Asia-Pacific (APAC) stock indexes are mostly rising in trading on Friday, except for Hong Kong indicator, following the dynamics of the U.S. stock market.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock index was up 0.6 percent by 7:06 a.m. Ksk.
Shares of electronic components producer Taiyo Yuden Co. Ltd. (+4.75%), transport and logistics Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. (+4.2%) and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd. (+3.7%).
Shares of Mazda Motor Corp. (+3.1%), Tokyo Electron Ltd. (+2.7%) and Sony Group (+2.6%) are also up.
China’s Shanghai Composite stock index was adding 0.1 percent by 7:18 a.m. Ksk.
The Hang Seng index is losing 0.13%. The Hong Kong indicator rose earlier in trading amid reports that China will reopen border crossings with Hong Kong starting Sunday. Border posts have been closed for three years.
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) on Friday lent 2 billion yuan to banks in seven-day reverse repo transactions at an annual rate of 2 percent. At the same time, similar loans worth 386 billion yuan matured on the same day. As a result, the net outflow of funds from the market amounted to 384 billion yuan, writes Trading Economics.
Leaders of the fall in Hong Kong are securities of casino operator Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd (-4.4%), Alibaba Health Information Technology Ltd (-4.1%) which provides IT services in medical sphere and sports equipment manufacturer Anta Sports Products Ltd (-3.2%).
South Korea’s KOSPI was strengthening 1.3 percent by 7:18 a.m. Ksk.
One of the world’s biggest chip and electronics maker Samsung Electronics Co. is up 1.4%, carmaker Kia Corp. is up 0.8%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.65%.
The capitalization of the world’s largest mining companies BHP and Rio Tinto rose 3.2% and 2.4%, respectively.
Ukrainian UPG Group has entered into an agreement to acquire assets of Polish company Baltchem SA Zakłady Chemiczn, as a result the network has got at its disposal a powerful marine terminal in Poland for transshipment and storage of oil products.
According to the group’s statement on its website, this will enable uninterrupted fuel supplies to Ukraine at affordable prices.
It is emphasized that all fuels sold by UPG come from Europe and comply with the fifth environmental standard.
“Adapting our business to today’s challenges, we have established reliable and stable partnership relations with such European producers of high-quality oil products as Royal Dutch Shell, Total Energies SE, Neste Oyj, Glencore Energy in the shortest time,” the statement says.
As UPG notes, from the first days of the large-scale war in Ukraine, the group terminated its partnership with the Belarusian fuel producer, completely abandoning their products, and does not supply Russian fuel since the beginning of the aggression of the Russian Federation in 2014: the annexation of Crimea and the occupation of certain territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The UPG brand belongs to the fuel company Ukrpaletsystem (Korosten, Zhytomyr Region), which has been operating on the market since 2003.
Ukrainian business paid 80 billion UAH more in taxes in 2022 than in peaceful 2021, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said.
“Despite continued hostilities and enemy attacks, we will do everything possible to make 2023 the first step for a great recovery of the Ukrainian economy. In 2022, we did the impossible and financed absolutely all budget expenditures. In total, these expenditures amounted to about 2.7 trillion UAH,” Shmygal said at a government meeting on Friday.
According to him, Ukrainian citizens and businesses last year paid more than 900 billion UAH to the state budget, another 425 billion UAH were paid to the Pension Fund and social insurance funds.
“Due to the issue of military bonds, about 600 billion UAH were received. We are grateful to the citizens and businesses who bought these bonds and thus invested in a strong army and a stable state,” the prime minister added.
Shmygal thanked Ukrainian businesses, which paid 80 billion more in taxes in 2022 than in 2021.
“Your steadfastness, patriotism, adaptability and social responsibility allowed to keep the economy of Ukraine afloat. 2023 should be the year of our victory and the year of the beginning of the recovery of our economy. We work together for this,” he concluded.
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio had a 30-minute phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, discussing Russian aggression against Ukraine and the Japanese prime minister’s possible visit to Kiev.
According to NHK television, Kishida assured that he would play an active role during Japan’s G7 presidency.
“I strongly condemned Russia’s continued aggression and said that Japan will do everything possible to help, including surviving the winter to protect the lives of Ukrainians,” he said.
For his part, President Zelenskyy expressed his deep appreciation for Japan’s position and spoke about the current situation in the country. The interlocutors also discussed the possible visit of Kishida Fumio to Ukraine, who received an invitation to visit Kiev.
“Nothing has been decided yet, but I will consider it under different circumstances,” he added.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) within the framework of the humanitarian support program worth $100 million transferred 2,500 household generators to Ukraine that will help in supplying energy to critical and social infrastructure (schools, kindergartens, medical institutions, heating centers), the State Property Fund of Ukraine reported.
In the release on Friday the Fund specified that the second party of 1300 generators arrived to Ukraine in addition to the first party of 1200 units, which arrived at the end of December.
While the first generators were sent to the regions most affected by the Russian aggression – Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, Odessa, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv regions, the second batch will go to facilities in Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Luhansk, Donetsk regions and Kyiv, the IGF noted.
Earlier, the local news agency WAM pointed out that they were talking about household generators with a capacity from 3.5 to 8 kilowatts.
People’s deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak said in Telegram on Friday that a total of 669.4 thousand generators were imported to Ukraine in 2022, of which 643.8 thousand – by enterprises, and 25.5 thousand – by citizens. The most generators were imported in December – 309.4 thousand, compared to 160.9 thousand in November and almost 72 thousand in October.
Tobacco products manufacturer Philip Morris Ukraine is ready to cooperate with the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) in its initiated investigation into the legality of advertising of tobacco heating systems IQOS as a less harmful alternative to regular cigarettes.
The company’s press service told Interfax-Ukraine news agency that the claims used by the manufacturer of IQOS when advertising tobacco heating systems were and are clear, credible and scientifically confirmed.
“There is ample evidence to support that while IQOS is not devoid of all risks, it is the best alternative to continuing to smoke. Such evidence includes thorough laboratory studies and 10 clinical trials by the company, as well as numerous independent studies, including government agencies in several EU countries such as Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands,” the manufacturer’s press office stressed in a statement.
According to the company, the AMCU inquiry into the legality of advertising IQOS will begin the process of determining whether the charges against Philip Morris Ukraine are valid. At the same time, Philip Morris Sales and Distribution LLC has not received a single message from the AMCU about the initiation of an investigation against it.
“Thousands of smokers in Ukraine have switched to IQOS and stopped smoking. It is important that consumers continue to receive reliable information and not be misled, which may encourage them to continue smoking or return to cigarettes – one of the most harmful forms of nicotine use – that are harmful to both their health and public health in general,” the company’s press service comment states.
“Philip Morris Ukraine” also reminded that the reliability of the information distributed about IQOS has previously been confirmed when the AMCU considered the application on similar accusations of another complainant.
“The company also urges the AMCU and the press to avoid expressing or disseminating premature conclusions until the evidence in the case is fully completed and to comply with proper standards and principles of law,” the Philip Morris press service stated in a comment.
As reported, the AMCU December 30, 2022 initiated a case against “Philip Morris Sales & Distribution” for possible unfair competition, as the company in advertising their systems to heat tobacco IQOS claims their greater safety for the health of smokers compared with conventional cigarettes. The office called the cause of the case the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, according to which any heating tobacco systems are dangerous and do not reduce the risks of smoking.
Philip Morris International, which includes Philip Morris Ukraine, is one of the world’s largest tobacco manufacturers. It operates in Ukraine for more than 20 years, owns a factory in the Kharkiv region. Before the Russian armed invasion the company employed about 1.3 thousand people. Before the war the factory was an export hub for more than 20 countries, in particular large markets like Japan and Egypt.
The company’s brand portfolio includes Marlboro, L&M, Chesterfield, Parliament, Bond Street and other brands. PMI also produces IQOS tobacco heating systems and tobacco sticks for them.
