Saturday, May 23, 2009
Friday, May 01, 2009
May 2009 Economic Digest - Importing and Exporting
May 2009 Edition
POLLUTION
Ships carry about 90 per cent of global trade, and until recently, such
has been the demand for coal, cars and electronics, that there has been
little concerted effort to rein in the growth of polluting emissions
from ships. But pressure is now mounting in the United Nations to make
ships more efficient. Now, a Singapore firm says it has invented and
tested a patented method that removes planet-warming carbon dioxide,
nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide, which causes acid rain and soot.
The process uses very alkaline seawater sprayed into the exhaust funnel
to scrub out the gases and soot.
CHARITY
The findings on a new study examining the experience of 24 nonprofit
groups suggest that people who go online to donate to charity for the
first time often do not return to the Internet to make later gifts.
While the Internet can be a valuable fund-raising tool for charities, it
is not a replacement for direct mail or other forms of fund-raising.
The 24 non-profit organizations studied had 9.5-million donors and total
revenues of US$747-million.
LUGGAGE
The European Union is ready to set up a new body to order airlines to
pay travellers compensation when their baggage fails to appear, meaning
that passengers would no longer have to sue airlines who refuse to pay
out. The new compensation is based on the value of the missing baggage,
with a maximum payment of US$2,100. In 2004, a scheme was scrapped
whereby compensation was based on how much luggage weighed.
ENROLMENT
For the first
time in six years, enrolment in computer science programmes in the U.S.
increased last year. The revival is significant according to scientists
and industry executives who in the past have been pointing to declining
numbers of science and engineering students as an indicator warning
about the nations' weakening ability to compete in the global economy.
SPORTS
The operating revenues for Canada's spectator sports, event promoters,
artists and related industries reached C$5.5-billion in 2007, up 9.6 per
cent from the previous year. The increase was largely the result of a
15.2 per cent rise in revenues among promoters of performing arts whose
revenues amounted to $1.9-billion. Spectator sports generated
$2.4-billion in revenues representing over 40 per cent of total industry
operating revenues.
WATERING
A sensor developed by Israeli scientists sends text messages to farmers
when crops need water, or to homeowners when a plant is thirsty. The
product is currently being prepared for the international commercial
market. The original idea behind the sensor is to cut irrigation costs
by up to 50 per cent.
AIRBUS
The Airbus A380 double-decker jumbo jet will be making its Canadian
debut in June in Toronto when Emirates Airline adds the world's largest
'plane to the Toronto-Dubai route. On the upper level of the A380 will
be 14 suites in first class and 76 lie-flat seats in business class.
There will also be 399 economy class seats on the lower deck. Fares are
subject to change, but for now, the carrier expects to charge round-trip
prices starting at C$1,130 for economy, $6,550 for business class and
$10,000 for first class which includes a lounge and two shower spas.
DIAMONDS
The Government of Botswana and De Beers have closed two diamond mines
for the rest of the year as demand falls. Diamond giant De Beers, the
world's largest diamond producer by value, produced 48-million carats in
2008. The global financial and economic crisis has forced even the
wealthy to cut their spending on luxury goods, including jewellery.
Luxury-jewellery retailer Tiffany reported that its same-store sales for
the last Christmas season fell by 24 per cent.
BRIDGING
The
Italian government has revived plans to build a controversial bridge
linking the island of Sicily to the mainland. The Messina bridge, whose
centre span of 3.3-km (two miles) would make it the longest in the
world. It is part of a massive US$32-billion public works program to
create new jobs and boost the economy. In the past, the proposal has
been criticised on two points: one, on the grounds of safety as the
bridge will span a busy shipping lane and will have to withstand high
winds. Second, many fear that huge amounts of taxpayers' money would be
siphoned off by the Sicilian and Calabrian mafias.
BATTERIES
A
new manufacturing method for lithium-ion batteries could lead to
smaller, lighter batteries that can be charged in seconds. Batteries
that discharge just as quickly would be useful for electric and hybrid
cars, where a quick jolt of charge is needed for acceleration. The
approach only requires simple changes to the production of a well-known
material. Because of the electric punch that they pack, gram for gram,
lithium-ion batteries are the most common rechargeable batteries found
in consumer electronics, such as laptops.
JUSTICE
The
number of workers in the Canadian justice related occupations reached
362,665 in 2006, a 20 per cent increase since 1991. All justice sectors
recorded increases in their personnel between 1991 and 2006, ranging
from 12 per cent among police officers to 24 per cent among court
personnel.
BURNING
Researchers
have developed an indicator that turns an appropriate shade of pink to
alert wearers of sunburn. The thin film device could be worn as a wrist
band to warn wearers they risk receiving a potentially harmful dose of
ultraviolet rays. UV rays drive a chemical reaction in the indicator,
releasing an acid into a dye, and causing it to change colour.
AGE
Japan
now has so many people over 100 that it is cutting costs by reducing
the size of silver cups it presents to those who reach that age. last
year, 19,769 people reached triple figures in the world's most rapidly
aging country, compared with only 153 in 1963, the year when the cups
were first presented.
INNOVATION
Canada
ranks 14th in a field of 110 countries when it comes to innovation in
manufacturing. A study, compiled by an international consulting firm,
judged countries partly based on government support for innovation,
through tax and education policies, and the quality of infrastructure.
But it also looked at the performance of innovative companies, measured
by factors such as high-tech exports, the amount of intellectual
property generated and employment growth. The top countries were
Singapore, South Korea and Switzerland and the US was eighth. Canada
came ahead of countries such as Britain, Israel, Australia and Germany.
PLACEMENT
Britain
will not allow broadcasters to use product placements in their
programming despite the collapse of traditional advertising revenues.
The major commercial TV network in the UK has seen revenues slump by
almost 20 per cent in the first quarter of this year, leading it to cut
600 jobs and sell assets.
FLYING
Britain's
airports were hit by the recession and high fuel prices last year, with
4.6-million fewer people taking to the air, the first passenger decline
in 17 years. The escalating cost of jet fuel in the first half of 2008
pushed up ticket prices while the recession delivered a further blow to
the air travel market in the second half. London's airports were hit
particularly badly with Stansted showing a drop of 1.4-million
passengers and Gatwick showing a 2.8 per cent drop in passengers.
TUNGSTEN
This industry is
forecasting a healthy future as tungsten will increase in use as an
environmentally friendly alternative to lead. Tungsten can now be used
as a non-toxic substitute for lead in fishing lures, wheel weights and
protective X-ray vests The industry is also hoping that hunters may be
prepared to pay a little more for bullets and shotgun shot. The
extremely dense metal has traditionally been used in steel hardening, in
electronic applications and in light bulb filaments. The annual
worldwide production of tungsten is a relatively small 80,000 tonnes
with a value of about US$225 a tonne.
CONVENIENCE
A
recent study reports that shoppers are looking for more efficient end
effective ways to shop for convenience food items. The study found that
rather than having convenience items scattered throughout a store,
shoppers would prefer a dedicated convenience meals aisle where a full
range of quick and easy products can be found. The study interviewed
1,500 shoppers in-store, and analyzed more than 15 million frequent
shopper card households and over 100 million baskets. A convenience
meals aisle would be located in the centre of a store, a highly
profitable area for retailers, representing 88 per cent of total store
net profit.
FISH
World fish
production hit 143.6-million tonnes in 2006, the highest since records
began in 1950. Just over 110-million tonnes was eaten by people, the
rest used as animal feed or for other commercial purposes. Some 47 per
cent of fish on dinner plates is now farmed and this is likely to
increase as the amount caught in the wild levels off. China is the
world's biggest producer landing 17-million tonnes of fish from its
waters and farming 34.4-million tonnes.
WATER
As
every farmer knows, water is a precious commodity. A new book details
how much water is needed to create some daily goods. A cup of coffee for
example, needs much more water than that poured into the pot. 1,120
litres go into producing a single litre of coffee. Only 120 litres go
into making a litre of tea. 900 litres goes into making a litre of wine
or apple juice. Leather shoes and microchips require over 16,000 litres
of water each to be produced.
DOOMSDAY
There
are now almost 20 million food crop seed samples stored in the
"doomsday vault" in the Arctic. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault built 130
metres inside a mountain aims to protect the world's crop species
against natural and human disasters. This US$7-million facility opened
in 2008 is now storing one third of the planet's most important food
crop varieties.
INVESTMENT
The
Canadian government spent C$921-million on science and technology
activities in biotechnology in fiscal year 2007/2008. Of the total, 29
per cent went on in-house activities performed by government departments
or agencies. The other 71 per cent consists of contracts or grants to
organizations and individuals outside of government.
PUBLICATIONS
Each
month, a group of 30 to 40 people in China work on translating the
latest issue of "The Economist." In the past, Chinese authorities have
ripped articles about China out of some issues before they have hit the
newsstands.
COMPLAINTS
Among
the most bizarre complaints made by British holidaymakers were: sand
being too white; there were too many Spanish people in Spain and too
much curry served in restaurants in India. And frustration by some that
it took nine hours to fly home to the UK from Jamaica when it took only
three hours for Americans to fly home.
Thank you for reading the A & A Economic News Digest. For more
information visit our website www.aacb.com or contact A & A Contract
Customs Brokers Ltd. at strehler@aacb.com.
Past issues of the A&A Economic News Digest can be found at http://www.aacb.com/publications/ed/index.asp
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