#International Trade and World Market

[biglisbonnews]

A ‘River’ of Wine Flooded the Streets of a Town in Portugal Two tanks holding nearly 600,000 gallons of wine collapsed at a distillery. No one was hurt in the ensuing flood. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/12/world/europe/portugal-red-wine-flood.html

[signode-blog]

The Economic Impact of a Kamala Harris Presidency: U.S. and Global Perspectives

The prediction that Kamala Harris could win the U.S. elections has sparked discussions across various fields, including politics, economics, and international relations. While predictions, particularly those based on astrology, are not grounded in empirical evidence, it is an interesting exercise to explore the potential impacts that a Kamala Harris presidency could have on both the U.S. economy…

[seairexim]

A Comprehensive Guide to Garment Exports from India in 2024

India has long been a key player in the global garment industry, with the country’s textile and apparel exports making significant contributions to its economy. In 2024, garment exports from India continue to rise, driven by increasing demand from international markets and the country’s competitive advantages in textiles. This article explores the factors behind this growth, the top garment exporters, India’s position in the global market, and provides insights into garment export data for 2024.

Garment Exporters in India: Leading the Charge

Garment exporters in India have played a crucial role in establishing the country as a leading player in the global apparel market. By leveraging India's competitive advantages such as affordable labor and a vast textile base, these exporters have consistently offered high-quality products at competitive prices. They have also invested in modern manufacturing facilities and embraced sustainable practices to cater to the evolving demands of global consumers. Their commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability has significantly contributed to the success of India's garment export industry.

A key strategy employed by Indian garment exporters to remain competitive is product diversification. By offering a wide array of garments, from traditional attire to modern fashion and specialized clothing, they cater to diverse consumer preferences across the globe. Additionally, many Indian exporters focus on customization and personalized services, meeting the specific needs of international buyers. Their adoption of sustainable and ethical practices, along with the use of eco-friendly materials and fair labor standards, has enhanced their global reputation, attracting environmentally conscious consumers. Technological innovation, such as automation and digital design tools, further improves production efficiency and product quality, ensuring Indian garment exporters continue to thrive in the global marketplace.

Why Exporting Garments from India is Increasing?

The growth of exporting garments from India can be attributed to several key factors:

Diverse Product Range: India offers a wide range of garments, from traditional ethnic wear to modern fashion apparel. This diversity caters to various market needs across the world, making India a versatile exporter.

Cost-Effective Labor: One of India’s competitive advantages lies in its cost-effective labor force, allowing garment manufacturers to produce high-quality apparel at lower costs compared to many other countries.

Government Support: The Indian government has introduced various initiatives to promote the textile and garment industry. Schemes like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and rebates on state and central taxes for exporters have further boosted garment exports from India.

Sustainability Initiatives: In recent years, sustainability has become a critical factor in the garment industry. Indian manufacturers are increasingly adopting eco-friendly practices, which appeal to global buyers looking for ethical and sustainable products.

Improved Infrastructure: Over the last decade, India has made significant improvements in its manufacturing and export infrastructure, which has reduced lead times and improved the overall efficiency of the garment export industry.

Global Demand Shift: With China’s focus shifting to high-tech industries, many global buyers are looking for alternative garment suppliers. India, with its large production base and skilled workforce, is emerging as a preferred destination for international buyers.

Top 10 Garment Exporting Countries in the World

Before delving into India’s position in the garment export industry, it’s essential to look at the top 10 garment exporting countries in the world in 2024:

China

Bangladesh

Vietnam

India

Turkey

Indonesia

Cambodia

Italy

Germany

Pakistan

India holds the fourth position globally, with its garment export industry contributing significantly to its foreign exchange reserves. The country’s garment industry is on an upward trajectory, with continuous improvements in quality, innovation, and sustainability.

Top 10 Garment Export Companies in India

India is home to numerous garment manufacturers and exporters, many of which have gained international recognition for their product quality and reliability. Below is a list of the top 10 garment export company in India in 2024:

Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd. India's largest garment exporter, Shahi Exports, has a strong presence in global markets and a reputation for high-quality products.

Raymond Ltd. Known for its premium apparel, Raymond is a significant player in India’s textile and garment export market.

Arvind Limited A leading textile company, Arvind exports garments to several countries, focusing on high-end apparel.

Gokaldas Exports A well-established garment exporter, Gokaldas has built a strong global client base over the years.

Welspun India Specializing in home textiles, Welspun also has a strong portfolio of garment exports.

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. Part of the Aditya Birla Group, this company exports a range of garments, including fashion apparel and casual wear.

Rupa & Co. Ltd. Known for its innerwear, Rupa has a growing export market for its diverse garment offerings.

Pioneer Embroideries Ltd. With a strong foothold in the embroidered garment segment, Pioneer exports garments to markets worldwide.

Indian Terrain Fashions Ltd. A key player in men’s casual wear, Indian Terrain has made significant inroads into global markets.

Monte Carlo Fashions Ltd. Known for its winter wear, Monte Carlo exports a range of garments to several countries.

These companies represent India’s best in the garment export industry, combining innovation, quality, and global appeal to make a mark in international markets.

Who is India’s Largest Garment Exporter?

As of 2024, Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd. holds the title of India's largest garment exporter. The company operates several manufacturing units across India and exports garments to major markets like the USA, Europe, and the Middle East. With a strong focus on sustainability and quality, Shahi Exports has solidified its position as a leader in the Indian garment export industry.

Garment Export Data for 2024

According to recent garment export data, India’s apparel exports have seen steady growth, with the total export value reaching approximately USD 18 billion in 2024. The major export destinations for Indian garments include the USA, the European Union, the United Arab Emirates, and the UK. Key trends from the export data include:

Increased Demand in the US and EU: The US and European Union remain the largest importers of Indian garments, with demand for both fashion and casual wear growing steadily.

Emerging Markets: Countries in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia are emerging as new markets for Indian garments, particularly for affordable and durable clothing.

Sustainability Focus: Export data indicates that there is a rising demand for sustainable and eco-friendly garments from India, with buyers increasingly prioritizing ethically sourced materials and production processes.

Online Sales Channels: With the rise of e-commerce, many garment exporters in India are expanding their presence on online platforms, enabling them to reach global consumers more efficiently.

Challenges and Opportunities

While garment exports from India continue to grow, the industry also faces several challenges:

Competition: India faces stiff competition from countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam, which offer lower labor costs and shorter lead times.

Trade Barriers: Tariff and non-tariff barriers imposed by importing countries can impact India’s garment exports.

Sustainability Costs: While sustainability is a growing trend, the costs associated with eco-friendly manufacturing processes can be high, affecting profitability for some exporters.

However, the industry is also brimming with opportunities:

Government Support: Continued support from the government, including export incentives, tax rebates, and infrastructure development, is expected to boost the industry further.

Innovation and Technology: Investments in technology, such as automation and advanced manufacturing techniques, are helping Indian garment manufacturers enhance efficiency and reduce costs.

Conclusion

In 2024, garment exports from India continue to thrive, with several top companies leading the way in global markets. With its diverse product range, cost-effective production, and growing focus on sustainability, India is well-positioned to maintain its strong presence in the international garment industry. By leveraging its strengths and addressing challenges, India’s garment export industry is poised for even greater success in the coming years. However, if you need garment export data, garment HS code, connect with ExportImportData.in.

[head-post]

Why Japanese stock market affected by US

Japanese stock markets took their biggest plunge since 1987 on Monday, sending shockwaves through global markets. But the next day, Japanese markets rallied strongly, recording their biggest daily gain since 2008, The Washington Post reports.

Chaos in global financial markets this week caused turmoil in Asia, the US and elsewhere. But Japan, the world’s fourth-largest economy, is having a particularly tumultuous time.

That’s partly because of what’s happening in the world’s largest economy: Unexpectedly low US employment numbers in July and rising unemployment, and the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in response, have led to fears of slowing growth in the United States and around the world.

On top of that, rapid changes in the value of the Japanese currency and recent monetary policy decisions by the Bank of Japan have further fuelled panic in the market, experts say. Kyle Rodda, a senior market analyst at Capital.com who is based in Melbourne, Australia, said:

Signs of weakness in the US economy have acted as the spark for these events, while the technical factors in Japanese financial markets are the fuel.

Why have Japanese markets been hit so hard?

A combination of factors caused the Japanese market to suffer badly last week – Monday saw the biggest one-day drop since 1987 – including the rapid strengthening of the Japanese currency, experts said.

The yen has been weak against the dollar for the past five years, losing more than 40 per cent of its value, but it has strengthened in recent weeks, hitting its highest level against the dollar since March on Thursday.

That followed a rare decision by the central bank, the Bank of Japan, to raise interest rates.

According to Hirokazu Kabeya, chief global strategist at Daiwa Securities in Tokyo, the yen’s rise has fuelled fears that earnings at export-oriented Japanese companies will fall. Those concerns have contributed to falling stock prices and rising sales, Kabeya said.

Technology stocks around the world also fell after the Biden administration said last month it would impose further restrictions on semiconductor exports to China. The announcement affected markets with major chip makers such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

Then the US jobs report on Friday fell short of market expectations, leading to uncertainty about the US economy and questions about whether the Federal Reserve would intervene. A few days earlier, the FED left interest rates unchanged, according to The Washington Post.

Read more HERE

[reasonsforhope]

On her fingers, Chicago’s Chief Sustainability Officer Angela Tovar counted the city buildings that will soon source all of their power from renewable energy: O’Hare International Airport, Midway International Airport, City Hall.

[Note: This is an even huger deal than it sounds like. Chicago O'Hare International Airport is, as of 2023, the 9th busiest airport in the world.]

Chicago’s real estate portfolio is massive. It includes 98 fire stations, 81 library locations, 25 police stations and two of the largest water treatment plants on the planet — in all, more than 400 municipal buildings.

It takes approximately 700,000 megawatt hours per year to keep the wheels turning in the third largest city in the country. Beginning Jan. 1, every single one of them will come solely from clean, renewable energy, mostly sourced from Illinois’ newest and largest solar farm. The move is projected to cut the Windy City’s carbon footprint by approximately 290,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year, the equivalent of taking 62,000 cars off the road, the city said.

Chicago is one of several cities across the country that are not only shaking up their energy mix but also taking advantage of their bulk-buying power to spur new clean energy development.

The city — and much of Illinois — already has one of the cleanest energy mixes in the country, with over 50% of the state’s electricity coming from nuclear power. But while nuclear energy is considered “clean,” carbon-free energy, it is not considered renewable.

Chicago’s move toward renewable energy has been years in the making. The goal of sourcing the city’s energy purely from renewable sources was first established by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2017. In 2022, Mayor Lori Lightfoot struck a deal with electricity supplier Constellation to purchase renewable energy from developer Swift Current Energy for the city, beginning in 2025.

Swift Current began construction on the 3,800-acre, 593-megawatt solar farm in central Illinois as part of the same five-year, $422 million agreement. Straddling two counties in central Illinois, the Double Black Diamond Solar project is now the largest solar installation east of the Mississippi River. It can produce enough electricity to power more than 100,000 homes, according to Swift Current’s vice president of origination, Caroline Mann.

Chicago alone has agreed to purchase approximately half the installation’s total output, which will cover about 70 percent of its municipal electricity needs. City officials plan to cover the remaining 30 percent through the purchase of renewable energy credits.

“That’s really a feature and not a bug of our plan,” said deputy chief sustainability officer Jared Policicchio. He added that he hopes the built-in market will help encourage additional clean energy development locally, albeit on a much smaller scale: “Our goal over the next several years is that we reach a point where we’re not buying renewable energy credits.”

Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle, Orlando, Florida, and more than 700 other U.S. cities and towns have signed similar purchasing agreements since 2015, according to a 2022 study from World Resources Institute, but none of their plans mandate nearly as much new renewable energy production as Chicago’s.

“Part of Chicago’s goal was what’s called additionality, bringing new resources into the market and onto the grid here,” said Popkin. “They were the largest municipal deal to do this.”

Chicago also secured a $400,000 annual commitment from Constellation and Swift Current for clean energy workforce training, including training via Chicago Women in Trades, a nonprofit aiming to increase the number of women in union construction and manufacturing jobs.

The economic benefits extend past the city’s limits: According to Swift Current, approximately $100 million in new tax revenue is projected to flow into Sangamon County and Morgan County, which are home to the Double Black Diamond Solar site, over the project’s operational life.

“Cities and other local governments just don’t appreciate their ability to not just support their residents but also shape markets,” said Popkin. “Chicago is demonstrating directly how cities can lead by example, implement ambitious goals amidst evolving state and federal policy changes, and leverage their purchasing power to support a more equitable renewable energy future.” ...

Chicago will meet its goal of transitioning all its municipal buildings to renewable energy by 2025, the first step in a broader goal to source energy for all buildings in the city from renewables by 2035 — making it the largest city in the country to do so, according to the Sierra Club.

With the incoming Trump administration promising to decrease federal support for decarbonizing the economy, Dane says it will be increasingly important for cities, towns and states to drive their own efforts to reduce emissions, build greener economies and meet local climate goals. He says moves like Chicago’s prove that they are capable.

“That is an imperative thing to know, that state, city, county action is a durable pathway, even under the next administration, and [it] needs to happen,” said Dane. “The juice is definitely still worth the squeeze.”

-via WBEZ, December 24, 2024

[mossadegh]

• Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC/BP) | Archive

[probablyasocialecologist]

Market-based approaches to forest conservation like carbon offsets and deforestation-free certification schemes have largely failed to protect trees or alleviate poverty, according to a major scientific review published on Monday. The global study—the most comprehensive of its kind to date—found that trade and finance-driven initiatives had made "limited" progress halting deforestation and in some cases worsened economic inequality. Drawn from years of academic and field work, the report compiled by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), a group of 15,000 scientists in 120 countries, will be presented at a high-level UN forum starting Monday. Its authors urged a "radical rethink" of increasingly popular market-based approaches often promoted as effective at saving forests, curbing global warming and raising living standards in developing nations. "The evidence does not support the claim of win-wins or triple wins for environment, economy and people often made for market mechanisms as a policy response to environmental problems," said contributing author Maria Brockhaus from the University of Helsinki. "Rather our cases show that poverty and forest loss both are persistent across different regions of the world... where market mechanisms have been the main policy option for decades," she told AFP by email.

Read the report here

[read-marx-and-lenin]

I'm asking this in good faith, but this is something I'm genuinely confused about. Regarding the Holodomor, or the Soviet famine of 1930 in general, why does it matter if it was a genocide or not? At best it seems to be a natural famine exacerbated by poor decision making, and while that is far different from a genocide, I don't understand why that specification matters, because it was still made worse by Soviet intervention, unless I'm getting the facts wrong which I probably am.

It matters to the Western propagandists who were insistent for decades despite zero evidence that the famine was used to commit atrocities against the people of Ukraine. The refrain the whole time was that once the Soviet archives were made public, they'd finally have the proof they needed. The archives are eventually opened, and surprise surprise, there's not only no evidence of the deliberate withholding of grain, there's evidence of significant amounts of food aid being sent to help alleviate the famine. The myth of a Ukrainian genocide began as Nazi propaganda and was adopted as part of the "double genocide" narrative by Western reactionaries after WW2 to downplay the crimes of the Nazis and to maintain a narrative about liberal opposition to "authoritarianism", painting Western capitalists as the "free world" fighting against both fascism and communism. (Don't ask them why they stopped fighting fascism after WW2 though.)

As for the human elements of the famine, it is also part of the typical Western narrative, even among those who admit the Holodomor was not a targeted anti-Ukrainian genocide and who admit that there were environmental factors, to try and put substantial amounts of blame on the Soviet collectivization of agriculture. I am not going to lie and say collectivization went smoothly with no issues, but you cannot ignore the factors of reactionary sabotage by kulaks (including the destruction of animals and grain and the outright murder of party officials) and the effects of Western sanctions and sabotage on the economic development of the USSR.

While some have argued that there was a complete "gold blockade" on the USSR during the famine and so the Soviet Union was forced to export grain to facilitate international trade, the blockade was never enforced by all Western nations at the same time and the Soviets were still able to export gold and silver at various times throughout the 1920s. It is true, however, that gold reserves were stretched thin at the time and the Soviets simply didn't have enough gold to cover their international debts. Soviet gold mines had never been extraordinarily productive and the rest of the Soviet economy was still developing at the time, so grain was one of the few things that they expected to have in surplus. In addition, there were various other sanctions in place by 1930 that did limit who they could trade with and what they could trade with, but the export of grain was almost never restricted. The famine caught them off guard at a very bad time.

While international grain exports were restricted during the famine as grain was diverted to famine-stricken regions of the country (and grain imports were increased as well), the problems with hoarding only worsened as in the panic of the famine, kulaks sought to exploit the people and create a profitable black market on grain. A struggle against the kulaks coincided with worsening environmental effects and the spread of disease among both crops and humans.

The famine was not man-made, it was not entirely natural, and it was not the inevitable outcome of collectivization. It was a perfect storm of a variety of factors. Stalin was not some heartless monster condemning millions of Ukrainians to death for daring to defy the glorious Soviet Union. He was not some idiot who had no idea what he was doing, plunging the nation into famine out of ineptitude. He was not a stubborn maniac who refused to abandon failing economic policies even at the cost of human lives. He was a human being, one of many in charge of the Soviet Union, dealing with concurrent disasters as best as they could.

[evermoredeluxe]

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Grand Total: A Record $2 Billion

By Ben Sisario

For the last 21 months, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has been the biggest thing in music — a phenomenon that has engulfed pop culture, dominated news coverage and boosted local economies around the world.

Now we know exactly how big.

Through its 149th and final show, which took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Sunday, Swift’s tour sold a total of $2,077,618,725 in tickets. That’s two billion and change — double the gross ticket sales of any other concert tour in history and an extraordinary new benchmark for a white-hot international concert business.

Those figures were confirmed to The New York Times for the first time by Taylor Swift Touring, the singer’s production company. While the financial details of the Eras Tour have been a subject of constant industry speculation since tickets were first offered more than two years ago — through a presale so in-demand it crashed Ticketmaster’s system — Swift has never authorized disclosure of the tour’s numbers until now.

The official results are not far from the estimates that trade journalists and industry analysts have been crunching for months. But they solidify the enormous scale of Swift’s accomplishment. Just a few months ago, Billboard magazine reported that Coldplay had set an industry record with $1 billion in ticket sales for its 156-date Music of the Spheres World Tour — a figure that is just half of Swift’s total for a similar stretch of shows in stadiums and arenas.

Every date on the Eras Tour was sold out, and spare tickets were scalped at eye-popping prices — or traded within the protective Swiftie fan community, often at face value.

According to Swift’s touring company, a total of 10,168,008 people attended the concerts, which means that, on average, each seat went for about $204. That is well above the industry average of $131 for the top 100 tours around the world in 2023, according to Pollstar, a trade publication.

The biggest single night’s attendance was in Melbourne, Australia, on Feb. 16, 2024, with 96,006. And Swift’s eight nights at Wembley Stadium in London, which she played more than any other venue, drew 753,112 people — about as many as live in Seattle.

As gigantic as they are, the figures revealed by Swift’s company are only part of the overall business that has surrounded the tour. They exclude her extraordinary merchandise sales, for example, a product line so in demand that Swift opened stadium sales booths a day early in some markets to sell T-shirts, hoodies and Christmas ornaments to fans, ticketed or not.

And they do not count the secondary market of online ticket resellers. According to StubHub, the Eras Tour was the biggest-selling tour in the platform’s two-decade history, and last year it outsold Beyoncé’s shows by a factor of five. Another ticketing company, Victory Live, said the average price for resold tickets to the Eras Tour’s three Vancouver dates was $2,952. (Swift earned nothing from resold tickets.)

Beyond its numbers, the Eras Tour has been a mega-event that elevated the already-super-famous Swift to a new level, making her an epochal symbol of cultural saturation on the level of the Beatles in the 1960s or Michael Jackson in his ’80s prime. Swift’s every onstage utterance, outfit swap or offstage sighting was thoroughly documented, on social media and in the mainstream press, with news outlets big and small rushing to capture Swifties’ clicks. Online, fans tracked every tweak to the three-hour-plus set lists.

As the story of Swift’s tour took shape, it seemed to contain its own eras within it. First, in November 2022, came the ticket fiasco, when Ticketmaster was overwhelmed by what it said were 3.5 billion online requests for tickets, many from scalpers’ bots. The furor over those problems led to a Senate Judiciary hearing in January 2023, at which lawmakers from both parties openly called Ticketmaster’s corporate parent, Live Nation, a monopoly. (This year, the Justice Department filed an antitrust suit against Live Nation, calling for a breakup of the company.)

Then came the tour and the folkways that developed around it, like fans trading hand-assembled friendship bracelets. After the tour’s stop in Kansas City, Mo., a public flirtation between Swift and Travis Kelce, the star tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs, developed into a full-on romance, with the pop star and the football hunk sharing a field-level smooch after the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl LVIII in February. The photographers definitely did not miss it.

In October 2023, she released “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” a nearly three-hour concert film, released through a direct distribution deal with AMC Entertainment, the world’s largest theater operator. It sold about $93 million in tickets during its opening weekend, and ended up with $261 million in worldwide grosses, according to Box Office Mojo. The next step was a streaming deal with Disney+. A 256-page hardcover tour book, released last month through Target stores, sold 814,000 print copies in its first two days on sale.

As the tour moved to Europe in 2024, it narrowly avoided what could have been a major catastrophe when a terrorist bomb plot was uncovered before three planned shows in Vienna. Those events were canceled and never rescheduled.

Although Swift has largely avoided the news media during the tour, over time she has pulled back the curtain a bit to reveal some of how it came together. To prepare herself for the physical demands of the show, she trained for six months, with a cardio regimen that included singing the entire set list while running on a treadmill, she told Time magazine.

“I knew this tour was harder than anything I’d ever done before by a long shot,” the magazine quoted her as saying. “I finally, for the very first time, physically prepared correctly.”

The music video for “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” from her latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department” — her third release over the course of the tour, including two rerecorded versions of older albums — has behind-the-scenes clips confirming some of the stagecraft mechanics that fans have carefully cataloged on social media, like how she “dives” each night through a “hole” in the stage (onto a soft cushion held by crew members) and how she is ferried backstage in a dummy janitor’s cart.

The tour concludes just as Swift celebrates yet another win: “Tortured Poets” has returned to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for a 16th week, with help from vinyl and CD sales of the 35-track “Anthology” edition of the album, which Swift released on Black Friday, also through Target. “Tortured Poets” is by far the biggest-selling album of the year so far.

Swift is up for six awards at the Grammys in February, including album of the year for “Tortured Poets” and both record and song of the year for one of its singles, “Fortnight.”

At a recent tour stop in Toronto, as the tour neared its end, Swift teared up as she delivered valedictory remarks to fans.

“My band, my crew, all my fellow performers,” she said, “we have put so much of our lives into this, and you put so much of your lives into being with us tonight and to giving us that moment that we will never forget.”

[socialjusticeinamerica]

Millions around the world will suffer from his cruelty. Wars will break out everywhere and Americans and their interests will become targets for violence in nearly every country. This could likely spark a worldwide depression or perhaps even a World War. These clowns have no idea what they are doing.

He thinks he’s still playing in the NYC real estate market. He has no idea of the violence that will be unleashed against us once suffering starts to set in. This maniac thinks he can bully the entire world into worshipping him as a king. Once US and then US trade dries up, due to his proposed tariffs, nations around the world will make trade deals that don’t include us and our economy will suffer greatly. We’re basically exporting mainly food and weapons. Other countries will turn to South America for food and the EU/Russia/China for cheaper weapons.

Most of the people around Trump have a bachelor’s degree at most and their understanding of the world comes from dumbed down and highly partisan Fox News and Fox Business. At most they have the qualifications to be an assist manager at a retail franchise. The people who conduct strategic planning and long term diplomacy are PhD’s with decades of experience in their fields and they work with teams of colleagues to research the long term effects of every word or phrase in delicate negotiations. Nothing is left to chance and every policy matter is planned out years in advance. Making snap judgements based on the whims of a drug addicted dumb ass with dementia, who is advised by inexperienced and incompetent novices is a recipe for disaster. They think because they are rich they are smarter than everyone else. The hubris of drug addicted Musk, Trump, Bannon, Steven Miller, etc to think they can match wits with international diplomats and economists is staggering. They will be eaten alive and bring this country to ruin.

AGAIN FOR THOSE IN BACK, THESE MAGAT IDIOTS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY’RE DOING. THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW A GLOBAL MARKET PLACE WORKS OR HOW TO CONDUCT INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY. THEY WILL RUIN THIS COUNTRY AND TURN THE WHOLE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN.

[covid-safer-hotties]

The next pandemic is inevitable. Australia isn’t ready - Published Sept 23, 2024

(Before you Americans yell at me, It's already the 23rd in Australia. This is very late-breaking)

I thought this was a really good breakdown of the current situation given the government-approved covid denial we live in. Long, but worth a read.

By Kate Aubusson and Mary Ward

Top infectious disease and public health veterans at the nerve centre of the state’s war against COVID-19 are sounding the alarm.

NSW is less prepared today to fend off a deadly pandemic despite the lessons of COVID-19, say top infectious disease and public health veterans at the nerve centre of the state’s war against the virus.

And we won’t have another hundred years to wait.

NSW’s gold standard Test-Trace-Isolate-Quarantine and vaccination strategies will be useless if a distrusting population rejects directives, refuses to give up its freedoms again, and the goodwill of shell-shocked public health workers dries up.

A panel of experts convened by The Sydney Morning Herald called for a pandemic combat agency akin to the armed forces or fire brigades to commit to greater transparency or risk being caught off guard by the next virulent pathogen and misinformation with the potential to spread faster than any virus.

“It’s inevitable,” says Professor Eddie Holmes of the next pandemic. A world-leading authority on the emergence of infectious diseases at the University of Sydney, Holmes predicts: “We’ll have less than 100 years [before the next pandemic].

“We’re seeing a lot of new coronaviruses that are spilling over into animals that humans are interacting with,” said Holmes, the first person to publish the coronavirus genome sequence for the world to see.

“People are exposed all the time, and each time we are rolling the dice.”

The independent review of NSW Health’s response to COVID-19 opened with the same warning: “No health system or community will have the luxury of 100 years of downtime.”

Pandemic preparedness needs to be a “permanent priority”, wrote the report’s author, Robyn Kruk, a former NSW Health secretary, “rather than following the path of those that have adopted a ‘panic and forget strategy,’ allowing system preparedness to wane”.

Why we don’t have 100 years to wait for the next pandemic The World Health Organisation has declared seven public health emergencies of international concern since 2014, including the current mpox outbreak.

Climate change is turbocharging the factors that coalesce to create the perfect breeding ground for a pandemic-causing virus, including population increases, bigger cities, and better-connected global markets and migration.

“Animals will be forced into more constrained environments, and humans that rely on those environments will be again constrained in the same environments. There will be more wet markets, more live animal trade that will just increase exposure,” Holmes said.

“It was clear that we weren’t ready [for COVID],” said Jennie Musto, who, after seven years working for the World Health Organisation overseas, became NSW Health’s operations manager for the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, the team responsible for NSW’s COVID-19 contact tracing and containment.

“Everyone had preparedness plans gathering dust on a shelf, but no one was actually ready to respond, and so everyone was on the back foot,” Musto said. “Perhaps none of us really thought this was going to happen. We were waiting 500 years.”

Who would willingly become the next doomed whistleblower? Eddie Holmes, known for his repeated assertion that SARS-CoV-2 did not come from a lab, is deeply concerned that when the next pandemic-causing virus emerges, chances are it will be covered up.

“My worry is that if the virus appeared in a small population, say, somewhere in Southeast Asia, the people involved wouldn’t blow the whistle now, given the fact that you would get blamed,” he said.

Li Wenliang, the Wuhan doctor who tried to raise the alarm about a virulent new virus, was reportedly reprimanded by police for spreading rumours and later died of COVID-19.

The global blame game, culminating in a deep distrust of China and accusations that the virus was grown in a Wuhan lab, is why Holmes believes “we’re in no better place than we were before COVID started, if not worse”.

“I work with a lot of people in China trying to keep the lines of communication open, and they’re scared, I think, or nervous about saying things that are perceived to counter national interest.”

From a vaccine perspective, our defences look strong. There have been monumental advancements in vaccine development globally, driven by mRNA technology. In Sydney this month, construction began on an RNA vaccine research and manufacturing facility.

“But the way I see it is that nothing has been done in terms of animal surveillance of outbreaks or data sharing. The [global] politics has got much, much worse,” Holmes said.

Combat force Conjoint Associate Professor Craig Dalton, a leading public health physician and clinical epidemiologist, called for a dramatic expansion of the public health workforce and the establishment of a pandemic combat force that would routinely run real-time pandemic simulations during “peacetime”.

“No one is upset with fire brigades spending most of the time not fighting fires. They train. A lot. And that’s probably how we need to move,” he said.

“We need exercise training units so that every major player in pandemic response is involved in a real-time, three to four-day pandemic response every three to five years at national, state and local [levels].”

The federal Department of Health and Aged Care recently ran a health emergency exercise focused on governance arrangements involving chief health officers and senior health emergency management officials, a spokeswoman for Health Minister Mark Butler said. The outcomes of this exercise will be tested later this year.

Dalton said desktop simulations and high-level exercises involving a handful of chiefs didn’t cut it, considering the thousands of people working across regions and states. He instead suggested an intensive training program run in the Hunter New England region before the 2009 H1N1 pandemic provided a good model.

“We were ringing people, actors were getting injections, just like a real pandemic,” said Dalton, who once ordered a burrito in a last-ditch effort to contact a restaurant exposed to COVID-19.

Our heroes have had it The expert panel was emphatic that our pandemic response cannot once again rely on the goodwill of the public health and healthcare workforce.

According to the Kruk review, what began as an emergency response ultimately morphed from a sprint into an ultra marathon and “an admirable (yet unsustainable) ‘whatever it takes’ mindset”.

They were hailed as heroes, but the toll of COVID-19 on healthcare workers was brutal. Workloads were untenable, the risk of transmission was constant, and the risk of violence and aggression (for simply wearing their scrubs on public transport in some cases) was terrifying.

“We got through this pandemic through a lot of people working ridiculous hours,” Dalton said.

“You talk to a lot of people who did that and say they could not do it again.”

Tellingly, several expert personnel who worked at the front lines or in the control centre of NSW’s pandemic defences were invited to join the Herald’s forum but declined. Revisiting this period of intense public scrutiny, culminating in online attacks and physical threats, was just too painful.

So long, solidarity Arguably, the biggest threat to our pandemic defences will be the absence of our greatest strength during COVID: the population’s solidarity and willingness to follow public health orders even when it meant forfeiting fundamental freedoms.

The public largely complied with statewide public health orders, including the stay-at-home directive that became the 107-day Delta lockdown, and other severe restrictions prevented many from being at the bedside of their dying loved ones, visiting relatives in aged care homes and attending funerals.

“My worry is that next time around when those sorts of rules come out, people may say, ‘Well, don’t worry about it.’ They relax it in the future. Why don’t we just not stick to the rules?” said Professor Nicholas Wood, associate director of clinical research and services at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance.

“I’m not sure we quite understand whether people [will be] happy with those rules again,” he said.

Dalton was more strident.

“I tend to agree with Michael Osterholm … an eminent US epidemiologist [who] recently said the US is probably less prepared for a pandemic now than it was in 2019, mostly because the learnings by health departments in the COVID pandemic may not make a material difference if faced with a community that distrusts its public health agencies,” he said.

“If H1N1 or something else were to spill over in the next couple of years, things like masks, social distancing and lockdowns would not be acceptable. Vaccination would be rejected by a huge part of the population, and politicians might be shy about putting mandates in.”

As for the total shutdown of major industries, people will struggle to accept it unless the next pandemic poses a greater threat than COVID, said UNSW applied mathematician Professor James Wood.

The risk of the virus to individuals and their families will be weighed against the negative effects of restrictions, which are much better understood today, said Wood, whose modelling of the impact of cases and vaccination rates was used by NSW Health.

“Something like school closure would be a much tougher argument with a similar pathogen,” he said.

A previous panel of education experts convened by the Herald to interrogate pandemic decision-making in that sector was highly critical of the decision to close schools for months during NSW’s Delta lockdown.

Greg Dore, professor of infectious diseases and epidemiology at the Kirby Institute, said the public’s reluctance to adhere to restrictions again may, in part, be appropriate.

“Some of the restrictions on people leaving the country were a bit feudal and too punitive,” he said. “Other restrictions were plain stupid, [for instance] limitations on time exercising outside.”

Meanwhile, the delays to publicly recognise the benefits of face masks and the threat of airborne transmission “ate away at trust”, Dalton said.

“We shouldn’t make those mistakes again,” he said.

Transparent transgressions Uncertainty is not something politicians are adept at communicating, but uncertainty is the only constant during a pandemic of a novel virus.

Vaccines that offered potent protection against early iterations of the COVID virus were less effective against Omicron variants.

“[The public], unfortunately, got hit by a rapid sequence of changes of what was ‘true’ in the pandemic,” James Wood said.

Political distrust can be deadly if governments give the public reason to suspect they are obfuscating.

The expert panel urged NSW’s political leaders to be far more transparent about the public health advice they were given before unilaterally enforcing restrictions.

There was a clear line between public health advice and political decision-making in Victoria. The Victorian chief health officer’s written advice was routinely published online.

In NSW, that line was blurred as Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant stood beside political leaders, most notably former premier Gladys Berejiklian, at the daily press conferences.

Public health experts said that they looked for subtle cues to determine the distinction between the expert advice and the political messaging during press conferences, paying attention to body language, who spoke when and who stayed silent.

“It is fine for public health personnel to have a different view to politicians. They have different jobs. What is not OK is to have politicians saying they are acting on public health advice [when they are not],” he said.

The ‘whys’ behind the decisions being made were missing from the daily press conferences, which created “a vacuum for misinformation”, said social scientist and public health expert Professor Julie Leask at the University of Sydney.

“The communication about what you need to do came out, and it was pretty good … but the ‘why we’re doing this’ and ‘what trade-offs we’ve considered’ and ‘what dilemmas we’ve faced in making this decision’; that was not shared,” Leask said.

The infodemic In the absence of transparency, misinformation and disinformation fill the vacuum.

“We had an ‘infodemic’ during the pandemic,” said Dr Jocelyne Basseal, who worked on the COVID-19 response for WHO in the Western Pacific and leads strategic development at the Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute, University of Sydney.

“The public has been so confused. Where do we go for trusted information [when] everyone can now write absolutely anything, whether on Twitter [now called X] or [elsewhere] on the web?” Basseal said.

A systematic review conducted by WHO found misinformation on social media accounted for up to 51 per cent of posts about vaccines, 29 per cent of posts about COVID-19 and 60 per cent of posts about pandemics.

Basseal’s teenage children recently asked whether they were going into lockdown after TikTok videos about the mpox outbreak.

“There is a lot of work to be done now, in ‘peacetime’ … to get ahead of misinformation,” Basseal said, including fortifying relationships with community groups and teaching scientists – trusted and credible sources of information – how to work with media.

In addition to the Kruk review’s six recommendations to improve its pandemic preparedness, NSW Health undertook a second inquiry into its public health response to COVID-19, which made 104 recommendations.

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said: “We are working hard to ensure the findings and recommendations from those reports are being implemented as quickly as possible.”

The expert panellists spoke in their capacity as academics and not on behalf of NSW Health or WHO.

The ‘As One System’ review into NSW Health’s COVID-19 response made six recommendations 1. Make governance and decision-making structures clearer, inclusive, and more widely understood 2. Strengthen co-ordination, communication, engagement, and collaboration 3. Enhance the speed, transparency, accuracy, and practicality of data and information sharing 4. Prioritise the needs of vulnerable people and communities most at risk, impacted and in need from day one 5. Put communities at the centre of emergency governance, planning, preparedness, and response 6. Recognise, develop and sustain workforce health, wellbeing, capability and agility.

[writers-potion]

I'm writing a sci-fi story about a space freight hauler with a heavy focus on the economy. Any tips for writing a complex fictional economy and all of it's intricacies and inner-workings?

Constructing a Fictional Economy

The economy is all about: How is the limited financial/natural/human resources distributed between various parties?

So, the most important question you should be able to answer are:

Who are the "have"s and "have-not"s?

What's "expensive" and what's "commonplace"?

What are the rules(laws, taxes, trade) of this game?

Building Blocks of the Economic System

Type of economic system. Even if your fictional economy is made up, it will need to be based on the existing systems: capitalism, socialism, mixed economies, feudalism, barter, etc.

Currency and monetary systems: the currency can be in various forms like gols, silver, digital, fiat, other commodity, etc. Estalish a central bank (or equivalent) responsible for monetary policy

Exchange rates

Inflation

Domestic and International trade: Trade policies and treaties. Transportation, communication infrastructure

Labour and employment: labor force trends, employment opportunities, workers rights. Consider the role of education, training and skill development in the labour market

The government's role: Fiscal policy(tax rate?), market regulation, social welfare, pension plans, etc.

Impact of Technology: Examine the role of tech in productivity, automation and job displacement. How does the digital economy and e-commerce shape the world?

Economic history: what are some historical events (like The Great Depresion and the 2008 Housing Crisis) that left lasting impacts on the psychologial workings of your economy?

For a comprehensive economic system, you'll need to consider ideally all of the above. However, depending on the characteristics of your country, you will need to concentrate on some more than others. i.e. a country heavily dependent on exports will care a lot more about the exchange rate and how to keep it stable.

For Fantasy Economies:

Social status: The haves and have-nots in fantasy world will be much more clear-cut, often with little room for movement up and down the socioeconoic ladder.

Scaricity. What is a resource that is hard to come by?

Geographical Characteristics: The setting will play a huge role in deciding what your country has and doesn't. Mountains and seas will determine time and cost of trade. Climatic conditions will determine shelf life of food items.

Impact of Magic: Magic can determine the cost of obtaining certain commodities. How does teleportation magic impact trade?

For Sci-Fi Economies Related to Space Exploration

Thankfully, space exploitation is slowly becoming a reality, we can now identify the factors we'll need to consider:

Economics of space waste: How large is the space waste problem? Is it recycled or resold? Any regulations about disposing of space wste?

New Energy: Is there any new clean energy? Is energy scarce?

Investors: Who/which country are the giants of space travel?

Ownership: Who "owns" space? How do you draw the borders between territories in space?

New class of workers: How are people working in space treated? Skilled or unskilled?

Relationship between space and Earth: Are resources mined in space and brought back to Earth, or is there a plan to live in space permanently?

What are some new professional niches?

What's the military implication of space exploitation? What new weapons, networks and spying techniques?

Also, consider:

Impact of space travel on food security, gender equality, racial equality

Impact of space travel on education.

Impact of space travel on the entertainment industry. Perhaps shooting monters in space isn't just a virtual thing anymore?

What are some indsutries that decline due to space travel?

I suggest reading up the Economic Impact Report from NASA, and futuristic reports from business consultants like McKinsey.

If space exploitation is a relatiely new technology that not everyone has access to, the workings of the economy will be skewed to benefit large investors and tech giants. As more regulations appear and prices go down, it will be further be integrated into the various industries, eventually becoming a new style of living.

[feministdragon]

Transcript:

"Many people still believe that the spread of transgender ideology represents a harmless fad, or a phase, or a problem of youth culture or social media, I've chosen to talk about the wider context and conditions that have allowed this ideology to take hold.

Transgenderism is a predatory, an authoritarian, neoliberal ideology, and one that couldn't take hold outside of the context of the rape culture that Steff described. I want to make this as clear as I can in ten minutes. My slideshow is just a series of books, my sources, and if you want to record them, go ahead.

So the first point to make about neoliberalism is that it's basically synonymous with globalization and with corporatization. It is not just a flawed economic policy, it is a corporate backlash against the political left and a tool of colonization. The 19th and 20th centuries saw the rise of a strong political left, indigenous Renaissance movements, workers unions, successful independent struggles that ousted colonizers, anti-war protests, and women's rights movements.

By the 1990's the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund had a response. They adopted policies that would reverse the progress these movements made. They began to hand out financial loans to governments only on the condition that they undergo what is euphemistically called ‘structural adjustment’, a term to ponder in relation to this issue, for the benefit of multinational corporations.

This structural adjustment has three basic components. Firstly, governments have had to make natural resources, lands, and public infrastructure, available for purchase by foreign corporations. Secondly they are compelled to drastically cut back public spending on health, education, welfare, and social services. Lastly, regulations and legal protections that restrict corporate profiteering, like laws that protect workers from exploitation need to be removed.

This is neoliberalism: the commodification of nature and the removal and defunding of social services and protections, ramped up for the age of multinational corporations. Neoliberalism and its so-called structural adjustments are packaged with rhetoric about freedom. The story is that our so-called free market—in which private sector employers face minimal barriers to profiteering—fosters job and opportunity creation and a trickle-down effect that gradually enables the empowerment of the self-made individual or employee and choice for consumers.

In her book the Shock Doctrine, Noemi Klein points out that people—especially people who have been fighting for centuries for true liberation—don't actually take these sorts of reforms lying down, so alongside propaganda, disaster conditions have been crucial for imposing neoliberalism worldwide. That's why Klein calls neoliberalism disaster capitalism.

Structural adjustment often follows a state of emergency, a natural disaster, or a military invasion or coup. Multinationals and profiteers and agribusiness and tourism move in and benefit. And because women are made especially vulnerable when land is sold off and degraded, subsistence lifestyles are destroyed, wages drop and welfare and health care are harder to access.

One of the industries that has profited most from neoliberalisation is prostitution. The global sex trade lobby is extremely strong at the moment, and of course in a neoliberal climate, it sells us the idea that prostitution is a legitimate business and that pimps are just job creators, in an industry we are now supposed to call sex work, and perceive to be empowering for women as individuals, disregarding the factors of poverty, land theft, sexism, and rape.

Combine this with tourism and the internet and you have huge industries, and sex tourism, trafficking, and pornography—one in ten websites are porn sites. The industry is worth more than the combined revenue of the top ten web technology companies. To encourage porn consumption, porn is also normalized through mainstream media. All of this fuels a climate, described by Steve earlier, a climate of male sexual entitlement, rape and violation, objectification, body hatred, dissociation, dysphoria, and anorexia.

These are the disaster conditions that transgender ideology exploits and that enable whole populations to buy into the idea that not only can women be bought and sold like products, but womanhood itself is a commodity to which men should be entitled. Transgenderism is a neoliberal ideology that treats the natural fact of biological sex itself as something to be plowed over and substituted with the cash crop of gender identity.

It is "empowering" for the individual to reject biological sex, and substitute it for a customized gender that expresses one's own essential tastes. Just like your clothes and shoes are meant to do, and even your car and your cell phone screen protector and your toothbrush.

The mindless mantra, “trans women are women”, encapsulates both the ideology and attitudes of transgenderism and the neoliberal zeitgeist in three words. It implies the destruction of nature, of biology, of our own bodies, including through the radical mastectomies increasingly conducted on adolescent girls, mainly lesbians. It is based on the commodification of women and it leads to the removal of legal protections and social supports designated for women and based on sex. And using this mantra, ‘trans women are women” like a threat, because if you don't accept it you're a ‘bigot’, men are colonizing woman's hard-won spaces, organizations, movements, and safe houses, as well as lesbian culture.

This mantra is also having the effect of consolidating the domestication of the whole political left—peace groups, unions, socialist organizations like Anna described—and assimilating them with the establishment as they ingest and then commit to and prioritize transgender mythology, purge feminists and independent critical thinkers from their ranks, and build stronger ties to the liberal political parties and big money, also promoting gender identity and funding the pride parades.

In this way the lie that trans women are women is the neoliberal answer to the myth of the resurrection within the Catholic Church. It is the one mad thing that you need to accept these days to demonstrate that, despite whatever else you believe in or work toward, you are ultimately willing to surrender your critical faculties and submit to power and to groupthink.

People would never buy the idea that men can get pregnant or that a lesbian can have a penis outside of the disaster conditions we feminists call ‘rape culture’. The conditions of male sexual entitlement—a woman being raped somewhere in the world every single second of the day, normalized porn objectification, dysphoria and body hatred.

In a culture that honored women, cared for children, and was grounded in the natural world, the spread of transgender ideology would not occur. Voltaire’s famous warning that 'those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities' is also pertinent.

Despite all these large-scale pop-up social movements taking place throughout the West at the moment, it is actually a dangerous and threatening climate. We live in a climate in which the absurdities of transgenderism are promoted so widely, while they cause such serious irreversible harm, and it's so taboo to question. Women who speak out now face ostracism, and losing their livelihoods at the hands of the very same people who are currently joining mass movements that claim to fight for the planet and for social justice.

But as Audrey Lorde famously said, “Your silence will not protect you.” So to women out there holding their tongues to stay safe I say, “We're living in an era of rising authoritarianism, and this ideology is a key vehicle for it. You need to find your sisters. Now is the time to speak the truth where you can—in spite of those who will turn on you, who'll refuse to offer you solidarity—and find your sisters. We're here, we're healing, and finding our voices together, and we want you among us."

[seairexim]

Understanding the Export of Coconut from India: A Comprehensive Guide

Export of Coconut from India: An Overview

The export of coconut from India has been a significant contributor to the country's agricultural economy. India, being one of the largest producers of coconuts in the world, has a well-established coconut export industry. The country exports various forms of coconut products, including fresh coconuts, coconut oil, desiccated coconut, and coconut-based products. The demand for Indian coconuts and coconut products has been steadily increasing in the international market due to their high quality and diverse applications.

In recent years, the export of coconut from India has seen substantial growth, driven by the rising global demand for natural and organic products. Indian coconuts are highly valued for their rich taste, nutritional benefits, and versatility in culinary and non-culinary applications. The export industry has also benefited from advancements in processing technologies, which have enabled the production of high-quality value-added coconut products. As a result, India has emerged as a key player in the global coconut market, with a strong presence in both traditional and emerging markets.

Major Coconut Exporting Countries: A Global Perspective

Several countries around the world are involved in the export of coconuts and coconut products. The major coconut exporting countries include 

Philippines

Indonesia

India

Sri Lanka

Thailand

These countries have favourable climatic conditions for coconut cultivation and have developed robust coconut industries. The global coconut market is highly competitive, with each country striving to maintain its market share by improving the quality and variety of its coconut products.

The Philippines is known for its extensive coconut plantations and is a leading exporter of coconut oil and desiccated coconut. Indonesia, with its vast coconut-growing regions, is a major supplier of fresh coconuts and coconut-based products. Sri Lanka has carved a niche for itself in the export of coconut fibre and coir products, while Thailand is renowned for its coconut milk and coconut water exports. India, with its diverse range of coconut products, is a formidable competitor in the global market, offering everything from fresh coconuts to innovative value-added products.

Each of these countries has its unique strengths and competitive advantages in the coconut export industry. The Philippines, for example, benefits from a well-established processing industry and strong export infrastructure. Indonesia's large-scale coconut production and strategic location give it an edge in supplying neighbouring markets. Sri Lanka's expertise in coir production and Thailand's focus on high-value coconut products have helped them capture specific segments of the market. India, with its combination of traditional farming practices and modern processing techniques, is well-positioned to meet the diverse demands of the global market.

India as the Largest Coconut Exporter in the World

India is one of the largest coconut exporter in the world. The country's extensive coconut cultivation areas, advanced agricultural practices, and efficient supply chain management have contributed to its leading position in the global coconut export market. Indian coconuts are known for their superior quality, which is attributed to the country's favourable climate conditions and traditional farming methods. The Indian government has also implemented various policies and initiatives to support and promote coconut exports, further strengthening India's position as a top coconut exporter.

India's dominance in the coconut export market is the result of several factors. The country's vast coconut-growing regions, particularly in states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, provide a steady supply of high-quality coconuts. Indian farmers have perfected the art of coconut cultivation over generations, employing sustainable practices that ensure the health and productivity of coconut palms. Additionally, the government's proactive measures, such as providing financial assistance, establishing export-oriented processing units, and promoting research and development, have played a crucial role in boosting coconut exports.

India's coconut export industry is characterized by a diverse product portfolio that caters to various market segments. Fresh coconuts, known for their sweetness and nutritional value, are in high demand in international markets. Coconut oil, both virgin and refined, is prized for its numerous health benefits and wide range of applications in cooking, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Desiccated coconut, used extensively in the food industry, is another key export product. Indian exporters have also tapped into the growing market for value-added products, such as coconut water, coconut milk, coconut flour, and coconut-based snacks, further enhancing the country's export potential.

Analyzing Coconut Export Data from India

Coconut export data from India provides valuable insights into the trends and patterns of the country's coconut export industry. The data includes information on the volume and value of coconut exports, major export destinations, and the types of coconut products exported. According to recent coconut export data from India, India exported over 1.5 million metric tons of coconuts and coconut products in the last fiscal year. The major export destinations for Indian coconuts include

The United States

The European Union

The Middle East

Southeast Asian countries

The data also reveals a steady growth in the export of value-added coconut products, such as coconut oil and desiccated coconut, reflecting the increasing demand for these products in the global market.

The analysis of export data highlights several key trends in India's coconut export industry. One notable trend is the growing preference for organic and natural coconut products among consumers in developed markets. This has led to an increase in the export of organic coconut oil, coconut water, and other organic coconut products. Another trend is the rising demand for coconut-based health and wellness products, driven by the global shift towards healthier lifestyles. Indian exporters have capitalized on this trend by introducing innovative products such as coconut flour, coconut sugar, and coconut-based dietary supplements.

The data also indicates a diversification of export destinations, with Indian coconuts reaching new markets in Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe. This diversification has helped mitigate the risks associated with dependence on a few major markets and has opened up new growth opportunities for Indian exporters. Furthermore, the increasing export of value-added products has contributed to higher export revenues, as these products command premium prices in the international market. The data underscores the importance of continuous innovation and quality improvement in maintaining India's competitive edge in the global coconut market.

Understanding the Coconut HS Code

The Harmonized System (HS) code is an internationally standardized system of names and numbers used to classify traded products. The coconut hs code and coconut products are essential for customs procedures and international trade documentation. The HS code for fresh coconuts is 080119, while the HS code for desiccated coconut is 080111. Coconut oil falls under the HS code 151311. Understanding the HS code is crucial for exporters to ensure compliance with international trade regulations and facilitate smooth customs clearance. Proper classification of coconut products using the correct HS code helps in avoiding delays and penalties during the export process.

The HS code system plays a vital role in international trade by providing a standardized framework for the classification of goods. For coconut exporters, accurate classification using the appropriate HS code is essential to ensure that their products are correctly identified and processed by customs authorities in importing countries. This not only facilitates smooth customs clearance but also helps in determining the applicable tariffs, taxes, and regulatory requirements for the exported products.

Exporters must stay updated with any changes or revisions to the HS code system to ensure compliance with international trade regulations. They should also be aware of the specific requirements and documentation needed for different types of coconut products. For example, fresh coconuts may require phytosanitary certificates, while processed products like coconut oil and desiccated coconut may need additional certifications related to food safety and quality standards. By adhering to the correct HS codes and complying with all relevant regulations, Indian coconut exporters can streamline their export processes and minimize the risk of delays or rejections at customs checkpoints.

The Role of Coconut in India's Agricultural Economy

Coconut plays a vital role in India's agricultural economy. It is a major cash crop that provides livelihood to millions of farmers and contributes significantly to the country's GDP. The coconut industry in India encompasses various sectors, including cultivation, processing, and export. The government has implemented several schemes and programs to support coconut farmers and promote sustainable coconut farming practices. Additionally, the coconut industry has a significant impact on rural development, as it generates employment opportunities and supports ancillary industries such as coir production and coconut-based handicrafts.

The importance of coconut in India's agricultural economy cannot be overstated. Coconut cultivation is a source of income for millions of small and marginal farmers, particularly in coastal regions where other crops may not thrive. The crop's versatility and resilience make it an ideal choice for farmers, providing them with a steady source of income throughout the year. The coconut industry also supports a wide range of value-added activities, from the production of coconut oil and desiccated coconut to the manufacturing of coir products and handicrafts.

The government's initiatives to support the coconut industry have been instrumental in promoting sustainable farming practices and enhancing the productivity and profitability of coconut cultivation. Programs such as the Coconut Development Board's schemes for replanting and rejuvenation of coconut gardens, financial assistance for setting up processing units, and training programs for farmers have had a positive impact on the industry. These efforts have helped improve the quality of Indian coconuts, increase yields, and reduce post-harvest losses, thereby boosting the overall competitiveness of the coconut export industry.

The coconut industry also plays a crucial role in rural development by creating employment opportunities and supporting the livelihoods of millions of people. The processing and value addition of coconut products generate jobs in various sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, and services. The industry's contribution to rural development extends beyond direct employment, as it also supports ancillary industries such as transportation, packaging, and marketing. The economic benefits of the coconut industry are felt across the entire value chain, from farmers to exporters, making it a vital component of India's agricultural economy.

Challenges and Opportunities in the Coconut Export Industry

Despite its success, the coconut export industry in India faces several challenges. These include fluctuations in global market prices, competition from other coconut-producing countries, and issues related to quality control and certification. However, there are also numerous opportunities for growth and expansion. The increasing demand for organic and value-added coconut products presents a significant opportunity for Indian exporters. Additionally, advancements in technology and innovation in coconut processing can help improve the efficiency and profitability of the industry.

One of the major challenges faced by the coconut export industry is the volatility of global market prices. Fluctuations in prices can have a significant impact on the profitability of coconut exports, making it difficult for exporters to plan and manage their operations effectively. To mitigate this risk, Indian exporters need to adopt strategies such as diversification of export markets, value addition, and long-term contracts with buyers. By reducing their dependence on a few major markets and focusing on high-value products, exporters can better navigate the uncertainties of the global market.

Competition from other coconut-producing countries is another challenge for the Indian coconut export industry. Countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka have well-established coconut industries and offer competitive prices and high-quality products. To stay ahead in the competitive landscape, Indian exporters must continuously improve the quality of their products, adopt best practices in processing and packaging, and invest in marketing and branding efforts. Building strong relationships with international buyers and participating in trade fairs and exhibitions can also help Indian exporters enhance their market presence and attract new customers.

Quality control and certification are critical aspects of the coconut export industry. Ensuring that products meet international quality standards and regulatory requirements is essential for gaining the trust of buyers and maintaining a positive reputation in the market. Indian exporters need to implement robust quality control measures, obtain necessary certifications, and comply with food safety and environmental standards. Investing in modern processing facilities, adopting good manufacturing practices, and conducting regular quality audits can help exporters achieve and maintain high-quality standards.

Despite these challenges, the coconut export industry in India has significant growth potential. The increasing global demand for organic and value-added coconut products presents a lucrative opportunity for Indian exporters. Consumers are becoming more health-conscious and are seeking natural and organic alternatives to conventional products. Indian exporters can capitalize on this trend by offering a wide range of organic coconut products, such as organic coconut oil, coconut water, coconut flour, and coconut-based snacks. Additionally, advancements in technology and innovation in coconut processing can help improve the efficiency and profitability of the industry. By adopting new technologies, such as automated processing and packaging systems, and exploring innovative product development, Indian exporters can enhance their competitiveness and expand their market reach.

Future Prospects of Coconut Exports from India

The future prospects of coconut exports from India are promising. With the growing global demand for healthy and natural products, Indian coconuts and coconut products are well-positioned to capture a larger share of the international market. The government's continued support and investment in the coconut industry, along with efforts to improve quality standards and diversify product offerings, will play a crucial role in driving the growth of coconut exports. Furthermore, exploring new markets and strengthening trade relations with existing partners will be key to sustaining the momentum of India's coconut export industry.

One of the key factors driving the future growth of coconut exports from India is the increasing consumer awareness of the health benefits of coconut products. Coconut oil, for instance, is known for its antimicrobial properties, healthy fats, and potential benefits for heart health and weight management. Coconut water is celebrated for its hydrating properties and rich electrolyte content, making it a popular choice among health-conscious consumers. As more people seek natural and functional foods, the demand for coconut products is expected to rise, creating new opportunities for Indian exporters.

The government's initiatives to support the coconut industry will also play a crucial role in shaping the future of coconut exports. Continued investment in research and development, infrastructure development, and capacity building will help enhance the productivity and quality of coconut cultivation and processing. The promotion of sustainable farming practices, organic certification, and value addition will further strengthen India's position in the global coconut market. By fostering innovation and collaboration among stakeholders, the government can create a conducive environment for the growth and development of the coconut export industry.

Exploring new markets and strengthening trade relations with existing partners will be essential for sustaining the momentum of India's coconut export industry. Indian exporters need to identify emerging markets with high growth potential and tailor their product offerings to meet the specific preferences and requirements of these markets. Building strong trade relationships with key importing countries, participating in international trade fairs, and leveraging digital marketing strategies can help Indian exporters expand their market reach and increase their export volumes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the export of coconut from India is a dynamic and thriving industry with immense potential. By leveraging its strengths and addressing its challenges, India can continue to be a leading player in the global coconut market. The combined efforts of the government, industry stakeholders, and farmers will be essential in realizing the full potential of coconut exports and contributing to the overall growth and development of India's agricultural economy. However, if you need coconut HS code, coconut export data, or global trade data, connect with ExportImportData.in.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What are the main products exported from India in the coconut industry?

India exports a variety of coconut products, including fresh coconuts, coconut oil, desiccated coconut, and coconut-based products such as coconut water, coconut milk, and coconut flour.

Q2. How has the demand for Indian coconuts and coconut products changed in recent years?

The demand for Indian coconuts and coconut products has increased due to their high quality and diverse applications. This growth is driven by the rising global preference for natural and organic products.

Q3. What are the major export destinations for Indian coconuts?

The major export destinations for Indian coconuts include the United States, the European Union, the Middle East, and Southeast Asian countries.

Q4. What is the role of coconut in India’s agricultural economy?

Coconut is a significant cash crop in India, providing livelihood to millions of farmers. It contributes to the GDP and supports various industries, including coir production and coconut-based handicrafts.

Q5. What challenges does the Indian coconut export industry face?

The Indian coconut export industry faces challenges such as fluctuations in global market prices, competition from other coconut-producing countries, and issues related to quality control and certification.

Q6. What are the future prospects for coconut exports from India?

The future prospects for coconut exports from India are promising, driven by the growing global demand for healthy and natural products. Continued government support, investment in quality improvement, and exploration of new markets will play a crucial role in sustaining growth in the industry.

Also Read: Everything You Need to Know About Furniture Import in India

[britcision]

Tbh I think the wildest thing about Trump is that he literally doesn’t understand soft power

And possibly cannot even perceive it

He’s going around bitching about trade deficits and defence spending…

But a trade deficit means that the country with the deficit is buying more of your stuff than you are buying of theirs

It’s a good thing for your market, especially if you want independence and to get money from people buying your stuff - it’s not people not paying for things, it’s people buying your products and you not buying theirs in return

You’re “trading” products for money. You still get the money. And you can do things like influence the market and sell shitty dvd players that break after a year so that people need to buy Even More dvd players from you, because they aren’t making their own and are used to buying yours

(Note: in this example, “you” are the party with a trade SURPLUS. That means someone else has a deficit in their trade with you

Being the person with the deficit is also not a bad thing, so long as you’re actively trading; it means rather than creating your own industries that may not do as well as another country’s for immutable reasons like being able to mine for specific minerals, you can buy a good product and skip all the construction costs and focus on the things you can do better

The general rule of trade is that if you keep trading, everyone wins)

But Trump is essentially saying that he wants to stop other countries from buying American goods; he wants our imports (us buying your stuff) to match our exports (you buying our stuff)

So

You get less money, because either you’re buying more of our stuff (our exports rise to match imports), or you can’t sell us anything (we lower imports to match exports)

And he wants to do this with tariffs, which mean it becomes more expensive for American retailers to import international goods - because they pay tariffs to the American government, and the exporter does not pay those

(So you can’t afford imports)

So the only way to do what he wants… is to stop buying American goods

This will do good things for the American economy I pinky swear 🙄

The defence spending thing is actually even worse, which is fucking wild to me

The main reason that America is a military world power is that you waste all that money on an army you’re not really using to anything but go around showing off and declaring how big your army is

Other countries spend less on defence because we’re spending on things like infrastructure and improving the well-fare of our citizens

So we don’t have a big strong army that can fight your army, because we don’t need one, but we do need things like food for children and healthcare

But Trump is demanding that everyone else make themselves a big strong army

Because the US being able to essentially run a protection racket and ever so casually say “oh gee Russia looks so big and strong. Let us put a military base in your country so we can keep you safe… oh, and I guess maybe some beneficial trade deals while we’re there 😉😉 keeping you safe 😉😉” is… America being exploited?

And listen, Trump doesn’t do subtle. He’d probably just blatantly say “do what we want or we will invade”, and start a war

But because he can’t do that, he seems convinced that there is no value in America spending more on defence, and insists that the very same people he is antagonizing and threatening the sovereignty of should be expanding their own military power

Frankly, they’d probably start spending a little more on defence anyway

Nothing he’s doing will increase American influence on the world stage, because he’s actively forcing the rest of the world to start acting like America has already left

“Stop buying our exports. Build your own army.”

And as a Canadian? I do think it’s about time we were a little less economically dependent on the US - because it gives them too much power

They’re our closest and most convenient trade partner, but not the only game in town

[reasonsforhope]

"Nasir Mansoor has spent 40 years fighting for Pakistan’s workers. Whether demanding compensation on behalf of the hundreds of people who died in a devastating 2012 factory fire in Karachi or demonstrating against Pakistani suppliers to global fashion brands violating minimum wage rules, he’s battled many of the country’s widespread labor injustices.

Yet so far, little has improved, said Mansoor, who heads Pakistan’s National Trade Union Federation in Karachi... Regulations and trade protocols look good on paper, but they rarely trickle down to the factory level. “Nobody cares,” Mansoor said. “Not the government who makes commitments, not the brands, and not the suppliers. The workers are suffering.”

Change on the Horizon

But change might finally be on the horizon after Germany’s new Supply Chain Act came into force last year. As Europe’s largest economy and importer of clothing, Germany now requires certain companies to put risk-management systems in place to prevent, minimize, and eliminate human rights violations for workers across their entire global value chains. Signed into law by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in January 2023, the law covers issues such as forced labor, union-busting, and inadequate wages, for the first time giving legal power to protections that were previously based on voluntary commitments. Companies that violate the rules face fines of up to 8 million euros ($8.7 million)...

...As governments come to realize that a purely voluntary regimen produces limited results, there is now a growing global movement to ensure that companies are legally required to protect the people working at all stages of their supply chains.

The German law is just the latest example of these new due diligence rules—and it’s the one with the highest impact, given the size of the country’s market. A number of other Western countries have also adopted similar legislation in recent years, including France and Norway. A landmark European Union law that would mandate all member states to implement similar regulation is in the final stages of being greenlighted.

Although the United States has legislation to prevent forced labor in its global supply chains, such as the 2021 Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, there are no federal laws that protect workers in other countries from abuses that fall short of forced labor. That said, a proposed New York state bill, the Fashion Act, would legally require most major U.S. and international brands to identify, prevent, and remediate human rights violations in their supply chain if passed, with noncompliance subject to fines. Since major fashion brands could hardly avoid selling their products in New York, the law would effectively put the United States on a similar legal level as Germany and France...

The Results So Far

As of January, Germany’s new law applies to any company with at least 1,000 employees in the country, which covers many of the world’s best-known fast fashion retailers, such as Zara and Primark. Since last January [Jan 2023], German authorities say they have received 71 complaints or notices of violations and conducted 650 of their own assessments, including evaluating companies’ risk management.

In Pakistan, the very existence of the German law was enough to spark action. Last year, Mansoor and other union representatives reached out to fashion brands that sourced some of their clothing in Pakistan to raise concerns about severe labor violations in garment factories. Just four months later, he and his colleagues found themselves in face-to-face meetings with several of those brands—a first in his 40-year career. “This is a big achievement,” he said. “Otherwise, [the brands] never sit with us. Even when the workers died in the factory fire, the brand never sat with us.” ...

-via The Fuller Project, April 2, 2024. Article headers added by me.

Article continues below, with more action-based results, including one factory that "complied, agreeing to respect minimum wages and provide contract letters, training on labor laws, and—for the first time—worker bonuses"

With the help of Mansoor and Zehra Khan, the general secretary of the Home-Based Women Workers Federation, interviews with more than 350 garment workers revealed the severity of long-known issues.

Nearly all workers interviewed were paid less than a living wage, which was 67,200 Pakistan rupees (roughly $243) per month in 2022, according to the Asia Floor Wage Alliance. Nearly 30 percent were even paid below the legal minimum wage of 25,000 Pakistani rupees per month (roughly $90) for unskilled workers. Almost 100 percent had not been given a written employment contract, while more than three-quarters were either not registered with the social security system—a legal requirement—or didn’t know if they were.

When Mansoor, Khan, and some of the organizations raised the violations with seven global fashion brands implicated, they were pleasantly surprised. One German retailer reacted swiftly, asking its supplier where the violations had occurred to sign a 14-point memorandum of understanding to address the issues. (We’re unable to name the companies involved because negotiations are ongoing.) The factory complied, agreeing to respect minimum wages and provide contract letters, training on labor laws, and—for the first time—worker bonuses.

In February [2024], the factory registered an additional 400 workers with the social security system (up from roughly 100) and will continue to enroll more, according to Khan. “That is a huge number for us,” she said.

It’s had a knock-on effect, too. Four of the German brand’s other Pakistani suppliers are also willing to sign the memorandum, Khan noted, which could impact another 2,000 workers or so. “The law is opening up space for [the unions] to negotiate, to be heard, and to be taken seriously,” said Miriam Saage-Maass, the legal director at ECCHR.

Looking Forward with the EU

...Last month [in March 2024], EU member states finally approved a due diligence directive after long delays, during which the original draft was watered down. As it moves to the next stage—a vote in the European Parliament—before taking effect, critics argue that the rules are now too diluted and cover too few companies to be truly effective. Still, the fact that the EU is acting at all has been described as an important moment, and unionists such as Mansoor and Khan wait thousands of miles away with bated breath for the final outcome.

Solidarity from Europe is important, Khan said, and could change the lives of Pakistan’s workers. “The eyes and the ears of the people are looking to [the brands],” Mansoor said. “And they are being made accountable for their mistakes.”"

-via The Fuller Project, April 2, 2024. Article headers added by me.