News about Industry

Iran’s strikes on the Ras Laffan gas hub in Qatar disrupted helium production and showed how the conflict is hitting technology and medicine beyond energy markets.

Fendt Chairman of the Board of Management Christoph Groblinghoff predicts that the agricultural machinery market will only resume growth from 2027. At the same time, he warns of increased competition from Chinese agricultural machine manufacturers.

UPDATED. The creation of the Convergence Fund was faced with inconsistency of tax systems: on the right bank of the Nistru River there is VAT, while on the left bank there is turnover tax. This complicates the unification of tax rules. But the authorities are ready to work in a “very friendly manner” to gradually implement unified rules and ensure equal conditions for business on both banks of the Nistru River.

Specifying the country of origin of goods may increase sales of local producers up to 15% in the fresh produce segment. Such a draft was discussed on Wednesday, March 25, in the parliamentary commission for economy, budget and finance.

The March report of the International Grains Council (IGC) forecasts a 1.3% decline in global corn production in the 2026/27 marketing season to 1.303 billion tons. At the same time, global consumption of this grain will increase and is likely to exceed production. The final stocks of corn grain will decrease significantly.

The rules for calculating pensions may be revised. In particular, it is proposed to include in the insurance record periods of childcare by relatives – for example, a grandmother, paternity leave for fathers, as well as to grant the right to an early pension to women with many children.

In Japan, the utilitarian Toyota ProBox was approached with an unusual creative task: to turn a serial working station wagon into a stylized “mini-Land Cruiser 70”. The tuning studio Hakobanya from Fukuoka has undertaken this remodeling, having offered its version under the name 70 BOX – in social networks it is also called “70Yo.70 Destroyer” and similar sounding nicknames. In fact, it is an attempt to create an aggressive crossover-universal in the spirit of “seventy”, which Toyota has never had in this form.

The governments of Moldova and the German state of Baden-Württemberg will set up an intergovernmental mixed commission to expand cooperation in economy, agriculture, energy and other fields.

In February 2026, Moldova’s energy sector recorded a sustained deflationary dynamic: producer prices decreased by more than 5% with respect to all key comparison periods (January 2026, December and February 2025).

Xiaomi (China) has launched its flagship AI model MiMo V2 Pro, which has beaten DeepSeek V3.2, Claude Sonnet 4.6 and DeepSeek V3.2 in the rankings on the “OpenRouter” platform even before its official release, according to Logos Press.

The $80 billion global diamond industry is experiencing one of the most serious crises in history. Demand is declining, both rough and treated stones are becoming cheaper, and market participants have less and less faith in a quick recovery.

For the second year in a row, Kernel Agroholding has maintained absolute leadership in the country’s two key export categories – cereals and sunflower oil – and holds the first position in the overall ranking. In the structure of Ukraine’s exports, every tenth dollar is Kernel’s contribution.

Spandex manufacturer Lycra has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Texas. The company plans to turn over control of the business to creditors and write off a significant portion of its debt, while preserving jobs and supplies for customers.

The abolition of VAT and excise tax exemptions for enterprises on the left bank of the Dniester will bring more than 3.3 billion lei in additional revenues to the Moldovan budget. Such calculations, with reference to the Customs Service, are given by the authors of the draft law, which aims to “equalize” the tax regime on both banks of the Dniester.

Saudi Arabia has offered long-term buyers to receive April oil shipments through the port of Yanbu in the Red Sea. The country is preparing for possible prolonged disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The global aluminum market is rapidly entering a deficit phase after one of the metal’s largest producers, Aluminium Bahrain, announced it would cut nearly 20% of its production capacity amid supply disruptions across the Strait of Hormuz due to the war in Iran.

The authorities urge not to encourage inflation expectations. The rise in fuel prices over the past two weeks has increased the total costs of businesses by a maximum of 1.5%.

Economic agents should inventory groundwater wells so that, if necessary, they can be tapped to provide alternative water sources to the population.

American oil companies may sharply increase their revenues due to the growth of world oil prices amid the conflict with Iran, analysts believe. Top managers and experts predict their increase up to $200 per barrel.

The government is meeting urgently to consider a proposal to introduce an environmental danger regime in the Dniester river basin for 15 days.