Search Results for: Malaysia

The New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has called for comments on planned reductions to allowable lead levels in paints, and in art materials such as chalk, crayons, and felt-tip pens.

The country’s current lead level limit for paint is 0.1% (1,000 parts per million/ppm) and the proposed changes would reduce this to 0.009% (90ppm), in line with countries including Australia, Canada and the United States, the EPA said in a note.…

The global market for tallow, traditionally a common ingredient in the production of soaps, detergents, and lubricants, is undergoing considerable movement, driven by rising consumption of meat products coupled with the rising usage of tallow in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, biofuels and feeds industries.…

Implementing international sanctions is never easy, but the sanctions regime on Iran is highly complex, buffeted by shifting diplomatic stances. With its Security Council ally Russia relying on Iranian military and technology supplies for it to pursue its invasion of Ukraine, time-limited UN restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme officially lapsed on October 18.…

Indonesia’s tobacco farmers are enjoying a good harvest this year, but they are also facing uncertainty over new health regulations that could affect their livelihoods.

The tobacco industry is a major contributor to the Indonesian economy, generating about 10% of the state revenue from excise taxes, according to the country’s finance ministry.…

Packaging firms and brands are preparing for a boom in biomaterial packaging, fuelled by greater consumer demand, regulations to increase sustainability and the maturity of biomaterials. A report by Massachusetts, US-based management consulting firm Arthur D Little (1), released in 2022, said that investment has fuelled production improvements and capacity, easing the mass production of biomaterials derived from plants, animals or bacteria.…

Bangladesh clothing manufacturers have been looking to expand export sales beyond their established markets in the European Union (EU), the United States, Canada and the UK, seeking new revenue in non-traditional markets such as Brazil, India, Japan and South Korea.

According to data from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh apparel exports for 2022 (calendar year) have sourced 16.1% of revenue from non-traditional markets – USD7.35 billion, out of overall apparel exports of USD45.7 billion.…

The bounce back from Covid-19 lockdowns to the key south-east Asian economies of Malaysia and Singapore have seen robust growth in both countries, boosting paint and coatings sales, although the Malaysian market has some fragility this year.

Economic growth in both ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members have been robust with data from the World Bank showing Malaysia’s GDP expanding from USD337.34 billion in 2020 to USD406.31 in 2022 (1) – its population being 33.5 million people.…

Tightening de-forestation regulations in major oils and fats markets are having an increasing impact on palm oil producers, who say they are being targeted unfairly.

The European Union (EU)’s deforestation-free regulation (EUDR) (1) that entered into force June 29 (2023), and will become binding from December 30, 2024, will lead to higher prices and supply difficulties for palm oil importers, EU and supplier country experts argue.  …

The use of money mules moving dirty money worldwide continues to grow, with law enforcement, financial institutions and researchers continuing to highlight the problem. In the UK, 31,979 money mule cases were recorded in 2017; rising to 40,129 in 2018; 42,900 in 2019; and 40,353 in 2020; according to 2022 research published in the International Journal of Business and Economy (1).…

The Indonesian government is drafting a regulation to ban lead-based paints in the country, Markus Winarto, the secretary-general of the Indonesian Paint Manufacturers Association (APCI) has told PPCJ. The government has been under pressure from environmental health activists to take this step – one already taken in the Philippines, for example, but is facing some difficulties in finding alternatives for certain applications such as road markings and anti-corrosion coatings, said Winarto.…