Although natural gas prices on the global market have continued to rise, CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) announced yesterday that it will leave natural gas prices on the local market unchanged for this month.
The decision came as the state-run oil supplier followed the government’s policy to stabilize domestic prices at a time when the local consumer price index has kept rising, breaching the 2-percent threshold set by the central bank, which has raised concerns over growing inflationary pressure.
According to CPC, about 98 percent of energy consumed in Taiwan comes from imports, so it is no surprise that the movement of local natural gas prices is subject to price fluctuations on the international market due to higher import costs.
Photo: Chang Yi-cheng, Taipei Times
To reflect rising import costs, CPC said that domestic natural gas prices should have gone higher, but to alleviate inflationary pressure, the company has decided to leave its prices intact this month.
In December, consumer prices in Taiwan rose 2.62 percent from a year earlier, remaining above the 2-percent inflationary alert level for the fifth consecutive month, according to the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics.
European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde is expected to step down from her role before her eight-year term ends in October next year, the Financial Times reported. Lagarde wants to leave before the French presidential election in April next year, which would allow French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to find her replacement together, the report said, citing an unidentified person familiar with her thoughts on the matter. It is not clear yet when she might exit, the report said. “President Lagarde is totally focused on her mission and has not taken any decision regarding the end of
French President Emmanuel Macron told a global artificial intelligence (AI) summit in India yesterday he was determined to ensure safe oversight of the fast-evolving technology. The EU has led the way for global regulation with its Artificial Intelligence Act, which was adopted in 2024 and is coming into force in phases. “We are determined to continue to shape the rules of the game... with our allies such as India,” Macron said in New Delhi. “Europe is not blindly focused on regulation — Europe is a space for innovation and investment, but it is a safe space.” The AI Impact Summit is the fourth
CONFUSION: Taiwan, Japan and other big exporters are cautiously monitoring the situation, while analysts said more Trump responses ate likely after his loss in court US trading partners in Asia started weighing fresh uncertainties yesterday after President Donald Trump vowed to impose a new tariff on imports, hours after the Supreme Court struck down many of the sweeping levies he used to launch a global trade war. The court’s ruling invalidated a number of tariffs that the Trump administration had imposed on Asian export powerhouses from China and South Korea to Japan and Taiwan, the world’s largest chip maker and a key player in tech supply chains. Within hours, Trump said he would impose a new 10 percent duty on US imports from all countries starting on
STRATEGIC ALLIANCE: The initiative is aimed at protecting semiconductor supply chain resilience to reduce dependence on China-dominated manufacturing hubs India yesterday joined a US-led initiative to strengthen technology cooperation among strategic allies in a move that underscores the nations’ warming ties after a brief strain over New Delhi’s unabated purchase of discounted Russian oil. The decision aligns India closely with Washington’s efforts to build secure supply chains for semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and critical technologies at a time when geopolitical competition with China is intensifying. It also signals a reset in relations following friction over energy trade and tariffs. Nations that have joined the Pax Silica framework include Japan, South Korea, the UK and Israel. “Pax Silica will be a group of nations
RSS