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Business Quick Take

■ TRADE
Japan appeals ruling
Japan on Friday appealed a WTO ruling that largely sided with Seoul in a sensitive dispute over Japan's punitive damages on South Korean computer chip exports. "Most of the decision was unfavorable to us," Japanese trade negotiator Koji Saito said. "We disagree with the findings." South Korea claimed victory after the release of the decision last month, even though the WTO refused to order Tokyo to scrap a 27.2 percent charge on imports of DRAM chips made by South Korea's Hynix Semiconductor Inc. The panel ruling implied that Japan would, however, have to recalculate the duty it introduced in January of last year.

■ ENERGY
China taking it slow
China will alter its energy-pricing system gradually, Ma Kai (馬凱), head of the nation's top economic planning agency, told reporters in Beijing yesterday. The nation is "resolute" that it will make changes to boost the efficient use of resources, said Ma, the head of the National Development and Reform Commission. Ma declined to comment directly on the possibility of raising the prices of oil, electricity and natural gas this year amid inflation pressures. China's consumer prices rose 5.6 percent in July from a year earlier, the biggest increase in more than 10 years, as food costs soared.

■ ENERGY
Delayed merger expected
The long-delayed merger of energy groups Suez and state-owned Gaz de France could be announced next week, a source said on Friday. "Discussions are in progress" between Suez and the French presidency, said the source close to the negotiations. They "could advance pretty quickly and lead to a deal at the beginning of the week, perhaps on Monday." Earlier in the day, news magazine Le Point had also set on Monday as a likely date for the announcement. The 90 billion euro (US$123 billion) merger would create the world's third largest energy group by market capitalization, behind Russia's Gazprom and France's Electricite de France (EDF), and just ahead of Germany's EON.

■ AUTOMOBILES
Hyundai workers to strike
Workers at South Korea's largest carmaker, Hyundai Motor, have voted to go on strike this week, a company spokesman said yesterday. Almost two-thirds of Hyundai's 44,800-strong union voted to authorize a strike as early as Tuesday after 50 days of negotiations broke down. The union is seeking an 8.9 percent pay increase, an extension of the retirement age from 58 to 60 and a halt to the allocation of work to overseas plants -- demands that management say are "unacceptable." Not a year has passed without a strike since the union was formed in 1987. Strikes last year alone cost the company 115,683 vehicles worth US$1.7 billion.

■ AVIATION
Airbus A380 hits hangar
The Airbus A380 hit an airport hangar in Bangkok on Saturday, forcing the world's largest passenger jet to delay its takeoff on an demonstration Asian tour, an Airbus official said. The bump caused slight damage to the left wing of the double-decker plane, the official said, adding that the accident happened because of miscommunication between pilots and ground staff. The A380 on Friday arrived in Bangkok, the first leg of its four-city Asian tour, and was to make a round trip from Bangkok to the country's northern tourist hub, Chiang Mai, early yesterday.


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