4 Min Read
HAVANA, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Cuba’s imports from China tumbled to $483 million last year versus $791 million in 2019, according to data from the Chinese Customs Office, extending a steep five-year decline as the island’s economy reels from U.S. sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic.
Cuba is dependent on imports for much of its consumption, but it began falling behind on payments to foreign suppliers from 2015 as support ebbed from ally Venezuela due to its own economic woes.
The Chinese government previously reported that exports to Cuba had declined from nearly $1.9 billion in 2015 to $1.1 billion in 2018.
The Customs Office data put China’s imports from Cuba at $472 million, similar to 2019, meaning overall trade was below a billion dollars, the lowest in more than a decade.
3 Min Read
PARIS (Reuters) - BNP Paribas warned investors on Friday that a debt-trading bonanza that supported its earnings last year was unlikely to last, while signalling that the worst of the global coronavirus crisis was over for its loan book.
FILE PHOTO: The BNP Paribas logo is seen at a branch in Paris, France, February 4, 2020. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
Charges linked to the COVID-19 pandemic took their toll on fourth quarter net profit at BNP Paribas, which said it had set aside more provisions for loans that could turn sour.
But the eurozone’s biggest listed bank struck a more upbeat note for 2021, saying it expected its cost of risk, which reflects provisions for bad loans, to drop compared to 2020 as the outlook improves in the second half.
The Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress pushed ahead on Wednesday with a maneuver to pass President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package without Republican support, as the White House said it was flexible on a key element of the plan.
The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives approved a budget outline on Wednesday that would allow them to pass President Joe Biden's proposed $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid plan without Republican support.
Germany's ruling coalition parties on Wednesday agreed a batch of additional measures to support those hit hard financially by the COVID-19 pandemic, including a child benefit bonus and an extension to reduced sales tax for the restaurant sector.