As the war in Ukraine and pandemic disruptions continue to wreak havoc on supply chains, stagflation is here to stay – marked by low growth and high inflation for at least the next 12 months.
The pandemic as well as the war in Ukraine have stifled supply of commodities and goods and upended efficient distribution through global supply chains, forcing up prices of everyday goods such as fuel and food.
A global recession is not imminent, but brace for rising costs and slower growth, economists say.
Commodity prices will start to ease from next quarter but will remain permanently higher than before the war in Ukraine for the simple reason that Russian supplies of many commodities will be permanently reduced.
But, while higher prices will cause pain for households, growth in many parts of the world, while slow, is still ticking over and job markets have not collapsed.
In the US, consumer spending held up well despite decades-high inflation and showed more evidence that they’re dipping into their savings to support purchases. China’s economy remained deep in a slump in May as lockdowns continued to weigh on activity.
Central banks across the globe are tightening up interest rates to combat inflation.
The double crises of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s new pandemic lockdowns are jolting the world recovery by exacerbating inflation and hurting growth.
Donald Trump’s tariffs of 50% have come into force on most US imports from India. India’s giant generic pharmaceuticals sector and its electronics and petroleum products are exempt from the tariffs. Aluminium, steel and copper remain at 25%, but job-heavy sectors such as textiles, jewellery, seafood and leather are squarely in the line of fire.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published the updated proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the EU’s chemicals regulation, REACH. The update has been prepared by the authorities from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, who submitted the initial proposal in January 2023.
Most chemicals exported from the 27 member countries of the European Union into the US will be subject to a 15% tariff on top of their selling prices under an agreement signed on July 27 between the US and the European Commission.
We’re thrilled to announce a new strategic alliance between ExSyn, Exim-Indis and simABs, a leading EU-based biologics manufacturer known for its patented continuous flow technology in antibody production.
The global trade landscape is undergoing significant changes following the announcement of new reciprocal tariffs by the United States government. Recent developments indicate significant shifts in global trade dynamics, with key policy adjustments, ongoing negotiations, and evolving logistics patterns. Below is a summary of the latest developments.
In January 2025, the US FDA published a draft regulatory guidance entitled “The Considerations for Use of Artificial Intelligence to Support Regulatory Decision-Making for Drug and Biological Products”.
The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) is rapidly reshaping clinical research and drug development.
In the quest for increased sustainability, a lot has been made of the potential to use bio-based raw materials, captured CO2 and recycled plastics as raw materials for new chemicals. But what about using biotech processes to manufacture chemicals? Could it offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional petrochemical processing, and be more amenable to biobased raw materials?
High duties on imports from Canada, Mexico and China raise problems for international supply chains.