Search Results for: japan

BY ALAN OSBORN, EMMA JACKSON, PAUL COCHRANE and JULIAN RYALL

INTRODUCTION

Professionalisation is a key trend in today’s drinks sector, particularly as export markets are growing fast in emerging markets. With brand loyalty up for grabs, it is critical for alcoholic drinks producers especially to maintain and raise quality.…

BY JULIAN RYALL, FRANCES WANG, AHMAD PATHONI, WILLIAM BARNES, KARRYN MILLER and KEITH NUTHALL

THE PEOPLE of Okinawa are famous – even in ageing Japan – for their longevity. The women of this sub-tropical chain of islands have the longest life expectancy in the world, at nearly 89 years, they have the lowest mortality rate from chronic diseases linked to ageing and the highest ration of centenarians in the world – nearly six times the rate in other industrialised nations.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A EUROPEAN Commission report has called on Japan to consider introducing international standards for food safety, saying the country’s tough national rules impeded EU food exporters from penetrating Japanese markets. Indeed the report assessed that EU food companies’ costs when selling into Japan rise at least 25% over domestic production costs.…

BY GAVIN BLAIR

NESTLÉ Japan has added more distinct local flavours to its Kit Kat range, including regional speciality varieties that are exclusive to certain regions of Japan. The ‘matcha’ green tea flavour – ostensibly from the ancient capital of Kyoto – has been popular for years, and Nestlé has recently added new varieties such as ‘yuzu’ – a citrus fruit, soy sauce – from Tokyo, and melons – from the northern island of Hokkaido.…

BY MARK ROWE

FOR a developing country dependent on exports to a world still groggy from recession, Vietnam and its paint industry have proved impressively resilient over the past 18 months.

According to the country’s ministry of planning and investment, industrial production value in January was 28.4% higher than the same period last year, and the government called for industry to cut back on imports in February to boost domestic production.…

BY EMMA JACKSON

PAINT companies looking for an edge as they recover from the global financial crisis may find a solution in the form of robotics. Cost effective, efficient and consistent, robots are increasingly pushing out the humans who have traditionally helped manufacture paint and coatings or applied it to products such as cars and machinery.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE CONSORTIUM operating the Nord Stream project gas pipelines between Russia and Germany has chosen the three companies supplying a second line. Europipe (Germany), OMK (Russia) and Sumitomo (Japan) will share a Euro 1 billion contract: Europipe will supply 65% of the steel pipes; OMK 25 %; and Sumitomo 10%.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A EUROPEAN Commission report explaining the difficulty European Union (EU) clothing exporters have selling goods in Japan has noted: "Japan has a strong revealed comparative advantage in…textiles, clothing and footwear." It stressed steep average tariffs for EU clothing exports to Japan of 11.5%, with the highest duties being 12% (textiles average 6.5%, the highest being 12%).…

BY GAVIN BLAIR, FRANCES WANG, RAGHAVENDRA VERMA and KARRYN MILLER

The Asian beer market, having overtaken Europe, is now the largest in the world, according to Japanese brewery Kirin. The region accounts for 31.7% of global consumption, compared to 30.8% for Europe, claims the annual report from the Kirin Institute of Food and Lifestyle.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A EUROPEAN Commission report explaining the difficulty European Union (EU) clothing exporters have selling goods in Japan has noted: "Japan has a strong revealed comparative advantage in…textiles, clothing and footwear." It stressed steep average tariffs for EU clothing exports to Japan of 11.5%, with the highest duties being 12% (textiles average 6.5%, the highest being 12%).…