links for 2010-02-04

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said Japan's decision to use EPA "city" mileage ratings instead of EPA "combined city/highway" mileage ratings as the basis for determining eligibility sharply limited the number of U.S. models that will qualify under the program in the world's third-largest auto market.

Greece won breathing space Wednesday in its battle to stave off financial ruin as the European Commission endorsed plans to bring its public finances under control, though it warned that the country’s progress back from the brink faced unprecedented monitoring by Brussels. The statement from the European Commission appeared to calm some of the anxiety in the financial markets, although analysts noted the risk that Athens’ austerity package could be derailed by domestic opposition.

Moody's Investors Service fired off a warning on Wednesday that the triple A sovereign credit rating of the US would come under pressure unless economic growth was more robust than expected or tougher actions were taken to tackle the country's budget deficit.

China dismissed U.S. threats to get tough on trade and exchange rates to ensure American goods are not disadvantaged, saying on Thursday that its currency was at a reasonable level.

More than 40 percent of those laid off in the past year haven’t found work yet, according to a survey by Chicago-based CareerBuilder. According a November survey conducted by the online job site, only 51 percent of those laid off from full-time jobs in the past year have found full-time jobs, and 7 percent have found part-time jobs.

This is a slide from Dow Chemical’s (DOW) earnings call yesterday. Why is it important? Simply put “Dow makes the stuff that everyone uses to make stuff”. Dow has a global footprint and it tied to every major region of the world. They are invoilved at both the ground floor with their basic chemical business and the top with their specialty division. Almost no part of the overall manufacturing food chain is untouched by Dow.

Major potash exporter BPC has raised spot prices for Brazil and Asia by over 6 per cent, reflecting growing world demand for the soil nutrient, and plans to strike its next deals at the end of March or in April.

Australia's big miners are asking their Japanese and South Korean customers to accept a 40 percent contract iron ore price hike in 2010, a Chinese newspaper reported, as rising demand puts pressure on the region's steel mills to settle early.