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When Saif al-Ashqar was tasked with rebuilding the library of the University of Mosul in Iraq, he was given a free rein – but no cash. Islamic State, which occupied the city between 2014 and 2017, had burned the prestigious library to the ground, destroying what remained of its vast collection of books, historic maps and ancient manuscripts.…

Growing online sales of tobacco products within the European Union (EU) are boosting industry revenues, despite increasing sales restrictions, including some outright bans on internet purchases of tobacco products. The German market and consumer data platform Statista foresees 2.5% of the total USD170 billion [EUR160 million] sales generated by the tobacco sector – all products – within 2023 will come from online sales, meaning USD4.25 billion [EUR4 billion].…

Russia’s bio-based oil sector looks set to benefit from the spoils of war, being poised to become the new global leader in the export of sunflower oil over the current agricultural year, overtaking past export leader Ukraine, which its military has invaded since last February, with 8,317 civilian deaths as of March 20 (2023).…

The USD865 million investment announced by BMW into boosting its electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing capacity in Mexico is, say industry experts, a signal of how Mexican automotive capacity may be oriented increasingly intensely on the American market.

Germany’s BMW will spend this money over the next four years to enable production of the ‘Neue Klasse’ electric vehicle range in Mexico starting 2027.…

International automobile manufacturers, including those based in the USA, have been presented with the first global sustainability reporting standards designed to become compulsory in many countries worldwide from January 1, 2024. They may also apply to foreign companies operating in the USA and overseas branches of US-owned companies such as Ford and GM, depending on a looming decision made from the Securities & Exchange Commission, expected in April (2023).…

The European Union (EU) may this year complete a long-negotiated trade agreement with the South American Mercosur bloc, including major knitwear manufacturer Brazil and wool exporter Argentina. EU trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has said the ratification of a deal that was agreed in principle in 2019 should move a step closer “relatively soon”.…

Myanmar’s clothing industry is struggling to continue effective operations as the military coup which toppled the country’s former democratic government two years ago has continued to harm the country’s economy, especially those sectors heavily dependent on international trade.

Resulting protests have mutated into civil war, with this instability and economic dislocation causing many western apparel companies to quietly withdraw from the country or reduce orders and sales.…

At the end of 2022, the Chinese garment industry found itself in a conflicting situation: on one hand, the abrupt abandonment of strict Covid-control measures in December fuelled hopes that Chinese consumer demand will grow steadily. But on the other hand, many factories preponed and extended the Chinese New Year holiday to shield their owners’ financial standing from the risk that manufacturing capacity would remain underutilised.…

Alcohol-free beverages have come a long way since the 1970s when they were targeted at vehicle drivers worried about losing their licences. But with a decrease in per-capita consumption of alcohol among many higher-income markets, many consumers who normally drink alcohol are becoming “sober curious” – looking for non-alcoholic alternatives, according to Andrew Greenhill, an assistant professor for microbiology and fermentation technology at Federation University, Victoria, Australia.…

Political branding can encourage or deter clothing sales, say marketing experts, with the risks and rewards growing where political polarisation intensifies. The key US market is certainly a case in point. Research published in the January-February 2023 issue of the academic journal Marketing Science, by the US-based Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, concluded that, following Donald Trump’s presidential electoral victory in 2016, political polarisation was increasingly extended to consumers’ preferences.…