Search Results for: Brazil

BY KARRYN MILLER

WHEN Mexico’s economy faced a sharp decline last year, few industries were spared – tobacco included. A downturn in the world economy teamed with a slew of factors made a dent in the country’s tobacco sales. But in spite of this tobacco companies have remained positive.…

BY ALAN OSBORN

While many had hoped December’s Copenhagen Conference would be the necessary first step in the global fight against climate change, in the wake of the signed partial accord, we are left with many more questions than answers. Now, 2010 is the new deadline for whether the world can agree a practical response to the dangers of global warming.…

BY ALAN OSBORN,ANCA GURZU and KEITH NUTHALL

THE GLOBAL trade in illicit tobacco is huge and growing and a significant source of dirty money worldwide. Tobacco multinational British American Tobacco (BAT) estimates that 6.3% of cigarettes worldwide are illicit products (either counterfeit, smuggled or sold domestically on the black market), which makes 332 billion sticks, and that is a lot of cigarettes.…

BY MARK ROWE and KEITH NUTHALL

THIS April, the UK will launch a feed-in tariff for electricity, which the government said will accelerate take-up of green energy among the general public. According to the European Commission’s energy directorate-general, the European Union (EU) already uses at least 20% more energy than is justified, which has led to twin concerns – the need to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and to encourage consumers to switch to green energy tariffs and sources.…

By Keith Nuthall, International News Services

For many journalists covering globalisation affairs, the end of the European Union’s (EU) banana trade dispute with the USA and Latin American countries is like the loss of an old friend. This dispute – which ended today – has been subject to formal World Trade Organisation (WTO) proceedings since 1996. Its resolution is a rare ray of sunlight in Geneva, where multilateral trade talks have long been mired in self-interest and complacency.

The Doha Development Round of global trade negotiations – which itself has been lumbering on since 2001 – appears far from completion. The political and commercial impetus that pushed its predecessor, the 1990s Uruguay round, towards great success, is nowhere to be found with Doha.…

BY ANCA GURZU

INFRASTRUCTURE and technology costs are the two important factors when talking about promoting intermediate alternative fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG), the Center for Automotive Research, a US-based non-profit organisation, has told wardsauto.…

BY PACIFICA GODDARD, ANCA GURZU, GAVIN BLAIR and KEITH NUTHALL

NEW technologies devour new resources and the move towards hybrid and electric vehicles could make some currently impoverished countries rich. As the world moves away from fossil fuels, the soft metal lithium will become increasingly in demand as a critical component of auto batteries for green cars.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

EUROPEAN Union (EU) regulatory approval has been granted for two Brazilian financial groups taking over major Brazil meat companies JBS SA and Bertin SA. The European Commission gave competition law clearance for the purchase by J&F Participações S.A.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL, EMMA JACKSON and ERIC LYMAN

THE COPENHAGEN climate change conference ended on December 18 with an accord where key world economies promised to make binding agreements to cut carbon emissions. But detail on exactly how much will be settled at a later date, meaning its long term effects on the oil and gas industry are unclear.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

CHINA has come under increased pressure to scrap export restrictions on certain key non-ferrous metals, with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) establishing a disputes panel to adjudicate complaints about these rules. With the European Union (EU) being joined by the United States and Mexico as formal parties to this dispute, the outlook could be serious for China if it loses.…