sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” tailored to each US trading partner, and taking into consideration non-tariff factors.But Sefcovic stressed that if Washington were seeking reciprocity, “it must work for both” sides.During Sefcovic’s three-day Washington visit for talks with US officials and business leaders, he pushed back against Trump’s claim of unfairness in US-EU trade ties.He told reporters Thursday that one of his requests was to see a delay in US tariffs as both parties discussed their concerns.He said his impression was that the United States too would be “ready to consider” a reduction in its tariffs.Although the EU has higher tariffs for personal vehicles, Sefcovic noted that the United States protects other areas like pick-up trucks.”While we protect European interests, we seek constructive dialogue to avoid unnecessary pain of measures and countermeasures,” he told reporters in Washington.Brussels and Washington understand that they share common challenges such as “global overcapacities driven by non-market practices” — a concern involving China — he said.He said it would be good if the transatlantic partners could tackle global overcapacity together.He also expressed optimism that the EU could allay US concerns about the trade deficit between both sides.The EU needs more LNG as it phases out Russian gas, he noted, adding that this is an area where both can collaborate.If the EU had to resolve a 50 billion euro trade gap with the United States, he said, “we can really do it, if we put our mind to it,” adding that this could be accomplished “relatively quickly.”Sefcovic said Wednesday at the American Enterprise Institute that the EU saw “no justification for sudden, unilateral tariff increases” by the United States.But if the US went ahead with imposing tariffs, he warned that the bloc would “have no choice but to respond firmly and swiftly.”Besides reciprocal tariffs, Trump has slapped an added tariff on Chinese goods and unveiled sweeping duties on imports of steel and aluminum to take effect in March.He has also threatened levies affecting specific sectors like imports of automobiles, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.

Walmart reported solid fourth-quarter results Thursday behind higher US sales, but shares tumbled after its quarterly and annual projections missed estimates.Shares of the retail behemoth fell around eight percent in pre-market trading after the company projected annual profits of between $2.50 and $2.60 a share in fiscal 2026, below the $2.77 expected by analysts.The company sees three to four percent annual sales growth, lower than the 5.1 percent last year.In its US division, Walmart pointed to “broad-based sales momentum” as it scored increased comparable sales despite a shorter-than-usual holiday shopping season. Walmart said its biggest market share gains were in upper-income households, extending a period of growth for this category. The chain’s reputation for low prices has pulled in more consumers in a period of inflation.The company achieved sales growth in the United States in grocery and “health and wellness,” which includes pharmacy.But in a sign that inflation has moderated, Walmart also said it achieved higher general merchandise sales as consumers boosted purchases of discretionary items.Overall profits dipped 4.4 percent from the year-ago level to $5.3 billion, while revenues rose 4.1 percent to $180.6 billion.The results show Walmart’s momentum “is still going strong,” GlobalData analyst Neil Saunders said in a note.”We continue to track more switching to Walmart from other retailers –- especially for products like household goods where consumers are eager to save money,” he said.Saunders acknowledged disappointment with Walmart’s sales projection, but characterized it as “a solid forecast which continues to build on a very successful period of expansion.”

Volodymyr Zelensky was due to meet on Thursday with US envoy Keith Kellogg after Donald Trump branded the Ukrainian leader a “dictator” and said Russia “have the cards” in any talks to end the war. The United States has provided essential funding and arms to Ukraine, but the US president has rattled Kyiv and its European backers by opening talks with Moscow they fear could end the war on terms unacceptable to them.    “I think the Russians want to see the war end… But I think they have the cards a little bit, because they’ve taken a lot of territory, so they have the cards,” Trump told reporters late Wednesday. Under former President Joe Biden, the United States lauded Zelensky as a hero and hammered Moscow with sanctions as Ukraine battled against advancing Russian troops.But Trump has been critical of Zelensky, claiming he has subverted democracy and blaming him for starting the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion three years ago. “A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.Zelensky was elected in 2019 for a five-year term and has remained leader under martial law imposed as his country fights for its survival.Trump savaged Zelensky, saying “he refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing (Joe) Biden ‘like a fiddle.'””In the meantime, we are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only ‘TRUMP,’ and the Trump Administration, can do.”Zelensky’s popularity has fallen, but the percentage of Ukrainians who trust him has never dipped below 50 percent since the conflict started, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).- Shock at Trump attack -Trump’s invective drew shock from Europe where German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it was “wrong and dangerous” to call Zelensky a dictator.In Washington, Trump’s former vice president Mike Pence also issued a stinging rebuke.”Mr. President, Ukraine did not ‘start’ this war. Russia launched an unprovoked and brutal invasion claiming hundreds of thousands of lives,” he wrote on X.”Ukraine is a democracy, (President Vladimir) Putin’s Russia is not,” European Union spokesman Stefan de Keersmaecker said. In contrast, the Kremlin hailed Trump’s comments. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it “absolutely” agreed with Trump after he urged Zelensky to “move fast” to end the conflict.Both sides are trying to improve their situation on the battlefield amid Trump’s push for a ceasefire.- Moscow buoyed -Moscow has been buoyed by Tuesday’s talks in Saudi Arabia and Trump’s attacks on Zelensky.The talks “made the first step to restore work in various areas of mutual interests,” Putin told journalists.Kyiv was not invited to the Riyadh talks as Moscow and Washington moved to sideline both Ukraine and Europe.Putin said US allies “only have themselves to blame for what’s happening,” suggesting they were paying the price for opposing Trump’s return to the White House.Tensions between Zelensky and Trump over the new US position on the war had been building for weeks.But Zelensky struck a more positive tone ahead of Thursday’s meeting with Kellogg, saying “it is very important for us that the meeting and our work with America in general be constructive.””Together with America and Europe, peace can be more reliable, and this is our goal,” he added. Russia, which for years has railed against the US military presence in Europe, wants a reorganisation of the continent’s security framework as part of any deal to end the Ukraine fighting.Putin on Wednesday said that Russia and the United States needed to work with each other if talks were to be successful.”It is impossible to solve many issues, including the Ukrainian crisis, without increasing the level of trust between Russia and the United States,” he said.burs-jbr/oc/ach  

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday his treasury secretary was treated “rudely” during an official visit to Kyiv, accusing Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky of “sleeping” and failing to make a deal.US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Zelensky in Ukraine’s capital last week to discuss granting Washington access to rare earth minerals in return for security support.”Scott Bessent actually went there and was treated rather rudely, because essentially, they told him ‘no’,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “And Zelensky was sleeping and unavailable to meet him. Bessent “traveled many hours on the train, which is a dangerous trip, and we’re talking about the secretary of the treasury,” Trump said.”He went there to get a document signed, and when he got there, he came back empty. “They wouldn’t sign the document.”The remarks came after Trump branded the Ukrainian president a “dictator” who refuses to hold elections and said the Russians “have the cards” in any negotiation to end the war.”A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.Zelensky said earlier Wednesday that Trump was living in a Russian “disinformation” bubble, responding to scathing comments by the US president about Zelensky’s popularity rating.The United States has provided essential funding and arms to Ukraine, but Trump has rattled Kyiv and its European backers by opening talks with Moscow they fear could end the three-year war on terms unacceptable to them.Trump has criticized US military funding for Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia and suggested this month that he wanted an agreement to access Ukraine’s rare earth material as a condition to sustain support.Bessent was dispatched to Kyiv on February 12 to discuss the matter, the first member of Trump’s cabinet to visit Ukraine.Zelensky was elected in 2019 for a five-year term but has remained leader under martial law imposed following the Russian invasion in February 2022.Under former president Joe Biden, the United States lauded Zelensky as a hero and hammered Moscow with sanctions as Ukraine battled against advancing Russian troops.