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By Alexander Hübner and Christoph Steitz MUNICH/FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Private equity firm Warburg Pincus is nearing a deal to buy German software maker PSI Software in a deal worth more than 700 million euros ($813 million), two people familiar with the matter said. The transaction would value PSI at 45 euros per share, the sources said, a premium of more than a third over Friday's closing price. A deal could be announced as soon as Monday, one of the people said, adding the deal had yet to be formalised and details could still change. PSI and Goldman Sachs, which is running the sales process, both declined to comment. Warburg Pincus was not immediately available for comment. PSI Software, which makes software for energy networks, last week confirmed it was in advanced discussions with Warburg Pincus, Thoma Bravo and HgCapital regarding the conclusion of an investment agreement and a potential takeover offer. German utility E.ON, which is a major customer as well as PSI's second-largest investor with almost 18% of its shares, intends to hold onto its stake, sources told Reuters last week. ($1 = 0.8607 euros) (Reporting by Alexander Huebner and Christoph Steitz; Editing by Ros Russell)

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MUNICH/FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Private equity firm Warburg Pincus is nearing a deal to buy German software maker PSI Software in a deal worth more than 700 million euros ($813 million), two people familiar with the matter said. The transaction would value PSI, a maker of software for energy networks, at 45 euros per share, the sources said, a premium of more than a third on Friday's closing price. The deal is not finalised yet and details could still change, the people said. PSI declined to comment. Warburg Pincus was not immediately available for comment. ($1 = 0.8607 euros) (Reporting by Alexander Huebner and Christoph Steitz; Editing by Ros Russell)

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By Selena Li HONG KONG (Reuters) -U.S. semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm admitted that it had not informed Chinese authorities when it completed its acquisition of Israel's Autotalks in June, China's market regulator said on Sunday. The disclosure was made two days after China launched an antitrust investigation into Qualcomm, examining whether the U.S. firm violated China's antitrust law by not declaring some details of its acquisition of the Israeli chip designer. Qualcomm did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.  China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said it informed Qualcomm in March 2024 that the deal requires approval by the regulator, and the U.S. firm in the same month notified SAMR it wouldn't pursue further. However, Qualcomm in June this year completed the deal without informing the authority, the regulator said, adding Qualcomm "acknowledged above facts", based on which Beijing launched the antitrust probe. Qualcomm's shares fell more than 5% on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to hike tariffs against China and cancel a planned meeting with President Xi Jinping. (Reporting by Selena Li)

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By Eduardo Baptista and Selena Li BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) -China called U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariffs on Chinese goods hypocritical on Sunday and defended its curbs on exports of rare earth elements and equipment, but stopped short of imposing new levies on U.S. products. Trump on Friday responded to Beijing's most recent export controls by imposing additional tariffs of 100% on China's U.S.-bound exports, along with new export controls on critical software by November 1. The revived trade tensions have rattled Wall Street, sending Big Tech shares tumbling, worried foreign companies dependent on China's production of processed rare earths and rare earth magnets, and could derail a summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping tentatively scheduled for later this month.  RESPONDING TO TRUMP The Chinese commerce ministry's statement on Sunday was Beijing's first direct response to Trump's lengthy Truth Social post on Friday, where he accused Beijing of suddenly raising trade tensions after an uneasy truce was reached six months ago between the world's two largest economies, allowing them to trade goods without sky-high tariff rates. "Our relationship with China over the past six months has been a very good one, thereby making this move on Trade an even more surprising one," Trump said. The commerce ministry said in an equally lengthy statement that its export controls on rare-earth elements followed a series of U.S. measures since bilateral trade talks in Madrid last month. Beijing cited the addition of Chinese companies to a U.S. trade blacklist and Washington's imposition of port fees on China-linked ships as examples. "The U.S. actions have severely harmed China’s interests and undermined the atmosphere of bilateral economic and trade talks, and China is resolutely opposed to them," the ministry said. Beijing stopped short of explicitly connecting these U.S. actions to its export curbs on rare-earth elements, saying they were motivated by concern about these materials' military applications at a time of "frequent military conflicts". It also held off on announcing a corresponding levy on China-bound U.S. imports, unlike earlier in the year, when both superpowers progressively ratcheted up tariffs on each other until the U.S. rate was 145% while China's was 125%. 'PATH FOR NEGOTIATIONS' China's decision not to immediately respond in kind to Trump's opening salvo in this latest round of trade tensions could leave the door open for both countries to negotiate a de-escalation, analysts said. "By clarifying the rationale behind its retaliatory measures, Beijing is also outlining a potential path forward for negotiations. The ball is now in the U.S. court," said Alfredo Montufar-Helu, managing director at strategic advisory firm GreenPoint. But Hutong Research said in a note on Saturday that if Beijing chooses not to respond to Trump's 100% tariff hike, it may signal that it no longer prioritises a long-term deal with him, reflecting diminished confidence in his ability to restrain hawks or stick to commitments. "Key watchpoints now: Whether Beijing moves to freeze or complicate the TikTok sale, given its political symbolism. Proceeding with the sale under current conditions would be seen as a major concession (from Beijing)," the research firm said. Other tools in Beijing's arsenal include regulatory action targeting U.S. companies. China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said last month leading U.S. AI chip manufacturer Nvidia violated the country's anti-monopoly law, during U.S.-China trade talks in Madrid. The market regulator on Friday announced an antitrust investigation into U.S. chip manufacturer Qualcomm over its June 2025 acquisition of Israeli chip designer Autotalks. A few hours after the commerce ministry's response to Trump's post and tariff hike, SAMR said Qualcomm had completed the acquisition without informing the regulator, adding that the U.S. firm had acknowledged this. "Based on clear facts and conclusive evidence, our bureau lawfully initiated an investigation into Qualcomm's unlawful…acquisition of Autotalks," SAMR said. CHINA SAYS EXPORT CONTROLS ARE NOT EXPORT BANS The commerce ministry also countered Trump's narrative that China was using its dominance in processed rare earths and rare earth magnets to attack all countries, not just the U.S. "We have been contacted by other Countries who are extremely angry at this great trade hostility, which came out of nowhere," Trump said on Friday on Truth Social. China produces over 90% of the world's processed rare earths and rare earth magnets. The 17 rare earths are vital materials in products ranging from electric vehicles to aircraft engines and military radars. Exports of 12 of them are restricted after China's commerce ministry on Thursday added five – holmium, erbium, thulium, europium and ytterbium – along with related materials. The commerce ministry statement on Sunday sought to reassure foreign companies spooked by the latest export curbs, promising to promote compliant trade by granting general-purpose licenses and license exemptions. "China's export controls are not export bans," it said. "Any export applications for civilian use that comply with regulations will be approved, and relevant enterprises need not worry." (Reporting by Eduardo Baptista in Beijing and Selena Li in Hong Kong; Editing by William Mallard)

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(Reuters) -Three workers have died since Hyundai Motor started construction of its $7.6 billion auto plant in Georgia in 2022, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing a review of federal records.  Dozens of the company's current and former workers, many of them safety coordinators who helped oversee construction, told the newspaper in interviews that the work environment involved many inexperienced immigrant laborers, often lax safety standards and frequent accidents. The plant, which is operated through a joint venture between Hyundai and South Korea's LG Energy Solution, has been in the limelight since an immigration raid last month that detained hundreds of South Korean workers in the largest single-site enforcement operation in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's history. Apart from the deaths, more than a dozen workers have suffered serious injuries, including from falling without wearing harnesses and getting crushed by forklifts, according to the WSJ. The workers interviewed by the WSJ said Hyundai did not ensure that people were properly trained, and safety regulators did little to prevent worksite violations, the report added. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. Hyundai did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.  Hyundai said in a statement to the WSJ that it is committed to following immigration laws and that it doesn't compromise safety for the sake of speed, adding that the company took steps to address safety issues in response to incidents during construction. "We acted immediately and comprehensively to prevent anything like this from happening again," Hyundai CEO Jose Munoz told the newspaper. "I traveled to Georgia to tell our team directly: Their safety comes before production schedules, before costs, before profits, before everything." Construction on the electric vehicle and battery plant, located in Bryan County about 30 miles west of Savannah, is ongoing. (Reporting by Angela Christy in Bengaluru; Editing by Mark Porter)

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