German carmaker BMW sold 20.6 percent fewer cars in the first quarter of 2020 than last year, with the coronavirus pandemic leading sales to tumble in China, Europe, and the U.S. The German carmaker announced this in a statement on Monday. “Around 80 percent of all retail outlets in Europe and 70 percent of those in the U.S. are currently closed due to the coronavirus,” BMW said. The company is “flexibly adapting” its production volumes...

The German Government on Monday moved to give breweries greater financial leeway during the novel coronavirus pandemic by giving them the option to defer the annual beer tax. According to the spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Finance and its state counterparts agreed that beer tax can be deferred to improve liquidity of breweries in current difficult situation and to protect jobs. The ministry said applications to defer the tax...