With the May 2021 enforcement date for the European Union’s Medical Device Regulation (MDR) drawing closer, manufacturers across the medical device sector have been taking stock of what the transition truly entails. The MDR, adopted back in 2017 but only now nearing full application, introduces a range of enhanced requirements. Among them, none perhaps is […]
The introduction of the U.K. Environment Bill in January 2020 signaled a decisive shift in how the government plans to regulate packaging waste and resource efficiency across fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and beverage industries. While the Bill itself remains under parliamentary consideration, its proposed provisions on extended producer responsibility (EPR) have already prompted companies to […]
The signing of Executive Order 13920 on January 25, 2020, represented a clear policy shift toward tighter domestic sourcing requirements in the name of national security and economic resilience. Intended to fortify critical infrastructure sectors, the order reinforces and expands the Buy America framework by placing greater emphasis on local content requirements for materials such […]
By 2019, the global race to expand renewable energy was visible not just in new solar farms or the skyline of wind turbines but also in the spreadsheets of economists and planners. Yet measuring real progress—and comparing it to national ambitions—requires more than watching construction crews. ISIC 3510, the code for electric power generation, offers […]
The passage of Bill C-68, culminating in Royal Assent in June 2019, marked a significant development in Canada’s ongoing Oceans Protection Plan, particularly in how it intersects with supply chain transparency for marine-based industries. For fisheries and offshore energy firms, the implications of this legislative shift are slowly but surely becoming clearer as the focus […]
The enforcement of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) has evolved in ways that few industry participants might have anticipated when the law first came into force in 2013. By the first half of 2019, authorities across member states had noticeably intensified their scrutiny of timber imports, particularly those originating from regions with well-documented risks of […]
Green finance is now a central theme in both public policy and private investment. The expansion of green bonds, sustainability-linked loans, and climate-focused equity products reflects growing demand for alignment between capital allocation and environmental objectives. Yet for all the momentum, one challenge remains persistent: how to reliably track where the money is going, and […]
The passage of the U.S. FAIR Shipping Act in December 2019 marked an important, if somewhat underappreciated, development in the long-standing effort to introduce greater transparency into maritime freight operations. While the legislation attracted less public attention than some other trade measures of the year, those involved in shipping, port management, and logistics understood its […]
When the European Union revised Regulation 1107/2009 on the approval of pesticides in 2019, exporters of agricultural products to the EU found themselves facing a quietly disruptive shift. The core of the amendment centered around stricter enforcement on maximum residue limits (MRLs), particularly for cereals, fruits, and other high-volume imports where prior tolerances had been […]
Telehealth—virtual consultations, remote diagnostics, digital prescriptions—felt like a novelty for most of the past decade. Before the pandemic thrust it into the spotlight, its growth was incremental, often limited to pilot projects or specialized clinics. For analysts trying to quantify this quiet shift, ISIC 8621 (General medical practice) provided both a starting point and a […]
The passage of the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill marked a significant turning point for the agricultural sector, particularly in relation to hemp. With hemp officially removed from the list of Schedule I controlled substances, the plant and its derivatives—whether destined for CBD extraction or industrial fiber—entered a regulatory limelight few could have anticipated a decade […]
By 2019, the U.K. Modern Slavery Act, introduced in 2015, had begun to show more visible signs of traction across industries, particularly in the retail and manufacturing sectors. According to Home Office data released that year, there was a marked 30% increase in modern slavery statements filed by companies—an indication that businesses were not only […]
For all the advances in global logistics and data analytics, supply chain transparency remains a surprisingly elusive goal. Even the most sophisticated firms, in sectors like electronics, pharmaceuticals, or automotive, frequently struggle to see beyond their first or second-tier suppliers. The consequences are now well understood: sudden shortages, cascading disruptions, and, at times, reputational damage […]
The European Commission’s 2019 update to Regulation 1223/2009 served as a critical reminder to cosmetics manufacturers and importers that the EU’s animal testing ban is not just symbolic—it’s enforceable and expanding in scope. This clarification addressed lingering ambiguities about imported ingredients and components tested on animals outside the EU, making it clear that any product […]
Urbanization is rarely a neat, linear process. Cities swell in fits and starts, often outpacing the plans drawn up by planners or the hopes of policymakers. For those seeking to understand not just how much cities are growing, but what that growth actually looks like on the ground, ISIC 4120—covering the construction of residential and […]
When the Federal Seed Act was amended in December 2018, it quietly marked a significant turning point in the traceability expectations for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) within U.S. agricultural supply chains. Although the Seed Act has long served as a foundation for labeling and purity standards, the latest amendments introduced explicit disclosure requirements related to […]