industry
Jun 16th, 2010
MBA Mortgage Applications Index in U.S. Increased 18% Last Week
An index of mortgage applications in the U.S. jumped 18 percent as refinancing rose to the highest level in a year and purchases increased for the first time in six weeks.
The gain in the Mortgage Bankers Association’s index in the week ended June 11 followed a 12.2 percent decrease the previous week. The Washington-based group’s...
May 25th, 2010
Biotechnology Industry Organization Spent $2.2M on Lobbying U.S. Government in 1Q
The Biotechnology Industry Organization spent $2.2 million lobbying the federal government in the first quarter on health care, agricultural, and economic issues affecting the biotech industry.
The spending marks a 15 percent boost from just over $1.9 million spent during the same period in 2009, according to a recent disclosure form.
The industry group, whose members include...
May 11th, 2010
US Dairy Industry Leads “Honest” Farm Policy Debate
The global financial meltdown that dried up export markets for US dairy exports now has prompted an effort by major dairy cooperatives to reach a consensus on new dairy policy.
A top dairy producer warned, however, that the beleaguered industry may need relief from Congress before the new farm bill is completed in 2012.
House Agriculture Committee...
May 11th, 2010
U.S. Agency Lets Oil Industry Write Offshore Drilling Rules
WASHINGTON — The oil industry, not the federal agency that regulates it, plays a crucial role in writing the safety and environmental rules for offshore drilling, a role critics say reflects cozy ties between an industry and its regulators that need to be snapped.
Nearly 100 industry standards set by the American Petroleum Institute are included...
May 10th, 2010
Ethanol Industry: Too Big to De-Subsidize?
The ethanol lobby has been extremely successful over the course of the last decade in growing the industry into one of Washington’s favorite pet projects. A reported 76 percent of each dollar in subsidies to renewable energies is allocated to ethanol, including $5 billion in annual tax credits. Auto companies historically have been supportive of...
May 6th, 2010
USA - Biofuel and Beef Industry
Amtrak and the Oklahoma and Texas state transportation departments recently announced the nation’s first-ever test of a cleaner, renewable biodiesel fuel blend containing beef byproduct to power a daily interstate passenger train between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth. The goal of this 12-month test is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use of foreign oil.
The...
May 6th, 2010
Mr Surma Sees US Steel Industry Coming Out of Recession
Mr John Surma chairman & CEO United States Steel Corporation, during the second day of the Association of Iron & Steel Technology conference, said that he sees the North American steel industry coming out of this recession in better shape than in previous downturns.
He said that one reason is the economic crisis that lead to...
Mar 31st, 2010
US Rebound on Good Footing: Fed’s Fisher
The US economic recovery is gathering speed as business activity picks up pace, despite lingering weakness in employment, Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher said on Tuesday.
In an unusually detailed account of information obtained from industry contacts, Fisher cited improvements in areas ranging from shipping to retail, arguing the nation’s economic rebound was on...
Mar 23rd, 2010
Ethanol is Not the Fuel of the Future for U.S.
Tennessee Voices
The Tennessee Voices article on ethanol by Jaime Dachelet (”Ethanol provides many benefits,” March 10) reads like a free advertisement for Eco-Energy, a business that markets ethanol.
The writer, their director of public relations, dismisses as “bugaboo” any engine problems related to this form of alcohol distilled from corn.
Yet, as my friend and mechanic of...
Mar 22nd, 2010
U.S. Government Exposes Its Own Oil Supply And Demand Data To Be Completely Flawed
The Department of Energy has just released a study that found ‘critical shortcomings’ in U.S. oil inventory data.
The documents, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, expose several errors in the Energy Information Agency’s weekly oil report, including one in September that was large enough to cause a jump in oil prices, and a...
Mar 22nd, 2010
Reform Spells Shakeup for US Health Industry
WASHINGTON Despite vehement health care industry opposition to President Barack Obama’s sweeping reforms, experts say it could be a boon for the sector, which makes up a sixth of the US economy.
That the US health care trade is big business is obvious to anyone in the United States who clicks on a television, or walks...
Mar 2nd, 2010
Loan to Kick-start U.S. Solar Thermal Industry
Federal funds could help 15 gigawatts of solar projects move forward.
A massive $1.37 billion loan guarantee that the U.S. Department of Energy granted to Brightsource Energy last week could help clear the way for over 15 gigawatts of solar projects in California, and could be the key to launching a new solar thermal industry in...
Mar 2nd, 2010
Industry Crackdown on Salt Could Save U.S. Billions
CHICAGO - Working with the food industry to cut salt intake by nearly 10 percent could prevent hundreds of thousands of heart attacks and strokes over several decades and save the U.S. government $32 billion in healthcare costs, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
Eating too much salt is a major cause of high blood pressure, which...
Feb 26th, 2010
The Car Industry Is In As Much Trouble As Toyota
Toyota’s (TM) sales in the US market are supposed to fall and some of its large rivals like Ford (F) and Honda (HMC) are supposed to benefit from customers who will no longer consider buying vehicles from the world’s top car company. February will be the first barometer of whether that theory is right. It...
Feb 25th, 2010
Russia - Talks with US meat industry
Negotiations held last week between U.S. pork industry officials and Russian veterinary authorities signaled progress toward the resumption of U.S. pork exports to Russia, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
Chad Lively, the organization’s senior vice president, headed a U.S. delegation that included 13 U.S. companies and met with a Russian team led by...
Feb 25th, 2010
U.S. Semiconductor Equipment Industry up 24.1%
North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted US$1.13 billion in orders in January 2010 and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.2, according to the January 2010 Book-to Bill Report published recently by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI).
A book-to-bill of 1.2 means that US$120 worth of orders was received for every US$100 of product billed for...
Feb 9th, 2010
POET VP to discuss how co-products can expand options for ethanol producers
San Diego, Calif. - New ethanol co-products can help ethanol plants become true biorefineries, unlocking the additional potential of each kernel of corn.
POET Vice President of Commercial Development Scott Weishaar will discuss opportunities and challenges of adding such co-products to the ethanol production process at the Next Generation Bio-Based Chemicals Summit this week at the...
Jan 22nd, 2010
USA - Meat Exports See Small Surge
U.S. beef and pork exports continued their rebound from the slump earlier in the year, with pork exports reaching their highest level of 2009 in November while beef exports edged 4 percent above year-ago levels, according to statistics released today by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). In addition, lamb exports maintained their pace for...
Jan 18th, 2010
AP Exclusive: Tobacco’s plea - no big US payments
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tobacco industry lawyers met secretly with Solicitor General Elena Kagan in an effort to avoid the government’s last-ditch attempt to extract billions from companies that illegally concealed the dangers of cigarette smoking, The Associated Press has learned.
Four cigarette makers that control nearly 90 percent of U.S. retail cigarette sales have until Feb....
Jul 17th, 2009
June Petrochem Naphtha Imports in Japan Dip by 18%
Japan’s naphtha imports for the petrochemical sector fell 18 percent in June from the previous month as per the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Imports of naphtha for ethylene production amounted to 960,823 tons (1,399,098 kilolitres) last month, compared with 1,169,478 tons (1,696,561 kl) in May. The average naphtha import cost in June rose to...