US Existing Home Sales Decline USA: Existing home sales in the United States decline by 2.4% month-on-month in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million, although they remained 2.8% higher than a year earlier, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Higher mortgage rates and elevated house prices continued to weigh on affordability, despite wage growth outpacing house price increases. Housing inventory declined slightly from May to 1.56 million uni

US Residential Remodeling Market Remains Resilient Despite Cost Pressures USA: The National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI) recorded 61 in the second quarter of 2026, remaining in positive territory despite a slight decline from the previous quarter. Strong homeowner equity and an ageing housing stock continue to support demand for residential renovation projects. However, remodelers reported ongoing challenges from rising material costs, ec

US Construction Market Shows Stable Outlook as Data Centre Investment Drives Growth USA: Rider Levett Bucknall's second-quarter 2026 Quarterly Construction Cost Report indicates that the US construction market has entered a period of stable growth, with construction cost inflation easing to around 1% per quarter. Strong investment in data centres, infrastructure, healthcare and education has increased the national construction backlog to 8.8 months, providing a solid pipeline

French Sanitary Taps Exports FRANCE: French exports of sanitary taps and fittings increased by 26.7% between 2023 and 2025, driven mainly by strong growth in bathroom taps and mixers. Bathroom taps accounted for around 71% of total sanitary tap exports in 2025, with Germany and Spain emerging as the largest export markets, followed by Belgium, Italy, Portugal and the UK. Exports to Morocco also increased, while shipments to the United States declined significantly despite its

US Enacts Bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act USA: The United States has enacted the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, aimed at improving housing affordability and increasing the supply of homes. The legislation introduces measures to accelerate residential construction, including the use of pre-approved home designs, streamlined planning processes and updated regulations for manufactured housing. It also modernises federal housing programmes, eases financing for smalle

energy efficiency EUROPE: Following confirmation from the European Environment Agency that the EU27 is on track to achieve its agreed energy and climate targets for the 2020s, the European Union has shifted its focus toward defining energy efficiency priorities for the post-2030 period. On 18 June, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy (DG Energy) held the first of two stakeholder workshops to discuss the future EU energy efficiency policy framework beyond

Bathroom ITALY: Nearly two years after the Villeroy & Boch Group acquired Ideal Standard, the integration has reached a significant milestone with the launch of the first jointly developed product collections. The acquisition has broadened Villeroy & Boch’s product portfolio by adding fittings and shower systems, categories that were previously absent from its offering. In the Italian market, the group follows a dual-brand strategy with clearly differentiated positioning. Ide

HVAC Saudi Arabia: Samsung Electronics will supply more than 1,000 high-efficiency heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units to over 100 mosques across eight major cities in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh and Ramah. The company will install its ceiling-mounted 360 Cassette air conditioning systems, engineered to meet the unique cooling requirements of large religious facilities. The units provide uniform air distribution across expansive indoor spaces while oper

Building UK: Housebuilders and housing providers in England and Wales will be subject to more stringent requirements for the design, installation, testing, and certification of ventilation systems under updated Building Regulations set to take effect in 2027. The new provisions are part of the Future Homes and Buildings Standards, which are intended to enhance the energy efficiency of newly built homes and certain construction projects. The regulations apply to new residentia

housing USA: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which was enacted into law over the weekend, introduces incentives for local governments to ease zoning and land-use restrictions, with the aim of accelerating housing development and boosting demand for HVAC products and services. The legislation also establishes a pilot program to support repairs and upgrades for aging housing stock, creating additional opportunities for HVAC retrofits and indoor air quality (IAQ) improveme

HVAC FRANCE: France has amended its fire safety regulations for high-rise buildings (IGH) to permit the installation of hermetically sealed, CE-marked air conditioning systems using flammable refrigerants under strict safety conditions. The revised regulation broadens the scope of permitted equipment by replacing the term "electric cooling appliances" with the wider category of "thermodynamic systems," reflecting advances in HVAC technology and the industry's transition towar

Lennox Signs Agreement to Acquire Heat Controller US: Lennox announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Heat Controller, an HVAC equipment supplier serving distributors across North America through its Comfort-Aire and Century brands. The acquisition is intended to expand Lennox’s offering for small and mid-sized HVAC distributors by broadening its product portfolio and strengthening its presence in the North American HVAC market. The transaction is expect

Villeroy & Boch Receives SBTi Validation for Climate Targets Germany: Villeroy & Boch announced that its long-term climate targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), confirming that the company's decarbonisation strategy is aligned with the Paris Agreement and the objective of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. The company aims to reduce direct CO₂ emissions from its operations by 45% and indirect supply chain emissions by 25% by 2030, compared

RAK Ceramics Bangladesh Appoints Mohammod Khourshed Alam as CEO Bangladesh: RAK Ceramics (Bangladesh) Limited has appointed Mohammod Khourshed Alam as Chief Executive Officer, effective 15 July. The company stated that he brings experience in business strategy, commercial operations, organisational development and corporate management. The appointment is intended to support the company's strategic growth initiatives across its ceramic and porcelain tiles, sanitaryware, faucet

Goodwill Ceramics Seeks Talks Over Kenya's Ceramic Import Duty Tanzania: Goodwill (Tanzania) Ceramics has called on the Tanzanian government and the East African Community (EAC) to engage with Kenya following the introduction of a 5% excise duty on imported ceramic tiles and sanitaryware under Kenya's Finance Act 2026. The company stated that the revised tax regime could increase export costs, affect regional supply chains and create uncertainty for manufacturers trading with

German Cities Continue Heat Planning Away from Fossil Gas Germany: An analysis by Finanztip found that the largest German municipalities continue to prioritise heating strategies that reduce reliance on fossil natural gas despite changes to the country's Building Modernisation Act. The study found that all 16 cities assessed expect a significant decline in fossil gas use, with district heating planned for densely populated areas and heat pumps and other decentralised systems

Airflow Partners with Ideal Bathrooms for UK Distribution UK: Airflow has entered into a distribution partnership with Ideal Bathrooms to expand the availability of its ventilation products across the UK. Under the agreement, Ideal Bathrooms will stock and distribute selected Airflow ventilation systems, duct kits and installation accessories through its nationwide showroom network, allowing customers to source ventilation products alongside bathroom products from a single su

BRG is pleased to announce the recent publication of the 2026 Heating and Cooling market reports for its tiers 2 countries. BRG reports provide an in-depth overview of the most recent developments in the Heating markets in several European countries, including market trends, price developments, sales per sector, supply structure, and distribution patterns. Tier 2 European Heating and Cooling Markets: 2025 Developments Across recently published Tier 2 European countries, 2025

India’s LPG Import Surge Leaves State Fuel Retailers with Excess Inventories India: State-run refiners Indian Oil Corp. (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp. (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. (HPCL) are facing excess LPG inventories after securing imports of up to 40,000 tonnes per day amid concerns over potential disruptions in the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. With supply risks easing, daily import requirements have fallen to around 30,000–32,000 tonnes, while domes

Capacite Infraprojects Secures USD 56 Million Luxury Residential Construction Contract in Mumbai India: Capacite Infraprojects Limited has secured a USD 56 million (INR 4,820 million) construction contract from Twenty-Five Downtown Realty Limited for a luxury residential project in Mahalaxmi, Mumbai, strengthening its order book and enhancing revenue visibility over the next 24–36 months. The project reinforces the company's presence in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), i

Pennsylvania Adopts 2021 ICC Codes for Industrialized Housing and Modular Buildings U.S.: Pennsylvania’s Industrialized Housing & Buildings Program adopted the 2021 ICC Codes effective June 1, 2026, requiring all industrialized (modular) homes and commercial modular buildings that begin their first stage of production on or after that date to comply with the updated standards. Industrialized homes and commercial buildings constructed and certified before June 1, 2026, but not

Hansgrohe Expands Wash Portfolio in India with Launch of Avalegra India: Hansgrohe has expanded its Wash portfolio in India with the launch of Avalegra in Mumbai, showcased at its channel partner outlet C B Xclusive, as part of its strategy to strengthen its consumer-facing retail presence and premium positioning. Avalegra introduces an integrated Washplace concept that combines the wash basin and faucet into a single solution, featuring a parabolic spray integrated into the

Sandro Bonomi Appointed President of CEIR to Strengthen European Taps and Valves Industry Europe: Sandro Bonomi has been appointed President of CEIR-Taps & Valves Europe at the CEIR Congress 2026, held in Brussels, Belgium, from 8–10 June, with a mandate to strengthen the federation’s role in the European political and industrial landscape. Bonomi, who also serves as President of AVR-Italian Association of Valve and Faucet Manufacturers, represents an industry that recorded U

Lecico Egypt Completes Merger of Three Wholly Owned Subsidiaries Egypt: Lecico Egypt has completed the merger of its three wholly owned subsidiaries, International Ceramics, European Ceramics, and Lecico for Ceramic Industries finalizing a process that began last year. Following the merger, the company's issued capital was reduced to approximately USD 4.04 million (EGP 200 million) from approximately USD 8.08 million (EGP 400 million) by halving the par value of its shares to