Top videos

Japanese teardowns of Chinese electric vehicles by BYD and Nio stun car parts executives in Nagoya
Japanese teardowns of Chinese electric vehicles by BYD and Nio stun car parts executives in Nagoya Kwabena Ofori Osei 32 Views • 2 years ago

An exhibition in central Japan showcases tens of thousands of parts, stripped from the world's top-selling models. Japanese car parts manufacturers were stunned at the advances of Chinese brands BYD and Nio.

Chinese carmakers hold costs down through engineering advances in parts assembly, and with a far higher degree of vertical integration of production. Chinese companies integrate multiple components into one part, and then standardize those integrated parts across multiple car models. This results in far fewer parts per car, faster manufacturing time, and lower vehicle weight.

Industry insiders are increasingly critical of top executives in the US, Europe, and Japan who have been blindsided by Chinese ascent and near-domination of the global car industry. Consultants and engineering experts in China have reported for years on Chinese monopolies of supply chains, engineering breakthroughs, and product quality. Yet the CEO's and top officers of legacy car brands were seemingly unaware of key developments that were upending their own industry, and which now threaten their survival.

Resources and links:

Nikkei, Japanese tear down Chinese EV’s and don’t like what they see
https://asia.nikkei.com/Busine....ss/Automobiles/Elect

Wall Street Journal, What Scared Ford’s CEO in China
https://www.wsj.com/business/a....utos/ford-china-ev-c

Small, well-built Chinese EV called the Seagull poses a big threat to the US auto industry
https://apnews.com/article/chi....na-byd-auto-seagull-

Wired, How China’s EV Boom Caught Western Car Companies Asleep at the Wheel
https://www.wired.com/story/ho....w-chinas-ev-boom-cau

Inside China Business, Ford Motor CEO visits China, sees existential threats and opportunities, and overhauls the company
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LOgURuanrU

Company page, Sino Auto Insights
https://www.sinoautoinsights.com/

Closing scene, Lijiang Park, Yunnan

Layoffs at John Deere blow up investment thesis on food shortages; US farmland to see liquidation
Layoffs at John Deere blow up investment thesis on food shortages; US farmland to see liquidation Kwabena Ofori Osei 32 Views • 2 years ago

Venture Capital and Private Equity firms poured tens of billions of dollars were poured into shares of farm equipment makers, fertilizer companies, and even indoor vertical farms and cropland. Conventional wisdom was that these were very safe investments that would yield outsized returns as the world struggled to feed itself over coming decades.

That investment thesis has now collapsed, amid plunging global food prices and soaring farm productivity. The ag sector of the developing world produced record crops, and did so without the expensive equipment produced by major Western farm equipment makers, such as John Deere and Case New Holland.

As VC and PE firms are now seeing double-digit annual declines in cash flows from their investments into the agriculture theme, we should expect them to sell their positions, and return to tech sector investment.

Resources and links:

Deere Announces More Layoffs
https://www.dtnpf.com/agricult....ure/web/ag/news/equi

John Deere announces more Midwest layoffs
https://www.agriculture.com/jo....hn-deere-announces-m

John Deere announces another round of layoffs, this time of 287 workers in Quad Cities
https://www.desmoinesregister.....com/story/money/busi

Bill Gates Portfolio: 7 Best Stocks to Buy Now
https://money.usnews.com/inves....ting/articles/bill-g

Barrons, World Hunger Is on the Rise. These Companies Have Solutions.
https://www.barrons.com/articl....es/companies-solving

Politico, The world food crisis is about to get worse
https://www.politico.eu/articl....e/world-food-crisis-

McKinsey, A reflection on global food security challenges amid the war in Ukraine and the early impact of climate change
https://www.mckinsey.com/indus....tries/agriculture/ou

The World Is Headed for a Food Security Crisis. Here’s How We Can Avert It
https://time.com/5216532/globa....l-food-security-rich

Who Will Feed China?: Wake-Up Call for a Small Planet (Worldwatch Environmental Alert)
https://www.amazon.com/Who-Wil....l-Feed-China-Environ

Bill Gates Increases His Stake in Deere to More than 10%
https://www.rermag.com/earthmo....ving/article/2095500

Investment firms are buying more farmland
https://www.morningbrew.com/da....ily/stories/investme

Reuters, Investment funds stocking up on US farmland in safe-haven bet
https://www.reuters.com/market....s/commodities/invest

Average Chinese national now eats more protein than an American: UN food agency
https://www.scmp.com/news/chin....a/science/article/32

China factory sourcing website:
www.made-in-china.com

What does vertical farming mean to investors?
https://avisomo.com/vertical-farming-investors/

The vertical farming boom is over (for now). What went wrong?
https://sifted.eu/articles/ver....tical-farming-boom-o

U.S. Agricultural Land Values and Cropland Cash Rents Reach Record Levels Amid Falling Commodity Prices
https://www.fb.org/market-inte....l/u-s-agricultural-l

Land Report: Bill Gates nation’s largest private owner of farmland
https://landreport.com/land-report-100/bill-gates

The 14 Countries Still Under The Hostage Of France's Colonial Tax Rule.
The 14 Countries Still Under The Hostage Of France's Colonial Tax Rule. Kwabena Ofori Osei 32 Views • 2 years ago

The 14 Countries Still Under French Grip

African leaders often face accusations of corruption and perceived alignment with Western interests, which can be attributed to a compelling reason. These leaders find themselves in a delicate position, driven by concerns about their personal safety and the stability of their nations. Their actions, seeking powerful nations' support, stem from a desire for protection against the risk of coups or threats.

However, this quest for security sometimes comes at a cost. Western powers, in exchange for backing, may expect these leaders to prioritize external interests over serving their own people or their nation's best interests. Former French President Jacques Chirac's declaration in March 2008 rings with a sobering truth: "France's significance could diminish to that of a third-tier power without Africa."

Chirac's predecessor, François Mitterand, foresaw this perspective as far back as 1957 when he prophesied, "The absence of Africa could render France's historical narrative incomplete in the 21st century."

Under a binding colonial pact enforced by France, 14 African nations find themselves compelled to deposit a staggering 50% of their foreign reserves into the French central bank, all under the control of the French Minister of Finance. Astonishingly, as of 2014, Togo and approximately 13 other African countries continue to shoulder the burden of colonial debt payments to France. The repercussions of dissent are grim; leaders who dare to resist face dire consequences, often falling victim to assassination or facing destabilizing coups.

In a troubling twist, those who comply with France's demands are rewarded with a luxurious lifestyle, supported by the French government. This stark contrast paints a harrowing picture of disparity, as the people of these nations grapple with extreme poverty and despair. The weight of this reality underscores the profound imbalance in the relationship between these African nations and France, raising crucial questions about sovereignty, economic justice, and the future of these countries as they strive for genuine progress and empowerment Let us take a closer look at these 14 African countries

Showing 622 out of 623