The Tribune selects for you the main economic information throughout the day. Hello everyone, today is Friday, May 15, 2026. Welcome to La Tribune’s Essentials. In today’s news, Donald Trump announced commercial agreements with China. At the same time, Beijing is calling for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible. Lastly, negotiations for the acquisition of SFR will be extended until June 5.
British Gas is fined 100 million euros for forced meter installations. The British energy company will pay up to 90 million pounds (over 100 million euros) for repairs and debt cancellations due to a regulator’s investigation into unacceptable forced installations of prepaid meters for vulnerable customers.
An industrial plastic company will close a factory in France, putting 160 jobs at risk. The Asian group Indorama Ventures will close its Longlaville plant, leaving over 160 employees without jobs. The factory, which produces plastic fibers for tire manufacturers, has seen a decrease in orders due to Chinese competition.
Negotiations for the acquisition of SFR have been extended until June 5. Altice France, the parent company of SFR, has extended the exclusive negotiation period with Bouygues Telecom, Iliad (Free), and Orange for the sale of its operator. Talks revolve around a 20.35 billion euro purchase offer presented by SFR’s competitors, potentially reducing the French market’s major operators from four to three.
Donald Trump announces commercial agreements with China. The American president said he concluded fantastic trade deals with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their summit in Beijing. Trump also mentioned a promise of a significant Boeing purchase by China, emphasizing the positive outcomes of the agreements.
Amid the Middle East conflict, China calls for a ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Chinese President Xi Jinping urged a complete ceasefire in the Middle East and the prompt reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Since the conflict with the US and Israel, Iran has restricted navigation in the strait, affecting a fifth of global oil and natural gas exports.
(Note: The content includes news updates on various economic events such as Trump’s trade agreements with China, British Gas fine, factory closure in France, SFR acquisition negotiations, and the Middle East conflict.)
