February 2014 Edition
POPULATION
Japan's population declined by a record 244,000 people in 2013. An estimated 1,031,000 babies were born last year, down some 6,000 from the previous year. Meanwhile, the number of people that died last year was 1,275,000, a rise of around 19,000 from 2012. Japan's population has been shrinking for several years. If current trends persist it will lose a third of its population in the next 50 years. A quarter of the population is currently aged over 65 and that figure is expected to reach nearly 40 per cent by 2060.
PANAMA
A consortium constructing a massive expansion to the Panama Canal has threatened to halt work unless US$1.6-billion of cost overruns are paid. Work on the $3.2-billion expansion began in 2009 and construction is due to be completed in June 2015, nine months behind schedule. The majority of work involves building a third set of locks that can accommodate ships that can carry 12,000 containers. At the moment, the biggest ships that can navigate the canal carry 5,000 containers.
ENERGY
Exports of primary energy and energy products produced in Canada increased 5.3 per cent in 2012. Canada exported 73.5 per cent of its crude oil production, 56.5 per cent of its marketable natural gas and 23.3 per cent of its refined petroleum products. Just over 58 per cent of primary energy produced in Canada is destined for export markets, primarily the United States. Ontario, Alberta and Quebec continued to account for most of the energy consumed in Canada.
Canada Post's decision to raise stamp prices and shift to community mailboxes will severely effect small businesses and home offices. As of March 1st, the price of a stamp rises to 85 cents, when bought in booklets or rolls, a 35 per cent increase from the current price of 63 cents. This hits small companies at a time when there are few alternatives to sending and receiving cheques by mail. Forty per cent of small businesses send 50- or more pieces of mail a month and 98 per cent use the mail every month.
TRAVEL
Passenger demand in the commercial airline market is expected to rise 31 per cent by 2017 according to an industry survey. The forecast for the 2013-2017 period calls for an increase in passenger numbers to 3.91-billion in 2017 from 2.98-billion in 2012, or almost one billion more passengers. Of the new passengers in the 2013-2017 period, about 292-million will be on international routes and 638-million on domestic runs. The single biggest driver of growth will be China with about 30 per cent of the new passengers.The strongest international passenger growth will come from the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions.
EXTERMINATORS
Wild pigs are clever and hard to hunt, it can take a day to stalk just one. But they are no match for an aerial drone operated by Louisiana Hog Control, a pest-extermination firm. The remote-controlled aircraft with thermal imaging and a laser pointer. It easily spots the pigs' warm bodies from 4,000 feet and points them out to a hunter on the ground wearing night vision goggles who shoots them. Each year, America's 6-million feral pigs cause an estimated US$1.5-billion of damage to crops, lawns and wildlife.
CREDIT
British working-class families are still paying for Christmas in the summer and one in six middle-income families borrowed money to pay for food, drink and presents last holiday season. The average amount borrowed was US$1,130 and the typical family took 24 weeks to pay back the loan. Meanwhile, close to half the families who borrowed money to celebrate the previous year, still have not finished paying that debt.
STANDARDS
The federal government is being urged to accept European standards for new vehicles which would open the Canadian market to more vehicles and to advanced safety features not now available in Canada. Many offshore-based auto makers have to make their vehicles comply with unique Canadian tests that add costs and delay the entry of some new vehicles or keeps them out altogether. The issue has also arisen recently in the US which is engaged in its own set of negotiations with Europe.
SHIPS
Japanese and Chinese shipyards have their sights on one of the few markets that is not in the doldrums, sophisticated tankers for liquified natural gas, hoping to challenge market leader South Korea. With demand for gas soaring in Asia and a North American gas export boom just over the horizon, China's technical skills are improving and Beijing wants importers to use more ships built at home. It is possible that orders of new LNG carriers in the next five years could be between 100 and 200, depending on how many North American projects come to pass.
ORANGES
A gnat-sized insect, the Asian citrus psyllid, has forced one Florida farm to replace about 1,000 orange trees on its 50-acre farm in the past two years. The bug spreads a disease called citrus greening that causes fruit to shrink and drop early. Florida, the world's largest orange-grower after Brazil, will harvest 121-million boxes of the fruit in the season that began last October, the least since 1990. US consumers spend about US$1.45-billion annually on orange juice.
JOBS
America's employers are expected to bring more jobs home in 2014 now that the country's energy costs and wage growth are lower than in many other countries. Productivity is higher too. Companies in the US are now benefitting from trends that only a few years ago worked against them. The country's average annual hourly manufacturing pay rose just over 4 per cent between 2006 and 2011. China's by comparison shot up 14 per cent and Brazil's hit 18 per cent. America also gets a better deal on energy prices than their global counterparts. US worker productivity has rise almost 5 per cent a year since 1990.
ROBBERIES
The number of robberies on British bank branches has dropped by 90 per cent in the past decade.There were 66 robberies in 2011 compared to 847 in 1992. The drop has been attributed to a raft of innovative technologies making it extremely difficult for traditional robbery tactics to work. A similar trend has been noted in the US where FBI figures for 2012 put the number of bank robberies nationwide at 3,870, the lowest in decades.
SOAP
The US health regulator FDA has warned that antibacterial chemicals in soaps and body washes may pose a health risk. The agency has proposed a rule that would require manufacturers to prove such soaps are safe and more effective against infection than plain soap and water. Manufacturers have until the end of 2014 to submit the results of clinical trials on their products. The new regulations would be finalized in 2016.
FARMS
Annually, the world produces 588-million tonnes of milk, 124-million tonnes of poultry and 59-million tonnes of beef. Europe and the Americas are the world's epicenters of beef production. Cattle are the biggest source of greenhouse gasses, accounting for more than three-quarters of all emissions from global livestock.
MULTIVITAMINS
Two more studies have been published recently knocking the supposed benefits of multivitamins. Millions of Americans spend billions of dollars each year presumably to boost their health and fill gaps in their diets. However, popping the pills do not protect aging men's brains or help heart attack survivors. The government does not recommend routine vitamin supplementation as a way to prevent chronic diseases.
TRUST
The Harris Poll's annual poll of Americans' of how generally honest and trustworthy 19 large industries are reveals that supermarkets are still the most trusted. 30 per cent say they have faith in supermarkets, followed by hospitals, 28 per cent. Tobacco companies are trusted by only three per cent of those polled.
COLOUR
Radiant Orchid has been chosen as Panatone's Colour of the Year for 2014, after studying worldwide trends and is forecast to the breakthrough shade for this year. For more than a decade Panatone's Colour of the Year has influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home and industrial design, as well as packaging and graphic design.
PIANOS
The endorsement of famous musicians has not prevented the closure of centuries-old Western piano makers after decades of struggling to compete with less pricy pianos from the Far East. Of Europe's piano-makers, only nine remain of around 300 that were in business in the first half of the 20th century. Cheap pianos from China dominate the market. Of the 493,000 pianos made worldwide in 2012, nearly four-fifths were made there.
PENSIONS
More British pensioners living abroad will be forced to prove they are alive in order to keep their state pensions. The Treasury says it loses millions every year by paying pensions to friends and relatives of the deceased. The government is sending certificates to those who have retired which they have to get countersigned. By sending the forms out to more pensioners more often, the government aims to bring in an extra US$90-million over two years. The push will only apply to countries such as France that do not automatically share information with the UK.
BIKES
Figures from industry bodies indicate that bicycles outsold cars in 26 of the European Union's 28 states in 2012. Italy was typical of many southern European states with 1.6-million bikes bought as against 1.4-million cars.
REINDEER
Increasing demand for reindeer meat is putting pressure on Finland's stocks. Producers have turned down orders from Germany, France and Spain because they are already struggling to cater for the domestic market. Declining production means Finnish herders will sell fewer than 80,000 animals for slaughter this year. A recent request from a Germany company for 100,00 animals was refused. Some processors are already importing carcasses from Russia to help meet demand.
NUTS
Recent food market research finds that nuts are among the top 10 snack-oriented convenience foods for US consumers motivated by health and weight needs. Nuts are a popular snack for breakfast and morning snack but are eaten throughout the day by those who want a nutritious, natural, good-for-you snack. 77 per cent of US households have nuts or seeds on hand.
GRAIN
World production of grains will rise by 7 per cent to a record 2.5-billion tonnes in the 2013-2014 crop year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. This will boost global end-season stocks in 2014 by 11 per cent to 568-million tonnes. Coarse grains, mostly maize, will account for the bulk of the increase. American farmers have planted the biggest acreage of maize since 1936.
TAXES
The UK taxman has compiled a list of the most bizarre excuses for sending in a late tax return, including a builder who claimed to be mourning the death of his goldfish and a farmer who had a run-in with a cow. Both were fined $200 for late filing.
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