China CHINA: China’s consumer inflation edged up to a 34-month high in December, yet broader deflationary risks remain entrenched. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed CPI rising 0.8% year-on-year, slightly higher than November. However, full-year inflation was flat-the weakest in 16 years, highlighting fragile demand amid a prolonged property downturn, weak job prospects, and external pressures, including the global trade war under Donald Trump. Policymakers co

Bangladesh’s Ceramics Sector Targets Export Expansion Beyond Garments BANGLADESH: Bangladesh’s ceramics industry is emerging as a strong export candidate beyond ready-made garments, supported by rapid growth in capacity and investment. The country has more than 70 ceramic manufacturers producing tableware, tiles, and sanitaryware, with annual domestic sales of roughly USD 730 million. Over the past decade, production and investment have increased by nearly 150%. Exports to ov

Samsung Electronics Releases Fourth-Quarter 2025 Earnings Guidance SOUTH KOREA: Samsung Electronics announced earnings guidance for the fourth-quarter of 2025, projecting consolidated sales of approximately USD 69.9 billion and operating profit of about USD 15.0 billion, based on K-IFRS. The estimates reflect the median of expected ranges due to Korean disclosure rules. For comparison, Q3 2025 sales stood at USD 64.7 billion with operating profit of USD 9.1 billion, while Q4

Foreign Interest Sustains Real Estate M&A Activity in Vietnam Vietnam: Foreign investor interest in real estate mergers and acquisitions in Vietnam has remained steady, despite many publicly disclosed deal values appearing modest. Market participants indicate that these figures do not fully reflect actual capital commitments, as investment strategies have increasingly shifted towards long-term development projects and strategic partnerships. Research indicates that Vietnam ha

Rising Copper Costs Likely to Push Air Conditioner Prices Higher India: Consumers planning to purchase air conditioners may face higher prices as copper costs have increased in recent months, raising input expenses for manufacturers. Copper prices recently exceeded USD 12,000 per tonne (EUR 11,000 per tonne), according to market data, adding pressure across categories that rely heavily on the metal. In air conditioners, copper is a key material used in components such as coil

Amber Subsidiaries Secure Approval Under Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme India: Amber Enterprises India stated that its step-down subsidiaries, Ascent K Circuit and Shogini Technoarts, have received formal approval under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme. The approval, granted in early January 2026 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, supports the localisation of electronic components and is intended to strengthen India’s electr

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

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

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

Bharti Enterprises and Warburg Pincus to Acquire 49% Stake in Haier India INDIA: Bharti Enterprises together with private equity firm Warburg Pincus, has announced a strategic investment in Haier India, a subsidiary of Haier Group. Upon completion of the transaction, Bharti Enterprises and Warburg Pincus will jointly hold a 49% stake in Haier India, while Haier Group will retain an equal 49% share. The remaining 2% equity will be owned by Haier India’s management team. In a s

Gravity Bath Acquires Italian Luxury Bathware Brand DILUSSO INDIA: Gravity Bath Pvt Ltd has announced the acquisition of DILUSSO, an Italy-based luxury bathware label recognised for its design-led approach and precision engineering. The acquisition marks a key milestone in Gravity Bath’s strategy to build a globally relevant, design-centric bathware portfolio by combining European aesthetics with Indian manufacturing scale and technology expertise. Founded in Italy, DILUSSO h

Saudi Arabia SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has announced that invoicing under the White Land and Vacant Properties Fees Program will commence in Riyadh on Jan 1, 2026. The initiative will apply to undeveloped land plots larger than 5,000 sq. meters located within designated urban development zones. These zones are categorised by development priority, with annual fees ranging from 10 percent of land value in high-priority areas to 2.5 perc

Hisense INDIA: Hisense is positioning air conditioners as the cornerstone of its next growth phase in India, viewing the category as the fastest-growing appliance opportunity over the next decade. Citing single-digit AC penetration, CEO Pankaj Rana stated, "AC penetration in India is still in single digits, and over the next 10 years, air conditioners will be the biggest category in terms of CAGR growth." Hisense expects ACs to surpass TVs and refrigerators in value within fi

Amber Enterprises to Invest USD 55.8 Million in Punjab, India to Expand HVAC R&D Facility INDIA: Amber Enterprises India Ltd has announced plans to expand its advanced HVAC research and development centre in Punjab, supported by state incentives aimed at boosting technology innovation. The facility will focus on the development of commercial air-conditioning solutions and VRV systems. The company will invest ₹500 crore (USD 55.8 Million) over the duration of Punjab’s incentiv

GST Cut Fails to Kickstart Indian AC Sales – Primary Market Stays Subdued The recent reduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the Indian AC market from 28% to 18% has provided price relief for consumers. However, primary sales, shipments from manufacturers to distributors, have yet to see the anticipated boost, with industry insiders citing high channel inventories and cautious dealer ordering as key factors.  Distributors Hold Back Amid High Inventories   Distributor