Topic “In the News News” — Exporter Magazine

Canton Fair, China’s largest trade fair and a key barometer of its trade and economic development, opened last week, amid growing concerns that a stronger yuan would weigh on the nation’s exports, according to ChinaDaily.com. Cleveland-based Ganeden Biotech and Agostoni Chocolate have come out with a functional snack that combines probiotics with artisan chocolate for consumers. Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors is considering moving production of its mainstay new model to Thailand in a bid to curb costs inflated by the strong yen, according to an AFP report carried by the Sydney Morning Herald. Canada has become the first country in the world to declare bisphenol A (BPA) to be a toxic substance that poses risks to human health and the environment, according to FoodProductionDaily.com. Despite fears to the contrary, all major ocean carriers survived the global economic downturn by cutting capacity through layups and slow steaming, according to the Shipping Gazette citing this year’s Drewry’s Annual Market Review & Forecast 2010-11. The value of US dairy exports rose 65% in July to USD$308.8 million (NZD$407 million), bringing year-to-date dairy export value to $2.034 billion, a rise of 66% over the same period in 2009, according to a report by the US Dairy Export Council, citing the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service date. Snack maker Frito Lay has reverted to the original non-biodegradable material for five of its six SunChips brand bags after consumer feedback indicated its new 100% plant-based polylactic acid (PLA) packaging was too noisy, according to SnacksandBakery.com.