Search Results for: united nations

This southeast Asian powerhouse economy is projected to grow GDP by 3.9% in 2023, up from 2.6% last year due to stronger-than-expected export demand from China, Europe, and the United States, according to the World Bank (1). 

Thailand’s ministry of commerce has maintained a targeted year-on-year growth for exports this year of 1%-2%, after a 5.5% gain in 2022 (2).…

China’s sportswear brands have witnessed significant growth in sales during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially on domestic markets where consumers have embraced athleisure trends. Prominent examples include Beijing-based Li-Ning and Jinjiang-based Anta, which reported Chinese Yuan Renminbi-denominated sales growth of 14.3% (1) and 15.5% (2) respectively in 2022.…

The establishment of Study in Greece (SiG) as a national agency supported by Greek state is the latest step in an ongoing process to unlock a world of educational possibilities and deepen international collaboration to revitalise higher education in the country.…

The European Union (EU) today (June 21) struck political agreement on its 11th set of sanctions against Russia, that will – crucially – include new powers to block flows of goods to third countries, suspected of being rerouted to Russia.

Sweden, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, Tweeted: “Today, the EU Ambassadors agreed on the 11th package of sanctions against Russia.…

Increased automation in label production will result in increased efficiencies, especially for major food and beverage companies, industry experts have told Packaging Gateway. “We see automation making real progress in the labels market and expect to see investments in the technology growing,” said Simon Mitchell, head of the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) Labels Special Interest Group.…

Tightening de-forestation regulations in major oils and fats markets are having an increasing impact on palm oil producers, who say they are being targeted unfairly.

The European Union (EU)’s deforestation-free regulation (EUDR) (1) that entered into force June 29 (2023), and will become binding from December 30, 2024, will lead to higher prices and supply difficulties for palm oil importers, EU and supplier country experts argue.  …

The Portuguese canned food sector, internationally known for its canned fish lines, is thriving – thanks to tourism and innovation, despite the many supply chains issues that it still faces.

Statistics Portugal (Instituto Nacional de Estatística – INE) data suggests the sector is growing fast, with Portugal having exported EUR 305.3 million’s worth of canned fish products in 2022 (provisional data), 20.3% more than in 2020.…

Knitwear microfactories have been expanding in number this year (2023) due to industrial, regulatory and societal changes accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Manufacturers have been eyeing the potential of small-scale, high-tech facilities, which can streamline production and be better suited to operate on an on-demand basis than larger plants.…

International AML/CFT rules and guidance have been designed to help governments crack down on criminals and terrorists, but there are few guiderails to prevent states from abusing these tools to target political opponents. Given the membership of FATF and FATF-style regional bodies, and the Egmont Group of FIUs is practically universal, that means AML/CFT systems are available to authoritarian states.…

As a chemical-based sector, the paint and coatings industry is particularly sensitive to changes to environmental regulation, and while governments have a duty to protect the planet and its human health, they need to avoid damaging manufacturers in the process.

Unfortunately for the British paint and coatings industry, the UK government has been failing to efficiently replace the European Union’s (EU) REACH chemical control system with a UK REACH, following Britain’s December 2020 exit from the EU.…