Market Trends & Consumer Behaviour
Decoding the skills-first pay model: Why skills and performance must coexist Summary This article summarises a fireside chat from the Total Rewards Asia Summit Malaysia, 2025, where two rewards leaders — Mohd Ifran Md Nor (Boost Holdings) and M Nazrul Effendy M Isa (PETRONAS) — argue that pay-for-skills and pay-for-performance must coexist. They outline how […]
Q&A: Jeff Tafel, President of the National Association of Foreign Trade Zones Summary Jeff Tafel, president of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ), explains the role of the NAFTZ and how recent policy shifts — notably the removal of the de minimis exemption — are reshaping warehousing and e-commerce supply chains. He describes NAFTZ’s […]
India Plans ₹70,000 Crore Push for Shipping, Shipbuilding and Maritime Infrastructure Growth Summary The Indian government is preparing a large-scale support package of around ₹70,000 crore aimed at rapidly expanding the country’s shipping, shipbuilding and maritime infrastructure. The package centres on three major initiatives: a ₹20,000 crore Shipbuilding Fund, a ₹25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund […]
Trump Imposes 100% Tariffs on Imported Branded Drugs, Impacting Indian Pharma Sector Summary US President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose up to 100% tariffs on imports of branded and patented pharmaceutical drugs from 1 October 2025. Companies building manufacturing plants in the US — or projects already “under construction” — would be exempt. […]
FedEx Expands Healthcare Logistics With Direct DUB–IND Air Freight Service Summary FedEx is launching a direct air cargo link between Dublin (DUB) and Indianapolis (IND) later this month to support healthcare shipments and other high-value goods. The new service is expected to cut transit times by about one day versus existing options. The initiative forms […]
GamCare Data Shows Sharp Rise in Gambling-Linked Financial Distress Summary UK charity GamCare reports a sharp rise in gambling-related financial harm in 2025, with record demand for its Money Guidance Service (MGS). Since January, 1,151 people have been referred to the MGS — already higher than the 923 referrals recorded for the whole of 2024. […]
DExit: Reincorporation Data Seem to Support the Hype Summary Interest in companies leaving Delaware (“DExit”) surged after the Delaware Court of Chancery invalidated Elon Musk’s Tesla pay package in January 2024, with media coverage and Google searches spiking. Analysis of SEC filings shows a tangible shift: between 2024 and mid‑2025 Delaware experienced a net loss […]
Container Shipping: Demand bolstered by trade lanes not bound for the US Summary BIMCO has revised its 2025 ship demand growth higher to 4.5-5.5% while keeping 2026 at 2.5-3.5%. The upgrade is driven by stronger demand on long head-haul trades that do not head to the US — notably Asian exports to Sub-Saharan Africa, South […]
Stormy seas for global shipping: UNCTAD warns of uncertainty, volatility and rising costs Summary UNCTAD’s Review of Maritime Transport 2025 warns that global shipping — which moves over 80% of world merchandise trade — faces fragile growth, higher costs and growing uncertainty. After strong growth in 2024 (driven by rerouting and a nearly 6% jump […]
Airtime, merchants drive 12-fold profit growth for GTCO’s HabariPay Summary HabariPay, the fintech arm of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), reported a 12-fold increase in profit to ₦4.02 billion (about $2.70 million) in H1 2025, up from ₦322.9 million in H1 2022. The jump is driven largely by merchant payments and airtime/bill-payment sales margins. While […]
