Chinese tourists have discovered the high seas and their goods to demand for big and even bigger cruise ships. This is business as asia. As welcome another front seems to open in the global trade war south korea is now seeking help from the United States in its dispute with japan the japanese government has imposed imposed export restrictions on some products bound for south korea after seoul called on tokyo to compensate for splay burst on the 2nd world war that has led to a public backlash against japanese products in South Korea Seoul has warned the u. S. That trade curbs Will Hurt Tech Firms Around The World materials affected are key to making memory chips and smartphone story. Lets bring in our financial correspondent Chelsea Delaney whos standing by in frankfurt chelsea how bad is this Will Consumers have to worry about getting their hands on a smartphone anytime soon. Well i think if youre planning on buying
a smartphone this year should maybe reconsider it like as you said you know these chemicals that japan has restricted are critical to basically every Consumer Product today or Consumer Electronic you know pretty much smartphones but also t. V. Tablets you know all sorts of electronics and the problem is that japan is dominant in all 3 of these chemicals they control basically 70 per to 90 percent of the supply for all 3 of them so for south korea theres really nowhere else that they can go to get these products so they have some stockpiles samsung says it has about 3 months worth but i would expect you know delays to ripple through the Companies Like apple Amazon Samsung but also to be expecting higher prices for these products and some sort of very wide ranging effects could this also affect the way to grow a lot of 5 g. Networks Around The World really. Right well thats a concern for europe and you know the background here is that youre up to spend lagging behind in 5 g. Its its not anywhere near the 5 g. Standards that the u. S. Or asia is that right now. So the my conductors are obviously a huge part of the internet of things so there definitely is concern that and you sort of cut back. A lot of semiconductors out there could slow it down. Just generally at the amount of speed of 5 yet option so its many im friends with thank you. Many companies today prevent pretend that theyre socially conscious and ecological but if you look at the value changed things often look different the value chain expresses where the money is being made and by whom under what conditions who gets what sat of the final price of a product in the Textile Industry for example very often workers and asia who
actually make the garments end up with a pittance and work in horrible conditions the German Government is now threatening companies who sell these products in germany with legislation if they continue to fail cleaning up their Supply Chains their quiet and above all emission free electric cars millions of them will soon be rolling onto the streets of germany and every battery that powers those electric motors requires cobalt to work with the badly needed metal is being mined here the Democratic Republic Of Congo is home to the majority of the worlds Cobalt Stockpiles Mining cobalt is bad for the environment plus it often takes place under in Human Conditions and involving child labor. Thats why Car Manufacturers have started an initiative to ensure the origin of the cobalt can be traced that would also make it possible to check the conditions under which its extracted and processed. Carmaker
b. M. W. Even once to discontinue its use of cobalt from the d r c. But how can companies guarantee that the whole supply chain has protected the health of workers in developing countries. Can suppliers guarantee safe conditions and compliance with human rights standards. Critics say not enough is being done they demand an internationally binding agreement but that could be a long time coming. With me in the studio now is miriams argument she is from the European Center for constitutional and human rights and has looked into this issue if if we look at the value creation. If more of that would be shifted towards asia and africa wouldnt better pay and working conditions followed much. Well i think this is in the promise which we have not been seen for filled
over the last 30 years so i would say no to promise that well that is neo liberal capitalists have been saying that and thats also been the reason why companies have been putting their Supply Chains and outsourcing them out of Europe North America to countries of the global south and i think theyve been doing that precisely to avoid Higher Standards that ensure better working conditions and that also ensure Bargaining Power for workers to improve wages and that has been difficult to prove to be difficult to follow up in those countries where the German Government is now looking at legislation is forcing companies to to look at the working conditions in their Supply Chains is a national move towards this not hurting german businesses and. Other businesses sort of feel that fill in the gaps of germany is not the 1st country to do so either you have a legislation in france that has already established such a duty of care for French Company decision and then robust well it has been just
been introduced a year ago and we dont quite know yet if this really working and sufficiently its switzerland us also looking into a Similar Initiative and i think its quite reasonable for the German Government to start this initiative obviously in international you e. U. Wide regulation would be more effective because it was cat would capture more companies but i think it needs to be Nation States probably to start the momentum whether it be Nation States or International Bodies lets say to find agreement on the on standards what would need to be in those laws or in those agreements well it would need to clearly define the obligations that companies headquartered in the global north have to watch the Supply Chains and that quite detailed. Being making standards for duties of care of how to. Improve working conditions the more precise and the more binding those standards are and they look those laws would be i think
the more efficient because it would eventually also force companies to prop potentially look at their Purchasing Practices into their. Financing practices which then would eventually benefit workers in the global south just very briefly how likely is it that we find an International Agreement anytime soon well im a little bit afraid its not very likely so this is why we need Nation States like germany to go ahead and to create the momentum miriams arguments thank you very much thank you. And now to some of the other stories making news Around The World the French Parliament has passed a law taxing many of the worlds Biggest Internet Companies the proposals have angered the u. S. With the white house saying it would unfairly affect American Companies french Finance Minister we know now says it could raise up to half a 1000000000 euros per year. Ryanair is worried about next years summer flight
schedule if boeing doesnt soon deliver the 737 max after it has ordered the low Budget Airline can only take delivery of a handful of planes a month and any delay could threaten its expansion plans. German weapons exports are on the rise again in has already approved Arms Exports Worth 5300000000. 00 euros this year thats more than all of last year its an abrupt change after years of decline in weapons sales. Just days after slashing 18000 jobs and scrapping its Global Equities unit u. S. Authorities are reportedly probing doj about the pro concerns corruption and Money Laundering allegations surrounding malaysias Sovereign Wealth Fund one m d b u. S. Authorities say 4 and a half 1000000000. 00 was stolen from one and libyan spent on everything from your to expensive art and helped raise over a 1000000000. 00 for one m. T. V. In 2014 even as concerns about the fund began to circulate. The long way in the preserve of wealthy american retirees seeking to see the world after a lifetime of work but the average Cruise Passenger is looking quite different these days Chinese Tourists are increasingly taking to the seas creating a Growing Market for cruise ships and the industry is responding. Welcome aboard the spectrum of the seas one of a generation of new Cruise Liners built specifically for the asian market gone of the formal dinner dances of bingo halls perhaps associated with the traditional Cruise Traveler theyve been replaced with robotic bartenders and other top end tech its all in an attempt to appeal to a Growing Market china the u. S. Remains by far the biggest source of seafaring tourists in the world there were 13100000 of them last year but now in 2nd place sits china where
2400000 people took a cruise ship holiday during 28 team puts it ahead of other traditionally big markets such as germany u. K. And ireland and australia. Talk up unease in china say infusing as and for cruises is growing as more and more chinese gain the wealth needed to see the world we can see that the ships that get in that chair and there are more things like living on the ship is like living here are a daily thing you can live and i share what they swell. But the construction of bigger fancier ships is seen as a major problem particularly by environmentalists last month activists prevented a ship from leaving the german court of kill citing the large amounts of so for oxide the boats pump out to Sea Communities in tom cruise destinations of also complained about their impact this a parents near miss between a ship and
a smaller boat in venice is congested canals caught on camera at the weekend is further view of the movement to get them banned from the italian city. New Industry Regulations will force Cruise Companies to cut their emissions next year propelled by chinese growth theyll continue to ferry millions of people to destinations all Around The World including some where theyre not always welcome. And thats it for me and the business as a team here in berlin for more Business News analysis. Background stories go through w dot com slash business dont go away right now because news is up next surprise off this quick look up Global Markets for. The mum. I was fishing when i arrived here i slept with 6 people in a room. It was hard. I even got white hairs that. Language and now a lot of this gets me and clipped a bunch maybe to entrust the flame you want to know their story. Gets her fighting in for a lot. Information for margaret. Earth a home for saving Google Images tells stories of creative people and innovative projects Around The World ideas to protect the climate and boost Green Energy Solutions by global oil india has been by a series of global 3000 on t. W. And online. And im. Told. By a man. Its been 15 years since the moon landing. She was the 1st man to walk on the moon. As a small boy she dreamed of the stars. As a pilot she flew anything no matter how to introduce. A church or go to the poll. As an astronaut she took part in the greatest adventure in history. But the room a legend was simply a shouldnt be was neil armstrong. The moon was his destiny starts july 20th on t. W