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The topic under discussion is: how to keep egg prices high. The US Department of Justice stated that just days before Christmas, the CEO of Hickman's Egg Ranch, based in Arizona, devised a way to boost the benchmark price in the egg industry. If Hickman's and other major egg companies aggressively bid for eggs on the wholesale market exchanges, they could push up a key pricing indicator that affects how much consumers pay at grocery stores. A federal court filing released this week reveals that someone allegedly involved in the conspiracy stated: "As a whole, we need to bid like Chicagoans vote—early and often." The complaint filed in federal court in Iowa describes how a handful of large egg producers have, over the years, attempted to manipulate a little-known pricing process that plays a crucial role in setting the price Americans pay for eggs. Antitrust enforcement officials said that from 2022 to 2025, executives from Cal-Maine Foods, Hickman's, and Versova coordinated bidding and transactions through phone calls and messages.

Japan's June manufacturing PMI final value: 54.8, previous value: 54.9. South Korea's June HSBC manufacturing PMI: 52.1, previous value: 54.8.

Golden Ten Data reported on July 1 that South Korea's exports in June continued their strong momentum, highlighting the robust resilience of the semiconductor boom supporting economic growth. Data released on Wednesday showed that South Korea's exports in June increased by 70.9% year-on-year, imports rose by 30.1%, and the trade surplus reached a record high of $36.15 billion. Semiconductors once again led the growth thanks to strong investments related to artificial intelligence and data centers. Chip shipments grew by 199.5% year-on-year, reaching $44.8 billion. Exports of computer-related products and petroleum products also grew by 308.8% and 49.8% respectively. The latest data show that South Korea's export-driven economic growth momentum remains solid, as strong demand for semiconductors this year is driving economic expansion and partly offsetting widespread weakness in traditional industries.