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South Koreas exports continued to surge in April, driven by semiconductor shipments, demonstrating the resilience of the trade-dependent economy despite risks from the Middle East conflict. Semiconductor shipments, which account for about a quarter of the countrys total exports, surged, fueled by demand from global tech companies building artificial intelligence infrastructure. This result highlights how AI-related demand is helping the high-tech economy weather volatility associated with the Middle East conflict. Major memory chip makers such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix reported record first-quarter profits and are expected to continue setting records this year, despite soaring input costs due to the conflict in Iran. South Koreas Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on Friday that exports rose 48.0% year-on-year in April to $85.89 billion, with Marchs growth revised to 49.2%. Imports rose 16.7% year-on-year to $62.11 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $23.77 billion in April. Strong memory chip shipments continued to drive export growth, offsetting weaker performance in other categories such as automobiles and steel.Tesla (TSLA.O) updated its annual report on Thursday, stating that it earned over $500 million from sales to SpaceX and xAI. Tesla disclosed in January that its business dealings with xAI were approximately $430.1 million. Thursdays updated report shows that Tesla received an additional $143.3 million from SpaceX.Tokyo Electron shares rose 6%.A Reuters poll showed that 33 out of 30 economists expect the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to raise the cash rate to 4.35% on May 5. More than a third of economists expect the RBA to raise rates to 4.60% or higher this year (no economists gave this expectation in the March survey).Japans Tokyo unadjusted CPI rose 0.6% month-on-month in April, down from 0.3% in the previous month.

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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