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On June 15th, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde stated that high energy prices are beginning to spread to other sectors of the economy. She said, "Weve started to see the indirect effects of inflation almost everywhere in recent weeks." The ECB raised interest rates last week for the first time since 2023, as the Middle East war exacerbated price pressures. Officials did not rule out a second rate hike immediately at the July meeting, with policymakers, including Bundesbank President Jean-Claude Nagel, saying that even if the war in Iran ends soon, prices could remain high. However, rising borrowing costs have raised concerns among some ECB watchers about the economic impact. "I hear criticism—often from France, and I understand that criticism—saying, We are taking measures that will stifle economic growth," Lagarde said. "But I must curb inflation if it is awakened, because once inflation gets out of control, it will be much more difficult and costly to bring it back under control. Prolonged inflation is unacceptable for consumers and businesses, and I would have failed in my mission."European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde: Common euro debt is a necessary condition for the success of a capital markets union.On June 15th, Futures reported that the domestic refined oil market showed a divergent trend in early June: retail prices saw a significant decline, but wholesale prices had limited room for further drop and gradually stabilized and began to rise, leading to a narrowing of the wholesale-retail price spread for gasoline and diesel from its year-to-date high. As of the close of trading on June 12th, the wholesale-retail price spread for gasoline from major domestic oil companies and Shandong local refineries narrowed by 19.09% and 16.85% respectively compared to the beginning of the month; the wholesale-retail price spread for diesel narrowed by 19.93% and 18.77% respectively. However, recent negative news has intensified, and demand has been insufficient, leaving room for further declines in wholesale gasoline and diesel prices. Before the retail price adjustment window opens, the wholesale-retail price spread for gasoline and diesel is expected to widen.Switzerlands producer/import price index fell 0.4% month-on-month in May, compared with 0.80% in the previous month.Switzerlands producer/import price index fell 1.8% year-on-year in May, compared with a previous reading of -2.00%.

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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