WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday reiterated that the cost of fragmentation would be significant, noting that global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could fall by 4.5 pct in extreme “de-risking” scenario. “We do see some initial signs of de-risking and fragmentation in the data that we’re looking at,” IMF […]

Rising emissions and the depletion of natural resources are of increasing concern to industries worldwide, compounding the need for more sustainable production methods. Dr Andy West, Chief Chemist at Sonichem, discusses the potential of an ultrasonic fractionation process to convert by-products of forestry and agriculture operations into valuable biochemicals, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and […]

Industrial policy. A leading element is the rise of national policies designed to support domestic industry and job creation. Policies such as the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with its “Buy American” incentives, reflect governments prioritizing national interests over multilateral, rules-based organizations, such as the World Trade Organization. Similar policies can be seen in […]

U.S. manufacturers say it’s harder to do business now than during the pandemic, with 78% of manufacturers saying the past six months have presented significant challenges, citing interest rate increases (28%), increasingly complex global supply chains (28%), weak consumer demand (25%) and pressure from consumers on price (25%). As a result of challenging economic conditions, […]