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By Curtis Williams HOUSTON (Reuters) -Chevron on Tuesday asked federal regulators to let it offer an opinion on Venture Global's recent request for more time to commission the Plaquemines LNG plant in Louisiana, at which the U.S. oil major has a long-term sales and purchase agreement that could be affected by any delay. The filing from Chevron came just days after an arbitration tribunal found that Venture Global breached an agreement with BP to declare timely commercial operations at its separate Calcasieu Pass plant, also in Louisiana. The LNG producer's shares plummeted 25% on Friday as investors worried about other ongoing arbitration liabilities. Last month, Venture Global asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to give it until the end of 2027 to commission the Plaquemines plant, citing challenges stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic. The original deadline to put the 27.2 million metric tons per annum export facility into service was September 30, 2026. "Chevron has a substantial interest that may be directly affected by the outcome of this proceeding," it wrote in the filing. The company did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. Venture Global characterized the extension it is seeking as a standard procedural step that is routinely taken to align schedules with FERC in-service deadlines. “To be clear, this request to FERC for an extension of our in-service deadline at Plaquemines has no impact on our publicly announced expectations for the commercial operations date of Phase 1 and Phase 2 which remain the same, " Venture Global told Reuters on Tuesday. (Reporting by Curtis Williams in Houston; Editing by Nathan Crooks and David Gregorio)

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(Reuters) -Healthcare conglomerate Kaiser Permanente said on Tuesday that it is facing a labor strike called by the Alliance of Health Care Unions over wages, but has plans in place to continue operations without interruption. The strike that began earlier in the day is scheduled to end at 7 a.m. on October 19, Kaiser Permanente said. The 31,000 members of United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals are among the 46,000 members of the Alliance of Health Care Unions, which will strike Kaiser mainly on the West Coast in California, Hawaii, and Oregon, the union said in a statement on Monday. Kaiser Permanente said it has been negotiation in good faith with the unions on a new national agreement since May. The company said it offered to increase wages by 21.5% over a four- year period. The UNAC/UHCP said "… but, what (Kaiser) doesn't mention is years of wage freezes during record inflation, cuts for new union members, and the real daily impact these conditions have on patient care." The company said its hospitals, emergency departments, urgent care departments and medical office buildings are open, while some pharmacies are closed. (Reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)

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By Nora Eckert (Reuters) -Stellantis announced a $13 billion investment in the U.S. on Tuesday, a move it said will bring five new models to the market and add 5,000 jobs in plants across the Midwest over the next four years. The investment, which Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said is the largest in its history, comes as the automaker works to regain its sales momentum in one of its most important markets. U.S.-listed shares of Stellantis were up about 2% in aftermarket trade.  “Accelerating growth in the U.S. has been a top priority since my first day. Success in America is not just good for Stellantis in the U.S. — it makes us stronger everywhere,” Filosa said. (Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Chris Reese)

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(Reuters) -Chrysler parent Stellantis said on Tuesday that it would invest $13 billion in the United States to help expand production in the country. (Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee is set to vote on October 21 on aviation safety legislation after a fatal January crash between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 people. The committee is set to take up legislation sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz and several other senators to require the use of ADS-B, an advanced aircraft-tracking technology, by military helicopters near civilian planes and the use of ADS-B for all civilian aircraft. The helicopter involved in the accident was not using ADS-B at the time of the January collision. Cruz is working with Senator Maria Cantwell in a bid to reach bipartisan agreement on aviation safety legislation ahead of the hearing, aides to both senators said. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Nia Williams)

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By Abigail Summerville and Svea Herbst-Bayliss (Reuters) -Apollo Global Management submitted a fresh bid within the last week to take pizza chain Papa John’s International private at $64 per share, according to people familiar with the matter. The situation is fluid and no deal is guaranteed, the sources said, requesting anonymity as the situation is private. StreetInsider first reported the offer on Monday. Reuters reported in June that Apollo and Irth Capital Management submitted a joint offer for the company at just above $60 per share. Multiple activists are also circling the pizza chain, according to sources. Papa John's and Apollo declined to comment. Private equity firms have snapped up restaurant chains in recent years, from Subway to Dave's Hot Chicken to Jersey Mike's.  Papa John’s has a market value of about $1.6 billion and its stock is up by roughly 18% so far this year. While the company's sales rose 4% to $529.2 million in the second quarter ended June 29 over the same time last year, its profits slid by close to 23% to $9.7 million. Founded in 1984, the pizza chain is co-headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and Louisville, Kentucky. It has close to 6,000 restaurants in roughly 50 countries and territories. (Reporting by Abigail Summerville and Svea Herbst-Bayliss in New York; Editing by Dawn Kopecki and Chris Reese)

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee is set to vote on October 21 on aviation safety legislation after a fatal January crash between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 people. The committee is set to take up legislation sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz and several other senators to require the use of ADS-B, an advanced aircraft-tracking technology, by military helicopters near civilian planes and the use of ADS-B for all civilian aircraft. The helicopter involved in the accident was not using ADS-B at the time of the January collision. Cruz is working with Senator Maria Cantwell in a bid to reach bipartisan agreement on aviation safety legislation ahead of the hearing, aides to both senators said. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Nia Williams)

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By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. support for Argentina hinges on the ruling party of President Javier Milei succeeding in this month's midterm legislative elections, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, saying "we're not going to waste our time" if Milei's party does not win. Trump and Milei were meeting at the White House just days after the U.S. agreed to provide a major financial lifeline to the South American nation. "I'm with this man because his philosophy is correct, and he may win it," Trump said ahead of a White House lunch with Milei and members of Trump's cabinet. "He may not win, but I think he's going to win. And if he wins, we're staying with him. And if he doesn't win, we're gone." Trump's remark rattled Argentine markets that had been buoyed by the support package recently announced by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The centerpiece of that deal is a $20 billion currency swap with Argentina's central bank, exchanging stable U.S. dollars for volatile pesos. Argentina's main stock market reversed earlier gains and was down about 2% following Trump's comments. Bessent said at Tuesday's meeting that the package, full details of which have not been announced, is predicated on the continuance of economic policies favored by the Trump administration. Well before Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, tore through U.S. government departments, Milei took his own "chainsaw" to Argentina's government, cutting tens of thousands of public sector jobs to address a long-running fiscal deficit. Milei also created a deregulation ministry to target sectors where officials said local prices were artificially high due to a lack of competition.  "Going back to Peronist policies would cause a rethink," Bessent said. Bessent said, however, that the aid package was not dependent on Argentina ending a separate swap line arrangement with China. The economic lifeline for Argentina marks an unusual move for the U.S., particularly under an administration that has largely eschewed major foreign interventions.  The White House has framed the deal as a strategic effort to stabilize a key regional ally. But it has drawn criticism at home. Many Democratic lawmakers have accused Trump of prioritizing foreign bailouts and investor protections while the U.S. government remains shut down. American farmers have also voiced frustration, noting that China has shifted soybean purchases from U.S. producers to Argentine growers this year. While details of the agreement remain unclear, the bailout could offer Milei a much-needed political boost as he works to stave off a deepening economic crisis and shore up his party's support. He suffered a major setback last month when his party lost a key provincial election and now faces a critical midterm vote later this month. "It benefits the government to reach the election with a stable exchange rate, without having the peso devaluing, and without draining the central bank's reserve," said Ignacio Labaqui, a political analyst in Buenos Aires. At the concert-style Buenos Aires launch party of Milei's latest book last week, several of his supporters said that seeking help from Trump was simply a tool at his disposal and should not be politicized. "No country grows on its own, without outside help," said Kevin Nehuen, 24, a Milei supporter who traveled from the province of Neuquen in the Patagonia region. He pointed to how previous Argentine governments agreed to currency swaps with China to boost reserves. But the aid has also faced criticism from Argentina's left. From her apartment in Buenos Aires, where she is serving a sentence for corruption, former President Cristina Kirchner tweeted last month that "the 'help' from the 'forces of the north'" represents "food for today and hunger for tomorrow." The assistance also underscores the extent to which the Trump administration is willing to support a political ally who has cultivated strong ties with the president and American conservatives in recent years.  Milei, whom Trump has described as his "favorite president," was one of two world leaders onstage during Trump's inauguration. (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal and Leila Miller; Editing by Ross Colvin, Alistair Bell and Edmund Klamann)

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By Lisa Baertlein, Liz Lee and Joe Cash BEIJING/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -The U.S. and China on Tuesday began charging additional port fees on ocean shipping firms that move everything from holiday toys to crude oil, making the high seas a key front in the trade war between the world's two largest economies. A return to an all-out trade war appeared imminent last week, after China announced a major expansion of its rare earths export controls and President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to triple digits. But after the weekend, both sides sought to reassure traders and investors, highlighting cooperation between their negotiating teams and the possibility they could find a way forward. China said it had started to collect the special charges on U.S.-owned, operated, built or flagged vessels but clarified that Chinese-built ships would be exempted from the levies. In details published by state broadcaster CCTV, China spelled out specific provisions on exemptions, which also include empty ships entering Chinese shipyards for repair. Similar to the U.S. plan, the new China-imposed fees would be collected at the first port of entry on a single voyage or for the first five voyages within a year. "This tit-for-tat symmetry locks both economies into a spiral of maritime taxation that risks distorting global freight flows," Athens-based Xclusiv Shipbrokers said in a research note. Early this year, the Trump administration announced plans to levy the fees on China-linked ships to loosen the country's grip on the global maritime industry and bolster U.S. shipbuilding. An investigation during the former Biden administration concluded that China uses unfair policies and practices to dominate the global maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors, clearing the way for those penalties. China hit back last week, saying it would impose its own port fees on U.S.-linked vessels from the same day the U.S. fees took effect. "We are in the hectic stage of the disruption where everyone is quietly trying to improvise workarounds, with varying degrees of success," said independent dry bulk shipping analyst Ed Finley-Richardson. He said he has heard reports of U.S. shipowners with non-Chinese vessels trying to sell their cargoes to other countries while en route so the vessels can divert. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm. Analysts expect China-owned container carrier COSCO to be most affected by the U.S. fees, shouldering nearly half of that segment's expected $3.2 billion cost from those fees in 2026. Major container lines, including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM, slashed their exposure by switching China-linked ships out of their U.S. shipping lanes. Trade officials there reduced fees from initially proposed levels and exempted a broad swath of vessels after heavy pushback from the agriculture, energy and U.S. shipping industries. USTR did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China's commerce ministry on Tuesday said, "If the U.S. chooses confrontation, China will see it through to the end; if it chooses dialogue, China's door remains open." In a related move, Beijing also imposed sanctions on Tuesday against five U.S.-linked subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean which it said had "assisted and supported" a U.S. probe into Chinese trade practices. Hanwha, one of the world's largest shipbuilders, owns Philly Shipyard in the U.S. and has won contracts to repair and overhaul U.S. Navy ships. Its entities also will build a U.S.-flagged LNG carrier. Hanwha said it is aware of the announcement and is closely monitoring the potential business impact. Hanwha Ocean's shares sank nearly 6%. China also launched an investigation into how the U.S. probe affected its shipping and shipbuilding industries. SHIPPING LINES SCRAMBLE FOR WORKAROUNDS A Shanghai-based trade consultant said the new fees may not cause significant upheaval. "What are we going to do? Stop shipping? Trade is already pretty disrupted with the U.S., but companies are finding a way," said the consultant, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak with the media. The U.S. announced last Friday a carve-out for long-term charterers of China-operated vessels carrying U.S. ethane and LPG, deferring the port fees for them through December 10. Meanwhile, ship-tracking company Vortexa identified 45 LPG-carrying VLGCs – 11% of the total fleet – that would be subject to China's port fee. Clarksons Research said in a report that China's new port fees could affect oil tankers accounting for 15% of global capacity. Jefferies analyst Omar Nokta estimated that 13% of crude tankers and 11% of container ships in the global fleet would be affected. TRADE WAR EXPANDS TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY In a reprisal against China curbing exports of critical minerals, Trump on Friday threatened to slap additional 100% tariffs on goods from China and put new export controls on "any and all critical software" by November 1. Administration officials hours later warned that countries voting in favor of a plan by the U.N. International Maritime Organization to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from ocean shipping this week could face sanctions, port bans, or punitive vessel charges. China has publicly supported the IMO plan. "The weaponisation of both trade and environmental policy signals that shipping has moved from being a neutral conduit of global commerce to a direct instrument of statecraft," Xclusiv said.   Shares in Shanghai-listed COSCO rose more than 2% in early trading on Tuesday. The company said its board had approved a plan to buy back up to 1.5 billion yuan ($210.3 million) worth of its shares within the next three months to maintain corporate value and safeguard shareholder interests. The shipping firm did not immediately respond to Reuters' queries about the port fees. ($1 = 7.1337 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles, Arathy Somasekhar and Georgina McCartney in Houston, Liz Lee, Joe Cash and Sam Li in Beijing and Heejin Kim in Seoul; Additional reporting by Samuel Shen and Brenda Goh in Shanghai and James Pomfret in Hong Kong; Editing by Stephen Coates, Kim Coghill and Lisa Shumaker)

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By Michael S. Derby (Reuters) -Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins reiterated Tuesday that rising risks to the job market support additional central bank interest rate cuts in what remains an uncertain economic environment. “With inflation risks somewhat more contained, but greater downside risks to employment, it seems prudent to normalize policy a bit further this year to support the labor market,” Collins said in the text of a speech to be delivered before a gathering in Boston. Even with more rate cuts, “monetary policy would remain mildly restrictive, which is appropriate for ensuring that inflation resumes its decline once tariff effects filter through the economy,” Collins said. Collins’ comments on the economy and monetary policy come after the Fed cut its overnight interest rate target range by a quarter percentage point, to between 4% and 4.25%, last month. Officials penciled in 50 more basis points’ worth of cuts into the end of the year, as the Fed seeks to help buoy the job market while still dealing with inflation that’s well above the 2% target. Collins cautioned in her remarks that the future remains unclear, noting “policy is not on a pre-set path, and I can envision scenarios where appropriate policy calls for holding rates steady later this year and into next, as we assess effects of the recent policy actions and get more information.” The official said that looking ahead, her economic outlook is “relatively benign” with continued activity gains, a small rise in unemployment joined with elevated inflation that eases next year as tariff impacts are passed through the economy. But Collins cautioned that “I do not rule out scenarios featuring higher and more persistent inflation, more adverse labor market developments, or both.” (Reporting by Michael S. Derby; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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