Business Briefs – June 18, 2018

Experts Say Auto Tariffs Would Raise Prices, Cost Jobs

DETROIT (AP) – If President Donald Trump delivers on threats to slap 25 percent tariffs on automobiles and parts, experts say it will cut auto sales and cost jobs in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Mr. Trump has asked the Commerce Department to study the tariffs on national security grounds, hoping to bring back jobs. But industry experts and analysts say the increased costs will raise prices, hurt sales and bring layoffs.

Supreme Court to Take Up App Lawsuit

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court will consider whether the purchasers of iPhone apps can sue Apple over allegations it has an illegal monopoly on the sale of the apps. The court said Monday that it will take a case from the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, which ruled in January that the purchasers of iPhone apps could sue Apple. Their lawsuit says that when a customer buys an app the price includes a 30 percent markup that goes to Apple.

Google to Invest $550 Million In Alibaba Rival JD.com

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Google says it will invest $550 million in Alibaba’s main rival JD.com as the U.S. tech giant seeks to expand in fast-growing Asian e-commerce markets. Under the partnership, JD.com products will appear on Google’s shopping service while Google can apply the Chinese e-commerce company’s supply chain and logistics expertise to its technology. JD.com is China’s second-largest e-commerce company after Alibaba.

Peek at the Future: Electric Plane Cruises Skies Over Norway

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) – Norway’s transportation minister and the head of its airport operator took off Monday for a short flight … aboard a Slovenian-made two-seater electric airplane. Dag Falk-Petersen, head of Avinor, sat at the commands of the white Pipistrel Alpha Electro G2 while Ketil Solvik-Olsen sat in the passenger seat when they took off from a remote corner of the Oslo airport for a brief journey. Norway aims to be 100 percent electric by 2040 for all short-haul flights.

Germany Will Fail 2020 Climate Goals, Now Eyes 2030 Target

BERLIN (AP) – Germany’s environment minister says the country will likely miss its 2020 target for cutting carbon emissions, an embarrassment for a government that wants to lead the charge on limiting climate change. Minister Svenja Schulze said Monday the goal of cutting carbon emissions by 40 percent compared to 1990 probably won’t be achieved. Government estimates predict a cut of 32 percent at best by 2020. Schulze spoke in Berlin at a meeting ahead of an annual global climate summit.