Business
JUST IN: Honda and Nissan scrap merger talks
Japanese auto giants Honda and Nissan confirmed on Thursday they had scrapped merger talks that would have created the world’s third-largest automaker by unit sales.
AFP reports that the bid to join forces had been seen as a bid to catch up with US titan Tesla and Chinese firms in the electric vehicle market, as well as providing a lifeline to struggling Nissan.
The firms said in a joint statement that they “agreed to terminate the MOU (memorandum of understanding) signed on December 23 last year for consideration of a business integration between the two companies”.
That the both companies were not able to reach an agreement is very regrettable,” Honda’s CEO and president Toshihiro Mibe told reporters.
Mibe insisted in December that any merger would not be a bailout for Nissan, which announced last year thousands of job cuts after reporting a 93 percent plunge in first-half net profit.
Further illustrating its problems, Nissan said on Thursday that it was now expecting an annual loss of $518 million owing to slumping sales.
Japanese media reports have said the discussions unravelled after Honda proposed making its struggling rival a subsidiary instead of the plan, announced in December, to integrate under a new holding company.
The automakers confirmed in the joint statement that Honda “proposed changing the structure from establishing a joint holding company… to a structure where Honda would be the parent company and Nissan the subsidiary through a share exchange”.
Under a joint board, “the decision-making speed may slow when a tough decision is required,” Mibe said.
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Business
WEF could appoint Lagarde as its next chair, sources say
The WEF’s Board of Trustees, which includes Lagarde herself, was due to meet on November 2 and could elect her as its next chair, said the people close to the organisation, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
•European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde
The World Economic Forum could appoint Christine Lagarde as its next chair as soon as next month, four people close to the organisation told Reuters, meaning she would step down early as European Central Bank chief and trigger a wider reshuffle at the top of the ECB.Lagarde’s ECB term is scheduled to end in October 2027.
Leaving early would give European Union leaders a chance to pick a new ECB President before France’s spring presidential election, which opinion polls suggest the far-right could win, and could pave the way for a deal involving two other senior ECB roles.
The WEF’s Board of Trustees, which includes Lagarde herself, was due to meet on November 2 and could elect her as its next chair, said the people close to the organisation, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
No final decision has been taken yet, they said.
A spokesperson for the WEF said the forum could not confirm when the next full Board of Trustees meeting would take place, but that the aim was to hold one before the end of the year.
Business
Germany plans tax on sugary drinks
The tax is expected to generate additional revenue for the federal government of €690 million in 2027 and €925 million in 2028.
The German cabinet has approved draft legislation to tax sugary drinks in Europe’s biggest economy.
If passed by the German Bundestag, the tax will take effect on 1 July 2027.
The coalition aims to raise revenue for the federal budget while encouraging manufacturers to reduce sugar content and offer healthier products.
The levy is intended to ease pressure on the healthcare system, which faces costs of more than €2 billion every year linked to the high consumption of sugary drinks, which contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.
According to the federal government, Berlin is using the tax to implement “what associations from the fields of health, science, child protection, and consumer protection have long been demanding.”
The tax is expected to generate additional revenue for the federal government of €690 million in 2027 and €925 million in 2028.
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