Benapole Continues to Decline Bangladesh: Trade between Bangladesh and India through the Benapole land port continued to weaken in FY2024–25 following a change of government, as reciprocal restrictions and political uncertainty weighed on bilateral flows. Bangladesh imported 20.39 lakh tonnes of goods from India via Benapole in FY2024–25, down from 21.14 lakh tonnes in FY2023–24, a decline of 75,746 tonnes. Exports through the port also fell by 75,232 tonnes year-on-year, whi

Early Winter Lifts Heater Demand India: An early and sharper winter significantly altered India’s white goods market, driving consumers toward heating appliances while weakening demand for cooling products just ahead of tighter energy efficiency norms effective from January 1, 2026. Sales in india of heating appliances rose nearly 40% year-on-year in December 2025, while demand for air purifiers increased 30%, with Delhi-NCR contributing nearly three-fourths of purifier sales

Heatwave Warning Issued Australia: Authorities have warned that southeast Australia is facing its most severe heatwave in six years, with maximum temperatures widely forecast to exceed 40°C. Severe heatwave warnings have been issued for parts of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania, as well as the entire Australian Capital Territory, driven by a hot air mass moving east across the country. Forecasts indicate that temperatures are expected to reach 41°C in M

High-Efficiency and Low-NOx Heating Systems USA: Starting in 2026, all manufactured water heaters and furnace units installed in Colorado must meet high efficiency standards or ultra-low nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission ratings, aimed at reducing air pollution, improving air quality, and potentially lowering utility bills. Low NOx equipment significantly cuts harmful emissions by drawing combustion air from outside, making it safer for indoor use. While the law does not require

Joins Procure Plus Carbon Tech Framework UK: Procure Plus has appointed Viessmann Climate Solutions to its four-year Framework for the Supply of Low & Zero Carbon Technologies, supporting social housing and public sector projects across retrofit, repairs, maintenance, and new-build activity. The framework, valued at approximately USD 2.0 billion (£1.6bn), provides a compliant route for social housing landlords and public sector organisations to procure materials needed for de

Home Electrification US: Federal tax credits for residential solar panels, batteries and heat pumps expired at the end of 2025, removing incentives that previously saved homeowners significant amounts and making home electrification more expensive from 2026. The lapse of the 30% tax credit does not raise equipment prices directly but ends the ability for homeowners with tax liabilities to offset their taxes, with a typical solar and battery system previously generating credit

Showroom UK: Kitchen and bedroom retailer Wren has maintained its growth momentum, launching seven new showrooms in the final two months of 2025 and taking its total number of openings for the year to ten. New locations were unveiled in Salisbury, Barnstaple and Stafford in November, followed by three additional showrooms in December, including a Yeovil branch that opened on Boxing Day.  The company said the continued showroom rollout underscores its long-term commitment to n

Applications FRANCE: With no budget approved, the MaPrimeRénov’ application window will be suspended nationwide from January 1, 2026, Vincent Jeanbrun has announced. The Minister of Housing confirmed that, in the absence of a parliamentary budget, the State is unable to commit to any new spending. This suspension further prolongs uncertainty around the scheme and adds to the concerns of an already strained sector.  The construction industry is therefore starting the year unde

Acquisition FRANCE: In a press release issued on December 19, 2025, Decotec announced the acquisition of Atelier du Bain, a French manufacturer of shower doors and screens that had been placed into receivership earlier in the autumn.  Formerly known as Atmo (Ateliers de la Motte), Atelier du Bain is recognised as the inventor of the swivel and lift-up bath screen, designed to fold against the wall above the taps when installed on the short side of a bathtub. In 2022, the busi

Industrial Park at Morbi, India India: Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has launched a new Integrated Ceramic Industrial Park at Jambudiya-Paneli in the Morbi-Rajkot region of India, spanning over 1,000 acres. The project is designed to transform the area into a world-class industrial zone for the tile and ceramic sector, enhancing the industry’s presence across the value chain with focus areas including tiles, sanitaryware and advanced ceramics. The park lev

European Gas Prices Europe: European natural gas markets saw a notable decline in prices toward the end of December 2025, with futures for natural gas dropping to around 50 Euro/MWh after the highs of late 2024, indicating easing cost trends on the continent. Despite this downward movement, demand pressures linked to colder weather forecasts kept market attention high, as climatic conditions remain a key factor influencing consumption and stock levels across Europe. In Italy,

Star label India: The government has made energy efficiency star labelling mandatory for a wider range of appliances from January 1, 2026, according to a gazette notification issued by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. The revised regulation will cover refrigerators, televisions, LPG gas stoves, cooling towers and chillers and will also apply to deep freezers, distribution transformers and grid connected solar inverters. Earlier, star labelling for several of these products, i

Subsidy Policies for Home Appliances China: China has released detailed policies for its 2026 home appliance trade in subsidy program, along with incentives for the purchase of selected digital and smart products, as part of efforts to boost domestic consumption. According to a notice jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce and other government departments, individual consumers purchasing energy and water efficient household appliances will be eligible for subsidies of up

BEE Star Rating India: Revised star rating norms issued by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency are expected to push up the prices of cooling appliances such as room air conditioners and refrigerators from January 1, 2026. Under the updated system, the new 5-star air conditioner is designed to be about 10% more energy efficient but may cost around 10% more, while refrigerator prices could rise by around 5%. The price increases are likely to nearly offset the benefit consumers rece

Anti dumping duties India: India has imposed anti dumping duties on two Chinese products, cold rolled non oriented electrical steel and 1,1,1,2 Tetrafluoroethane or R 134a, after finding that these goods were exported to India at below normal prices. According to a notification issued by the finance ministry, anti dumping duty on certain Chinese steel producers has been set at US$ 223.82 per tonne, while a higher duty of US$ 415 per tonne has been imposed on other firms for a