Search Results for: United Nations

BY LEAH GERMAIN

Representatives from the American steel industry have welcomed coming into force next week (on May 15) of the USA’s latest free-trade agreement (FTA), agreed with Colombia.

The president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Thomas J.…

BY MICHAEL KOSMIDES

THE UNITED States government has told the Meat Trades Journal that there should be no reason why countries should ban its beef imports following the discovery of its first BSE case in six years, in California. Of all major US trade partners, only two South Korean retailers and Indonesia have thus far suspended American beef imports.…

BY LEAH GERMAIN

THE STEADY decline in the price of lithium-ion battery packs is firming up the market for electric cars, making it likely that this new use of lithium will continue to grow.

Recent data shows that the installed cost of lithium-ion batteries will fall more than one-third by the end of 2017.…

BY ROBERT STOKES, IN EDINBURGH; LEAH GERMAIN, IN EDMONTON; AND PAUL COCHRANE, IN BEIRUT

AS the price of oil continues to rise and the demand for the valuable commodity increases worldwide, oil and gas companies are making major profits – yet this industry remains one where safety issues and hard physical work can cause injury.…

BY PAUL COCHRANE, IN BEIRUT

THE FINANCIAL crisis, international regulations and the ‘Arab Spring’ have prompted Gulf countries to set up or expand the mandates of public watchdogs to curb corruption and financial malpractice. There have been some notable progress, but enforcement is still lagging.…

BY LEAH GERMAIN

A NEW bill has been proposed to the US House of Representatives’ natural resource committee that seeks to address major delays in the permitting process for rare earth mining and other valuable minerals. In an effort to decrease the United States’ dependency on foreign countries for rare earth metals, Rep Mark Amodei has introduced the law, claiming that by dramatically reducing long wait times for mineral development permits, his National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012 would allow the United States to further develop rare earth elements production, decrease foreign dependency and stimulate job creation.…

BY MJ DESCHAMPS

WITH the global organic food market in a state of exponential growth, a new trade deal between the world’s two biggest organic food producers – the United States and the European Union (EU) – could significantly boost organic food and drink sales in both their markets, currently valued at more than USD50 billion annually combined.…

BY PAUL COCHRANE, IN BEIRUT

THE REAL estate market in the Gulf has started to bottom out, with prices stabilising in the commercial and residential categories. However, empty properties still abound, there is more supply than demand and few new projects are being undertaken.…

BY PAUL COCHRANE, IN BEIRUT

DUE largely to the surging growth of Dubai-based airline carriers Emirates and flydubai, government-owned operator and manager Dubai Airports is currently juggling the development of the new Al Maktoum International Airport at logistics hub Dubai World Central (DWC), as well as the USD7.8 billion expansion of the Dubai International Airport (DXB).…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

CHINA is again facing another disputes proceeding at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over its export restrictions on non-ferrous metals – this time on molybdenum and tungsten. The United States, Japan and the European Union (EU) today announced they had formally requested consultations with Beijing over its trade controls on these important metals.…