Author: Editorial Desk

Japan’s cabinet has approved a revision to a government ordinance, officially banning the manufacture, import, and export of all general lighting fluorescent lamps by the end of 2027. The move aligns with the international effort to curb mercury pollution, following last year’s agreement under a global convention to halt the production and trade of fluorescent lamps due to their mercury content, which poses significant health risks. The ban will be enforced in stages, with incandescent fluorescent lamps facing restrictions from January 2026, compact fluorescent lamps from January 2027, and the most widely used types, such as straight tubular and circular…

The President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Atif Ikram Sheikh, has called for Pakistan to capitalise on its growing trade relationship with the US, aiming to double trade volumes in the coming years. Pakistan currently enjoys a bilateral trade surplus with the US, with trade exceeding $7 billion in 2023 and reaching $6.3 billion in the first ten months of 2024. Sheikh emphasised the significant potential for expanding exports, particularly through rising demand for Pakistani products, robust IT exports, and the diversification of export portfolios. Notably, IT exports have surpassed $1 billion, while textiles…

As the festive season approaches, Yiwu, a major manufacturing hub in East China’s Zhejiang Province, has reported robust Christmas export growth, fueled by rising global demand for high-quality Christmas products. The city’s manufacturers are thriving because of innovation, competitive pricing, and expanding market reach. Yiwu’s Christmas merchandise, including apparel, lights, and ornaments, continues to dominate global markets with its balance of cost and quality. Local producers have experienced a surge in orders, driven by the festive demand. Jiang Jiangping, a producer and exporter at the China Yiwu International Trade City, highlighted the city’s strong performance this year. Jiang’s factory, specialising…

The UK food and drink export sector has experienced a 10.2% decline in the first nine months of 2024, as revealed by the Food and Drink Federation’s Q3 report. The downturn mirrors broader economic challenges, including a 0.1% contraction in the UK economy this autumn due to international inflation and trade pressures. Exports fell to £16.3 billion year-to-date, primarily due to declining alcohol sales. However, certain categories, such as chocolate, salmon, beef, and cheese, recorded growth. Chocolate exports rose by 9.6% to £656 million. Ireland remains the top market for UK food exports (£3 billion), followed by France (£2 billion)…

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has suspended trading in Bharat Global Developers (BGDL) shares, citing evidence of extensive financial misrepresentation and fraudulent activities designed to deceive investors. The order issued on Monday, SEBI outlined a series of serious violations, including fabricated financial disclosures, dubious preferential allotments, and artificial manipulation of share prices. The regulator’s findings point to a coordinated effort by the company to inflate its stock value and mislead stakeholders. Alarming Stock Surge BGDL’s stock price surged dramatically from ₹16.14 in November 2023 to ₹1,702.95 by November 2024. This sharp increase triggered suspicion and prompted SEBI’s…

The Korean export market faces a challenging start to the year as uncertainties surrounding the inauguration of Donald Trump’s second term contribute to a forecasted decline in export performance during the first quarter of next year. A report released by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) International Trade Research Institute on the 22nd reveals that the Export Business Survey Index (EBSI) for the upcoming quarter has dropped to 96.1, falling below the critical baseline of 100 for the first time in a year. The EBSI gauges corporate expectations for export performance on a scale from 0 to 200, with scores…

The US economy showed signs of easing inflation in November, with the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rising by just 0.1%, according to a Reuters report. This softer-than-expected increase follows October’s 0.2% gain, providing some relief to markets navigating the Federal Reserve’s current monetary policies. Data from IndexBox highlighted a 2.4% year-on-year increase in the PCE price index through November, a slight uptick from October’s 2.3% rise. When excluding volatile food and energy costs, the core PCE index also rose by 0.1%, compared to an unrevised 0.3% gain the previous month. Despite the month-on-month deceleration, annual core inflation held…

China’s arms trade, orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has evolved into a strategic instrument for expanding authoritarian influence, threatening global democracy and regional stability. Far from being a mere commercial venture, China’s weapons exports serve as a geopolitical tool, enabling authoritarian regimes and destabilising regions to advance its global ambitions. Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute positions China as the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter, contributing 5.8% of global arms sales between 2019 and 2023. However, these figures obscure the CCP’s use of arms sales as a means to exert diplomatic pressure and reshape political dynamics. In…

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced an additional $300 million for the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) grants, aimed at bolstering U.S. food and farm exports in emerging markets such as Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and South and Southeast Asia. This funding, part of a second round of grants, brings the total RAPP allocation for 2024 to $600 million. The USDA revealed that $25 million of this latest funding is earmarked specifically for projects focusing on Africa. Interest in the program has been substantial, with eligible entities submitting project proposals exceeding $1 billion, far surpassing the…

The economic relationship between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations is intensifying, with trade volumes projected to more than double to $1.9 trillion by 2035. This growth reflects the regions’ joint efforts to diversify beyond oil and deepen financial and commercial ties. Trade volumes between China and the GCC—comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—have seen significant increases. In 2023, trade between China and Saudi Arabia alone reached $100 billion, with Saudi Arabia supplying nearly 20% of China’s total oil imports. According to HSBC Global Research, two-way payment flows between China and the GCC have…