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Category: Commerce

  • MIL-OSI China: Beijing hits back after new tariffs

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China will not initiate trade conflicts and is willing to resolve differences through dialogue, while regarding unilateral bullying measures, China will take necessary measures to firmly defend its own rights and interests, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

    The ministry made the remarks following Washington’s levy of an additional 10 percent tariff on goods imported from China.

    The unilateral imposition of tariffs by the United States seriously violates the rules of the World Trade Organization and exacerbates global trade tensions. China is willing to work with relevant countries to firmly advocate for free trade and multilateralism, jointly address the challenges of unilateralism and trade protectionism, and maintain the orderly and stable development of international trade, the ministry said.

    “China’s countermeasures aren’t meant to provoke trade disputes, but to defend national interests and international fairness,” said Cui Fan, a professor of international trade at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

    “If the US persists in its unilateral actions, China will not hesitate to take more powerful countermeasures. China has the confidence and ability to respond to any challenge and safeguard its own rights, and contribute to the stability of the global economy,” Cui said.

    Meanwhile, China launched a series of export control policies for rare metal products and related technologies on Tuesday. The ministry said the export control on tungsten and other related items is an international practice. The listed items this time have certain attributes for military and civilian use, and the downstream products boast high military risks.

    “The move indicates China’s consistent stance of maintaining world peace and regional stability. The Chinese government will approve export applications that comply with regulations,” said He Yongqian, a spokeswoman for the commerce ministry.

    The ministry also put US clothing company PVH Corp and biotechnology company Illumina Inc on its unreliable entity list on Tuesday. The two firms violate normal market trading principles, interrupt normal transactions with Chinese enterprises, take discriminatory measures against Chinese firms, and seriously damage the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, the ministry said.

    “China has always handled export controls and unreliable entity lists with caution. The Chinese government is willing to strengthen cooperation with different countries to jointly maintain the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains. We welcome foreign enterprises to invest and develop in China, and we are committed to providing a stable, fair and predictable business environment for law-abiding and compliant foreign enterprises,” she said.

    Separately, the US Postal Service announced on Wednesday that it will continue accepting all inbound mail and packages from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, quickly reversing the suspension that went into effect on Tuesday.

    In addition, the US government has canceled the “de minimis” tariff exemption rule for small packages and low-value items imported from China — a measure that exempted shipments worth less than $800 from import duties.

    The Ministry of Commerce said the US levying of an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese products and the adjustment of its “de minimis” policy will undoubtedly increase the cost of consumption for US shoppers and affect their purchasing experiences.

    “No matter how a country adjusts its trade policy, cross-border e-commerce shopping boasts strong competitiveness, and the trend of digital development in international trade will not change. We hope that the US can follow the trend and create a fair and predictable policy environment for the development of cross-border e-commerce,” said He.

    MIL OSI China News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: Year of the Snake starts with travel, spending boom

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Beijing South Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    As China celebrated the arrival of the Year of the Snake, the festive atmosphere was reflected in a surge in travel and consumer spending. With tourism booming, restaurants bustling, and box offices setting new records, the festivities showcased China’s economic vitality.

    The Spring Festival, China’s most important festival, sparked a nationwide travel surge as families reunited and celebrations took place across the country. Official data showed that more than 2.3 billion passenger trips were made nationwide during the eight-day Spring Festival holiday, which concluded on Tuesday.

    Official projections estimated over 9 billion passenger trips during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush that officially began on Jan. 14.

    The annual migration — once dominated by homebound travelers — now sees a growing number of people opting for holiday getaways, filling train stations, highways, and airports in celebration of the Year of the Snake.

    Tourism soars on heritage charm

    With China’s Spring Festival now on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, cultural exploration-centered tours have become increasingly popular.

    Online searches for “intangible cultural heritage tourism” jumped 174 percent since the beginning of this year, while folk craft-related searches spiked 321 percent, according to Meituan Travel. On the popular video-sharing platform Douyin, demand for intangible cultural heritage tours led to a 462 percent year-on-year rise in group tour bookings for folk fairs.

    According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, China saw a record 501 million domestic tourist trips during the just-concluded holiday, up 5.9 percent year on year. Tourist spending reached a record high of over 677 billion yuan (94.43 billion U.S. dollars) during the period, a 7 percent increase from the previous year.

    The cultural allure extended beyond domestic travelers, attracting visitors from around the globe. The latest data from the National Immigration Administration showed about 14.37 million cross-border trips were made during the holiday, up 6.3 percent from last year’s Spring Festival holiday. Of these, 958,000 trips were made by foreign nationals, marking a 22.9 percent increase.

    Foreign tourists try to make tofu during a folk celebration of the Spring Festival in Wayaogang Village, Yongding District of Zhangjiajie City, central China’s Hunan Province, Jan. 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    According to Chinese online travel service giant Trip.com Group, inbound travel orders during the Spring Festival holiday rose 203 percent year on year, underscoring the growing international appeal of China’s cultural and natural landmarks.

    Among the top destinations was Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province, renowned for its spectacular mountain scenery that inspired scenes in global blockbusters. Malaysian tourist Vincent Koh Swee Sam was among the many international visitors drawn to cultural heritage in Zhangjiajie. Immersing himself in local festivities, Sam joined villagers in writing Spring Festival couplets, pounding glutinous rice cakes, and making tofu.

    Sam’s hands-on experience with Chinese calligraphy deepened his appreciation for the art. “I used to know China only through textbooks and maps,” he said. “But now that I have stepped into it myself, it feels so good.”

    Dining boom feeds festive spirit

    No Spring Festival is complete without a grand feast, and this year, more families chose to dine out for ease and variety, driving a surge in restaurant bookings.

    In Shanghai’s bustling city center, all 91 tables at the renowned Cantonese restaurant Xinya were packed with diners on Chinese New Year’s Eve, according to executive chef Huang Renkang.

    People have a reunion meal at a restaurant in Nanjing City, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Jan. 28, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    According to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), the revenues of key restaurants tracked by the ministry climbed 5.1 percent year on year in the first four days of the holiday.

    Online platforms saw a similar rise. Meituan reported a 305 percent year-on-year increase in online bookings for Chinese New Year’s Eve dinners, while high-end restaurants featuring Chinese culinary experiences saw significant growth.

    Notably, orders for “intangible cultural heritage” meal packages searched on Meituan soared over 12 times year on year since the beginning of this year.

    Box office hits record high

    From Chinese mythology to homegrown animation, this year’s Spring Festival film lineup drew massive crowds and posted record-breaking sales.

    China’s box office sales jumped to an all-time high of 9.51 billion yuan over the holiday period, while attendance also set a new record, with 187 million moviegoers packing theaters.

    People watch a film at a cinema in Feidong County, Hefei City, east China’s Anhui Province, Feb. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Leading the charge was the animated feature “Ne Zha 2,” which grossed around 4.84 billion yuan.

    “The moviegoers’ enthusiasm indicates vibrant consumption during the holiday as well as the consumers’ confidence in domestic productions,” said Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association.

    Experts attributed the success to strong audience anticipation, beloved characters and stories, and high-quality storytelling.

    “The strong performance of these films lays a solid foundation for the steady growth of China’s film market in 2025,” noted Chen Jin, a data analyst from box office tracker Beacon.

    Policy boost sparks shopping spree

    Festive cheer and consumer enthusiasm energized the market even before the holiday began. With the country’s trade-in program driving demand, shoppers eagerly seized the opportunity to upgrade cars, home appliances, and digital devices, ushering in a vibrant holiday shopping season.

    People visit a flower market in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Jan. 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The MOC reported receiving subsidy applications for 10.79 million electronic devices over a four-day period starting Jan. 20. This follows the inclusion of mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches in the trade-in subsidy program, marking a significant expansion of the initiative launched in March last year.

    Moreover, according to the ministry, automobile trade-ins reached 34,000 while home appliance trade-ins reached 1.04 million units as of Jan. 23.

    Building on this momentum, online retail sales grew by 5.8 percent during the eight-day holiday, while sales of home appliances and communication equipment at key retailers jumped by over 10 percent.

    “Spring Festival offers a glimpse into the year’s economic trends,” said Chen Lifen, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council.

    In this holiday season, a blend of cultural experiences and new consumption scenarios has helped reinforce the economic recovery momentum, injecting confidence into the economy and setting a strong foundation for the year ahead, Chen noted.

    MIL OSI China News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Economics: Transforming Insulated Glass Worldwide with Glavenir Pushing Equipment Development Beyond “Amazing!”:Takeshi Shimizu

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Transforming Insulated Glass Worldwide with Glavenir
    Pushing Equipment Development Beyond “Amazing!”:Takeshi Shimizu

    We take an up-close and personal look at the people who are supporting the Panasonic Group’s growth at their own operational frontlines.

    Vol.3

    VIG Business Promotion Department, Exterior Products & Systems Business Division Panasonic Housing Solutions Co., Ltd.
    After graduating from university, Shimizu was involved in developing plasma displays (PDP) and OLED displays. In 2016, he transitioned to his current role, leveraging the production process skills gained from PDP development.

    Vacuum Insulated Glass (VIG) Glavenir is a product that applies the internal structure of the plasma displays (PDP) I once worked on. I am responsible for everything related to its manufacturing, from process development to production. Glavenir offers exceptional thermal insulation while being thin and lightweight. It significantly enhances the insulation performance of refrigerated and frozen display cases as well as residential buildings. Additionally, reducing thickness and minimizing raw material usage significantly cuts CO₂ emissions both during production and after installation. When we showcased this technology at CES (one of the world’s largest technology trade show held annually in January in Las Vegas, U.S.A.), it attracted significant attention.
    When VIG was first adopted by Hussmann for incoming orders of walk-in cooler automatic doors, incidents of breakage did occur. I still vividly remember the faces of the struggling workers when I first visited the site. To supply a high-strength, cost-effective VIG, we developed a sealing technology that eliminates the need for exhaust tubes*, along with proprietary equipment and optimized settings to make it possible. In just one year, we successfully created and launched a sleek, reinforced VIG without exhaust tubes. Solving a fundamental challenge for the field was an incredibly meaningful experience.
    * Exhaust tube: A glass tube that connects to the interior of VIG, used to evacuate air and create a vacuum inside
    My current focus is on selling manufacturing lines to glass factories in Europe and North America. Initially, we only sold the core equipment, but after recognizing the benefits of shorter setup times, we decided to offer complete manufacturing lines as a packaged solution. However, external buyers expressed concerns about whether the production line could truly achieve high efficiency, whether the costs were justifiable, and whether speed alone was enough—emphasizing that durability and mass-production stability were equally critical. These challenges made me realize that the key was maximizing productivity at the lowest possible cost while ensuring buyers felt confident in their investment.
    To address this, I refined a method that combines general-purpose equipment with customized components tailored to each customer. By pushing the speed of individual systems to their limits while increasing stability, we were able to minimize costs. When potential buyers visited a fully operational production line in Japan and responded with enthusiasm, describing it as both amazing and spectacular, I felt a deep sense of fulfillment, knowing that our efforts had paid off.
    Moving forward, I will continue developing equipment that is even more impressive. Eventually, I aim to create a curved VIG for mobility applications such as automobiles and trains.

    Shimizu is in the middle.

    My Life My Leisure Time
    I enjoy lively gatherings over drinks, and recently, I had a relaxing time at a dinner party at a senior colleague’s home. Everyone there had been involved in driving the VIG business from the very beginning, and without each of them, we wouldn’t be where we are today. I will continue working alongside this team to contribute to “Live Your Best.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Economics: Aiming for a Clean, Decarbonized Society with Panasonic HX: Shigeki Yasuda

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Aiming for a Clean, Decarbonized Society with Panasonic HX: Shigeki Yasuda

    Trailblazer in Building the Foundation of the Hydrogen Business
    Shigeki Yasuda
    Global Environmental Business Development CenterPanasonic Corporation
    Shigeki Yasuda joined the company in 2003, specializing in fuel cell technology development. In 2010, he was assigned to Germany, where he contributed to introducing fuel cells to the European market. In 2024, he assumed his current position, working on implementing a demonstration facility to power factories with renewable energy and building the business foundation for Panasonic HX.

    Pioneering the First Overseas Integration of Three Types of Energy Sources
    Since May 2024, I have been working in the UK on implementing a demonstration facility that powers factories with renewable energy and building the business foundation for Panasonic HX*¹. My mission is to advance the first overseas integration of pure hydrogen fuel cell generators, photovoltaic generators, and storage batteries. This involves (1) introducing a demonstration facility to Panasonic Manufacturing UK Ltd., (2) building the business foundation for future social implementation, and (3) developing new markets for fuel cells overseas.*1: The name Panasonic HX represents Panasonic’s energy solutions utilizing hydrogen. We propose a new option for the full-scale use of hydrogen (H), which has a low environmental impact, and are determined to contribute to the transformation (X) to a decarbonized society through collaboration (X) with partner companies, administrations, and business customers.

    This is a CG image symbolizing the Panasonic HX. It is not a facility that actually exists.

    In December 2024, Panasonic introduced its first overseas demonstration facility in the UK, leveraging 25 years of expertise in fuel cell technology to supply factories with electricity and thermal energy using hydrogen. This facility serves as a showcase for co-creation with partner companies, governments, and business customers to pursue a decarbonized society while laying the foundation for Panasonic’s hydrogen business. Utilizing hydrogen as a clean energy source is crucial in addressing global environmental challenges through decarbonization. This demonstration, which enables factories to be powered by renewable energy, marks a significant step toward broader social implementation.
    We are also working to apply the data and know-how gained from the demonstration in the UK to future projects. The main challenges we faced in this initiative were: (1) a lack of knowledge about construction processes in the UK, requiring us to navigate everything from scratch and quickly resolve various unforeseen issues, (2) difficulties in discussing with the design firm regarding safety design, highlighting the need to raise awareness of hydrogen safety, and (3) the complexity of collaborating with local partners, as failing to align expectations at the contract stage made it difficult to proceed as planned.

    In overcoming these challenges, the most invaluable support came from the persistence of our colleagues, especially the assistance from Japan. With only three core members leading the launch, we sometimes found ourselves stuck in rigid thinking and faced moments of isolation. However, the strong support from Japan reassured us, allowing us to stay positive even when obstacles arose. Everyone was united in the determination to see it through, and even the faintest glimmer of hope helped us find a path forward.

    Leading the Way Until Success is Achieved

    Staying at the forefront is important when it comes to enhancing competitiveness. Doing so lets us quickly gather customer feedback and gain an advantage through our products and services. In this process, it is essential to embrace the Customer Focus principle of always thinking from a customer’s perspective, as advocated by PLP*2.Having spent my career in technology, my work often remained within that sphere. However, stepping outside and engaging directly with customers made me realize how vastly different cultures can be. From my experience in the UK, I am convinced that the key to enhancing competitiveness lies in rapidly iterating the PDCA cycle to integrate customer feedback into business development. Recently, I have also come to appreciate the importance of a two-way approach—effectively communicating the value of hydrogen while actively listening to our customers.*2: Panasonic Leadership Principles are a set of behavioral guidelines for each and every employee to follow in their efforts to put the Basic Business Philosophy into practice.
    Our top priority is to enhance the competitiveness of the three-battery integration, make it a unique, industry-leading solution and develop it into a robust product and service. We are dedicated to advancing Panasonic’s strengths and will first introduce it to the environmentally advanced European market before expanding it globally in the future.

    I have been involved in fuel cell development since joining Panasonic. I take great pride in playing a role in the practical application of hydrogen, a clean energy source, in society. My dream is to help build a foundation where hydrogen is a natural part of everyday life, ensuring that future generations can live comfortably in a sustainable environment.
    This demonstration is merely the starting point. With a strong sense of responsibility as a frontrunner, I will continue moving forward alongside our customers until we fully realize the value we aim to deliver.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Economics: Japan: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Article IV Mission

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    February 7, 2025

    A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

    The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    Washington, DC – February 7, 2025[1]:

    After three decades of near-zero inflation, there are signs that Japan’s economy can sustainably converge to a new equilibrium. Inflation has surpassed the Bank of Japan’s 2-percent target for over two years and a tight labor market is delivering the strongest wage growth since the 1990s. But Japan continues to face challenges from its aging population and high public debt. Policy priorities are to re-anchor inflation expectations, rebuild fiscal buffers, and advance labor market reforms to support potential growth.

    RECENT DEVELOPMENTS, OUTLOOK, AND RISKS

    The economy contracted in the first half of 2024 due to temporary supply disruptions but gained momentum in the rest of the year. Domestic demand, private consumption in particular, has strengthened, while net external demand has been sluggish. Both headline and core inflation (excluding fresh food and energy) remain above the BoJ’s 2-percent headline inflation target. Goods inflation has been boosted by energy and food prices, while services price growth is relatively weaker and below 2 percent. Inflation expectations are becoming increasingly aligned with the inflation target, though some measures remain below that target. The yen-dollar exchange rate has experienced sizable swings, largely driven by shifts in interest rate differentials (which reflect broader macroeconomic developments), but also amplified by the build-up and subsequent unwinding of yen carry-trade positions. The pass-through to inflation is estimated to have been relatively mild so far. Wages are growing at their highest rate since the 1990s amid labor shortages and strong inflation, but they have remained lackluster in real terms.

    Growth is expected to accelerate in 2025, with private consumption strengthening further, as above-inflation wage growth will boost households’ disposable income. Private investment is also expected to remain strong, supported by high corporate profits and accommodative financial conditions. The output gap is estimated to be closed, and growth is expected to converge to its potential of 0.5 percent in the medium term. Headline and core inflation are expected to converge to the BoJ’s 2-percent headline inflation target in late 2025, helped by a moderation in commodity prices for oil and food. The current account surplus is expected to moderate in 2025 as the income balance narrows, with the trade balance remaining in deficit. The external position is assessed as broadly in line with the level implied by medium-term fundamentals and desirable policies.

    Risks to growth are tilted to the downside. On the external side, these include a slowdown in the global economy, deepening geoeconomic fragmentation and increasing trade restrictions, and more volatile food and energy prices. On the domestic side, the main downside risk is weak consumption if real wages do not pick up. Another domestic risk to the outlook is a possible decline in confidence in fiscal sustainability that leads to a tightening of financial conditions in the context of high public debt and gross financing needs. If downside risks materialize, it could result in Japan reverting to an effective-lower-bound constrained environment given the still-low level of the policy rate. 

    Risks to inflation are broadly balanced. On the downside, inflation expectations may stall below the headline inflation target following Japan’s prolonged experience with low inflation. Upside risks stem from rising food and energy prices, and from stronger-than-expected wages in the upcoming spring wage negotiations. Higher barriers to trade and cost pressures in major trading partners could spill over to Japan but the impact on domestic prices would be ambiguous given lower economic activity.

    ECONOMIC POLICIES

    Fiscal Policy

    The estimated fiscal deficit in 2024 is smaller than expected at the time of the 2024 Article IV. Tax revenues have been boosted by high corporate profits, and expenditures to support the economic recovery (such as transfers to households and SMEs) have been partly phased out. The fiscal deficit is projected to increase slightly in 2025, with additional spending planned for defense, children-related measures, and industrial policies (IP). There is a significant risk that the deficit will widen further, given the political demands on the minority government. This should be avoided as fiscal space remains limited: any expansionary measure should be offset by higher revenues or expenditure savings elsewhere in the budget.

    Public debt, as a share of GDP, is expected to decline in the near term, as nominal GDP growth is projected to exceed the effective interest rate on public debt. Public debt will remain high, however, and is estimated to start rising by 2030, driven by a higher interest bill and expenditure pressures related to spending on health and long-term care for an aging population. A clear consolidation plan is needed even in the near term to fully offset these pressures, ensure debt sustainability, and increase fiscal space needed to respond to shocks (including from natural disasters). This will require elaborating concrete and credible expenditure and revenue measures in the context of a robust medium-term fiscal framework:

    • The composition of public spending should be more growth-friendly, including by eliminating poorly targeted subsidies, notably energy subsidies, while preserving expenditure on high-quality public investment. Enhancing the targeting and efficiency of social security spending is critical to containing rising costs while preserving quality.
    • On the revenue side, options include strengthening financial income taxation for high-income earners, lowering exemptions and broadening the taxable valuation base under the property tax, streamlining income tax deductions, and unifying and eventually increasing the consumption tax rate. The PIT reform to the income deduction limit that is currently under consideration would need to be financed by additional revenues or savings elsewhere in the budget.
    • The repeated use, and incomplete execution of supplementary budgets undermines efficient resource allocation, budget transparency, and fiscal discipline. The use of supplementary budgets should be limited to responding to large, unexpected shocks that overwhelm automatic stabilizers, which would also avoid providing unwarranted stimulus in normal times. All medium-term spending commitments—including on IP and green transformation—should be incorporated into the regular budget process.

    As interest rates rise, the cost of servicing the large public debt is expected to double by 2030, putting a premium on a robust debt management strategy. In the face of rising gross financing needs and a shrinking BoJ balance sheet, government bond issuance will need to rely on additional demand from foreign investors and domestic institutions.

    Monetary and Exchange Rate Policies

    The current accommodative monetary policy stance is appropriate and will ensure inflation expectations rise sustainably to the 2-percent inflation target. Accommodation should continue to be withdrawn gradually if the baseline forecast bears out, under which we expect the policy rate would reach a neutral level by end-2027. High domestic and external uncertainty underscore the need for the BoJ to maintain its data-dependent and flexible approach and clear communications to anchor market expectations.

    The BOJ’s ongoing reduction in the size of its balance sheet has been clearly communicated, is appropriately modest in pace, and is proceeding smoothly. The BoJ should stand ready to modify the pace of its purchases should disorderly bond market conditions arise or if financial conditions become inconsistent with the desired monetary policy stance.

    Japan’s large stock of outstanding government debt and sizable net international investment position provide an important transmission channel for monetary policy to spill over into asset prices abroad. Clear communication and gradualism can limit adverse asset price reactions and outward spillovers.

    The authorities’ continued commitment to a flexible exchange rate regime is welcome. Exchange rate flexibility should continue to help absorb external shocks and support monetary policy’s focus on price stability. At the same time, it will also help maintain an external position in line with fundamentals.

    Financial Stability

    Japan’s financial system remains broadly resilient, supported by strong capital and liquidity buffers. Banks’ revenues have generally increased as credit costs remain low, the rise in interest rates has been gradual, and the yen has depreciated. Major banks continue to manage interest rate risks proactively through portfolio rebalancing and diversifying their funding sources. Financial intermediation remains stable supported by continued demand for loans from both corporate and household sectors. The insurance sector is well-capitalized and profitable, despite challenges from market volatility and demographic shifts.

    While the financial system remains generally resilient, systemic risk has risen slightly since the 2024 Article IV consultation, reflecting a combination of rising macroeconomic uncertainty, risk of faster than expected interest rates increases or unrealized losses, and rising bankruptcies among SMEs. Rising global macroeconomic uncertainty could impact Japanese banks’ investments. While gradually rising interest rates have helped bank profitability, faster-than-expected increases in interest rates or sudden changes in global financial conditions could amplify financial market volatility and interact with three persisting vulnerabilities identified in the 2024 FSAP: large securities held under mark-to-market accounting, significant foreign currency exposures—particularly through US dollar funding instruments—and signs of overheating in some areas of real estate. A faster-than-expected tightening of financial conditions could also disrupt the JGB market, amplifying interest rate risks for banks with larger exposures. Less-capitalized domestic banks are more vulnerable to rate hikes, facing heightened risks from unrealized losses and higher funding costs. Corporate defaults among smaller SMEs have been increasing, albeit from a low base, and could pose risks for regional banks with high SME loan exposure. 

    Strengthening systemic risk monitoring and the macroprudential policy framework is needed to better mitigate risks in the financial system. Ongoing efforts to expand data collection, enhance analytical capacity, and improve coordination between the FSA and BOJ are welcome. To further enhance systemic risk analysis, closing remaining data gaps and advancing analytical tools for a more comprehensive assessment of systemic vulnerabilities, including those related to foreign currency exposure, remain key priorities. Assigning a formal mandate to the Council for Cooperation on Financial Stability would reinforce the institutional framework, while expanding the macroprudential policy toolkit with targeted borrower-based measures would help mitigate vulnerabilities in the real estate sector.

    Further strengthening financial sector oversight is essential to bolster stability and resilience against emerging risks and vulnerabilities. While progress has been made in expanding staffing resources in certain areas, additional allocations are needed to reinforce financial supervision. The authorities should continue to enhance risk-based supervision to respond flexibly to an evolving banking system. Strengthening the Early Warning System with more forward-looking indicators, especially for credit and liquidity risks, and establishing minimum liquidity requirements for domestic banks would enhance stability. Supervisors should also have the authority to adjust bank capital ratios above minimum requirements based on individual risk profiles and financial conditions.

    The authorities should remain prepared to address market strains as they arise. The liquidity and functioning of the JGB market have improved since April but experienced temporary deterioration in early August amid a spike in market volatility. Rising foreign market volatility could impact domestic liquidity conditions, potentially triggering spillover effects. To mitigate these risks the central bank should closely monitor liquidity conditions and funding rates in money markets, while paying particular attention to the uneven distribution of liquidity among banks as well as the growth in repo transactions driven by demand from financial dealers and foreign investors. The scope of institutions eligible to receive emergency liquidity assistance could be expanded to nonbank financial institutions, prioritizing central counterparties. Recovery and Resolution Planning should be gradually expanded to all banks that could be systemic at failure, requiring more banks to maintain a minimum amount of loss-absorbing capacity tailored to their resolvability needs.

    Structural Policies

    Japan’s total factor productivity growth has been slowing for a decade and has fallen further behind the United States. A steady decline in allocative efficiency since the early 2000s has been a drag on productivity, and likely reflects an increase in market frictions. In addition, Japan’s ultra-low interest rates may have allowed low-productivity firms to survive longer than they otherwise would have, delaying necessary economic restructuring. Reforms aimed at improving labor mobility across firms would help improve Japan’s allocative efficiency and boost productivity.

    Japan’s labor market is expected to witness a significant transformation driven by population aging and advances in artificial intelligence (AI). Japan is aging rapidly—a trend that is expected to continue over coming decades—and has been at the forefront in labor-saving automation to alleviate labor shortages. Policies can play a crucial role in mitigating the impact of aging on labor supply and facilitating mobility needed to benefit from AI adoption:

    • Thanks to government efforts, Japan’s seniors already have a relatively high labor force participation rate compared to other OECD countries. But policy frictions such as an income threshold that triggers a loss of pension benefits may be inducing seniors to work fewer hours than they otherwise would.
    • Japan has made significant progress in increasing female labor force participation during the last decade. Further supporting women’s ability to fully participate in the labor force will require continuing to expand childcare resources and facilitate fathers’ contribution to home/childcare, and further encouraging the use of flexible working arrangements.
    • Training programs are crucial to enhance the complementarity of AI with the labor force and improve the productivity of senior workers.
    • Improving mobility and reducing barriers to job switching are essential to address labor shortages due to aging and the potential job displacement impact of AI. Subsidized training programs that are targeted to in-demand occupations could help reskill and upskill the labor force and facilitate occupational mobility.

    While AI may help to address some of Japan’s labor shortages, and since upskilling/reskilling the labor force takes time, attracting foreign workers could help alleviate labor shortages. Government programs have led to a tripling of the number of foreign workers in Japan during the past decade. However, foreigners continue to play a much smaller role in the Japanese labor force than they do in other OECD economies.

    Similar to other G20 economies, Japan has increased its adoption of industrial policies. Japan’s industrial policies aim to advance several objectives, including economic security, resilience, inclusive growth, and green and digital transformation (the latter including support for the semiconductor industry). Under this umbrella, multi-year envelopes of 20 trillion and 10 trillion yen have been identified for green transformation and the semiconductor/AI industries, respectively. Given Japan’s limited fiscal space and the unclear growth impact of past IP, industrial policy schemes should be subjected to a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis. Going forward, IP should be narrowly targeted to specific objectives when externalities or market failures exist, to minimize distortions. It should avoid favoring domestic products over imports or creating incentives that lead to a fragmentation of the global system for trade and investment, in line with Japan’s commitment to multilateral economic cooperation.

    Japan remains committed to green transformation, and further progress on policies would enable reaching its targets. Notable ongoing efforts—such as the issuance of climate transition bonds to finance government green investment, and the implementation of carbon credits trading—are in line with international practices and previous staff advice. Nevertheless, without further policy changes, Japan is likely to fall short of its targets. To help meet its green commitments while boosting growth, a combination of policies is needed. Options include the removal of energy subsidies, the expansion of carbon pricing, feebates and tradable performance standards. Carbon pricing would need to be accompanied by targeted cash transfers to protect the vulnerable from adverse distributional effects.

    The IMF team would like to thank the authorities and other interlocutors in Japan for the frank and open discussions.

    Table 1. Japan: Selected Economic Indicators, 2021-26

    Nominal GDP: US$ 4,213 billion (2023)

    GDP per capita: US$ 33,849 (2023)

    Population: 124 million (2023)

    Quota: SDR 30.8 billion (2023)

    2021

    2022

    2023

    2024

    2025

    2026

    Est.

    Proj.

    (In percent change)

    Growth

      Real GDP

    2.7

    0.9

    1.5

    -0.2

    1.1

    0.8

      Domestic demand

    1.7

    1.5

    0.4

    0.2

    1.2

    0.8

        Private consumption  

    0.7

    2.1

    0.8

    -0.3

    0.9

    0.6

        Gross Private Fixed Investment

    1.3

    1.6

    1.5

    0.6

    1.1

    0.8

        Business investment  

    1.7

    2.6

    1.5

    1.3

    1.2

    0.9

        Residential investment  

    -0.3

    -2.7

    1.5

    -2.4

    0.8

    0.4

        Government consumption   

    3.4

    1.4

    -0.3

    1.0

    1.3

    1.2

        Public investment   

    -2.6

    -8.3

    1.5

    -1.2

    0.3

    0.0

        Stockbuilding

    0.5

    0.2

    -0.3

    0.1

    0.1

    0.0

      Net exports

    1.0

    -0.5

    1.0

    -0.2

    0.0

    0.1

        Exports of goods and services

    11.9

    5.5

    3.0

    0.7

    2.9

    2.0

        Imports of goods and services

    5.2

    8.3

    -1.5

    2.0

    2.9

    1.8

    Output Gap

    -1.6

    -0.9

    0.2

    0.1

    0.2

    0.0

    (In percent change, period average)

    Inflation

      Headline CPI

    -0.2

    2.5

    3.2

    2.8

    2.4

    2.0

      GDP deflator  

    -0.2

    0.4

    4.1

    3.0

    2.3

    2.1

    (In percent of GDP)

    Government

        Revenue  

    36.3

    37.5

    36.8

    36.9

    36.8

    36.8

        Expenditure  

    42.5

    41.8

    39.1

    39.4

    39.4

    39.7

        Overall Balance  

    -6.2

    -4.3

    -2.3

    -2.5

    -2.6

    -2.9

        Primary balance

    -5.6

    -3.9

    -2.1

    -2.1

    -2.2

    -2.2

    Structural primary balance

    -4.9

    -3.8

    -2.2

    -2.1

    -2.3

    -2.2

        Public debt, gross

    253.7

    248.3

    240.0

        237.0

    232.7

    230.0

    (In percent change, end-of-period)

    Macro-financial

    Base money

    8.5

    -5.6

    6.4

    -1.0

    2.2

    2.2

    Broad money

    2.9

    2.3

    2.2

    1.1

    2.1

    2.1

    Credit to the private sector

    2.3

    3.6

    4.2

    3.1

    1.8

    1.6

    Non-financial corporate debt in percent of GDP

    157.1

    161.2

    156.7

    159.8

    160.2

    161.3

    (In percent)

    Interest rate   

      Overnight call rate, uncollateralized (end-of-period)

    0.0

    0.0

    0.0

    …

    …

    …

      10-year JGB yield (end-of-period)

    0.1

    0.4

    0.6

    …

    …

    …

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    (In billions of USD)

    Balance of payments    

    Current account balance   

    196.2

    89.9

    158.5

    179.4

    166.7

    162.2

            Percent of GDP   

    3.9

    2.1

    3.8

    4.5

    4.1

    3.8

        Trade balance

    16.4

    -115.8

    -48.2

    -31.5

    -26.2

    -24.1

            Percent of GDP   

    0.3

    -2.7

    -1.1

    -0.8

    -0.6

    -0.6

          Exports of goods, f.o.b.  

    749.2

    752.5

    713.7

    691.6

    705.5

    720.9

          Imports of goods, f.o.b.  

    732.7

    868.3

    761.9

    723.1

    731.7

    745.0

    Energy imports

    127.8

    195.5

    152.9

    145.2

    135.9

    122.5

    (In percent of GDP)

    FDI, net

    3.5

    3.0

    4.1

    4.8

    4.2

    4.1

    Portfolio Investment

    -3.9

    -3.3

    4.7

    5.5

    0.9

    0.9

    (In billions of USD)

    Change in reserves   

    62.8

    -47.4

    29.8

    -74.7

    11.5

    11.5

    Total reserves minus gold (in billions of US$)             

    1356.2

    1178.3

    1238.5

    …

    …

    …

    (In units, period average)

    Exchange rates                

      Yen/dollar rate    

    109.8

    131.5

    140.5

    …

    …

    …

      Yen/euro rate    

    129.9

    138.6

    152.0

    …

    …

    …

      Real effective exchange rate (ULC-based, 2010=100)       

    73.5

    61.8

    56.1

    …

    …

    …

      Real effective exchange rate (CPI-based, 2010=100)

    70.7

    61.0

    58.1

    …

    …

    …

     

    (In percent)

    Demographic Indicators

    Population Growth

    -0.3

    -0.3

    -0.5

    -0.5

    -0.5

    -0.5

    Old-age dependency

    48.7

    48.8

    48.9

    49.2

    49.7

    50.1

    Sources: Haver Analytics; OECD; Japanese authorities; and IMF staff estimates and projections.

                       

    [1] An IMF mission, led by Nada Choueiri and including Kohei Asao, Yan Carrière-Swallow, Andrea Deghi, Shujaat Khan, Gene Kindberg-Hanlon, Haruki Seitani, Danila Smirnov and Ara Stepanyan, conducted meetings in Japan during January 23-February 6, 2025. The mission met with senior officials at the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Japan, and other ministries and government agencies, along with representatives of labor unions, the business community, financial sector, and academics.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Randa Elnagar

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    @IMFSpokesperson

    MIL OSI Economics –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Russia: Japan: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Article IV Mission

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    February 7, 2025

    A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

    The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    Washington, DC – February 7, 2025[1]:

    After three decades of near-zero inflation, there are signs that Japan’s economy can sustainably converge to a new equilibrium. Inflation has surpassed the Bank of Japan’s 2-percent target for over two years and a tight labor market is delivering the strongest wage growth since the 1990s. But Japan continues to face challenges from its aging population and high public debt. Policy priorities are to re-anchor inflation expectations, rebuild fiscal buffers, and advance labor market reforms to support potential growth.

    RECENT DEVELOPMENTS, OUTLOOK, AND RISKS

    The economy contracted in the first half of 2024 due to temporary supply disruptions but gained momentum in the rest of the year. Domestic demand, private consumption in particular, has strengthened, while net external demand has been sluggish. Both headline and core inflation (excluding fresh food and energy) remain above the BoJ’s 2-percent headline inflation target. Goods inflation has been boosted by energy and food prices, while services price growth is relatively weaker and below 2 percent. Inflation expectations are becoming increasingly aligned with the inflation target, though some measures remain below that target. The yen-dollar exchange rate has experienced sizable swings, largely driven by shifts in interest rate differentials (which reflect broader macroeconomic developments), but also amplified by the build-up and subsequent unwinding of yen carry-trade positions. The pass-through to inflation is estimated to have been relatively mild so far. Wages are growing at their highest rate since the 1990s amid labor shortages and strong inflation, but they have remained lackluster in real terms.

    Growth is expected to accelerate in 2025, with private consumption strengthening further, as above-inflation wage growth will boost households’ disposable income. Private investment is also expected to remain strong, supported by high corporate profits and accommodative financial conditions. The output gap is estimated to be closed, and growth is expected to converge to its potential of 0.5 percent in the medium term. Headline and core inflation are expected to converge to the BoJ’s 2-percent headline inflation target in late 2025, helped by a moderation in commodity prices for oil and food. The current account surplus is expected to moderate in 2025 as the income balance narrows, with the trade balance remaining in deficit. The external position is assessed as broadly in line with the level implied by medium-term fundamentals and desirable policies.

    Risks to growth are tilted to the downside. On the external side, these include a slowdown in the global economy, deepening geoeconomic fragmentation and increasing trade restrictions, and more volatile food and energy prices. On the domestic side, the main downside risk is weak consumption if real wages do not pick up. Another domestic risk to the outlook is a possible decline in confidence in fiscal sustainability that leads to a tightening of financial conditions in the context of high public debt and gross financing needs. If downside risks materialize, it could result in Japan reverting to an effective-lower-bound constrained environment given the still-low level of the policy rate. 

    Risks to inflation are broadly balanced. On the downside, inflation expectations may stall below the headline inflation target following Japan’s prolonged experience with low inflation. Upside risks stem from rising food and energy prices, and from stronger-than-expected wages in the upcoming spring wage negotiations. Higher barriers to trade and cost pressures in major trading partners could spill over to Japan but the impact on domestic prices would be ambiguous given lower economic activity.

    ECONOMIC POLICIES

    Fiscal Policy

    The estimated fiscal deficit in 2024 is smaller than expected at the time of the 2024 Article IV. Tax revenues have been boosted by high corporate profits, and expenditures to support the economic recovery (such as transfers to households and SMEs) have been partly phased out. The fiscal deficit is projected to increase slightly in 2025, with additional spending planned for defense, children-related measures, and industrial policies (IP). There is a significant risk that the deficit will widen further, given the political demands on the minority government. This should be avoided as fiscal space remains limited: any expansionary measure should be offset by higher revenues or expenditure savings elsewhere in the budget.

    Public debt, as a share of GDP, is expected to decline in the near term, as nominal GDP growth is projected to exceed the effective interest rate on public debt. Public debt will remain high, however, and is estimated to start rising by 2030, driven by a higher interest bill and expenditure pressures related to spending on health and long-term care for an aging population. A clear consolidation plan is needed even in the near term to fully offset these pressures, ensure debt sustainability, and increase fiscal space needed to respond to shocks (including from natural disasters). This will require elaborating concrete and credible expenditure and revenue measures in the context of a robust medium-term fiscal framework:

    • The composition of public spending should be more growth-friendly, including by eliminating poorly targeted subsidies, notably energy subsidies, while preserving expenditure on high-quality public investment. Enhancing the targeting and efficiency of social security spending is critical to containing rising costs while preserving quality.
    • On the revenue side, options include strengthening financial income taxation for high-income earners, lowering exemptions and broadening the taxable valuation base under the property tax, streamlining income tax deductions, and unifying and eventually increasing the consumption tax rate. The PIT reform to the income deduction limit that is currently under consideration would need to be financed by additional revenues or savings elsewhere in the budget.
    • The repeated use, and incomplete execution of supplementary budgets undermines efficient resource allocation, budget transparency, and fiscal discipline. The use of supplementary budgets should be limited to responding to large, unexpected shocks that overwhelm automatic stabilizers, which would also avoid providing unwarranted stimulus in normal times. All medium-term spending commitments—including on IP and green transformation—should be incorporated into the regular budget process.

    As interest rates rise, the cost of servicing the large public debt is expected to double by 2030, putting a premium on a robust debt management strategy. In the face of rising gross financing needs and a shrinking BoJ balance sheet, government bond issuance will need to rely on additional demand from foreign investors and domestic institutions.

    Monetary and Exchange Rate Policies

    The current accommodative monetary policy stance is appropriate and will ensure inflation expectations rise sustainably to the 2-percent inflation target. Accommodation should continue to be withdrawn gradually if the baseline forecast bears out, under which we expect the policy rate would reach a neutral level by end-2027. High domestic and external uncertainty underscore the need for the BoJ to maintain its data-dependent and flexible approach and clear communications to anchor market expectations.

    The BOJ’s ongoing reduction in the size of its balance sheet has been clearly communicated, is appropriately modest in pace, and is proceeding smoothly. The BoJ should stand ready to modify the pace of its purchases should disorderly bond market conditions arise or if financial conditions become inconsistent with the desired monetary policy stance.

    Japan’s large stock of outstanding government debt and sizable net international investment position provide an important transmission channel for monetary policy to spill over into asset prices abroad. Clear communication and gradualism can limit adverse asset price reactions and outward spillovers.

    The authorities’ continued commitment to a flexible exchange rate regime is welcome. Exchange rate flexibility should continue to help absorb external shocks and support monetary policy’s focus on price stability. At the same time, it will also help maintain an external position in line with fundamentals.

    Financial Stability

    Japan’s financial system remains broadly resilient, supported by strong capital and liquidity buffers. Banks’ revenues have generally increased as credit costs remain low, the rise in interest rates has been gradual, and the yen has depreciated. Major banks continue to manage interest rate risks proactively through portfolio rebalancing and diversifying their funding sources. Financial intermediation remains stable supported by continued demand for loans from both corporate and household sectors. The insurance sector is well-capitalized and profitable, despite challenges from market volatility and demographic shifts.

    While the financial system remains generally resilient, systemic risk has risen slightly since the 2024 Article IV consultation, reflecting a combination of rising macroeconomic uncertainty, risk of faster than expected interest rates increases or unrealized losses, and rising bankruptcies among SMEs. Rising global macroeconomic uncertainty could impact Japanese banks’ investments. While gradually rising interest rates have helped bank profitability, faster-than-expected increases in interest rates or sudden changes in global financial conditions could amplify financial market volatility and interact with three persisting vulnerabilities identified in the 2024 FSAP: large securities held under mark-to-market accounting, significant foreign currency exposures—particularly through US dollar funding instruments—and signs of overheating in some areas of real estate. A faster-than-expected tightening of financial conditions could also disrupt the JGB market, amplifying interest rate risks for banks with larger exposures. Less-capitalized domestic banks are more vulnerable to rate hikes, facing heightened risks from unrealized losses and higher funding costs. Corporate defaults among smaller SMEs have been increasing, albeit from a low base, and could pose risks for regional banks with high SME loan exposure. 

    Strengthening systemic risk monitoring and the macroprudential policy framework is needed to better mitigate risks in the financial system. Ongoing efforts to expand data collection, enhance analytical capacity, and improve coordination between the FSA and BOJ are welcome. To further enhance systemic risk analysis, closing remaining data gaps and advancing analytical tools for a more comprehensive assessment of systemic vulnerabilities, including those related to foreign currency exposure, remain key priorities. Assigning a formal mandate to the Council for Cooperation on Financial Stability would reinforce the institutional framework, while expanding the macroprudential policy toolkit with targeted borrower-based measures would help mitigate vulnerabilities in the real estate sector.

    Further strengthening financial sector oversight is essential to bolster stability and resilience against emerging risks and vulnerabilities. While progress has been made in expanding staffing resources in certain areas, additional allocations are needed to reinforce financial supervision. The authorities should continue to enhance risk-based supervision to respond flexibly to an evolving banking system. Strengthening the Early Warning System with more forward-looking indicators, especially for credit and liquidity risks, and establishing minimum liquidity requirements for domestic banks would enhance stability. Supervisors should also have the authority to adjust bank capital ratios above minimum requirements based on individual risk profiles and financial conditions.

    The authorities should remain prepared to address market strains as they arise. The liquidity and functioning of the JGB market have improved since April but experienced temporary deterioration in early August amid a spike in market volatility. Rising foreign market volatility could impact domestic liquidity conditions, potentially triggering spillover effects. To mitigate these risks the central bank should closely monitor liquidity conditions and funding rates in money markets, while paying particular attention to the uneven distribution of liquidity among banks as well as the growth in repo transactions driven by demand from financial dealers and foreign investors. The scope of institutions eligible to receive emergency liquidity assistance could be expanded to nonbank financial institutions, prioritizing central counterparties. Recovery and Resolution Planning should be gradually expanded to all banks that could be systemic at failure, requiring more banks to maintain a minimum amount of loss-absorbing capacity tailored to their resolvability needs.

    Structural Policies

    Japan’s total factor productivity growth has been slowing for a decade and has fallen further behind the United States. A steady decline in allocative efficiency since the early 2000s has been a drag on productivity, and likely reflects an increase in market frictions. In addition, Japan’s ultra-low interest rates may have allowed low-productivity firms to survive longer than they otherwise would have, delaying necessary economic restructuring. Reforms aimed at improving labor mobility across firms would help improve Japan’s allocative efficiency and boost productivity.

    Japan’s labor market is expected to witness a significant transformation driven by population aging and advances in artificial intelligence (AI). Japan is aging rapidly—a trend that is expected to continue over coming decades—and has been at the forefront in labor-saving automation to alleviate labor shortages. Policies can play a crucial role in mitigating the impact of aging on labor supply and facilitating mobility needed to benefit from AI adoption:

    • Thanks to government efforts, Japan’s seniors already have a relatively high labor force participation rate compared to other OECD countries. But policy frictions such as an income threshold that triggers a loss of pension benefits may be inducing seniors to work fewer hours than they otherwise would.
    • Japan has made significant progress in increasing female labor force participation during the last decade. Further supporting women’s ability to fully participate in the labor force will require continuing to expand childcare resources and facilitate fathers’ contribution to home/childcare, and further encouraging the use of flexible working arrangements.
    • Training programs are crucial to enhance the complementarity of AI with the labor force and improve the productivity of senior workers.
    • Improving mobility and reducing barriers to job switching are essential to address labor shortages due to aging and the potential job displacement impact of AI. Subsidized training programs that are targeted to in-demand occupations could help reskill and upskill the labor force and facilitate occupational mobility.

    While AI may help to address some of Japan’s labor shortages, and since upskilling/reskilling the labor force takes time, attracting foreign workers could help alleviate labor shortages. Government programs have led to a tripling of the number of foreign workers in Japan during the past decade. However, foreigners continue to play a much smaller role in the Japanese labor force than they do in other OECD economies.

    Similar to other G20 economies, Japan has increased its adoption of industrial policies. Japan’s industrial policies aim to advance several objectives, including economic security, resilience, inclusive growth, and green and digital transformation (the latter including support for the semiconductor industry). Under this umbrella, multi-year envelopes of 20 trillion and 10 trillion yen have been identified for green transformation and the semiconductor/AI industries, respectively. Given Japan’s limited fiscal space and the unclear growth impact of past IP, industrial policy schemes should be subjected to a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis. Going forward, IP should be narrowly targeted to specific objectives when externalities or market failures exist, to minimize distortions. It should avoid favoring domestic products over imports or creating incentives that lead to a fragmentation of the global system for trade and investment, in line with Japan’s commitment to multilateral economic cooperation.

    Japan remains committed to green transformation, and further progress on policies would enable reaching its targets. Notable ongoing efforts—such as the issuance of climate transition bonds to finance government green investment, and the implementation of carbon credits trading—are in line with international practices and previous staff advice. Nevertheless, without further policy changes, Japan is likely to fall short of its targets. To help meet its green commitments while boosting growth, a combination of policies is needed. Options include the removal of energy subsidies, the expansion of carbon pricing, feebates and tradable performance standards. Carbon pricing would need to be accompanied by targeted cash transfers to protect the vulnerable from adverse distributional effects.

    The IMF team would like to thank the authorities and other interlocutors in Japan for the frank and open discussions.

    Table 1. Japan: Selected Economic Indicators, 2021-26

    Nominal GDP: US$ 4,213 billion (2023)

    GDP per capita: US$ 33,849 (2023)

    Population: 124 million (2023)

    Quota: SDR 30.8 billion (2023)

    2021

    2022

    2023

    2024

    2025

    2026

    Est.

    Proj.

    (In percent change)

    Growth

      Real GDP

    2.7

    0.9

    1.5

    -0.2

    1.1

    0.8

      Domestic demand

    1.7

    1.5

    0.4

    0.2

    1.2

    0.8

        Private consumption  

    0.7

    2.1

    0.8

    -0.3

    0.9

    0.6

        Gross Private Fixed Investment

    1.3

    1.6

    1.5

    0.6

    1.1

    0.8

        Business investment  

    1.7

    2.6

    1.5

    1.3

    1.2

    0.9

        Residential investment  

    -0.3

    -2.7

    1.5

    -2.4

    0.8

    0.4

        Government consumption   

    3.4

    1.4

    -0.3

    1.0

    1.3

    1.2

        Public investment   

    -2.6

    -8.3

    1.5

    -1.2

    0.3

    0.0

        Stockbuilding

    0.5

    0.2

    -0.3

    0.1

    0.1

    0.0

      Net exports

    1.0

    -0.5

    1.0

    -0.2

    0.0

    0.1

        Exports of goods and services

    11.9

    5.5

    3.0

    0.7

    2.9

    2.0

        Imports of goods and services

    5.2

    8.3

    -1.5

    2.0

    2.9

    1.8

    Output Gap

    -1.6

    -0.9

    0.2

    0.1

    0.2

    0.0

    (In percent change, period average)

    Inflation

      Headline CPI

    -0.2

    2.5

    3.2

    2.8

    2.4

    2.0

      GDP deflator  

    -0.2

    0.4

    4.1

    3.0

    2.3

    2.1

    (In percent of GDP)

    Government

        Revenue  

    36.3

    37.5

    36.8

    36.9

    36.8

    36.8

        Expenditure  

    42.5

    41.8

    39.1

    39.4

    39.4

    39.7

        Overall Balance  

    -6.2

    -4.3

    -2.3

    -2.5

    -2.6

    -2.9

        Primary balance

    -5.6

    -3.9

    -2.1

    -2.1

    -2.2

    -2.2

    Structural primary balance

    -4.9

    -3.8

    -2.2

    -2.1

    -2.3

    -2.2

        Public debt, gross

    253.7

    248.3

    240.0

        237.0

    232.7

    230.0

    (In percent change, end-of-period)

    Macro-financial

    Base money

    8.5

    -5.6

    6.4

    -1.0

    2.2

    2.2

    Broad money

    2.9

    2.3

    2.2

    1.1

    2.1

    2.1

    Credit to the private sector

    2.3

    3.6

    4.2

    3.1

    1.8

    1.6

    Non-financial corporate debt in percent of GDP

    157.1

    161.2

    156.7

    159.8

    160.2

    161.3

    (In percent)

    Interest rate   

      Overnight call rate, uncollateralized (end-of-period)

    0.0

    0.0

    0.0

    …

    …

    …

      10-year JGB yield (end-of-period)

    0.1

    0.4

    0.6

    …

    …

    …

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    (In billions of USD)

    Balance of payments    

    Current account balance   

    196.2

    89.9

    158.5

    179.4

    166.7

    162.2

            Percent of GDP   

    3.9

    2.1

    3.8

    4.5

    4.1

    3.8

        Trade balance

    16.4

    -115.8

    -48.2

    -31.5

    -26.2

    -24.1

            Percent of GDP   

    0.3

    -2.7

    -1.1

    -0.8

    -0.6

    -0.6

          Exports of goods, f.o.b.  

    749.2

    752.5

    713.7

    691.6

    705.5

    720.9

          Imports of goods, f.o.b.  

    732.7

    868.3

    761.9

    723.1

    731.7

    745.0

    Energy imports

    127.8

    195.5

    152.9

    145.2

    135.9

    122.5

    (In percent of GDP)

    FDI, net

    3.5

    3.0

    4.1

    4.8

    4.2

    4.1

    Portfolio Investment

    -3.9

    -3.3

    4.7

    5.5

    0.9

    0.9

    (In billions of USD)

    Change in reserves   

    62.8

    -47.4

    29.8

    -74.7

    11.5

    11.5

    Total reserves minus gold (in billions of US$)             

    1356.2

    1178.3

    1238.5

    …

    …

    …

    (In units, period average)

    Exchange rates                

      Yen/dollar rate    

    109.8

    131.5

    140.5

    …

    …

    …

      Yen/euro rate    

    129.9

    138.6

    152.0

    …

    …

    …

      Real effective exchange rate (ULC-based, 2010=100)       

    73.5

    61.8

    56.1

    …

    …

    …

      Real effective exchange rate (CPI-based, 2010=100)

    70.7

    61.0

    58.1

    …

    …

    …

     

    (In percent)

    Demographic Indicators

    Population Growth

    -0.3

    -0.3

    -0.5

    -0.5

    -0.5

    -0.5

    Old-age dependency

    48.7

    48.8

    48.9

    49.2

    49.7

    50.1

    Sources: Haver Analytics; OECD; Japanese authorities; and IMF staff estimates and projections.

                       

    [1] An IMF mission, led by Nada Choueiri and including Kohei Asao, Yan Carrière-Swallow, Andrea Deghi, Shujaat Khan, Gene Kindberg-Hanlon, Haruki Seitani, Danila Smirnov and Ara Stepanyan, conducted meetings in Japan during January 23-February 6, 2025. The mission met with senior officials at the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Japan, and other ministries and government agencies, along with representatives of labor unions, the business community, financial sector, and academics.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Randa Elnagar

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    @IMFSpokesperson

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/07/mcs-020725-japan-staff-concluding-statement-of-the-2025-article-iv-mission

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Make Space Traffic Safer

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

    Legislation would improve space traffic coordination in low-Earth Orbit, reduce congestion

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, John Cornyn, Gary Peters, Marsha Blackburn, Eric Schmitt, Mark Kelly, Roger Wicker, and Ben Ray Luján introduced the Situational Awareness of Flying Elements in (SAFE) Orbit Act. The legislation would improve space traffic coordination (STC) in low-Earth orbit by directing the Office of Space Commerce (OSC), which operates within the U.S. Department of Commerce, to acquire and share unclassified information on space activities in low-Earth orbit.

    “The boom in commercial space activities has filled low-Earth orbit with more debris and satellites than ever,” said Hickenlooper. “A cutting-edge traffic coordination system will help preserve our leadership in space.”

    Our current government space situational awareness (SSA) services have not kept pace with the accuracy our space industry needs. The SAFE Orbit Act would fix that.

    Specifically, the legislation would:

    • Make basic-level SSA data, analytics, information, and services available for public use through an easily accessible, free web interface
    • Maintain a public catalog of SSA data and information using data from diverse sources
    • Facilitate the development and adoption of voluntary industry consensus standards to ensure data standardization among satellite owners and operators, commercial service providers, the academic community, and nonprofits
    • Foster collaboration with U.S Government and foreign government operators to encourage participation in data-sharing with respect to their assets in orbit
    • Prioritize purchasing data, analytics, information, and services from commercial SSA providers
    • Ensure any licensing agreements allow private U.S. firms to continue market growth and protect proprietary commercial systems and data

    The Commercial Spaceflight Federation has endorsed this legislation.

    “Commercial space objects in low-Earth orbit can help scientists make new discoveries and spur technological innovation, but this hinges on the ability to conduct safe and effective space traffic coordination,” said Cornyn. “The SAFE Orbit Act would prevent dangerous and costly accidental collisions in low-Earth orbit and improve access to data collection and analysis to help propel the United States into the next phase of space exploration.”

    “To continue as a global leader in commercial space activity, the United States must lead the way to protect astronauts in orbit and space-based assets,” said Peters. “This legislation would provide important data that can help inform space exploration decisions and promote safe expansion.”

    “The world is entering a new space race, and we must equip American innovators with every resource to win,” said Blackburn. “The SAFE Orbit Act would take an important step to centralize and improve space traffic coordination, ensuring there are no tragic collisions in space. As we enter this new frontier, we must be certain that we prioritize safety and coordination with our partners around the globe.”

    “As the commercial space industry continues to grow, we need to safely track and manage objects in orbit and prevent collisions,” said Kelly. “We’re providing the tools for critical space situational awareness that will safeguard public access to orbital data, empower scientists and innovators to advance this critical frontier, and strengthen American leadership in space.”

    “Future expansion in space requires better technology and data coordination. Currently, companies lack the awareness of other objects such as space junk, which could collide with valuable satellites,” said Wicker. “This new emerging business sector represents the new economic frontier, but we must make sure we are prepared to tap its potential.”

    “This legislation will help make essential improvements to how we track objects in Earth’s orbit, enhancing space safety through better tracking and coordination to reduce collision risks,” said Luján. “As the commercial space activity grows, in New Mexico and across the country, access to critical space data is necessary to ensure safety and security.”

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese ring in Year of the Snake with travel, spending boom

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Beijing South Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    As China celebrated the arrival of the Year of the Snake, the festive atmosphere was reflected in a surge in travel and consumer spending. With tourism booming, restaurants bustling, and box offices setting new records, the festivities showcased China’s economic vitality.
    The Spring Festival, China’s most important festival, sparked a nationwide travel surge as families reunited and celebrations took place across the country. Official data showed that more than 2.3 billion passenger trips were made nationwide during the eight-day Spring Festival holiday, which concluded on Tuesday.
    Official projections estimated over 9 billion passenger trips during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush that officially began on Jan. 14.
    The annual migration — once dominated by homebound travelers — now sees a growing number of people opting for holiday getaways, filling train stations, highways, and airports in celebration of the Year of the Snake.
    Tourism soars on heritage charm
    With China’s Spring Festival now on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, cultural exploration-centered tours have become increasingly popular.
    Online searches for “intangible cultural heritage tourism” jumped 174 percent since the beginning of this year, while folk craft-related searches spiked 321 percent, according to Meituan Travel. On the popular video-sharing platform Douyin, demand for intangible cultural heritage tours led to a 462 percent year-on-year rise in group tour bookings for folk fairs.
    According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, China saw a record 501 million domestic tourist trips during the just-concluded holiday, up 5.9 percent year on year. Tourist spending reached a record high of over 677 billion yuan (94.43 billion U.S. dollars) during the period, a 7 percent increase from the previous year.
    The cultural allure extended beyond domestic travelers, attracting visitors from around the globe. The latest data from the National Immigration Administration showed about 14.37 million cross-border trips were made during the holiday, up 6.3 percent from last year’s Spring Festival holiday. Of these, 958,000 trips were made by foreign nationals, marking a 22.9 percent increase.

    Foreign tourists try to make tofu during a folk celebration of the Spring Festival in Wayaogang Village, Yongding District of Zhangjiajie City, central China’s Hunan Province, Jan. 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    According to Chinese online travel service giant Trip.com Group, inbound travel orders during the Spring Festival holiday rose 203 percent year on year, underscoring the growing international appeal of China’s cultural and natural landmarks.
    Among the top destinations was Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province, renowned for its spectacular mountain scenery that inspired scenes in global blockbusters. Malaysian tourist Vincent Koh Swee Sam was among the many international visitors drawn to cultural heritage in Zhangjiajie. Immersing himself in local festivities, Sam joined villagers in writing Spring Festival couplets, pounding glutinous rice cakes, and making tofu.
    Sam’s hands-on experience with Chinese calligraphy deepened his appreciation for the art. “I used to know China only through textbooks and maps,” he said. “But now that I have stepped into it myself, it feels so good.”
    Dining boom feeds festive spirit
    No Spring Festival is complete without a grand feast, and this year, more families chose to dine out for ease and variety, driving a surge in restaurant bookings.
    In Shanghai’s bustling city center, all 91 tables at the renowned Cantonese restaurant Xinya were packed with diners on Chinese New Year’s Eve, according to executive chef Huang Renkang.

    People have a reunion meal at a restaurant in Nanjing City, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Jan. 28, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    According to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), the revenues of key restaurants tracked by the ministry climbed 5.1 percent year on year in the first four days of the holiday.
    Online platforms saw a similar rise. Meituan reported a 305 percent year-on-year increase in online bookings for Chinese New Year’s Eve dinners, while high-end restaurants featuring Chinese culinary experiences saw significant growth.
    Notably, orders for “intangible cultural heritage” meal packages searched on Meituan soared over 12 times year on year since the beginning of this year.
    Box office hits record high
    From Chinese mythology to homegrown animation, this year’s Spring Festival film lineup drew massive crowds and posted record-breaking sales.
    China’s box office sales jumped to an all-time high of 9.51 billion yuan over the holiday period, while attendance also set a new record, with 187 million moviegoers packing theaters.

    People watch a film at a cinema in Feidong County, Hefei City, east China’s Anhui Province, Feb. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Leading the charge was the animated feature “Ne Zha 2,” which grossed around 4.84 billion yuan.
    “The moviegoers’ enthusiasm indicates vibrant consumption during the holiday as well as the consumers’ confidence in domestic productions,” said Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association.
    Experts attributed the success to strong audience anticipation, beloved characters and stories, and high-quality storytelling.
    “The strong performance of these films lays a solid foundation for the steady growth of China’s film market in 2025,” noted Chen Jin, a data analyst from box office tracker Beacon.
    Policy boost sparks shopping spree
    Festive cheer and consumer enthusiasm energized the market even before the holiday began. With the country’s trade-in program driving demand, shoppers eagerly seized the opportunity to upgrade cars, home appliances, and digital devices, ushering in a vibrant holiday shopping season.

    People visit a flower market in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Jan. 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    The MOC reported receiving subsidy applications for 10.79 million electronic devices over a four-day period starting Jan. 20. This follows the inclusion of mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches in the trade-in subsidy program, marking a significant expansion of the initiative launched in March last year.
    Moreover, according to the ministry, automobile trade-ins reached 34,000 while home appliance trade-ins reached 1.04 million units as of Jan. 23.
    Building on this momentum, online retail sales grew by 5.8 percent during the eight-day holiday, while sales of home appliances and communication equipment at key retailers jumped by over 10 percent.
    “Spring Festival offers a glimpse into the year’s economic trends,” said Chen Lifen, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council.
    In this holiday season, a blend of cultural experiences and new consumption scenarios has helped reinforce the economic recovery momentum, injecting confidence into the economy and setting a strong foundation for the year ahead, Chen noted.

    MIL OSI China News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: China urges US to optimize regulation on cross-border e-commerce

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The U.S. imposition of additional tariffs on Chinese exports and its tweaking of “de minimis” exemption policy will drive up the costs for American consumers and dampen their shopping experience, He Yongqian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, said on Thursday.

    When asked to comment on the erratic behavior of the U.S. Postal Service, which suspended accepting parcels from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong but reversed its decision a few hours later, He told a regular press conference that cross-border e-commerce has distinct advantages.

    Cross-border e-commerce caters to the personalized demands of consumers, offers quick delivery, and cuts down on costs. It has emerged as a significant trend in the development of international trade, He said.

    “No matter how a country adjusts its trade policies, the inherent advantages and features of cross-border e-commerce remain intact,” He said. “It still boasts strong competitiveness, and the overarching trend of digital transformation in international trade is here to stay.”

    China hopes that the United States will align with the development trends of international trade, streamline its regulatory mechanisms, and foster a fair and predictable policy ecosystem for cross-border e-commerce. By doing so, the United States can offer its domestic consumers a more convenient consumption environment, with high-quality products at reasonable prices, He added.

    MIL OSI China News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Green light for remote tech to sort the wood from the trees – Flinders

    Source: Flinders University

    New Zealand and Flinders University experts have deployed artificial intelligence and 3D laser scanning to accurately map planted pine (radiata) forests for most of NZ’s North Island.  

    The results, which distinguish planted large estates, small woodlots and newly established stands as young as three years old, showcase a new way of using remote sensing with other technology to reveal forest growth and update growth information.

    This approach is just as relevant for Australia, where radiata pine is also widely grown, says Dr Grant Pearse, Senior Lecturer in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at Flinders University.

    “In New Zealand, where radiata pine plantations dominate the forestry sector, the current national forest description lacks spatially explicit information and struggles to capture data on small-scale forests,” says Dr Pearse, from the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia.

    “We combined deep learning-based forest mapping using high-resolution aerial imagery with regional airborne laser scanning data to map all planted forest and estimate key attributes.”

    The spatially explicit forest description provides wall-to-wall information on forest extent, age, and volume for all sizes of forest. This facilitates stratification by key variables for wood supply forecasting, harvest planning, and infrastructure investment decisions – applications equally valuable for other forestry industries.

    The research, with New Zealand timber industry researchers from Rotorua, Christchurch and Auckland, was carried out on planted forests in the Gisborne region, which has publicly available aerial imagery and airborne laser scanning data.

    This region is particularly significant as it was severely impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023, which caused widespread landslides and forest debris flows.

    For such vulnerable terrain, knowing exactly where forests are located in the landscape, their age and condition is key to managing the risks of harvesting operations on the region’s steep slopes.

    “We propose satellite-based harvest detection and digital photogrammetry to continuously update the initial forest description. This methodology enables near real-time monitoring of planted forests at all scales and is adaptable to other regions with similar data availability,” researchers say in a new article.

    Along with the economic importance of NZ’s 1.8 million hectares of radiata pine forestry for export timber and fibre, these planted forests are a key part of the country’s emission trading scheme and are expected to play a significant role in achieving the government’s target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

    The forest map derived from artificial intelligence can be viewed at: www.forestinsights.nz

    In South Australia, plantation estates covering about 40,000 hectares support a $3 billion industry and employ 18,000 people as well as construction, manufacturing, tourism and regional communities.

    The article. ‘Developing a forest description from remote sensing: Insights from New Zealand’ (2024) byGrant D Pearse (Flinders University), Sadeepa Jayathunga, Nicolò Camarretta, Melanie E Palmer, Benjamin SC Steer, Michael S Watt (all Scion), Pete Watt and Andrew Holdaway (both Indufor Asia Pacific)  has been published in the journal Science of Remote Sensing. DOI: 10.1016/j.srs.2024.100183. (ref. https://www.forestinsights.nz/ )

    Acknowledgements: This project was funded through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Strategic Science Investment Fund (administered by Scion, the New Zealand Forest Research Institute Ltd) and through the MBIE Programme (grant number C04X2101).

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Introduces Bill to Protect Nevadans Who Hold Corporations Accountable in the Courts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto reintroduced legislation to protect American consumers who sue corporations after being defrauded. The End Double Taxation of Successful Consumer Claims Act will help ensure people who win fraud cases receive the full amount of damages they are awarded, rather than being unfairly taxed on fees awarded to their attorneys. The bill is cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.).  

    “We should be encouraging Nevadans who are victims of fraud and abuse to hold bad actors accountable,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Right now, the tax code unfairly punishes people who successfully sue corporations for fraud. My bill would make sure consumers who win fraud cases get their award and are not forced to pay thousands of dollars in taxes on funds awarded to their attorneys.”

    Currently the U.S. tax code unfairly penalizes people who sue corporations or companies for abuse or fraud. Consumers who win their cases often receive money to cover damages and their lawyer fees. But the tax code makes plaintiffs pay income tax on the full amount awarded by a court, even though most of that money goes to attorneys’ fees and not directly to the consumers. Many consumer fraud cases award only small amounts in damages, and if the consumer is taxed for the total amount they often end up owing more money in taxes than they are personally awarded. The End Double Taxation of Successful Consumer Claims Act will ensure that consumers are not liable for federal income taxes on money awarded to their attorneys. 

    As the former top law enforcement official in Nevada, Senator Cortez Masto has been a leading voice in the fight to protect consumers from fraud throughout her career. She sounded the alarm on increasing check fraud scams, which cost consumers millions of dollars each year. She introduced legislation to protect and support whistleblowers reporting wrongdoing to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and her bipartisan legislation to deter disruptive and potentially harmful phone calls and texts was signed into law in 2020.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Arrives Worldwide

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics today announced the global availability of the new Galaxy S25 series. Together with One UI 7, Gemini is officially available at launch in 46 languages,1 making it easier than ever to perform seamless interactions across Samsung and Google apps.
     
    ▲ New York 500 Broadway, Galaxy Experience Space
     
    “The Galaxy S25 series is a fundamental shift in how we interact with our phones,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are thrilled to see how our users will enjoy this true AI companion that offers seamless and intuitive solutions in their daily lives.”
     
    ▲ Dubai The Bay Festival City Mall, Galaxy Experience Space
     
    On the Galaxy S25 series, AI agents with multimodal capabilities are integrated within the One UI 72 platform to perform complex tasks seamlessly across apps and enable natural user interactions through speech, text, videos and images. Now Brief3 provides tailored suggestions to guide through the day and Now Bar4 offers a new hub for ongoing activities. From enhanced productivity with Writing Assist to limitless creativity unleashed by Drawing Assist,5 the expanded capabilities of Galaxy AI6 continue to empower users in every aspect of their daily lives.
     
    Interactions with the Galaxy S25 series are also more intuitive. With just a single command, Gemini7 can effortlessly find a user’s favorite sports team’s schedule and add it to Samsung Calendar. Additionally, Google’s enhanced Circle to Search8 now gives users more helpful information with AI Overviews and one-tap actions.
     
    ▲ Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City, Galaxy AI Sai Gon Terminal
     
    The Galaxy S25 series further refines and enhances the core capabilities that define the Galaxy experience. Powering the Galaxy S25 series globally, the Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy fuels on-device processing for more responsive AI experiences. With unique customizations for Galaxy, including ProScaler9 and Samsung’s mobile Digital Natural Image engine (mDNIe), the Galaxy S25 series boasts enhanced AI image processing and display power efficiency. The newly introduced 50MP ultrawide camera sensor for the Galaxy S25 Ultra delivers epic shots from every range in exceptional clarity, while professional grade controls like Virtual Aperture and Samsung Log turn any photo or video into the ultimate visual experience.

     
    ▲ Indonesia Jakarta Kota Kasablanka, Galaxy Experience Space
     
    The Galaxy S25 series is the industry’s first smartphone lineup to support Content Credentials, based on the open technical standard from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA). Samsung has also joined the C2PA as a member, alongside industry leaders including Adobe, Microsoft, OpenAI, Google, Publicis Groupe and more, all collaborating to establish Content Credentials as the universal standard for digital content provenance. In line with its commitment to responsible mobile AI innovation, Samsung adopted this standard to enhance transparency for content created and edited with generative AI.
     
    Starting February 7, the Galaxy S25 series will be widely available through carriers and retailers and on Samsung.com. Galaxy S25 Ultra is available in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver and Titanium Gray. Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ come in Navy, Silver Shadow, Icyblue and Mint. More unique color options are also available exclusively at Samsung.com,10 including Titanium Pinkgold, Titanium Jetblack and Titanium Jadegreen for Galaxy S25 Ultra as well as Blueblack, Coralred and Pinkgold for Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25.
     
    All Galaxy S25 devices will come with six months of Gemini Advanced and 2TB of cloud storage at no extra cost. Gemini Advanced comes with Samsung’s most capable AI models and priority access to the newest features like Gems, custom AI experts for any topic, and Deep Research, which acts as a personal AI research assistant.
     
    For more information about Galaxy S25 series, please visit: Samsung Newsroom, Samsungmobilepress.com and Samsung.com.
     
    ▲ Mexico City Santa Fe Mall, Galaxy Experience Space
     
    ▲ Brazil Sao Paulo, Galaxy S25 launch event
     
    ▲ Germany Berlin, Galaxy Experience Space
     
     
    1 Supported languages include Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Chinese (Simplified / Traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Farsi, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malayalam, Marathi, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese.2 The official One UI 7 release will commence with the latest Galaxy S series devices. The update is expected to gradually roll out to other Galaxy devices.3 Now Brief feature requires Samsung Account login. Service availability may vary by country, language, device model, or apps. Some features may require a network connection.4 Availability of functions supported within the apps may vary by country. Some functional widgets may require a network connection and/or Samsung Account login.5 Drawing Assist feature requires a network connection and Samsung Account login. A visible watermark is overlaid on the image output upon saving in order to indicate that the image is generated by AI. The accuracy and reliability of the generated output is not guaranteed.6 Samsung Account login may be required to use certain Samsung AI features. Samsung does not make any promises, assurances or guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the output provided by AI features. Availability of Galaxy AI features may vary depending on the region / country, OS / One UI version, device model and phone carrier. Some function availability may vary by device model. Galaxy AI service may be limited for minors in certain regions with age restrictions over AI usage. Galaxy AI features will be provided for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices. Different terms may apply for AI features provided by third parties.7 Gemini Extensions feature availability varies based on content. Internet connection, Android device, and set up required. Language availability varies. Results for illustrative purposes and may vary. Check responses for accuracy.8 Sequences shortened and simulated. Results for illustrative purposes only. Service availability may vary by country, language, or device model. Requires internet connection. Users may need to update Android and Google app to the latest version. Results may vary depending on visual or audio matches. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed. Works on compatible apps and surfaces, and with ambient music only. Will not identify music coming through headphones or if phone volume is off.9 ProScaler feature is supported on Galaxy S25+ and Ultra models. Image quality can be enhanced up to QHD+, depending on the screen resolution setting of the device.10 Availability of colors may vary by market and network provider.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Padilla, Sheehy, Daines Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Create National Wildfire Intelligence Center

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

    Interagency office would improve our wildfire responses, increase collaboration between federal agencies

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Alex Padilla, Tim Sheehy, and Steve Daines introduced their bipartisan Wildfire Intelligence Collaboration and Coordination Act of 2025 to improve how the federal government works together to respond to wildfires and handle wildfire recovery.

    “Wildfires don’t care about state lines or forest service boundaries,” said Hickenlooper. “A centralized wildfire intelligence center will speed our response to fires and promote cross-agency collaboration to tackle them.”

    At the federal level, various departments and agencies have their own fire management goals, firefighters, and jurisdictions that determine how they respond to fires. The current division of responsibilities is unnecessarily burdensome and leaves gaps for cross-department collaboration. A national Wildfire Intelligence Center would compile comprehensive information on wildfires to better inform and streamline wildfire responses and recovery by providing states with a central command within the federal government. The center would also enhance monitoring and imaging capabilities beyond what land management agencies can currently achieve.

    This center would be modeled after similar information sharing centers like the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Water Center, which coordinate information sharing to educate people, improve understanding, and foster collaboration among various federal, state, and academic units.

    Specifically, the Wildfire Intelligence Center would:

    • Establish a Wildfire Intelligence Center between the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Department of the Interior to study, plan, coordinate, and implement the federal wildfire response
    • Provide comprehensive assessment and modeling of wildfires to inform responses, land and fuels management, risk reduction, post-wildfire recovery, and rehabilitation
    • Improve emergency planning with enhanced evacuation plans, power shutoff strategies, and fire response tactics
    • Facilitate coordination and information sharing between departments and state, local, and tribal jurisdictions
    • Leverage cutting-edge technologies for wildfire mitigation and response

    “The devastating Southern California fires are the latest example of increasingly intense and frequent fires ravaging communities within both local jurisdictions and on federal land,” said Padilla. “Wildfires don’t distinguish between our boundaries, and we can’t afford to be siloed in our response. The scale of the wildfire crisis demands a singular, whole-of-government wildfire intelligence center to foster cross-agency collaboration and save lives.”

    “We can all agree that the federal government must do a better job protecting our people, property, public lands, and communities from wildfires, and this bill will go a long way in streamlining our wildland firefighting efforts and best leveraging all available resources to accomplish our shared mission. As the only aerial firefighter in the Senate, I’m proud to be working with folks on both sides of the aisle to deliver commonsense solutions to more effectively fight the devastating threat of wildfires and protect the American people,” said Sheehy.

    “As fire season rapidly approaches for Montana, we need all hands on deck to prevent catastrophic disasters. Sharing information and resources between agencies will undoubtedly help Montana communities take preventive measures and better combat fires and coordinate response efforts,” said Daines.

    “The Wildfire Intelligence Center established by this bill will harness cutting-edge technology to give decision-makers real-time insights across jurisdictions and landscapes, enhancing coordination at every stage of a fire. The tools to tackle the megafire crisis already exist — this bill brings us closer to putting them in the hands of firefighters and land managers where they can make a real impact,” said Matt Weiner, CEO of Megafire Action. “Senators Padilla and Sheehy understand the urgent need to modernize our wildfire management system, and we look forward to working with them to get this bill signed into law and turn that vision into reality.”

    “FAS applauds Senators Padilla and Sheehy for introducing this bill, which would take a crucial step forward in protecting our communities from increasingly severe wildfires. The Wildfire Intelligence Center would bring together expertise at all levels of government to give our firefighters and first responders access to cutting-edge tools and the decision support they need to confront this growing crisis,” said James Campbell, Wildfire Policy Specialist at the Federation of American Scientists.

    “APCIA supports the Wildfire Intelligence Collaboration and Coordination Act introduced by Senator Padilla (D-CA) and Senator Sheehy (R-MT). This bill reflects the bipartisan recommendations of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission to create a joint interagency center to improve fire assessment and prediction in the wildland and built environment. With the risk of catastrophic wildfires increasing, Congress must take action to pass bills like this one that will lead to better land and fuels management, reduce risk to communities, and improve fire management and response,” said David A. Sampson, APCIA’s President and CEO.

    The Wildfire Intelligence Collaboration and Coordination Act is endorsed by Megafire Action, Federation of American Scientists, Association of FireTech Innovation, Alliance for Wildfire Resilience, Climate and Wildfire Institute, Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition, The Stewardship Project, Tall Timbers, Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, American Forests, Environmental Defense Fund, and American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Millions to see faster journeys as government green lights £90 million for 4 essential road schemes across England

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Government is investing in vital schemes to improve journey times in Wiltshire, Leeds, Essex and Buckinghamshire.

    • government gives the green light for 4 transformative road schemes, speeding up journey times for cars and buses, reducing pollution and improving safety 
    • part of the government’s commitment to prioritise value for money road schemes while renewing our national infrastructure
    • £90 million for all 4 schemes, as the government’s Plan for Change delivers better living standards across the country

    Drivers across Wiltshire, Leeds, Essex and Buckinghamshire will see faster journeys thanks to £90 million of government funding to upgrade 4 major road schemes in England.

    The schemes approved today are:

    • A350 Chippenham Bypass phases 4 and 5 in Wiltshire
    • A647 Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass in Leeds
    • South East Aylesbury Link Road (SEALR) in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
    • A127/A130 Fairglen Interchange in Essex

    Schemes are expected to significantly speed up journeys, boosting the local economy, as well as improving links between the east and the west. They will also save businesses and road users hundreds of hours off journeys every week and deliver the government’s Plan for Change to improve living standards across the country.

    The A350 Chippenham Bypass, one of the most important routes connecting the South West with the Midlands and South East, is expected to see journey times reduced by up to a quarter, with 2 sections of the road to be dualled and improvements made to the roundabout.

    Local residents will benefit from reduced traffic on more local routes as well as better road safety and better access to jobs in the area. Businesses are expected to save time and money, as goods can travel more freely with improved access to a key part of the UK’s road freight network.

    A total of £90 million for the 4 schemes is being contributed by the government, expected to generate millions more to the UK economy. This is part of the government’s Plan for Change to renew infrastructure and raise living standards across the UK. 

    The government is determined to speed up the delivery of infrastructure across the UK, which includes improving the UK’s road network for economic growth. As well as faster journeys, drivers are also set to benefit from improved road surfaces, thanks to a recently announced record £1.6 billion investment to fill the equivalent of 7 million potholes and repair roads.

    The Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said:

    The UK’s roads are the backbone of a growing economy, which is why we’re giving these vital schemes the go ahead, helping deliver our Plan for Change.

    Economic growth has been stunted for too long, so we’re giving the green light and investing in vital schemes to help people get from A to B more easily however they choose to travel.

    The area around the A647 Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass in Leeds has seen high traffic levels worsen over the years, impacting bus services in particular. The replacement of the roundabout and structural renewal of the bypass is expected to increase the number of bus passengers, speeding up traffic for all modes of road transport.

    Upgrades to the SEALR scheme will reduce air pollution in the town centre, link up new developments in the area and create more walking and cycling options, with a new 1.2 kilometre 2-lane dual carriageway link road. This scheme is also essential in enabling further housing development, which could see up to 1,000 homes added to the local area.

    Drivers in Essex will also see faster journeys, as well as improved safety on the A127/A130 Fairglen Interchange. The scheme will see enhancements to the interchange and surrounding roundabouts, serving thousands of drivers every day. Basildon and Southend town centres are expected to see growth and the scheme will also improve capacity for the route serving London Southend Airport.

    A significant milestone for drivers in Essex, the Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood has visited the Fairglen Interchange in Essex to mark the approval of the scheme and learn how it will benefit the local economy.

    Michelle Gardner, Deputy Director – Policy, Logistics UK, said:

    80% of UK freight travels on roads at some point on its journey to the end user and an efficient road network is critical to enable business to drive growth across the whole economy. 

    Congestion makes journey planning highly unpredictable which increases business costs through factors such as missed deliveries, unnecessary overtime, increased fuel consumption and inefficient fleet utilisation.

    The schemes given the go-ahead today show how even smaller-scale strategic upgrades can have a dramatic impact across the whole network. Upgrading the national infrastructure in this way makes supply chains more resilient and enables logistics providers to ensure that the right goods are in the right place at the right time – whether that is a factory, office, hospital or doorstep.

    Roads media enquiries

    Media enquiries 0300 7777 878

    Switchboard 0300 330 3000

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    Published 7 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: At Hearing, Trump Trade Nominee Agrees with Warren on Need for Transparency for Tariff Exemptions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    February 06, 2025

    Warren: “[W]hen used strategically and fairly, [tariffs] can… protect the jobs of American workers. But we can’t have a get-out-of-tariff-free system for those that are very wealthy or politically-connected, because that will undermine the whole process.”

    Video of Exchange (YouTube)

    Washington, D.C. – At a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioned Mr. Jamieson Greer, President Trump’s pick for U.S. Trade Representative, on his vision for Trump’s trade policy. 

    While there are open questions of how tariff exemptions will work under the Trump presidency, Mr. Greer agreed with Senator Warren that large corporations have outsized influence on trade deals and that U.S. trade policy needs to ensure “American businesses and American workers [are] prioritized,” and that any exemption program “needs to be transparent and have the rules outlined.”  

    “Any time we’re taking economic actions, whether it’s a tariff or an exclusion, we need to be careful about this and we need to be thoughtful..[a tariff exclusion process] needs to be transparent,” said Mr. Greer about exemptions favoring large, well-connected companies. 

    During President Trump’s first administration, well-connected companies were given tariff exemptions. A review by Senator Warren’s office found that the Trump Commerce Department was three times as likely to approve exemptions for Chinese and Japanese-headquartered companies than American ones. Right now, the door is still open for the administration to pursue a similar approach. 

    Transcript: Hearing to Consider the Nomination of Jamieson Greer, of Maryland, to be United States Trade Representative, with the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    Senate Finance Committee
    February 6, 2025

    Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Congratulations on your nomination, Mr. Greer. Tariffs are an important strategic economic tool. But I am concerned that President Trump is stumbling into a trade war that won’t help protect jobs, that won’t keep Americans safe, and that won’t bring down costs for families. 

    That said, I think you and I agree that for too long, U.S. trade policy has been a race to the bottom – with deal after deal that sold out American workers and helped multinational corporations offshore critical industries.  

    But lately, that’s been changing – under US Trade Rep Bob Lighthizer and then US Trade Rep Katherine Tai. And I appreciate your work as Chief of Staff under Ambassador Lighthizer.

    Ambassador Lighthizer, I think, had it right when he wrote that problems in our trade relationship with China – and U.S. trade policy in general – can be traced to, “the political establishment, of both the Republican and Democratic parties, under the influence of multinational corporations and importers.”

    Mr. Greer, do you agree with Mr. Lighthizer that multinational corporations have just had too much power over U.S. trade policy?  

    Mr. Jamieson Greer, nominee for United States Trade Representative: I agree with Ambassador Lighthizer, and I believe that trade policy in the past has been designed to help that sector and has ignored other sectors. 

    Senator Warren: Good, well, we’ve got to start by recognizing the problem, right? For too long, corporate lobbyists have bought their way into our trade policy. And I’ve been glad to see that changing.

    But raising tariffs doesn’t necessarily mean an end to corporate capture. When the last Trump administration hiked tariffs, corporate lobbyists lined up to demand exemptions, and now, with President Trump threatening even more tariffs, they’re ready to do it again. So what did this tariff exemption process look like the last time around?

    Well, I investigated, and I found that the Trump Commerce Department was three times as likely to approve exemptions for Chinese and Japanese-headquartered companies than American ones. 

    Mr. Greer – favoring foreign companies over American ones – is that good trade policy?

    Mr. Greer: Senator, I think that our trade policy needs to make sure we have American businesses and American workers prioritized. 

    Senator Warren: Okay, let’s try another one. A recent study found that the Trump USTR officials were more likely to grant exemptions to China tariffs to companies that had made campaign contributions to Republicans or had lobbyists who had recently left the Trump administration.

    Mr. Greer – favoring companies with deep pockets and political connections – is that good trade policy?

    Mr. Greer: Of course not, any kind of program like that needs to be transparent and have the rules outlined, which it did. 

    Senator Warren: I appreciate that answer. This time around, President Trump has proposed far broader tariffs than we’ve seen before– potentially on all goods, from all countries. And with more and more tariffs, the corporate scramble for exemptions is more and more intense. One trade lobbyist recently said, and I quote, “Absolutely everyone is calling. It is nonstop.” And let’s be clear – most businesses across America cannot afford armies of lobbyists.

    So, Mr. Greer, do you support tariff exclusions, these exemptions,  and – if so – what changes would you make to ensure it’s a fair process and not a giveaway to political insiders and deep-pocketed corporations?

    Mr. Greer: So, Senator, I know you’ve been a leader on this and you’ve given a lot of thought to it, which I think is important. Any time we’re taking economic actions, whether it’s a tariff or an exclusion, we need to be careful about this and we need to be thoughtful. I don’t know – in the event tariffs are applied – I don’t know if the President intends to have an exclusion policy or program at all. To the extent something like this happens, it needs to be transparent. One thing they did at USTR the first time around, if one company got an exclusion –  any company got an exclusion. So if a big company got an exclusion for a certain product, a small business would too.

    So again, I don’t know if there will be exclusion processes, but to the extent there is, they need to be transparent, they need to be fair for small and large. 

    Senator Warren: Well, I very much appreciate what you have to say around this. As I said before, I think tariffs are an important tool. And when used strategically and fairly, they can promote American industries, they can protect domestic supply chains, they can protect the jobs of American workers. But we can’t have a get-out-of-tariff-free system for those that are very wealthy or politically-connected, because that will undermine the whole process. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Direct Space Traffic in Low-Earth Orbit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Gary Peters (D-MI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) today introduced their Situational Awareness of Flying Elements in (SAFE) Orbit Act, which would encourage the development of commercial space capabilities by directing the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) within the U.S. Department of Commerce to acquire and disseminate unclassified data, analytics, information, and services on space activities and space traffic coordination in low-Earth orbit:

    “Commercial space objects in low-Earth orbit can help scientists make new discoveries and spur technological innovation, but this hinges on the ability to conduct safe and effective space traffic coordination,” said Sen. Cornyn. “The SAFE Orbit Act would prevent dangerous and costly accidental collisions in low-Earth orbit and improve access to data collection and analysis to help propel the United States into the next phase of space exploration.”

    “To continue as a global leader in commercial space activity, the United States must lead the way to protect astronauts in orbit and space-based assets,” said Sen. Peters. “This legislation would provide important data that can help inform space exploration decisions and promote safe expansion.”

    “The world is entering a new space race, and we must equip American innovators with every resource to win,” said Sen. Blackburn. “The SAFE Orbit Act would take an important step to centralize and improve space traffic coordination, ensuring there are no tragic collisions in space. As we enter this new frontier, we must be certain that we prioritize safety and coordination with our partners around the globe.”

    “As the commercial space industry continues to grow, we need to safely track and manage objects in orbit and prevent collisions,” said Sen. Kelly. “We’re providing the tools for critical space situational awareness that will safeguard public access to orbital data, empower scientists and innovators to advance this critical frontier, and strengthen American leadership in space.”

    “Future expansion in space requires better technology and data coordination. Currently, companies lack the awareness of other objects such as space junk, which could collide with valuable satellites,” said Sen. Wicker. “This new emerging business sector represents the new economic frontier, but we must make sure we are prepared to tap its potential.”

    “This legislation will help make essential improvements to how we track objects in Earth’s orbit, enhancing space safety through better tracking and coordination to reduce collision risks,” said Sen. Luján. “As the commercial space activity grows, in New Mexico and across the country, access to critical space data is necessary to ensure safety and security.”

    “The boom in commercial space activities has filled low-Earth orbit with more debris and satellites than ever,” said Sen. Hickenlooper. “A cutting-edge traffic coordination system will help preserve our leadership in space.”

    Background:

    Space situational awareness (SSA) and space traffic coordination (STC) are critical to ensuring safe and sustainable access to low-Earth orbit and space writ large, and current government SSA services are not keeping pace with the accuracy levels the industry needs. The FY2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act directed the Department of Commerce to take on this responsibility, and the SAFE Orbit Act would allow OSC to conduct SSA and STC activities and direct OSC to:

    • Make basic-level SSA data, analytics, information, and services available for public use through an easily accessible web-based interface at no charge to the end user;
    • Maintain a public catalogue of SSA data and information and maximize the use of satellite owner and operator data, U.S. Government data, and the usage of commercial services, data, analytics, information, services, and platforms;
    • Facilitate the development and adoption of voluntary industry consensus standards to ensure data standardization with satellite owners and operators, commercial service providers, the academic community, and nonprofits;
    • Collaborate with U.S Government and foreign government operators to encourage participation in data-sharing with respect to their assets in orbit;
    • And prioritize purchasing data, analytics, information, and services from commercial SSA providers and ensure any licensing agreements enable private U.S. firms to continue market growth and protect proprietary commercial systems and data.

    This legislation is endorsed by the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, which is made up of more than 85 members, including many companies with Texas operations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA News: Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias

    Source: The White House

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

         Section 1.  Purpose and Policy.  It is the policy of the United States, and the purpose of this order, to protect the religious freedoms of Americans and end the anti-Christian weaponization of government.  The Founders established a Nation in which people were free to practice their faith without fear of discrimination or retaliation by their government. 

         For that reason, the United States Constitution enshrines the fundamental right to religious liberty in the First Amendment.  Federal laws like the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.), further prohibit government interference with Americans’ rights to exercise their religion.  Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.), prohibits religious discrimination in employment while Federal hate-crime laws prohibit offenses committed due to religious animus.

         Yet the previous Administration engaged in an egregious pattern of targeting peaceful Christians, while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses.  The Biden Department of Justice sought to squelch faith in the public square by bringing Federal criminal charges and obtaining in numerous cases multi-year prison sentences against nearly two dozen peaceful pro-life Christians for praying and demonstrating outside abortion facilities.  Those convicted included a Catholic priest and 75-year-old grandmother, as well as an 87-year-old woman and a father of 11 children who were arrested 18 months after praying and singing hymns outside an abortion facility in Tennessee as a part of a politically motivated prosecution campaign by the Biden Administration.  I rectified this injustice on January 23, 2025, by issuing pardons in these cases. 
     
         At the same time, Catholic churches, charities, and pro-life centers sought justice for violence, theft, and arson perpetrated against them, which the Biden Department of Justice largely ignored.  After more than 100 attacks, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning this violence and calling on the Biden Administration to enforce the law.
     
         Then, in 2023, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) memorandum asserted that “radical-traditionalist” Catholics were domestic-terrorism threats and suggested infiltrating Catholic churches as “threat mitigation.”  This later-retracted FBI memorandum cited as support evidence propaganda from highly partisan sources.
       
         The Biden Department of Education sought to repeal religious-liberty protections for faith-based organizations on college campuses.  The Biden Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sought to force Christians to affirm radical transgender ideology against their faith.  And the Biden Department of Health and Human Services sought to drive Christians who do not conform to certain beliefs on sexual orientation and gender identity out of the foster-care system.  The Biden Administration declared March 31, 2024 — Easter Sunday — as “Transgender Day of Visibility.”
       
          In this atmosphere of anti-Christian government, hostility and vandalism against Christian churches and places of worship surged, with the number of such identified acts in 2023 exceeding by more than eight times the number from 2018.  Catholic churches and institutions have been aggressively targeted with hundreds of acts of hostility, violence, and vandalism.
         
         My Administration will not tolerate anti-Christian weaponization of government or unlawful conduct targeting Christians.  The law protects the freedom of Americans and groups of Americans to practice their faith in peace, and my Administration will enforce the law and protect these freedoms.  My Administration will ensure that any unlawful and improper conduct, policies, or practices that target Christians are identified, terminated, and rectified.

         Sec. 2.  Establishing a Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias.  (a)  There is hereby established within the Department of Justice the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias (Task Force).
         (b)  The Attorney General shall serve as Chair of the Task Force.
         (c)  In addition to the Chair, the Task Force shall consist of the following other members:
              (i)     the Secretary of State;
              (ii)    the Secretary of the Treasury;
              (iii)   the Secretary of Defense;
              (iv)    the Secretary of Labor;
              (v)     the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
              (vi)    the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
              (vii)   the Secretary of Education;
              (viii)  the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;
              (ix)    the Secretary of Homeland Security;
              (x)     the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;
              (xi)    Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations;
              (xii)   the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;
              (xiii)  the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
              (xiv)   the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy;
              (xv)    the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
              (xvi)   the Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and
              (xvii)  the heads of such other executive departments, agencies, and offices that the Chair may, from time to time, invite to participate.

         Sec. 3.  Task Force Functions.  (a)  The Task Force shall meet as required by the Chair and shall take appropriate action to:
              (i)    review the activities of all executive departments and agencies (agencies), including the Department of State, the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, over the previous Administration and identify any unlawful anti-Christian policies, practices, or conduct by an agency contrary to the purpose and policy of this order;
              (ii)   recommend to the head of the relevant agency steps to revoke or terminate any violative policies, practices, or conduct identified under subsection (3)(a)(i) of this section and remedial actions to fulfill the purpose and policy of this order;
              (iii)  share information and develop strategies to protect the religious liberties of Americans and advance the purpose and policy of this order;
              (iv)   solicit information and ideas from a broad range of individuals and groups, including Americans affected by anti-Christian conduct, faith-based organizations, and State, local, and Tribal governments, in order to ensure that its work is informed by a broad spectrum of ideas and experiences;
              (v)    identify deficiencies in existing laws and enforcement and regulatory practices that have contributed to unlawful anti-Christian governmental or private conduct and recommend to the relevant agency head, or recommend to the President, through the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, as applicable, appropriate actions that agencies may take to remedy failures to fully enforce the law against acts of anti-Christian hostility, vandalism, and violence; and
              (vi)     recommend to the President, through the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, any additional Presidential or legislative action necessary to rectify past improper anti-Christian conduct, protect religious liberty, or otherwise fulfill the purpose and policy of this order.
         (b)  In order to advise the President regarding its work and assist the President in formulating future policy, the Task Force shall submit to the President, through the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy:
              (i)    a report within 120 days from the date of this order regarding the Task Force’s initial work;  
              (ii)   a report within 1 year from the date of this order that summarizes the Task Force’s work; and
              (iii)  a final report upon the dissolution of the Task Force.

         Sec. 4.  Administration.  (a)  The heads of agencies shall, to the extent permitted by law, upon the request of the Chair, provide the Task Force with any information required by the Task Force for the purpose of carrying out its functions.
         (b)  The Department of Justice shall provide such funding and administrative and technical support as the Task Force may require, to the extent permitted by law and as authorized by existing appropriations.

         Sec. 5.  Termination.  The Task Force shall terminate 2 years from the date of this order unless extended by the President.

         Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
              (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
              (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
         (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
         (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        February 6, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Joins Legislation to Reinstate Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling for Beef

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    02.06.25

    Senator Supporting Legislation to Improve Transparency for Consumers, Ensure Accurate Labeling to Benefit U.S. Ranchers

    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven this week helped introduce the American Beef Labeling Act, legislation sponsored by Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef:

    • The legislation would require the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), in consultation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), to develop a World Trade Organization (WTO)-compliant means of reinstating MCOOL for beef within one year of enactment.
    • USTR would have six months to develop a reinstatement plan followed by a six-month window to implement it.
    • If USTR fails to reinstate MCOOL for beef within one year of enactment, it would automatically be reinstated.

    “U.S. ranchers produce the highest-quality beef in the world, and consumers deserve to know the source of the product they are purchasing,” said Hoeven. “By requiring the U.S. Trade Representative to reinstate mandatory country of origin labels for beef, with timelines to ensure compliance, our legislation will benefit both U.S. producers and consumers.”

    “South Dakota ranchers – who work tirelessly to produce some of the highest quality beef in the world – deserve a fair labeling system that provides consumers with basic information on the origin of their beef,” said Thune. “As a longtime supporter of MCOOL, I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation that would promote the viability of cattle ranching across our country and provide full transparency for American consumers.”

    “This bipartisan legislation will help Americans know exactly where their beef is coming from,” said Booker. “For too long, the big meatpackers have been misleading people with deceptive labeling. More transparency will enable consumers to support local family farmers and ranchers, and I look forward to working with Senator Thune to get this bill enacted into law as quickly as possible.”

    In addition to Hoeven, Thune and Booker, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.).

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Highlights Potential Impacts of Trump’s Trade War on New Mexico Businesses in Trade Representative Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    Trade Representative Nominee Cannot Guarantee New Mexico Business Won’t Get Hurt From Trump’s Trade War

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, questioned U.S. Trade Representative nominee Jamieson Greer on the potential negative impacts President Trump’s trade war would have on New Mexico businesses and families. During the hearing, Mr. Greer could not guarantee that New Mexico businesses would not face negative impacts.

    Senator Luján secured Mr. Greer’s commitment that if New Mexico businesses were negatively impacted, Mr. Greer would work with Senator Luján to address the impacts. Additionally, Senator Luján secured commitment from Mr. Greer on labor protections that exist in the current United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement to protect workers.

    Watch Senator Luján’s exchange with Mr. Greer here.

    KEY MOMENTS:

    On language in USMCA regarding labor protections:

    Sen. Luján: Would you protect or change the language surrounding the clauses in the trade agreement to workers as it’s currently drafted?

    Mr. Greer, in part: We worked closely in the first Trump administration with labor.

    Sen. Luján: Mr. Greer, as my time is expiring, would you protect that language?

    Mr. Greer: I would certainly protect it and see if we can improve it.

    On Trump’s trade war:

    Sen. Luján: So, Mr. Greer, can I get your commitment that if these tariffs negatively impact the businesses in New Mexico, that I have your word to get that corrected?

    Mr. Greer, in part: Well, Senator, I want to hear from you on what those impacts are and what we can do to make sure they are able to benefit from the growth.

    Sen. Luján: I believe your word should be good, but do I have your word that I can count on you to make sure that New Mexico’s businesses don’t get hurt by these threatened tariffs?

    Mr. Greer, in part: Senator, I want to make sure that they don’t, I can’t guarantee economic outcomes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Tells Trade Nominee to Focus on Opening More Export Markets, Not a Tariff-First Approach

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    02.06.25

    Cantwell Tells Trade Nominee to Focus on Opening More Export Markets, Not a Tariff-First Approach

    “The biggest task at hand is to […] get U.S. products into more places,” Cantwell tells Trump’s pick for U.S. Trade Representative; In fallout of Trump’s tariff threats, Cantwell paints a clear path forward: Instead of imposing tariffs, we need to open new markets;

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, emphasized the importance of open markets for farmers and exporters in the State of Washington and across the country during a Finance Committee hearing to consider the nomination of Jamieson Greer for U.S. Trade Representative.

    “When you look at apples — and about [50%] of our market export is to Canada and Mexico,” said Sen. Cantwell, “and the U.S. Free Trade Agreement increased that capacity … why are we arguing with our closest neighbors, our biggest export markets for apples? And in the meantime, not going out and opening up more apple markets?

    “The tariffs that were put on cost us an unbelievable retaliatory tariff in India,” Sen. Cantwell added. “It basically decimated the market. It went from 120 million in India down to 1 million. …. I fought hard and did get the Biden administration to work with India and reverse that tariff on apples. And I have to say we are now back to recapturing that market. But I don’t understand why you think a tariff-first approach is the way to capitalize on the biggest task at hand.”

    As a front page article in today’s Yakima Herald-Republic warns: Potential trade war could hit Yakima Valley agriculture.

    Yesterday, Sen. Cantwell voted against advancing the nomination of Howard Lutnick, President Trump’s choice to be Secretary of the Department of Commerce, citing concerns with Lutnick’s support for Trump’s proposed tariffs.

    Tuesday, Sen. Cantwell delivered a major speech on the Senate floor, arguing that the President’s arbitrary tariffs threaten domestic job creation and economic growth in an Information Age. She outlined a strategy focused on building coalitions, growing exports, and establishing principles to support innovation in the Information Age.

    Sen. Cantwell has remained a steadfast supporter of free trade to grow the economy in the State of Washington and nationwide. Sen. Cantwell was the leading voice in negotiations to end India’s 20 percent retaliatory tariff on American apples, which devastated Washington state’s apple exports. India had once been the second-largest export market for American apples, but after then-President Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum in his first term, India imposed retaliatory tariffs in response and U.S. apple exports plummeted. The impact on Washington apple growers was severe:  apple exports from the state dropped from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million by 2023.  In September 2023, following several years of Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on apples and pulse crops which was welcome news to the state’s more than 1,400 apple growers and the 68,000-plus workers they support.

    In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to help U.S. potato growers finally get approval to sell fresh potatoes in Japan. In June 2023, Sen. Cantwell hosted U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), then-chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in Washington state for a forum with 30 local agricultural leaders in Wenatchee to discuss the Farm Bill.

    In 2022, Sen. Cantwell spearheaded passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, a law to crack down on skyrocketing international ocean shipping costs and ease supply chain backlogs that raise prices for consumers and make it harder for U.S. farmers and exporters to get their goods to the global market.

    In August 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting aid funds be distributed to wheat growers. In December 2018, Sen. Cantwell celebrated the passage of the Farm Bill, which included $500 million of assistance for farmers, including those who grow wheat.

    In 2019, Sen. Cantwell helped secure a provision in the $16 billion USDA relief package, ensuring sweet cherry growers could access emergency funding to offset the impacts of tariffs and other market disruptions.

    In Washington state: Two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and related industries. In 2023, the state imported $19.9 billion of goods from Canada – primarily oil, gas, lumber, and electrical power — making our northern neighbors Washington state’s largest trade partner. Also in 2023, the state imported $1.7 billion in goods from Mexico, including motor vehicles, vehicle parts, and household appliances. More information about how President Trump’s proposed tariffs will impact businesses and consumers in the State of Washington is HERE.

    Video of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks during today’s hearing is available HERE, audio is available HERE, and a transcript is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Letter to Duffy: ‘You Must Make Sure That All Conflicts Of Interest Between The FAA & Elon Musk Are Removed’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    02.06.25

    Cantwell Letter to Duffy: ‘You Must Make Sure That All Conflicts Of Interest Between The FAA & Elon Musk Are Removed’

    In letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Cantwell urges admin to protect flying public from Elon Musk’s clear conflicts of interest; Cantwell: “We have ethics and recusal laws for a reason – to prevent corporate interference in protecting the public interest.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy calling on him to ensure that Elon Musk stays out of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), citing Musk’s clear conflicts of interest.

    “FAA has the legal responsibility for safety oversight of companies with commercial space transportation licenses. Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket launches share the airspace with commercial airplanes, and the FAA has the responsibility for keeping the entire airspace safe. SpaceX has been fined by the FAA for failing to comply with specific requirements in its launch license. Mr. Musk, in turn, called for the firing of Mike Whitaker, the FAA Administrator who the Senate confirmed 98-0 because the FAA issued a fine against SpaceX for not following the rules. We have ethics and recusal laws for a reason—to prevent corporate interference in protecting the public interest,” Sen. Cantwell wrote.

    “We are now without a permanent FAA Administrator to lead us through the biggest U.S. air crash we have had in years. Secretary Duffy, you must make sure that all conflicts of interest between the FAA and Elon Musk are removed.”

    Yesterday, Duffy wrote on the social media platform X that he plans to use The Department of Government Efficiency, of which Musk is a leader, “to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system.” His post followed two weeks of DOGE employees disrupting operations across the federal government, including freezing the hiring of air traffic controllers and encouraging all FAA employees to take a buyout. This also included urging federal employees – including air traffic controllers and FAA safety inspectors – to end their employment through a new deferred resignation program in the midst of a shortage of about 3,000 certified controllers and need for more safety inspectors on aircraft production factory floors.

    Elon Musk is the owner and founder of SpaceX, an aerospace company that launched 134 rockets last year. In September, the FAA fined the company $633,009 for failing to follow license requirements for two launches.

    Earlier today, Sen. Cantwell told reporters in a press gaggle on Capitol Hill that Musk’s involvement in the FAA’s oversight of our air transportation system was “a clear conflict of interest.”

    Last year, when Sen. Cantwell served as chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, she sounded the alarm about the staffing shortage of air traffic controllers, need for more FAA safety inspectors, a series of aviation incidents and near-misses on and around runways, and the midair blowout of a door plug in January 2024. She led the passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act, signed into law in May 2024, which boosts controller staffing, ensuring a five-year commitment to maximum hiring and training to close the current staffing gap. The law requires upgraded safety technologies – giving controllers better visibility into runway traffic – to be installed at every large and medium airport nationwide. The law also includes stricter safety standards for aircraft operators and plane manufacturers, as well as provisions to boost staffing to put more FAA safety inspectors on factory floors.

    The full text of the letter is HERE and below:

    February 6, 2025

    The Honorable Sean Duffy

    Secretary

    U.S. Department of Transportation

    1200 New Jersey Avenue SE

    Washington DC, 20590

    Secretary Duffy:

    When you and I spoke the other day, you asked if we could work together to accelerate the implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (Next Gen) —as we directed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to do in the FAA Reauthorization that became law in May 2024. I agree we need to work together to galvanize support to continue getting the best technology in place as soon as possible and make federal investments to make aviation safer.

    However, when we spoke, you did not discuss your intention to involve Elon Musk in the FAA’s safety systems or process. It is a conflict of interest for someone whose company is regulated by the federal government to be involved in anything that affects his personal financial interest, his company or his competitors.

    FAA has the legal responsibility for safety oversight of companies with commercial space transportation licenses. Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket launches share the airspace with commercial airplanes, and the FAA has the responsibility for keeping the entire airspace safe. SpaceX has been fined by the FAA for failing to comply with specific requirements in its launch license. Mr. Musk, in turn, called for the firing of Mike Whitaker, the FAA Administrator who the Senate confirmed 98-0 because the FAA issued a fine against SpaceX for not following the rules. We have ethics and recusal laws for a reason—to prevent corporate interference in protecting the public interest.

    We are now without a permanent FAA Administrator to lead us through the biggest U.S. air crash we have had in years. Secretary Duffy, you must make sure that all conflicts of interest between the FAA and Elon Musk are removed.

    I look forward to working with you to invest in our aviation safety and appreciate your cooperation in ensuring all ethics laws and regulations are followed.

    Sincerely,

    Maria Cantwell

    Ranking Member

    Cc: David Huitema, Director, Office of Government Ethics

           Mitch Behm, Acting Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Lee Introduces Bill Making Trump Ban on Central Bank Digital Currency Permanent

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) reintroduced the No CBDC Act to prevent the Federal Reserve from reshaping the U.S. financial sector and having the ability to monitor consumer transactions through a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). President Donald Trump recently banned federal agencies from creating a CBDC through an executive order; this legislation would enshrine the ban permanently in law. It is co-sponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rick Scott (R-FL) in the Senate. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) is introducing the House companion bill. 

    “The United States doesn’t need to create a Central Bank Digital Currency to know it is a bad idea,” said Sen. Lee. “We’ve seen this play out in China with the digital Yuan. In early trials, China canceled its citizens’ money after a set period, forcing Chinese citizens to spend their savings at the compulsion of the government. My bill protects Americans from a similar intrusion by prohibiting the Federal Reserve or any federal government agency from minting or issuing a CBDC, whether through a direct-to-consumer or intermediated model.”

    “CBDCs are nothing more than a tool for tyrants to intimidate, control, and surveil the activities of American citizens, and it is my duty as a patriot to stop them.” said Rep. Ogles. “I am honored to co-lead this effort with Senator Lee.”

    BACKGROUND:

    During the Biden Administration, the Federal Reserve (“the Fed”) began to develop a potential framework – known as Project Cedar – for a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), a digital asset issued and controlled by the Fed. A CBDC would alter the ability of financial institutions to function as lenders, while giving the federal government knowledge of every purchase that uses a CBDC. 

    Financial institutions would be significantly restricted in offering loans, instead being relegated to functioning merely as wallets. A CBDC,  in many ways, allows the Fed to replace the role of banks as financial intermediaries, thereby granting the government far more power over the economy, inflation, and investment decisions. In other words, free enterprise and financial privacy would be dealt a critical blow with the creation of a CBDC.

    Lastly, the Federal Reserve would have knowledge of every transaction involving a CBDC; if it maintains the technology to create and operate a CBDC, Big Brother will know Americans’ every purchase. 

    SUPPORT:

     “Americans demand financial protection and privacy after facing the threat of unelected federal bureaucrats creating an invasive, all-seeing central bank digital currency controlled by the government. With a new conservative trifecta government, now is the time for Congress to protect Americans’ individual liberties and prohibit the government from centralizing its control over the economy. Heritage Action commends Sen. Lee for introducing this necessary legislation to safeguard Americans’ rights and promote freedom from financial intimidation.”

    -Ryan Walker, Heritage Action Executive Vice President

     “A Central Bank Digital Currency creates a fully traceable and controllable digital money that has dastardly implications for civil liberties and economic freedom. Rather than offering separation of money and state as found in Satoshi’s innovation of Bitcoin, CBDCs merge the power of state and money in a programmable way that would be easily abused and prove harmful to individual liberty and financial freedom.

    Sen. Lee’s No CBDC Act would enshrine in law a prohibition against the Federal Reserve taking the United States down this path. On behalf of consumers who cherish their economic liberties, freedom of choice, and access to innovative technology, we applaud the Senator’s efforts with this bill, and hope many more legislators align on the issue to defend our rights to financial privacy”

    -Yaël Ossowski, deputy director of the Consumer Choice Center

    “Senator Lee is leading the way in this important fight to prevent the government from creating an entirely new tool of financial control and surveillance. A federally issued CBDC would be either entirely useless or, more likely, deeply dangerous. Thanks to Senator Lee’s leadership, Congress is stepping in to make clear that the executive branch has overstepped its authorities and must halt this deeply misguided debacle at once.”

    -David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance. 

    For a one-pager, click HERE.

    For full bill text, click HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Element3® Produces First Lithium Carbonate from Permian Basin Wastewater

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORT WORTH, Texas and MIDLAND, Texas, Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Element3®, the critical material extraction company specializing in oil and gas wastewater, announced today the successful production of battery-grade lithium carbonate from Midland Basin oil and gas wastewater at a Double Eagle Energy Holdings IV, LLC (“Double Eagle”) subsidiary’s recycling facility.

    This landmark production of lithium carbonate from unconcentrated, produced water demonstrates a breakthrough in developing a sustainable, domestic lithium supply. The carbonate was produced from lithium extracted at Element3’s second-generation field demonstration plant and validates the scalability of Element3’s patented process.

    “This is another milestone as we work toward utilizing oil and gas wastewater as an efficient and economical source of battery grade lithium materials, securing the U.S. supply chain,” said Hood Whitson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Element3. “With our newly acquired lithium carbonate processing equipment, we are positioned to begin commercial production this year.”

    Element3 is currently commissioning its full-scale lithium carbonate plant. This facility will enable the company to process the abundant lithium resources present in the region’s oil and gas wastewater and contribute to domestic supply chain security for in-demand, critical battery materials.

    About Element3
    Element3 focuses on the extraction of lithium and other critical materials from oil and gas wastewater. We harness this underutilized resource to create a secure, environmentally stable, domestic supply of materials required for the energy transition and advanced manufacturing. Learn more at www.element3.io.

    Contact:
    Ben Patterson
    Director of Business Operations
    817-221-8711
    bpatterson@element3.io

    The MIL Network –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Colleagues Introduce Antitrust Legislation to Take on Algorithmic Price Fixing, Bring Down Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), joined by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Peter Welch (D-VT), introduced the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to prevent companies from using algorithms to collude to set higher prices. As recent reporting, a Justice Department lawsuit, and multiple private lawsuits have shown, big corporations are using algorithms to raise prices and limit competition, including companies like RealPage that have facilitated collusion to increase rents by more than $3 billion in 2023 alone. This legislation will make such collusion illegal to lower costs for families and support small businesses.

    “Price fixing is illegal under our antitrust laws, but the development of price-setting algorithms can exploit loopholes that could be used to unfairly raise prices on everything from rent to rideshares,” said Klobuchar. “My bill will strengthen antitrust law and guarantee needed transparency to prevent companies from using algorithms to fix prices to ensure consumers are able to get the full benefits of competition.” 

    “Collusion is collusion, whether you do it over the phone or using an algorithm. This legislation, along with my End Rent Fixing Act, will send a strong message to corporations that they won’t get away with coordinating to ratchet up prices on consumers,” said Wyden.

    “Businesses are increasingly turning to algorithms to determine pricing for their products.  In a technology-based world, we need to prevent businesses from using these tools to reduce competition,” said Durbin.  “That’s why I’m joining my colleagues in introducing the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act, which would ensure that pricing algorithms aren’t being used to take advantage of consumers and inflate prices.”

    “Predatory algorithms significantly suppress competition in today’s markets and allow companies to collude to raise prices to unaffordable levels. The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act will eliminate coercive anticompetitive software and empower consumers,” said Blumenthal.

    “Algorithmic price fixing enables businesses to artificially inflate their prices while hiding their collusion behind technology, stifling competition, and leaving consumers to suffer the consequences,” said Hirono. “This legislation will help to ensure transparent competition on price, prevent big business from manipulating the market, encourage healthy competition, and protect consumers and small businesses from being taken advantage of.”

    “Far too many companies are utilizing predatory pricing algorithms that prevent competition and raise prices for consumers,” said Luján. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to increase transparency and prevent companies from taking advantage of consumers. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill signed into law.”

    “These pricing algorithms are just one more tactic corporations use to get around the law and screw regular people. It’s how the poultry industry colludes to keep the price of chicken high,” said Murphy. “If we really care about lowering costs and disrupting the corrupt status quo, this is the kind of bill that Congress should pass.”

    “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill to strengthen competition, increase transparency and prevent big corporations from secretly working together to raise rent and other prices on everyday consumers through predatory algorithms,” said Shaheen.

    “Transparency is a key tenet of doing good business, and consumers expect businesses to treat them fairly. But increasingly we’ve seen competitors throw antitrust laws to the wind by using pricing algorithms to avoid competition, leaving consumers to suffer the consequences. The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act works to close existing loopholes and increase transparency around how companies use pricing algorithms to make sure consumers aren’t getting a raw deal,” said Welch.

    Price fixing and other forms of collusion are illegal under current antitrust laws. However, current antitrust laws may be insufficient when competing companies delegate their pricing decisions to an algorithm without agreeing to fix prices. Current law requires proof of an agreement to fix prices before condemning the conduct. When pricing decisions of multiple competitors are delegated to a single algorithm, that agreement may not exist even though the use of the algorithm may have the same effect as a traditional agreement to fix prices. This type of conduct has already occurred in rental housing, and we must ensure that it does not spread to other sectors of our economy with the proliferation of algorithmic pricing.  

    To strengthen current price fixing law, this legislation will:

    • Close a loophole in current law by presuming a price-fixing “agreement,” when direct competitors share non-public information through a pricing algorithm to raise prices;
    • Increase transparency by requiring companies that use algorithms to set prices to disclose that fact and give antitrust enforcers the ability to audit the pricing algorithm when there are concerns it may be harming consumers;
    • Ban companies from using non-public, competitively sensitive information from their direct competitors to inform or train a pricing algorithm;
    • Direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study pricing algorithms’ impact on competition. 

    The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act is endorsed by Consumer Reports, the Open Markets Institute, and Accountable.US. 

    Klobuchar has long led efforts to update our competition laws. As Chair of the Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights subcommittee, Klobuchar held two hearings in 2023 exploring how algorithms can be used to harm consumers. In November 2022, Klobuchar, along with Senators Durbin and Booker, urged the Department of Justice to investigate potential anticompetitive conduct by Realpage increasing rents. Klobuchar leads the bipartisan American Innovation and Choice Online Act with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), which would prevent technology companies from abusing their market power to harm competition, and which made history as the first digital competition bill to advance in Congress since the dawn of the internet when it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 16-6 vote in 2022. Last month, Klobuchar reintroduced the Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act with 13 co-sponsors to give federal antitrust enforcers the resources they need to do their jobs and strengthen prohibitions on anticompetitive conduct and mergers. In 2024, Klobuchar joined Senator Wyden in introducing the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act to ensure that large landlords cannot skirt antitrust law and collude to increase rent prices across the country.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Urges Colleagues to Include Paid Family Leave Bill in Upcoming Tax Package

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    During a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) called on her colleagues to make American families’ lives better by including her Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act in the upcoming tax package.

    Yesterday, Senator Fischer reintroduced her legislation with Senator King (I-Maine) to make the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Employer Tax Credit permanent. The Senators first passed their PFML tax credit as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but it is set to expire soon if not extended by the PFML Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act.

    In her remarks, Senator Fischer emphasized the bipartisan support her legislation has received, as well as its role in fulfilling Republican promises to create a more prosperous and affordable future for American families.

    Click the image above to watch a video of Senator Fischer’s remarks.

    Click here to download audio 

    Click here to download video


    Following is a transcript of Senator Fischer’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

    M. President,

    In America, our news cycle is often fraught with controversy and dispute. From watching the news or scrolling social media, it might seem like there are few issues Americans agree on.

    It may be true that we disagree on some big issues—important issues. But behind the headlines and social media posts, there are many things Americans still agree on.

    One of those is paid family and medical leave.

    The Pew Research Center found that the vast majority of Americans support paid parental leave—up to 82 percent. That’s a broad consensus.

    85 percent of Americans say people should receive paid leave to deal with their own serious health conditions. 67 percent say they should receive leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition.

    We rarely see Americans so united on other issues. But it’s for good reason that Republicans and Democrats come together on paid family leave.

    The reality is that Americans shouldn’t have to choose between their paychecks and caring for their families.

    That’s why I spearheaded our nation’s first-ever federal family leave policy in 2017 with Senator King.

    As part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we passed a Paid Family and Medical Leave tax credit that encourages businesses to offer leave to their employees.

    Employers are able to receive the tax credit if they voluntarily offer up to 12 weeks of paid leave.

    Our credit increases access to paid leave without penalizing small businesses with limited resources, like a government entitlement program or a mandate would.

    Almost eight years later, this tax credit is about to expire. And Congress is set to work on another tax package.

    Now is the perfect time to pass my bill with Senator King to make our tax credit permanent and improve it.

    Yesterday we introduced the PFML Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act. Representative Feenstra is leading the introduction of companion legislation in the House.

    Our bipartisan, bicameral bill supports additional options for financing paid leave, such as paid family leave insurance. It also allows employers to begin offering paid leave to workers sooner after being hired.

    The legislation includes a strategy for educating employers and employees about the option to receive this credit. It requires the Small Business Administration and the IRS to provide targeted outreach and assistance to those who need it, which will raise awareness of the credit and expand the number of Americans who have paid leave.

    Passing this bill in our upcoming tax package will deliver on the promises Republicans made to the American people this November.

    We promised to make families’ lives better, more prosperous and more affordable. More access to family leave will contribute to that goal.

    Our tax credit is a tried-and-true method, one with a bipartisan track record of success. It’s the paid family leave solution that will do the most good with the smallest price tag.

    I urge my colleagues to join me in pushing for this legislation’s inclusion in this year’s tax package.

    This is how we expand paid family and medical leave for employees across the country. This is how we deliver for the American people. I’m determined to get this done, and I hope my colleagues will join me. 

    Thank you, M. President, I yield the floor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: David Gillers to Step Down as Chief of Staff

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced that David Gillers will step down as Chief of Staff to Commissioner Behnam on February 7. From 2021 until January 20, 2025, Mr. Gillers served as Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer of the agency, in which capacity he was the lead advisor to then-Chairman Rostin Behnam on legal, policy and administrative matters, and was responsible for the commission’s daily operations and its 1,000 personnel. Mr. Gillers joined the agency in July 2019 as Commissioner Behnam’s Chief of Staff, and has not announced plans. 
    “David has been my trusted Chief of Staff for over five and half years, and a key part of everything I have done at the Agency. He has led efforts to engage, negotiate and coordinate with members of Congress, fellow regulators, the White House and industry on all matters of the agency’s pressing needs and ably oversaw all agency operations,” said Commissioner Behnam. “He’s directed the most sensitive policy and legal conversations, while still delivering on our priorities. I wish him well as he turns to new opportunities in his career.”
    “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with such a talented team at the CFTC,” said Mr. Gillers. “Our division directors and staff, Chairman’s Office staff, and the other Commissioners and their staff have been second to none, and have made my time at the agency memorable. I am deeply grateful to former Chairman Behnam for making this job so rewarding, and I wish Acting Chairman Pham all the best in her new role.”   
    During Mr. Gillers’ tenure, he oversaw a host of novel derivatives markets policy engagements regarding digital assets, artificial intelligence, event contracts, market structure, cybersecurity and environmental derivatives products, as well as the end of the COVID era work posture and return to office. He led the agency’s review of voluntary carbon credit derivatives and directed the development and finalizing of guidance on voluntary carbon credit derivative contracts. Mr. Gillers was instrumental in expanding the agency’s engagement in the digital asset regulatory evolution, working with policy and enforcement divisions at the agency, other regulators and departments in the federal government, as well as helping Congressional committees to develop a legislative framework. 
    Prior to joining the CFTC in 2019, Mr. Gillers spent a decade on Capitol Hill focused on financial services, energy, and energy markets matters on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. He worked for Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, and Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. He worked extensively on the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, and the energy provisions of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015. While in Congress, he oversaw programs at the Department of the Treasury, Department of Energy, and the Small Business Administration. Mr. Gillers was a corporate attorney prior to his time in Congress.  He holds a BA from Columbia College and a JD from Boston College Law School, where he was a Weinstein Scholar.     

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: United States Seizes Venezuelan Aircraft Involved in Violations of U.S. Export Control and Sanctions Laws

    Source: US State of California

    The Dassault Falcon 2000EX Aircraft Was Used by Venezuela’s State-Owned Oil and Natural Gas Company and Illegally Maintained and Serviced Using Parts from the United States

    The Justice Department announced today that Dominican Republic authorities seized a Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft used by Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the sanctioned Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural-gas company, at the request of the U.S. government based on violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

    “The use of American-made parts to service and maintain aircraft operated by sanctioned entities like PdVSA is intolerable,” said Devin DeBacker, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with its federal law enforcement partners, will continue to safeguard our national security by identifying, disrupting, and dismantling schemes aimed at procuring American goods in violation of our sanctions and export control laws.”

    “Today’s announcement — the seizure of a sanctioned aircraft used by the Maduro regime — clearly shows that sanctions and export control laws have teeth,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Kevin J. Kurland of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “BIS will continue to aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who violate our regulations.”

    “The seizure of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft provides yet another example of this office’s commitment to enforcing America’s export control laws against Venezuelan-owned PdVSA and other sanctioned entities,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Asset forfeiture is a powerful law enforcement tool, which we will continue to use aggressively to deter, disrupt, and otherwise combat criminal activity.”

    “This seizure demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. export control and sanctions laws around the globe,” said Edwin F. Lopez, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Santo Domingo Country Attaché. “By working closely with our partners in the Dominican Republic and across the U.S. government, we successfully prevented the violation of U.S. laws designed to protect national security and foreign policy interests. HSI will continue to use its global reach and investigative expertise to target those who seek to evade justice and undermine the rule of law.”

    In August 2019, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 13884, which, among other things, prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of PdVSA. Pursuant to the EO, on Jan. 21, 2020, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified 15 aircraft as blocked property of U.S. law that generally prohibit transactions by U.S. persons within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in blocked property.

    According to the U.S. investigation, in July 2017, PdVSA purchased the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft from the United States and exported it to Venezuela where it was registered under tail number YV-3360. Following the imposition of sanctions on PdVSA and identification of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft as blocked property of PdVSA, the aircraft was serviced and maintained on multiple occasions using parts from the United States. The servicing included a brake assembly, electronic flight displays, and flight management computers: all in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

    According to a public statement issued by OFAC, since at least January 2019, the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft has transported Venezuelan Oil Minister Manuel Salvador Quevedo Fernandez, who is also sanctioned by the U.S. government, to an Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in the United Arab Emirates and has been used to transport senior members of the Maduro regime in a continuation of the regime’s misappropriation of PdVSA assets.

    The Justice Department previously announced in September 2024 the seizure of a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft in the Dominican Republic that was owned and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro Moros and persons affiliated with him in Venezuela.

    The BIS Miami Field Office is investigating the case with assistance from HSI Santo Domingo.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jorge Delgado and Joshua Paster for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and Ajay J. Alexander for the Southern District of Florida also provided assistance.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and HSI El Dorado Task Force Miami provided significant assistance. The United States thanks the Dominican Republic for its assistance in this matter.

    The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Seizes Venezuelan Aircraft Involved in Violations of U.S. Export Control and Sanctions Laws

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The Dassault Falcon 2000EX Aircraft Was Used by Venezuela’s State-Owned Oil and Natural Gas Company and Illegally Maintained and Serviced Using Parts from the United States

    The Justice Department announced today that Dominican Republic authorities seized a Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft used by Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the sanctioned Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural-gas company, at the request of the U.S. government based on violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

    “The use of American-made parts to service and maintain aircraft operated by sanctioned entities like PdVSA is intolerable,” said Devin DeBacker, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with its federal law enforcement partners, will continue to safeguard our national security by identifying, disrupting, and dismantling schemes aimed at procuring American goods in violation of our sanctions and export control laws.”

    “Today’s announcement — the seizure of a sanctioned aircraft used by the Maduro regime — clearly shows that sanctions and export control laws have teeth,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Kevin J. Kurland of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “BIS will continue to aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who violate our regulations.”

    “The seizure of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft provides yet another example of this office’s commitment to enforcing America’s export control laws against Venezuelan-owned PdVSA and other sanctioned entities,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Asset forfeiture is a powerful law enforcement tool, which we will continue to use aggressively to deter, disrupt, and otherwise combat criminal activity.”

    “This seizure demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. export control and sanctions laws around the globe,” said Edwin F. Lopez, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Santo Domingo Country Attaché. “By working closely with our partners in the Dominican Republic and across the U.S. government, we successfully prevented the violation of U.S. laws designed to protect national security and foreign policy interests. HSI will continue to use its global reach and investigative expertise to target those who seek to evade justice and undermine the rule of law.”

    In August 2019, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 13884, which, among other things, prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of PdVSA. Pursuant to the EO, on Jan. 21, 2020, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified 15 aircraft as blocked property of U.S. law that generally prohibit transactions by U.S. persons within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in blocked property.

    According to the U.S. investigation, in July 2017, PdVSA purchased the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft from the United States and exported it to Venezuela where it was registered under tail number YV-3360. Following the imposition of sanctions on PdVSA and identification of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft as blocked property of PdVSA, the aircraft was serviced and maintained on multiple occasions using parts from the United States. The servicing included a brake assembly, electronic flight displays, and flight management computers: all in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

    According to a public statement issued by OFAC, since at least January 2019, the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft has transported Venezuelan Oil Minister Manuel Salvador Quevedo Fernandez, who is also sanctioned by the U.S. government, to an Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in the United Arab Emirates and has been used to transport senior members of the Maduro regime in a continuation of the regime’s misappropriation of PdVSA assets.

    The Justice Department previously announced in September 2024 the seizure of a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft in the Dominican Republic that was owned and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro Moros and persons affiliated with him in Venezuela.

    The BIS Miami Field Office is investigating the case with assistance from HSI Santo Domingo.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jorge Delgado and Joshua Paster for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and Ajay J. Alexander for the Southern District of Florida also provided assistance.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and HSI El Dorado Task Force Miami provided significant assistance. The United States thanks the Dominican Republic for its assistance in this matter.

    The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Leads Colleagues on Bill to Close Tax Loophole and Make Wall Street Pay Its Fair Share

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) led thirteen of her colleagues in introducing the Carried Interest Fairness Act to eliminate a tax loophole that benefits wealthy money managers on Wall Street. The current carried interest loophole allows investment managers to often pay almost half the tax rate compared to most other Wisconsin workers.

    “Wall Street investors should not be paying less in taxes than Wisconsin firefighters, teachers, and small business owners. But right now, the wealthiest Americans are gaming our tax system to get out of paying their fair share, passing their tax burden onto working Wisconsinites,” said Senator Baldwin. “Closing the carried interest loophole will ensure super-wealthy Americans do their part, reducing the deficit and increasing fairness in our tax code. As President Trump has previously said, this loophole is ‘unfair to American workers’ and I look forward to working with him to finally close it.”

    The carried interest loophole allows investment managers to pay the lower 23.8 percent capital gains tax rate on income received as compensation, rather than the ordinary income tax rates of up to 40.8 percent that they would pay for the same amount of wage income. The Carried Interest Fairness Act requires carried interest income to be taxed at ordinary wage rates. According to the Treasury proposal, closing this loophole will raise $6.5 billion in revenue over 10 years.

    Despite President Donald Trump previously saying, “…we will eliminate the carried interest deduction and other special interest loopholes…”  during the 2016 election, his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act “failed to eliminate [the] key deduction used by wealthy investment firms that Trump had vowed to kill,” leading PolitiFact to rate this a “Promise Broken.” Senate Republicans rejected an amendment to the tax bill by Senator Baldwin to close the loophole, which all Senate Democrats supported in 2017.

    The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Peter Welch (D-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI). Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03) also introduced this bill today in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    The legislation is endorsed by Communications Workers of America, Americans for Tax Fairness, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Public Citizen, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Alliance for Retired Americans, Americans for Financial Reform, Take on Wall Street, Patriotic Millionaires, 20/20 Vision, Main Street Alliance, American Federation of Government Employees, Small Business Minority, Economic Policy Institute, and the National Women’s Law Center.

    “The carried interest loophole is an expensive subsidy of the billionaire executives who are raiding the public purse right now to pay for their next private island,” said Porter McConnell, Senior Director of Take on Wall Street at Americans for Financial Reform. “We commend Senator Baldwin for her leadership on closing this egregious loophole so that working families can stop subsidizing ultra wealthy hedge fund and private equity executives.”

    “The carried interest loophole is an unfair Wall Street tax break that enriches billionaires who end up paying lower tax rates than teachers, nurses, and firefighters.” said Oscar Valdés Viera, research manager at Americans for Financial Reform. “We applaud Senator Baldwin for her unwavering leadership in introducing the Carried Interest Fairness Act and urge the Senate to swiftly move on this legislation.”

    “The carried interest loophole gives a class of the wealthy elite – hedge fund managers and executives – an enormous and unfair advantage by allowing them to pay a significantly lower tax rate on their compensation than working- and middle-class Americans. Senator Baldwin’s Carried Interest Fairness Act would work to close this loophole, enhancing tax fairness, narrowing the growing wealth gap, and providing crucial revenue for investments in the American people,” said Casey Conroy, Senior Fiscal Policy Analyst at 20/20 Vision.

    “Small business owners work hard every day to keep their doors open, staff on payroll and shelves stocked. Meanwhile, investment managers pay a lower tax rate than Main Street because of a ridiculous loophole. Main Street Alliance and our 30,000 members strongly support Senator Baldwin’s Carried Interest Fairness Act. Our tax code should focus on supporting the 20 million new small business owners who have started since 2020, not glitzy hedge funds,” said Richard Trent, Main Street Alliance Executive Director.

    “There are a lot of economically and morally unjustifiable tax loopholes that disproportionately benefit wealthy people like me, but the carried interest loophole may just take the cake. Ultra-wealthy hedge fund managers should not receive a tax break on the income they earn managing other people’s money, as the last time I checked, nurses don’t get a tax break on the money they make ‘managing’ people’s lives with their blood, sweat, and tears. It’s time for lawmakers to pass the Carried Interest Fairness Act and close this egregious loophole once and for all,” said Morris Pearl, Chair of the Patriotic Millionaires and a former Managing Director at BlackRock.

    “The carried interest tax loophole stands as one of the most glaring examples of how the ultra-wealthy exploit and rig our broken tax system to their advantage,” said David Kass, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness. “It’s common sense—Wall Street hedge fund managers shouldn’t pay lower federal tax rates than nurses, teachers, and most working Americans. This change is long overdue and represents a critical step toward a fairer tax system that ensures these uber-wealthy individuals pay their fair share like everyone else.”

    “There is no reason that private equity managers, some of the wealthiest people in the country, should get away with paying lower tax rates than average families, especially as the care crisis continues to strain family budgets. Closing the carried interest loophole is an important step towards making sure the wealthiest are paying their fair share and that our tax code works for all of us, not just those at the top,” said Melissa Boteach, Vice President for Income Security and Child Care/Early Learning at the National Women’s Law Center.

    A one-pager on this legislation is available here. Bill text of this legislation is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 7, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Synaptics Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Q2’25 Financial Results and Recent Business Highlights

    • Revenue of $267.2 million
    • GAAP gross margin of 45.7 percent
    • Non-GAAP gross margin of 53.6 percent
    • GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.05
    • Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.92
    • Signed a new agreement with Broadcom, accelerating our Edge AI strategy
    • Repurchased approximately one million shares for $74.5 million

    SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Synaptics Incorporated (Nasdaq: SYNA) today reported financial results for its second quarter of fiscal 2025 ended December 28, 2024.

    Net revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 was $267.2 million. GAAP net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 was $1.8 million, or $0.05 per diluted share. Non-GAAP net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 was $36.6 million, or $0.92 per diluted share.

    “We delivered another solid quarter, marking our third consecutive quarter of both sequential and year-over-year revenue growth. Core IoT products grew 63% year-over-year in the second quarter—a testament to our leadership in this rapidly expanding market. Additionally, our strategic transaction with Broadcom further strengthens our Core IoT position. This agreement, coupled with our ongoing organic growth, increases my confidence in the company’s long-term growth potential,” said Ken Rizvi, Synaptics’ Interim CEO and Chief Financial Officer.

    Business Outlook
    Ken Rizvi, added, “We are seeing stable to improving trends in most of our end markets. While the fiscal third quarter is down sequentially due to seasonality, our guidance reflects continued year-over-year growth in our business. Our strong balance sheet and positive cash flow, positions us to capitalize on both organic and inorganic growth opportunities, while also returning capital to shareholders through share buybacks.”

    The third quarter fiscal 2025 outlook information provided below is based on the company’s current estimates and is not a guarantee of future performance. These statements are forward-looking and actual results may differ materially. Refer to the “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” section below for information on the factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements.

    For the third quarter of fiscal 2025, the company expects:

           
      GAAP Non-GAAP Adjustment Non-GAAP
           
    Revenue $265M ± $15M N/A N/A
           
    Gross Margin* 45.2 percent ±
    2.0 percent
    $22M ± $1M 53.5 percent ± 1.0 percent
           
    Operating Expense** $141M ± $3M $40M ± $1M $101M ± $2M
           
    Earnings (loss) per share*** ($0.47) ± $0.30 $1.32 ± $0.10 $0.85 ± $0.20
           
    * Projected Non-GAAP gross margin excludes $20.0 to $22.0 million acquisition and integration-related costs and $1.0 million share-based compensation.
    ** Projected Non-GAAP operating expense excludes $34.0 to $35.0 million share-based compensation, $1.0 to $2.0 million restructuring costs, and $4.0 million acquisition and integration related costs.
    *** Projected Non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share excludes $0.89 to $0.92 share-based compensation, $0.03 to $0.05 restructuring costs, $0.60 to $0.65 acquisition and integration related costs, and ($0.20) other non-cash and Non-GAAP tax adjustments.

    Our outlook incorporates the effects of the company’s recent asset acquisition from Broadcom. However, the company has not completed its assessment of the provisional fair values of the assets and liabilities, and therefore, our GAAP outlook does not reflect the impact of any differences between the carrying values and fair values of Broadcom’s assets or liabilities, including share-based compensation and the impact of amortization of any identifiable intangible assets.

    Earnings Call and Supplementary Materials
    The Synaptics second quarter fiscal 2025 teleconference and webcast is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. PT (5:00 p.m. ET), on Thursday, February 6, 2025, during which the company may discuss forward-looking information.

    Speaker:

    • Ken Rizvi, Interim CEO and Chief Financial Officer

    To participate on the live call, analysts and investors should pre-register at Synaptics Q2 FY2025 Earnings Call Registration.
    https://register.vevent.com/register/BI158a46a65d6743c6b0846d8242dcea87. Supplementary slides, a copy of the prepared remarks, and a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be accessible from the “Investor Relations” section of the company’s website at https://investor.synaptics.com/.

    About Synaptics Incorporated:
    Synaptics (Nasdaq: SYNA) is driving innovation in AI at the Edge, bringing AI closer to end users and transforming how we engage with intelligent connected devices, whether at home, at work, or on the move. As a go-to partner for forward-thinking product innovators, Synaptics powers the future with its cutting-edge Synaptics Astra™ AI-Native embedded compute, Veros™ wireless connectivity, and multimodal sensing solutions. We’re making the digital experience smarter, faster, more intuitive, secure, and seamless. From touch, display, and biometrics to AI-driven wireless connectivity, video, vision, audio, speech, and security processing, Synaptics is the force behind the next generation of technology enhancing how we live, work, and play. Follow Synaptics on LinkedIn, X and Facebook, or visit synaptics.com.

    Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information
    In evaluating its business, Synaptics considers and uses Non-GAAP Net Income, which we define as net income excluding share-based compensation, acquisition-related costs, and certain other non-cash or recurring and non-recurring items the company does not believe are indicative of its core operating performance, as a supplemental measure of operating performance. Non-GAAP Net Income is not a measurement of the company’s financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP Net Income. The company presents Non-GAAP Net Income because it considers it an important supplemental measure of its performance since it facilitates operating performance comparisons from period to period by eliminating potential differences in net income caused by the existence and timing of share-based compensation charges, acquisition and integration-related costs, restructuring costs, and certain other non-cash or recurring and non-recurring items. Non-GAAP Net Income has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the company’s GAAP Net Income. The principal limitations of this measure are that it does not reflect the company’s actual expenses and may thus have the effect of inflating its net income and net income per share as compared to its operating results reported under GAAP. In addition, the company presents components of Non-GAAP Net Income, such as Non-GAAP Gross Margin, Non-GAAP operating expenses and Non-GAAP operating margin, for similar reasons.

    As presented in the “Reconciliation of GAAP Financial Measures to Non-GAAP Financial Measures” tables that follow, Non-GAAP Net Income and each of the other Non-GAAP financial measures excludes one or more of the following items:

    Acquisition and integration-related costs
    Acquisition and integration-related costs primarily consist of:

    • amortization of purchased intangibles, which include acquired intangibles such as developed technology, customer relationships, trademarks, backlog, licensed technology, patents, and in-process technology when post-acquisition development is determined to be substantively complete;
    • inventory fair value adjustments affecting the carrying value of inventory acquired in an acquisition;
    • transitory post-acquisition incentive programs negotiated in connection with an acquired business or designed to encourage post-acquisition retention of key employees; and
    • legal and consulting costs directly associated with acquisitions, potential acquisitions and refinancing costs, including non-recurring acquisition related costs and services.

    These acquisition and integration-related costs are not factored into the company’s evaluation of its ongoing business operating performance or potential acquisitions, as they are not considered as part of the company’s principal operations. Further, the amount of these costs can vary significantly from period to period based on the terms of an earn-out arrangement, revisions to assumptions that went into developing the estimate of the contingent consideration associated with an earn-out arrangement, the size and timing of an acquisition, the lives assigned to the acquired intangible assets, and the maturity of the business acquired. Excluding acquisition related costs from Non-GAAP measures provides investors with a basis to compare Synaptics against the performance of other companies without the variability and potential earnings volatility associated with purchase accounting and acquisition-related items.

    Share-based compensation
    Share-based compensation expense relates to employee equity award programs and the vesting of the underlying awards, which includes stock options, deferred stock units, market stock units, performance stock units, phantom stock units and the employee stock purchase plan. Share-based compensation settled with stock, which includes stock options, deferred stock units, market stock units, performance stock units and the employee stock purchase plan, is a non-cash expense, while share-based compensation settled with cash, which includes phantom stock units, is a cash expense. Settlement of all employee equity award programs, whether settled with cash or stock, varies in amount from period to period and is dependent on market forces that are often beyond the company’s control. As a result, the company excludes share-based compensation from its internal operating forecasts and models. The company believes that Non-GAAP measures reflecting adjustments for share-based compensation provide investors with a basis to compare the company’s principal operating performance against the performance of peer companies without the variability created by share-based compensation resulting from the variety of equity-linked compensatory awards used by other companies and the varying methodologies and assumptions used.

    Intangible asset impairment charge
    Intangible asset impairment charge represent the excess carrying value of an indefinite-lived asset over its fair value. The intangible asset impairment charge is a non-cash charge. The company excludes intangible asset impairment charge from its internal operating forecasts and models when evaluating its ongoing business performance. The company believes that Non-GAAP measures, reflecting adjustments for intangible asset impairment charge, provide investors with a basis to compare the company’s principal operating performance against the performance of other companies without the variability created by the intangible asset impairment charge.

    Restructuring costs
    Restructuring costs are costs incurred to address cost structure inefficiencies of acquired or existing business operations and consist primarily of employee termination, asset disposal and office closure costs, including the reversal of such costs. As a result, the company excludes restructuring costs from its internal operating forecasts and models when evaluating its ongoing business performance. The company believes that Non-GAAP measures reflecting adjustments for restructuring costs provide investors with a basis to compare the company’s principal operating performance against the performance of other companies without the variability created by restructuring costs designed to address cost structure inefficiencies of acquired or existing business operations.

    Site remediation accrual
    Site remediation accrual represents an update to the estimated future costs associated with the ongoing planning and remediation of a site contamination project from an acquisition. As we evaluate progress on our ongoing remediation effort and as we work with governmental organizations to update our remediation plan to meet the evolving guidelines, we estimate costs associated with plan revisions to determine if our liability has changed. Excluding the site remediation accrual from Non-GAAP measures provides investors with a basis to compare Synaptics against the performance of other companies without the variability associated with the site remediation accrual.

    Legal settlement accruals and other
    Legal settlement accruals and other represent our estimated cost of settling legal claims and any obligations to indemnify a counterparty against third party claims that are unusual or infrequent. As a result, the company will exclude these settlement charges from its internal operating forecasts and models when evaluating its ongoing business performance. The company believes that non-GAAP measures reflecting an adjustment for settlement charges provide investors with a basis to compare the company’s principal operating performance against the performance of other companies without the variability created by unusual or infrequent settlement accruals designed to address non-recurring or non-routine costs.

    Loss on early extinguishment of debt
    Loss on extinguishment of debt represents a non-cash item based on the difference in the carrying value of the debt and the fair value of the debt when extinguished. Loss on early extinguishment of debt is excluded from Non-GAAP results as it is non-cash. Excluding loss on early extinguishment of debt from Non-GAAP measures provides investors with a basis to compare Synaptics against the performance of other companies without the variability associated with loss on early extinguishment of debt.

    Other non-cash items
    Other non-cash items include non-cash amortization of debt discount and issuance costs. These items are excluded from Non-GAAP results as they are non-cash. Excluding other non-cash items from Non-GAAP measures provides investors with a basis to compare Synaptics against the performance of other companies without the variability associated with other non-cash items.

    Non-GAAP tax adjustments
    The company forecasts its long-term Non-GAAP tax rate in order to provide investors with improved long-term modeling accuracy and consistency across financial reporting periods by eliminating the effects of certain items in our Non-GAAP net income and Non-GAAP net income per share, including the type and amount of share-based compensation, the taxation of post-acquisition intercompany intellectual property cross-licensing or transfer transactions, and the impact of other acquisition items that may or may not be tax deductible. The company intends to evaluate its long-term Non-GAAP tax rate annually for significant events, including material tax law changes in the major tax jurisdictions in which the company operates, corporate organizational changes related to acquisitions or tax planning opportunities, and substantive changes in our geographic earnings mix.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains statements that are not historical facts but rather forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements related to the company’s current expectations and projections relating to its financial condition, results of operations, including the company’s financial guidance for third quarter fiscal 2025, plans, objectives, future performance and business, including the expected benefits from the transaction with Broadcom. Such forward-looking statements may include words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “plan,” “target,” “strategy,” “continue,” “may,” “will,” “should,” variations of such words, or other words and terms of similar meaning. All forward-looking statements are based upon the company’s current expectations or various assumptions. The company’s expectations and assumptions are expressed in good faith, and the company believes there is a reasonable basis for them. However, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will materialize or prove to be correct as forward-looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual future results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those set out in the forward-looking statements, including risks related to the company’s dependence on its solutions for the Core IoT and Enterprise and Automotive product applications market for a substantial portion of its revenue; the volatility of the company’s net revenue from its solutions for Core IoT and Enterprise and Automotive product applications; the company’s dependence on one or more large customers; the company’s exposure to industry downturns and cyclicality in its target markets; the company’s ability to successfully offer product solutions for new markets; the company’s expectations regarding technology and strategic investments and the anticipated timing or benefits thereof; the company’s ability to execute on its cost reduction initiatives and to achieve expected synergies and expense reductions; the company’s ability to maintain and build relationships with its customers; the company’s dependence on third parties to maintain satisfactory manufacturing yields and deliverable schedule; the company’s indemnification obligations for any third party claims; the uncertainty surrounding macroeconomic factors in the United States, and globally, impacting the supply chain environment, inflationary pressure, workforce reductions, regional instabilities and hostilities (including the conflict in the Middle East), the company’s ability to recruit and retain key personnel, the company’s ability to realize anticipated benefits from the transaction with Broadcom, the company’s ability to grow sales and expand into the serviceable wireless market as expected, and other risks as identified in the “Risk Factors,” “Management’ Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business” sections of the company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q; and other risks as identified from time to time in the company’s Securities and Exchange Commission reports. For any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the company claims ​the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and the company assumes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events, except as required by law.

    Synaptics and the Synaptics logo are trademarks of Synaptics in the United States and/or other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

    For more information, please contact:
    Munjal Shah
    Head of Investor Relations
    +1-408-518-7639
    munjal.shah@synaptics.com

     
    SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (In millions)
    (Unaudited)
     
      December 2024   June 2024
    ASSETS      
    Current Assets:      
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 596.1     $ 876.9  
    Accounts receivable, net   146.5       142.4  
    Inventories, net   119.5       114.0  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets   28.4       29.0  
    Total current assets   890.5       1,162.3  
    Property and equipment, net   75.3       75.5  
    Goodwill   819.9       816.4  
    Acquired intangibles, net   242.0       288.4  
    Deferred tax asset   368.5       345.6  
    Non-current other assets   131.3       136.8  
    Total assets $ 2,527.5     $ 2,825.0  
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY      
    Current Liabilities:      
    Accounts payable $ 84.0     $ 87.5  
    Accrued compensation   31.2       27.4  
    Other accrued liabilities   114.6       156.3  
    Current portion of long-term debt   —       6.0  
    Total current liabilities   229.8       277.2  
    Long-term debt   832.5       966.9  
    Other long-term liabilities   89.1       114.1  
    Total liabilities   1,151.4       1,358.2  
    Stockholders’ Equity:      
    Common stock and additional paid-in capital   1,112.4       1,107.1  
    Treasury stock   (952.7 )     (878.0 )
    Retained earnings   1,216.4       1,237.7  
    Total stockholders’ equity   1,376.1       1,466.8  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 2,527.5     $ 2,825.0  
     
    SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
    (In millions, except per share data)
    (Unaudited)
     
      Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended
      December   December
        2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net revenue $ 267.2     $ 237.0     $ 524.9     $ 474.7  
    Cost of revenue   145.0       128.0       281.8       258.6  
    Gross margin   122.2       109.0       243.1       216.1  
    Operating expenses:              
    Research and development   83.3       82.0       164.6       168.5  
    Selling, general, and administrative   49.5       39.7       99.5       82.0  
    Acquired intangibles amortization (1)   3.8       3.9       7.6       9.4  
    Restructuring costs (2)   0.8       1.3       15.0       9.3  
    Total operating expenses   137.4       126.9       286.7       269.2  
    Operating loss   (15.2 )     (17.9 )     (43.6 )     (53.1 )
    Interest and other expense, net   (4.3 )     (6.1 )     (10.2 )     (11.5 )
    Loss on early extinguishment of debt   (6.5 )     —       (6.5 )     —  
    Loss before benefit from income taxes   (26.0 )     (24.0 )     (60.3 )     (64.6 )
    Benefit from income taxes   (27.8 )     (15.0 )     (39.0 )     —  
    Net income (loss) $ 1.8     $ (9.0 )   $ (21.3 )   $ (64.6 )
    Net income (loss) per share:              
    Basic $ 0.05     $ (0.23 )   $ (0.54 )   $ (1.66 )
    Diluted $ 0.05     $ (0.23 )   $ (0.54 )   $ (1.66 )
    Shares used in computing net income (loss):              
    Basic   39.7       39.2       39.7       38.9  
    Diluted   39.8       39.2       39.7       38.9  
    (1) These acquisition related costs consist primarily of amortization associated with certain acquired intangible assets.

    (2) Restructuring costs primarily include severance related costs associated with operational restructurings.    

     
    SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Reconciliation of GAAP Financial Measures to Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    (In millions, except per share data)
    (Unaudited)
     
      Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended
      December   December
        2024       2023       2024       2023  
    GAAP gross margin $ 122.2     $ 109.0     $ 243.1     $ 216.1  
    Acquisition and integration related costs   20.8       14.4       41.6       32.2  
    Share-based compensation   0.3       1.1       (2.4 )     2.2  
    Non-GAAP gross margin $ 143.3     $ 124.5     $ 282.3     $ 250.5  
    GAAP gross margin – percentage of revenue   45.7 %     46.0 %     46.3 %     45.5 %
    Acquisition and integration related costs – percentage of revenue   7.8 %     6.1 %     7.9 %     6.8 %
    Share-based compensation – percentage of revenue   0.1 %     0.4 %     (0.5 %)     0.5 %
    Non-GAAP gross margin – percentage of revenue   53.6 %     52.5 %     53.8 %     52.8 %
    GAAP research and development expense $ 83.3     $ 82.0     $ 164.6     $ 168.5  
    Share-based compensation   (15.6 )     (15.5 )     (30.1 )     (30.7 )
    Non-GAAP research and development expense $ 67.7     $ 66.5     $ 134.5     $ 137.8  
    GAAP selling, general, and administrative expense $ 49.5     $ 39.7       99.5       82.0  
    Share-based compensation   (18.7 )     (12.6 )     (34.1 )     (29.5 )
    Acquisition and integration related costs   (1.4 )     —       (4.7 )     —  
    Site remediation accrual   —       (1.6 )     —       (1.6 )
    Legal settlement accruals and other   —       —       (2.2 )     —  
    Non-GAAP selling, general, and administrative expense $ 29.4     $ 25.5     $ 58.5     $ 50.9  
    GAAP operating loss $ (15.2 )   $ (17.9 )   $ (43.6 )   $ (53.1 )
    Acquisition and integration related costs   26.0       18.3       53.9       41.6  
    Share-based compensation   34.6       29.2       61.8       62.4  
    Legal settlement accruals and other   —       —       2.2       —  
    Restructuring costs   0.8       1.3       15.0       9.3  
    Site remediation accrual   —       1.6       —       1.6  
    Non-GAAP operating income $ 46.2     $ 32.5     $ 89.3     $ 61.8  
    GAAP net income (loss) $ 1.8     $ (9.0 )   $ (21.3 )   $ (64.6 )
    Acquisition and integration related costs   26.0       18.3       53.9       41.6  
    Share-based compensation   34.6       29.2       61.8       62.4  
    Restructuring costs   0.8       1.3       15.0       9.3  
    Site remediation accrual   —       1.6       —       1.6  
    Legal settlement accruals and other   —       —       2.2       —  
    Loss on early extinguishment of debt   6.5       —       6.5       —  
    Other non-cash items   0.6       0.7       1.2       1.3  
    Non-GAAP tax adjustments   (33.7 )     (19.6 )     (50.2 )     (8.8 )
    Non-GAAP net income $ 36.6     $ 22.5     $ 69.1     $ 42.8  
    GAAP net income (loss) per share $ 0.05     $ (0.23 )   $ (0.54 )   $ (1.66 )
    Acquisition and integration related costs   0.65       0.47       1.36       1.07  
    Share-based compensation   0.87       0.74       1.56       1.60  
    Restructuring costs   0.02       0.03       0.38       0.24  
    Site remediation accrual   —       0.04       —       0.04  
    Legal settlement accruals and other   —       —       0.06       —  
    Loss on early extinguishment of debt   0.16       —       0.16       —  
    Other non-cash items   0.02       0.02       0.03       0.03  
    Non-GAAP tax adjustments   (0.85 )     (0.50 )     (1.26 )     (0.23 )
    Share adjustment   —       —       (0.02 )     —  
    Non-GAAP net income per share – diluted $ 0.92     $ 0.57     $ 1.73     $ 1.09  
     
    SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOWS
    (In millions)
    (Unaudited)
     
      Six Months Ended
      December
        2024       2023  
    Net loss $ (21.3 )   $ (64.6 )
    Non-cash operating items   97.3       128.3  
    Changes in working capital   (64.6 )     20.9  
    Net cash provided by operating activities   11.4       84.6  
           
    Acquisition of business, net of cash and cash equivalents acquired   (0.8 )     —  
    Purchase of intangible assets   —       (13.5 )
    Purchases of short-term investments   —       (16.6 )
    Advance payment on intangible assets   —       (116.5 )
    Net proceeds from maturities and sales of short-term investments and other   —       23.9  
    Purchases of property and equipment   (13.8 )     (17.1 )
    Net cash used in investing activities   (14.6 )     (139.8 )
           
    Proceeds from issuance of convertible senior notes, net of issuance costs   439.5       —  
    Payment of debt issuance costs on convertible senior notes and revolving credit facility   (4.4 )     —  
    Payments for capped call transactions related to the convertible senior notes   (49.9 )     —  
    Repurchases of common stock, excluding excise taxes   (74.5 )     —  
    Equity compensation, net   (6.6 )     (21.1 )
    Repayment of debt   (583.5 )     (4.5 )
    Other   1.2       1.7  
    Net cash used in financing activities   (278.2 )     (23.9 )
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents   0.6       0.5  
    Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents   (280.8 )     (78.6 )
    Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period   876.9       924.7  
    Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 596.1     $ 846.1  

    The MIL Network –

    February 7, 2025
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