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July 11th - According to the official WeChat account of Hangzhou Metro, due to the impact of Typhoon Bavi (No. 9), Hangzhou City has activated a Level I typhoon emergency response. Starting at 6:00 AM on July 12th, the entire metro network will be suspended, with the resumption time to be announced separately.On July 11, Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni, the Italian state-owned holding group, stated that if the Middle East conflict continues, the global oil market will break through the current range of approximately $80 to $100 per barrel by the first quarter of 2027 at the latest, pushing up inflation and reducing energy demand. In an interview published Saturday in Il Sole 24 Ore, Descalzi said that the release of strategic reserves has so far helped keep crude oil prices roughly within this range, but this strategy is facing increasing risks because global reserves are finite. “The long-term solution is to enhance energy security through the diversification of supply sources and routes,” he said. Descalzi noted that global oil inventories have fallen by an average of 3.8 million barrels per day due to disruptions related to the war with Iran that began at the end of February, accelerating to an average of 4.6 million barrels per day in May. He stated that countries should focus on producers in North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, while reducing reliance on controlled maritime routes.July 11th - Industry insiders stated that historically, during periods of high demand in the memory chip industry, manufacturers tend to simultaneously expand production capacity, leading to a concentrated release of new capacity, a price crash, and industry-wide losses. Subsequently, manufacturers collectively reduce capital expenditures, and when demand recovers, another boom occurs – this cycle constitutes the industrys unique cyclical pattern. Since reaching its peak in late June, US memory chip stocks have experienced a collective correction due to concerns about overcapacity, triggered by news such as Metas sale of computing power. Data shows that industry leaders such as SanDisk, Micron Technology, Seagate Technology, and Western Digital have all seen their stock prices fall by more than 20% in the past few weeks. Analysts point out that the underlying logic supporting current demand for memory chips is facing a reassessment, with the core variable being whether the technological gap between various AI large-scale models will continue to narrow. Analysts also pointed out that the memory chip industry is undergoing a profound change in its business model: in the past, memory was more like a commodity, with prices fluctuating with the market, and contracts were mostly on a quarterly or annual basis; now, cloud vendors and AI data centers are increasingly signing long-term supply agreements with original equipment manufacturers for three to five years, with price ranges, minimum purchase quantities, and customer deposits, in order to ensure critical supply.July 11 - Due to the impact of Typhoon Bavi, the ninth typhoon of this year, the Hangzhou Bay Bridge will be closed in both directions starting at 19:30 today, prohibiting all vehicles from passing through.The CEO of Italian oil company Eni said that if the Middle East conflict continues, the oil market may break out of its current range in early 2027.

Hershey, Nestle, and Cargill win the dismissal of a claim of child slavery in the United States

Charlie Brooks

Jun 29, 2022 11:06


Tuesday, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. dismissed a case brought by eight Malians claiming child slavery on Ivory Coast cocoa plantations against Hershey Co (NYSE:HSY), Nestle SA (SIX:NESN), Cargill Inc, and others.


U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich determined that the proposed class action plaintiffs lacked legal standing to sue because they failed to prove a "traceable nexus" between the seven defendant companies and the individual farms where the plaintiffs worked.


She added that the plaintiffs did not adequately explain the role of intermediaries in the cocoa supply chain, and that the companies did not oversee actions in "free zones" where 70 to 80 percent of cocoa is farmed.


Mali and Ivory Coast share a border in West Africa.


The plaintiffs claimed they were trafficked as children after being approached by strangers who promised them employment for which they would be compensated, but did not pay them, threatened them with starvation if they did not work, and forced them to live in squalor.


Their attorney, Terry Collingsworth, said that the plaintiffs plan to file an appeal to "compel the businesses to keep their agreements and put an end to this dreadful system they have created."


Other defendants included Mars Inc, Mondelez International Inc (NASDAQ:MDLZ), Barry Callebaut AG, and Olam International Ltd.


In court filings, the seven defendants said that they "strongly abhor the practice of forced labor" and that they were addressing non-forced child labor in cocoa supply chains.


However, they contended that the plaintiffs' too broad legal theory may hold too many parties liable for forced child labor, including consumers and merchants who would benefit from lower prices.


In accordance with the Reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the plaintiffs filed suit.


The Supreme Court of the United States rejected a similar case brought by six Malians against Cargill and Nestle under the Alien Tort Statute of 1789 in June of last year.


This was the most recent in a line of judgments denying access to federal courts based on human rights breaches occurring outside the United States.


Coubaly et al. v. Cargill Inc. et al., U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, case number 21-00386.


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