Search Results for: France

BY MARK GODFREY, IN BEIJING

IT is a sign of a mature market that all social groups are offered products in a sector, with all kinds of retailers selling across a country – and China is certainly maturing in this way as regards the personal care product sector.…

BY MJ DESCHAMPS

WITH demand for broadband connectivity and mobile services continuing to rise, telecommunications service providers have been scrambling to meet consumer demand for fast connections and high quality service. However, now that the market is essentially saturated, delivering a fast and reliable connection is no longer the be-all-end-all of customer satisfaction in the industry.…

By Paul Cochrane, in Beirut

Saudi Arabia’s failure to secure a wide-ranging atomic energy treaty with the USA, continues to push the oil-rich country into the arms of other nuclear suiters, experts on the kingdom have argued. The Saudi's plan is to invest USD112 billion over the next 20 years to build 16 nuclear power plants (NPPs) to offset rising domestic energy demand and retain its position as a leading hydrocarbons exporter.

A memorandum of understanding on nuclear energy was signed with the US in 2008, but the two countries have yet to sign Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act, essentially a prerequisite for nuclear cooperation between the US and other nations.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission is coming under pressure to toughen its action against high mobile roaming charges, as its latest proposals are debated at the European Parliament.

MEPs want the Commission to go further in its action to foist more competition on the roaming market while capping bills.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

RETAIL – WINNERS AND LOSERS

WINNERS

MARKS & SPENCER

Times may still be tough in its home British market, but M&S showed forward-thinking foresight in 2011- on sourcing transparency and the environment: potential key issues for future consumers.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission has drafted a plan ensuring cash-strapped international nuclear fusion project ITER would have funding of Euro EUR2.573 billion from 2014 to 2018. European Union (EU) ministers in December approved emergency spending for ITER to see the France-based research project through 2012 and 2013, and now the Commission is looking ahead for four more years’ money.…

BY MJ DESCHAMPS

THE ONGOING influx of more complex, scientific formulations in anti-aging creams, skin care solutions and more, paired with an economic climate that does not exactly allow its consumers much breathing room for frugality, is highlighting the need for cosmetics packaging to keep products fresh.…

BY MJ DESCHAMPS

THE EUROPEAN and South American gypsum operations of French building materials company Lafarge will be acquired by Etex Group NV/SA of Belgium, a manufacturer of building material and systems, with the deal now receiving competition approval from the European Commission.…

BY JILL LANGLOIS, IN SÃO PAULO

BRAZIL’S dyeing and finishing sector is working hard to maintain a commercial edge – especially through environmental good practice – while its key market, the Brazilian textile industry, faces some tough times.

Foreign competition, weak international branding and unhelpful Brazilian government regulations are weakening the textile sector in Brazil: "The industry’s deficit will hit a record USD5 billion [last] year [2011] – we’ve already had to cut 19,000 jobs…" said Aguinaldo Diniz Filho, president of the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (ABIT).…

BY ANDREW MCEWEN

A POTENTIAL liberalisation of Chinese luxury good import tariffs could lower the price of high-end cashmere goods in China, bringing them closer to Hong Kong and Europe prices, an international conference has been told.

The move has been spurred by a boom in personal imports by travelling wealthy Chinese.…