Bans Toilet and Sanitary Ware Exports EU: The European Union has banned the export of lavatory pans, bidets, and other sanitary ware to Russia as part of its 19th sanctions package. According to the ruling of the EU Council published in the Official Journal of the EU, "bidets, lavatory pans, flushing cisterns and similar sanitary ware" have been added to the list of goods prohibited for export to Russia. The EU provided no rationale for this specific prohibition. The new sanc

Sanitation as Open Defecation Namibia: Namibia continues to struggle with major sanitation challenges, with 40% of the country’s 756,339 households still practising open defecation, according to the 2023 Census Report released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA). Speaking at the first National Sanitation Symposium on behalf of the minister of agriculture, water and land reform, deputy minister Ruthy Masake highlighted that the problem is most severe in rural areas and info

Loss from Sanitary Ware Ban Italy: Italian companies are set to lose millions of euros following the European Union’s renewed ban on selling sanitary ware, including toilets and bidets, to Russia as part of its 19th sanctions package adopted last week. The restriction, first introduced in 2022, has been extended and criticised by business representatives as damaging to Italian industry. The ban on sanitary ware exports alone is estimated to cost the Italian economy around 140

Strong Q3 Earnings USA: A.O. Smith (AOS) reported quarterly earnings of $0.94 per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.89 per share and marking a +5.62% earnings surprise. This compares to $0.82 per share recorded a year ago, with all figures adjusted for non-recurring items. In the previous quarter, the company had been expected to post earnings of $0.97 per share but achieved $1.07, delivering a +10.31% surprise. Over the last four quarters, A.O. Smith has e

construction THAILAND: The Thai condominium market experienced a notable slowdown in the first half of 2025, according to Knight Frank analysts. Major developers such as Sansiri, Sena, Major Development, and SC Asset delayed the launch of new projects, Real Estate Asia reported. However, experts highlighted opportunities in the secondary market, where significant discounts are currently available. "Over the past six months, no significant projects for the construction of new

Manufacturing unit USA: U.S.-based sanitary ware manufacturer Fluidmaster has expanded its operations in Slovenia with the opening of a new facility at its Postojna factory, the company’s local unit announced. The new building includes both manufacturing areas and office space, according to a Facebook post by Fluidmaster Slovenija, which did not disclose additional details. Fluidmaster entered the Slovenian market in 2014 through the acquisition of Postojna-based Kolektor Liv

LG Logo EUROPE: Zeliatech Srl, a European distributor of sustainable technologies and a subsidiary of Esprinet Spa, announced a new partnership with LG Electronics Italia, a long-standing strategic partner within Esprinet’s portfolio across the TV, monitor, notebook, and home appliance segments. This collaboration marks an expansion of their existing partnership into the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) sector, enhancing Esprinet’s portfolio and reinforcing i

Gas Boiler The immediate fallout of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022 was the European energy crisis that followed. The souring of relations with Europe over the invasion of Ukraine threatened the availability of gas for heating and other purposes during harsh winter months, with the Russian Federation being the biggest gas supplier to the continent. In order to maintain energy security and mitigate the impending impact of this development, various European governments pushed fo

Heat pump The market for heat pump water heaters (HPWH) in Australia, once a clean energy success, has declined sharply since 2024. This downturn is likely to continue into 2025. After two years of strong growth fueled by generous rebates, the industry now struggles with reduced subsidies, poor-quality imports, and decreasing consumer trust.  From Boom to Bust   Between 2022 and 2023, the HPWH sector grew quickly, thanks to federal Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) a

Wickes United Kingdom: Wickes Group PLC recorded a 6.9% year-on-year increase in total revenue to EUR 420.1 million (US$ 488.9 million) in the third quarter, supported by robust performance across all divisions. The Design and Installation segment led the growth with a 7.8% rise, reflecting continued demand for home improvement and remodeling projects. The company noted that consumer interest in kitchen and bathroom upgrades remains solid, despite broader economic headwinds,

Delabie France: Delabie Group has officially completed the acquisition of KWC Professional, formerly known as Franke Water Systems. This strategic acquisition significantly expands Delabie’s international footprint, boosting its share of global revenue from 40% to 70%. With this move, Delabie strengthens its leadership position in the European market for sanitary fittings and equipment designed for public and commercial buildings, including hospitals, schools, and transport h

Haier Netherlands: Haier HVAC Solutions has entered into a strategic partnership with Technoclima BV to distribute its commercial air-conditioning and heat pump systems across the Dutch market. The collaboration will enable faster product availability, enhanced technical support, and stronger local presence for installers and specifiers. Technoclima is based in Meerkerk, offering integrated after-sales service and technical project assistance. This agreement includes plans to

Jomoo Thailand: TOA Paint (Thailand) Public Company Limited has entered the smart bathroom solutions market through a strategic partnership with JOMOO, a global bathroom fixtures brand. The company has inaugurated its first comprehensive Smart Bathroom Solution, featuring the flagship X-Series intelligent toilet. This collaboration aims to achieve sales of 200 million baht (US$ 6.1 million) within three years, reflecting TOA’s strategic pivot toward serving the health-conscio

Carrier United Kingdom: Carrier Solutions UK has unveiled a fully refurbished London Colney training centre, enhancing its capacity to deliver professional HVAC engineer training to a wider audience. The upgraded facility now offers hands-on education using the latest Carrier, Toshiba and Viessmann branded equipment, including advanced air-to-air and air-to-water heat pumps, VRF systems, residential and commercial boilers, controls, and specialist rigs for F-Gas certification

Bangladesh’s air-conditioning (AC) market expanded rapidly from 2021 onwards, driven by rising incomes, fast urbanisation, and increasingly hotter summers that made cooling a necessity rather than a luxury. Annual sales rose sharply from 2021, nearly doubling by 2024, reflecting the sector’s swift transformation into a large and dynamic industry. The residential segment contributed the largest share of market value, while commercial systems played a smaller but significant ro

LG Indonesia: LG Electronics has launched a new partner-operated production facility in Bekasi, West Java, dedicated to manufacturing air conditioners as part of its Global South expansion strategy. Spanning 32,000 square meters, the facility began operations in October 2025 with the capacity to produce approximately 700,000 indoor and outdoor units in its first year. LG plans to double this capacity further in the near future. The Bekasi plant follows the Korean Quality Cont

DTI Destroys Unregistered Ceramic Sanitaryware Worth PHP 4.6 Million Philippines: The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has destroyed around PHP 4.6 million (approximately USD 79,000 / EUR 74,000) worth of unregistered ceramic sanitaryware at its Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau warehouse in Marikina City. The products were confiscated as part of the agency’s ongoing enforcement operations against substandard goods that violate Republic Act 4109, also known as th

Madinah Chamber of Commerce and Industry SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia is implementing development projects worth over SAR 200 billion (US$56 billion) in Madinah to expand infrastructure for the rising number of pilgrims, projected to reach 30 million by 2030. According to the Madinah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a total of 224 projects are under way, including 15 government-led, 10 semi-government, and 199 private-sector initiatives. The projects cover more than 30 million

National Construction Code AUSTRALIA: Australia building ministers have agreed to pause major changes to the National Construction Code (NCC) until mid-2029, with only essential quality and safety measures taking effect. The measures include improved water management in commercial and apartment buildings, enhanced carpark fire safety standards, commercial energy efficiency reforms, and condensation mitigation. Planned requirements for home EV chargers and new residential ener

On September 22, 2025, the Government of India implemented a major reform in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure, reducing the GST rate on air conditioners (ACs) from 28% to 18%. This change is part of the broader GST 2.0 initiative, which simplified the tax regime into three slabs—5% for essentials, 18% for standard goods, and 40% for luxury items. The reduction in GST has led to a direct price drop of ₹1,500 to ₹3,500 per unit, depending on the model and brand. This