News

India is to start negotiating a free trade agreement

India has proposed creating a free trade zone with the Eurasian Economic Union of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia, said Alexey Pushkov, head of the International Committee of Russian State Duma. "The question was raised by India, which is now considering a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union. This is a new level in our relationship. The possibility is being discussed," he told reporters Friday during an official visit to New Delhi.
On Thursday TASS reported that India will start negotiating a comprehensive free trade agreement with the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan within the next six months. The Eurasian Economic Union of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia started functioning in January 2015.

Recycling Rate for EPS Packaging Still on the Rise

CROFTON, MD, September 15, 2014 – The EPS Industry Alliance (EPS-IA) released its annual report documenting the amount of expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycled throughout the country. The 2013 EPS Recycling Rate Report shows continuous growth in the amount of EPS recycling as a result of ongoing collection and processing technology advancements and new market developments for recycled EPS. The report illustrates that more than 125 million pounds of EPS was recycled last year, which includes all post-consumer, post-commercial and industrial recovery. This information was collected from 41 EPS manufacturers and independent recyclers within the United States.

Polystyrene Foam Insulation Industry Urges EPA to Pursue Balanced Approach in Chemical Risk Assessment of Fire Retardants

CROFTON, Md., April 3, 2014 -- The EPS Industry Alliance (EPS-IA) recently completed a series of tests on extruded polystyrene (XPS) to examine the effects of moisture absorption and R-value in different field applications. Two new technical resources look at the behavior of rigid foam insulation exposed to water, specifically related to the material's drying potential and R-value retention. When evaluating XPS material samples extracted from roofing and below grade applications, in these long-term installations, XPS did not maintain its initial R-value

North Sea Oil Production Continues to Slide

LONDON--Oil production in the British section of the North Sea declined in 2014 amid rising costs, high taxes and low oil prices, underscoring the need for more investment and exploration there, an industry association said Tuesday. The report by Oil & Gas U.K., a lobbying group, comes as the oil industry has stepped up pressure on the U.K. government to cut taxes and streamline the complex regime for the oil and gas sector in its March budget amid the North Sea's decline .