Tag: export

EU firms accused of ‘abhorrent’ export of banned pesticides to Brazil

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Pesticides banned in the EU because of their links to human health risks are being exported and used on farms in Brazil supplying Nestlé, an investigation has revealed.
Europe is home to some of the world’s biggest and most profitable chemical companies, including the Swiss-based Syngenta and the German multinationals BASF and Bayer.
But a number of the pesticides and fungicides they produce have been banned by European health officials after they were linked to cancer, reproductive problems and neurodegenerative diseases.
Despite the ban, millions of pounds worth of the products are still being exported to Brazil, where they are used on farms that supply the international sugar market, according to a new investigation by Lighthouse Reports and Repórter Brasil.
Documents from the Brazilian agriculture ministry obtained through a freedom of information request reveal that a fungicide made by BASF and based on epoxiconazole, a chemical banned in the EU, was sprayed over two sugar plantations that supply Nestlé.
One of the farms using this banned fungicide is part of the giant Brazilian sugar corporation Copersucar, which sold €1bn (£880m) of sugar to Europe in 2020.
In São Paulo state, Usina Atena, a Brazilian sugar plantation, is under investigation after a complaint from a neighbouring resident about the health impacts from the spraying of chemicals on the farm.
Justice ministry officials in São Paulo found the farm had the Syngenta fungicide Priori Xtra. This contains the active substance cyproconazole, which is banned for use in the EU.

They also found the insecticide Regent 800WG, produced by BASF, and Certero, made by Bayer, which include the active ingredients fipronil and triflumuron. Both substances are banned in the EU.
The ECHA has classed epoxiconazole as a suspected carcinogen, and similar concerns were highlighted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Sugar at a Copersucar warehouse in Santos, Brazil. The company sold €1bn of sugar to Europe in 2020. Photograph: Patricia Monteiro/Bloomberg/Getty
Marcos Orellana, UN special rapporteur on toxics and human rights, called the continued export of the chemicals by EU-based companies an “abhorrent practice” and urged the EU to implement a ban.
CropLife International, which represents agri-chemical companies including BASF, Bayer and Syngenta, said the active ingredients in the pesticides had “valid use registrations in several OECD countries”.
It said in a statement: “A non-registration or deregistration in the European Union does not automatically mean a product cannot be used in another country. Pesticides are not automatically ‘more hazardous’ or ‘less necessary’ because they are not authorised in Europe.”
Bayer and BASF maintain that all their products are safe for humans and the environment.
Copersucar said it complied with Brazilian and international legislation, exporting its products within safety standards in the regions where it operates.
A spokesperson for Nestlé said all its suppliers must meet Nestlé’s responsible sourcing standard, including in relation to good agricultural practices. “We continue to closely follow regulatory developments everywhere we operate to ensure full compliance for all our products. Nestlé is not involved in campaigning against an export ban on pesticides and active ingredients banned in the EU.”
Officials at DG Sante, the EU body responsible for regulating pesticides, said the export of banned pesticides would be phased out in line with the chemicals strategy for sustainability, although no timetable had been set for implementation.
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

April 25, 2023
KCCI Delegation Meets Union Minister to Address Pashmina Export Issues

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SRINAGAR: A delegation led by the President of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), Javid Ahmad Tenga, recently called on the Union Minister for Forest, Environment & Climate Change (MOEFCC), Bhupinder Yadav, to discuss the challenges faced by exporters of Pashmina shawls. The delegation highlighted the problems faced by exporters at customs, where their shawls are suspected of containing banned content.
During the meeting, the KCCI presented a detailed presentation about the heritage Pashmina craft, it’s weaving process, and exports clearance. The delegation emphasized that the centuries-old cottage craft provided employment to tens of thousands of male & female artisans and the product was in demand within and outside the country in the form of shawls, stoles, rumals, lingerie, and fashion items.
However, exporters have been facing difficulties at customs for some time, where Wildlife Department officials send the shawls to testing facilities outside Delhi (Dehradun/Kolkata) for further examination. Sometimes, the tests report the presence of Guard Hair, which is confused with Shahtoosh, causing a considerable period of time to be lost. This process results in the chain of production getting disturbed and affecting the livelihoods of artisans involved in the process of Pashmina weaving & embroidery.
The KCCI proposed to the minister that in view of conflicting reports of laboratories, the DNA testing of export consignments be done. The Minister accepted the KCCI proposal and assured that in future, DNA testing will be done to address this issue. The Minister was also apprised of the issue of NOC/clearance by Pollution Control Committee, which needed to be simplified and made time-bound.
The KCCI President invited the Minister for a seminar in Srinagar to review the progress of conservation projects being carried out by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change. The Minister accepted the invitation and asked the KCCI to communicate a suitable date for the seminar for confirmation.

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( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 24, 2023
Biden appoints two prominent Indian American corporate leaders to his Export Council

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Washington: US President Joe Biden has announced his intent to appoint two prominent Indian-Americans corporate leaders, Punit Renjen and Rajesh Subramaniam, to his powerful Export Council which is the principal national advisory committee on international trade.
The president on Tuesday announced a list of members he intends to appoint to the the council, according to a White House press release.
Renjen, the former CEO of Deloitte Consulting and Subramaniam, CEO and president of FedEx, have their names on the list of members the president intends to appoint as members of the influential President’s Export Council.
The council will be headed by Mark Edin, chairman of Kastle Systems.
More than two dozen leaders from the corporate sector, labour, real estate, national security and law, have been tapped into the President’s Export Council.
Prominent among them are Karen S Lynch, president and CEO of CVS Health; John Lawler, the chief financial officer of Ford; Gareth Joyce, CEO at Proterra; Brett Hart, president of United Airlines; Beth Ford, president and CEO of Land O’Lakes; and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano R Amon.
“The Council advises the President on government policies and programmes that affect US trade performance; promotes export expansion; and provides a forum for discussing and resolving trade-related problems among the business, industrial, agricultural, labour, and government sectors,” the White House said.
On December 31 last, 62-year-old Renjen retired as Deloitte Global CEO after having served in the role since June 2015.

He now serves as Deloitte Global CEO Emeritus. Under his leadership, Deloitte launched WorldClass a global effort to prepare 100 million underprivileged people for a world of opportunity based on the belief that business thrives when society thrives, the White House said.
Recently, Deloitte made a commitment to be net zero by 2030 under its WorldClimate initiative and joined the First Movers Coalition.
Renjen is deeply committed to advancing diversity and inclusion at Deloitte through measurable actions toward gender balance.
Over his career, Renjen has been recognised by numerous organisations for his leadership, business acumen and commitment to societal impact.
In 2022, Renjen was recognised by the Economic Times as “Global Indian of the Year” and the Carnegie Corporation of America as one of 34 “Great Immigrants. Great Americans.”
In 2021, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum recognised Renjen with its Global Achievement Award. In 2020, Renjen was awarded the Oregon History Makers Medal.
Renjen is being considered to be the next chairman of SAP SE, a Germany-based European multinational software company.
Subramaniam, as President and Chief Executive Officer of FedEx Corporation, is responsible for providing strategic direction for all FedEx operating companies.
Subramaniam, 55, is chair of the five-person Executive Committee, which plans and executes the corporation’s strategic business activities.
He is also chair of the FedEx Strategic Management Committee, a select group of the company’s top leadership, which sets the strategic direction for the enterprise.
Before being named President and CEO-elect in March 2022, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of FedEx Corporation. Previously, Subramaniam held various leadership roles in operations and marketing across the FedEx portfolio of operating companies.
Subramaniam serves on the board of directors of FedEx Corporation, the Procter & Gamble Company, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s China Center Advisory Board, FIRST, US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, and the US-China Business Council, and a member of the US-India CEO Forum.
Subramaniam is also a proud 2023 recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, the highest civilian award presented by the President of India to the Indian diaspora in recognition of outstanding achievements in India and abroad, the White House said.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 1, 2023
Iran seeks to export nuclear products, technology: Atomic chief

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Tehran: Iran’s atomic chief has said that the country seeks to export its nuclear products and technology amid the “propaganda warfare” conducted by enemies to block the country’s progress in the nuclear field.
President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami made the remarks at the 29th Iranian Nuclear Conference at Shahid Beheshti University on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Iran’s Mehr News Agency.
Eslami said the country seeks to export its nuclear products and technology, adding that Iran is currently exporting radiopharmaceuticals and some types of nuclear equipment.
He also referred to the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists and attacks on Iranian nuclear sites as measures taken by Iran’s enemies to impede the progress of Iran’s nuclear technology.
The US and its Western allies have accused Iran of developing a nuclear weapon, and Washington has imposed sanctions on Tehran aiming to stop its nuclear activities.
Iran rejects the allegation as “baseless” and sanctions as “illegal”, saying its nuclear program is peaceful and the country has never sought to develop a nuclear weapon.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 27, 2023
Nepal, India agree to allow export of power on long-term basis

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Kathmandu: Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra and his Nepali counterpart Bharat Raj Paudyal during a bilateral meeting here on Monday reviewed various aspects of Nepal-India relations and expressed commitment to allow the export of power from Nepal to India on a long-term basis.
Kwatra arrived here on a two-day official visit to hold talks with the country’s top leaders on the entire range of multifaceted cooperation between the two neighbouring countries, including connectivity, trade and transit, power sector cooperation, agriculture, education, culture, health sector, and people to people relations, among others.
Soon after his arrival here, Kwatra met his Nepalese counterpart Paudyal and “the two sides reviewed with satisfaction the progress made in the connectivity projects such as railways, transmissions lines, bridges, and the ICPs”, said a statement issued by the Nepalese Foreign Ministry.
“The two sides also expressed commitment to allow the export of power from Nepal to India on a long-term basis utilising all products of the exchange market. They also discussed technical upgrading of cross-border transmission lines and early approval of the four proposed transmission line projects under the LOC-IV,” the statement said.
“The two sides discussed the early conclusion of the renewed transit treaty, review of the trade treaty, and convening of the inter-governmental committee on trade (IGC) at an early date.”
Foreign Secretary Paudyal reiterated the request to the Indian government for additional air-entry routes as well as early concurrence of the near border flight operation of the Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa, according to the statement.
“The two foreign secretaries also discussed the boundary matters. In this regard, they exchanged views on completing the boundary works in the remaining segments through the established bilateral mechanisms.”
They also agreed to finalise the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the foreign service academies of the two countries.

The meeting was held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere reflecting the close and multifaceted relations between the two neighbours, said the statement. Paudyal later hosted a lunch in the honour of the visiting Indian foreign secretary and the members of his delegation.
In the afternoon, Kwatra also called on President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda’, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Bimala Rai Paudyal.
Kwatra paid a courtesy call to Bhandari at the Sheetal Niwas here and conveyed the greetings on behalf of the President of India Droupadi Murmu.
Kathmandu: Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra with President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari during a meeting, at Sheetal Niwas in Kathmandu, Monday, Feb. 13, 2023. (PTI Photo)
“Matters of mutual interests were discussed during the calls on,” the statement said.
The Foreign Secretary of India arrived in Kathmandu on Monday morning on a two-day visit to the Himalayan nation.
During his visit, Kwatra, who was earlier India’s ambassador here, is expected to discuss with his Nepalese interlocutors the possibility of a visit to India by Prime Minister Prachanda.
Prachanda has said that he will travel to India on his first foreign visit. Seven members each from Nepal and India took part in the Foreign Secretary-level bilateral meeting.
Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava was among the members of the Indian delegation while Joint Secretary and spokesperson at the Foreign Ministry Sewa Lamsal was among the members of the Nepalese delegation.
This is the first high-level visit from India after Prime Minister Prachanda assumed office for the third time in December.
Kwatra is also expected to meet Nepal’s top political leaders, including Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-UML chairman KP Sharma Oli on Tuesday.
“The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and the priority India attaches to its relations with Nepal under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy,” the Ministry of External Affairs has said.
India’s Neighbourhood First’ policy is an integral component of Indian foreign policy.
The policy seeks to build cordial and synergetic relations with India’s South Asian neighbours in various areas such as economy, science and technology, research, and education, among others.
Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and the leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old “Roti Beti” relationship.
Nepal shares a border of more than 1,850 km with five Indian states – Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 13, 2023