The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation began applying on 12 August 2026, setting a timetable of bans and reuse obligations through 2030. Hotels will lose the right to supply single-use mini toiletries and individually wrapped soap, and restaurants face curbs on single-use condiment sachets, from 1 January 2030. Takeaway outlets must accept customers' own containers from February 2027 and offer reusable packaging from February 2028, while online sellers must cut oversized delivery boxes.
Why this mattersRestrictions from 2030 on hotel mini toiletries, condiment sachets and small fresh-produce packs move hospitality and food-service demand towards dispensers, refill systems and reusable formats.
- Regulation began applying across the EU on 12 August 2026
- From 1 January 2030, hotels may no longer supply single-use shampoo, shower gel, lotion bottles or individually wrapped soap per guest stay
- From 2030, single-use plastic sachets and containers for condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, coffee creamer and spices are restricted for on-site dining, with exceptions for takeaway and hygiene-sensitive settings
- From 12 February 2027, takeaway drink and food outlets must accept customers' own containers on equal terms
- From February 2028, takeaway outlets must also offer reusable packaging
- From 2030, single-use plastic packaging for fresh fruit and vegetables up to 1.5 kg is restricted, and online sellers must reduce oversized, mostly empty delivery boxes
The US Department of Commerce has set a preliminary dumping margin of 1.69% for Hansol Paper in its administrative review of thermal paper from South Korea for 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025, published in the Federal Register on 19 October 2026. The review was rescinded for 16 other companies after petitioners Domtar and Appvion withdrew their requests, and the all-others cash deposit rate stays at 6.19%. Deposits change only with the final results; case briefs are due by 9 November 2026.
Why this mattersIf confirmed, the 1.69% margin would set Hansol's duty liability on US thermal paper entries for the period, well below the 6.19% all-others deposit rate.
- Preliminary constructed-export-price margin for Hansol Paper Company set at 1.69%, published in the 19 October 2026 Federal Register (91 FR 66104-66106).
- All-others cash deposit rate remains unchanged at 6.19% pending final results.
- Review period covers 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025 under antidumping order A-580-911 (thermal paper from Germany, Japan, Korea and Spain, originally imposed November 2021).
- Review partially rescinded for 16 companies, including Sailing Paper and Kooka Paper Manufacturing, after petitioners Domtar and Appvion withdrew requests on 27 April 2026.
- Case briefs are due by 9 November 2026, hearing requests by 18 November 2026, and rescission instructions no earlier than 23 November 2026.
- Cash deposit rates will only change once Commerce issues final results; if the final margin is de minimis (below 0.50%), entries liquidate without antidumping duty.
Nepa Limited has halted newsprint production at its mill in Nepanagar, Madhya Pradesh, after running out of coal, although both paper machines, with combined capacity of 100,000 tonnes a year, are in working order. The mill, with accumulated losses of about USD 111m (INR 1,055 crore), is seeking waivers of a USD 26m (INR 247 crore) government loan and USD 45m (INR 427 crore) of accrued interest, and is in talks with the Ministry of Coal and coal producers to restore supply.
Why this mattersNewsprint Nepa cannot make is met from imports, which already cover about 60% of Indian demand.
- Both paper machines at Nepa Limited's Nepanagar mill are operational but idle for lack of coal, with combined capacity of 100,000 tonnes of newsprint a year
- Accumulated losses stand at about USD 111m (INR 1,055 crore)
- Management is seeking waivers of USD 26m (INR 247 crore) in government loan principal and USD 45m (INR 427 crore) in accrued interest
- The mill pays about USD 6m (INR 57 crore) in annual interest against profit of less than USD 2.6m (INR 25 crore) a year
- The Nepanagar municipal council owes the mill about USD 1.1m (INR 10 crore)
- India imports roughly 60 percent of its newsprint requirement
Celulosa Argentina, under preventive insolvency proceedings since September 2025, reported a comprehensive loss of ARS 14,196.2m for the quarter to 31 August 2026, about 87% less than the ARS 109,432m lost a year earlier. Consolidated revenue rose 59% to ARS 46,729.7m and output rose 288% to 22,654 tonnes after the mills restarted following the 2025 stoppage. The company still faces restricted access to credit and high energy costs, and has been paying wages in instalments.
Why this mattersWith output almost quadrupled but a gross loss still recorded, Celulosa Argentina's recovery as a domestic supplier of paper, tissue and eucalyptus pulp remains unproven.
- Comprehensive loss of ARS 14,196.2m for the quarter ended 31 August 2026, against ARS 109,432m a year earlier
- Consolidated revenue rose 59% to ARS 46,729.7m
- Production rose 288% to 22,654 tonnes of printing and writing paper, tissue and eucalyptus market pulp
- Gross loss narrowed from ARS 29,157.4m to ARS 12,529m
- Esteban Nofal took 45.5% and control in September 2025, with a financing line of up to USD 18m for wages and working capital
- The Capitán Bermúdez and Zárate plants had production interruptions in recent months
Hansol Paper has been selected for a South Korean government-backed AI factory programme aimed at cutting steam and energy use in papermaking, part of a seven-party consortium running to 2029 with total investment of KRW 12.2bn (USD 9.16m), including KRW 8.5bn (USD 6.4m) in state funding. The project will develop AI tools for steam optimisation, predictive maintenance and safety management, with the aim of an autonomous plant and a standard model extendable to smaller suppliers.
Why this mattersThe project targets steam-intensive drying, one of papermaking's largest cost and carbon items, and is built to share results with smaller suppliers lacking their own investment capacity.
- Hansol Paper was selected for a papermaking AI factory programme linking large and smaller companies, run by South Korea's Ministry of Trade and Industry
- The project runs for about four years to 2029 with total investment of KRW 12.2bn (USD 9.16m), including KRW 8.5bn (USD 6.4m) in government funding
- Seven organisations are involved: two end-user companies, three AI specialist firms and two research institutes
- The project targets incinerator steam optimisation, lower steam use in paper drying, predictive maintenance and an AI safety-management model
- The stated goal is an autonomous plant where AI recommends operating conditions, putting data behind decisions that relied on veteran operators' experience
- Hansol Paper plans to turn the results into a standard model for smaller suppliers and similar manufacturing sectors
French luxury packaging maker Verpack has recomposed its shareholder base, with Aldebaran Capital Partners entering alongside management as Crédit Mutuel Equity exits. Crédit Mutuel Equity had backed Verpack in a buyout since 2020. The company expects revenue of EUR 60m (USD 67.5m) this year and plans to accelerate growth in France and Europe.
Why this mattersA new financial sponsor backing a luxury packaging specialist points to continued private-equity appetite for premium case and box makers serving beauty and spirits brands.
- Aldebaran Capital Partners enters Verpack's capital alongside management and becomes its lead financial investor
- Crédit Mutuel Equity exits after backing Verpack in a first buyout since 2020
- Verpack forecasts revenue of EUR 60m (USD 67.5m) for 2026
- Verpack employs 530 staff at five sites in France and one in Tunisia
- It designs, makes and distributes premium cases and boxes for luxury, beauty, fashion, fine food and spirits
- De Pardieu advised the lending pool on the debt financing; no transaction value was reported
Singapore's National Environment Agency issued preventive measure notices on 16 October 2026 under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to seven Sumatra-based companies over land and forest fires; three are wood suppliers to Asia Pulp & Paper, part of Sinar Mas Group. The notices require the firms to put out fires, stop any burning and submit fire-prevention plans; a lawyer quoted in coverage noted they do not establish a breach of the law. APP said it has contacted the suppliers and will support their full cooperation with the agency.
Why this mattersUpstream fire enforcement against Asia Pulp & Paper's wood suppliers renews cross-border regulatory and reputational pressure on Sinar Mas Group's fibre supply chain.
- Singapore's National Environment Agency issued preventive measure notices on 16 October 2026 to seven Sumatra-based companies under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act
- Three of the seven, PT Bumi Andalas Permai, PT Bumi Mekar Hijau and PT SBA Wood Industries, supply wood to Asia Pulp & Paper, part of Sinar Mas Group
- PT Bumi Andalas Permai's plantation covers about 190,415 hectares and PT Bumi Mekar Hijau's about 249,650 hectares, both in Ogan Komering Ilir Regency
- The same three received similar notices over the 2015 haze, and investigations from that episode are still ongoing
- APP said its supply partners must follow a zero-burning policy and that it will support the suppliers' cooperation with the agency
- Singapore's 24-hour PSI was forecast at 150 to 230 on 17 October 2026
Guala Closures has agreed to acquire most of the production equipment from G3 Enterprises' aluminium wine screwcap business. The equipment will add to the Italian closures maker's manufacturing capacity in Mexico as it builds out its supply network across the Americas.
Why this mattersGuala adds Mexican screwcap capacity by taking over an existing supplier's production equipment, strengthening its supply position with wine producers across the Americas.
- Guala Closures agreed to acquire most production equipment from G3 Enterprises' aluminium wine screwcap business
- The equipment will expand Guala Closures' manufacturing capacity in Mexico
- The deal is intended to strengthen Guala Closures' supply network across the Americas
Milwaukee private equity firm Mason Wells has closed its acquisition of Canworks, a direct-to-aluminium-can digital printer founded in 2020, the firm announced on 14 October 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed; founders Ryan and Marshall Thompson and Canworks management retained a stake alongside Mason Wells.
Why this mattersPrivate-equity backing for what Canworks calls the largest US direct-to-can digital printer gives short-run can decoration, an alternative to labels and sleeves, capital to grow.
- Mason Wells announced the closed acquisition of Canworks on 14 October 2026; deal value undisclosed.
- Canworks operates five US plants: Austin (HQ), Atlanta, Vista, St Louis and Windsor.
- Founders Ryan and Marshall Thompson and Canworks management reinvested alongside Mason Wells.
- Ally Corporate Finance provided acquisition financing; Quarles & Brady advised Mason Wells.
- Mason Wells has raised USD 2.4bn across five buyout funds and counts packaging materials and converting as one of four target sectors.
- Canworks says it has printed 500 million cans for more than 700 beverage brands and also sells can ends and PakTechs.
The US Department of Commerce has preliminarily found that certain Indian producers or exporters of PET film, sheet and strip sold in the US below normal value between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, in its administrative review of the antidumping order published on 30 June 2025. The review, initiated on 22 August 2025 for eight companies including SRF, Polyplex, Garware Hi-Tech Films and Ester Industries, was rescinded for some of them; the published abstract names neither the companies found to have dumped nor the margins. The results apply from 19 October 2026 and are open to comment before final results.
Why this mattersOnce final, the company-specific margins will set US duty rates for India's main PET film exporters and the landed cost of their film for US converters.
- Commerce preliminarily finds that certain producers or exporters sold PET film in the US below normal value from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025
- The antidumping order on PET film from India (A-533-824) was published on 30 June 2025
- The review was initiated on 22 August 2025 for Cosmo First, Chiripal Poly Films, Ester Industries, Garware Hi-Tech Films, JPFL Films, Polyplex Corporation, SRF and Vacmet India
- Commerce rescinded the review for certain companies
- The preliminary results apply from 19 October 2026; interested parties may comment before final results
Polinas Plastik, a portfolio company of Gözde Girişim, has completed its purchase of a 67% stake in Turkish packaging producer Imaj Ambalaj for EUR 4.02m (USD 4.52m), becoming its controlling shareholder. Turkey's Competition Authority cleared the deal on 3 September 2026, and payment was made and the closing reported to the Public Disclosure Platform on 16 October 2026. Imaj runs a 15,000-tonne-a-year plant in Gebze with annual revenue of about EUR 40m.
Why this mattersPolinas adds 15,000 tonnes of Gebze capacity and an exporter reaching over 30 countries, bringing two Ülker-family-linked packaging producers under one owner.
- Polinas paid EUR 4.02m (USD 4.52m) for 67% of Imaj Ambalaj
- Closing conditions were met with payment on 16 October 2026 and the deal was disclosed to KAP
- Turkey's Competition Authority approved the change of control on 3 September 2026
- Imaj Ambalaj, founded in 2001, has a 41,500 sq m plant in Gebze, Kocaeli, with 15,000 tonnes of annual capacity
- Imaj has annual revenue of about EUR 40m (USD 45m), more than 250 employees and exports to over 30 countries
- Imaj owner Mehmet İman is related to Murat Ülker, former chairman of Yildiz Holding
TC Transcontinental will close its RBW Graphics printing plant in Owen Sound, Ontario, at the end of January 2027, eliminating 360 jobs. Employees were told at an all-hands meeting on 14 October 2026. A local editor said the group has been consolidating print operations at other plants; the site's workforce had fallen from more than 600 in 2015 to about 400 by 2020 after a Rogers magazine contract ended in 2019.
Why this mattersThe closure removes a 400,000-square-foot print site as Transcontinental concentrates printing work at its other plants.
- 360 jobs go when the plant closes at the end of January 2027
- Employees were told at an all-hands meeting on 14 October 2026
- The plant employed more than 600 people at its 2015 peak, when it held a Rogers magazine printing contract
- The Rogers contract ended in 2019 and the workforce fell to about 400 by 2020
- RBW Graphics has operated in Owen Sound since 1907, in its current 400,000-square-foot facility since the 1970s
- According to the Owen Sound Current editor, Transcontinental has been consolidating print operations at other plants
Indonesia's Anti-Dumping Committee (KADI) conducted a three-day evaluation, from 14 to 16 October 2026, of the anti-dumping duty on imported biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film at producer PT Argha Karya Prima Industry Tbk in Citeureup, West Java. The review covers duties on BOPP imports from China and Malaysia in force since 1 October 2024 and from Thailand and Vietnam since 3 January 2025, and will feed into recommendations on the duty's effectiveness.
Why this mattersThe evaluation may feed recommendations on the duties that set import costs for BOPP film bought by Indonesian flexible packaging converters.
- KADI's site visit ran from 14 to 16 October 2026 at PT Argha Karya Prima Industry Tbk in Citeureup, West Java
- Anti-dumping duty on BOPP from China and Malaysia has applied since 1 October 2024 under Finance Ministry regulation PMK No. 60/2024
- Duty on BOPP from Thailand and Vietnam has applied since 3 January 2025 under PMK No. 95/2024
- KADI met the company's Head of Corporate Affairs, Santoso Samudra, to discuss import trends and impact on company and national BOPP industry performance
- Team also inspected production processes and warehouse stock levels
- Evaluation is intended to inform policy recommendations to improve duty effectiveness and protection of the domestic BOPP industry
Fujifilm and ePac Flexible Packaging have formed a global strategic alliance under which ePac will deploy Fujifilm's Jet Press FP790 water-based digital inkjet press across its plant network. Deployment begins with an installation at ePac's new facility in Phoenix, Arizona, with further presses planned across the network in later phases. No investment figure or total press count was disclosed.
Why this mattersInstalling a high-volume water-based inkjet press across ePac's network pushes digital print in flexible packaging from short runs towards longer run lengths.
- Fujifilm and ePac announced the global alliance on 18 October 2026
- ePac will scale Fujifilm's Jet Press FP790 water-based digital inkjet press across its global network
- Deployment begins with a press at ePac's new Phoenix, Arizona facility, with fleet expansion in later phases
- Fujifilm says the FP790 prints at 1200 x 1200 dpi and covers over 90% of the Pantone colour gamut
- ePac says the press lets it handle longer run lengths while keeping short-run capability
- No investment figure or total press count was disclosed
Heidelberg subsidiary Gallus Group said CEO Dario Urbinati will step down from the role on 1 November 2026 to join the board of Ferd. Rüesch, becoming its president on 1 January 2027. Chief financial officer Michael Bsirske becomes interim CEO, and Uwe Boerner takes over global sales from Thomas Schweizer, who is leaving the company.
Why this mattersHeidelberg's label press unit moves to an interim chief from finance and a new sales head while pushing its Gallus One and Gallus Five digital presses.
- Dario Urbinati steps down as Gallus Group CEO from 1 November 2026, joining the Ferd Rüesch board of directors
- Urbinati becomes president of the Ferd Rüesch board from 1 January 2027
- Gallus CFO Michael Bsirske becomes interim CEO of Gallus Group
- Uwe Boerner is appointed head of global sales, succeeding Thomas Schweizer, who is leaving the company
- Gallus is a label press subsidiary of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen
MotionTech, a European packaging automation company, has launched a US operation and appointed Kristian Hulgard as executive sales director to lead sales from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The company said it has completed more than 30 installations for US customers and plans to expand its commercial and service presence across North America.
Why this mattersA direct US sales and service presence lets a European end-of-line and conveying specialist compete more closely with domestic automation suppliers for American packaging lines.
- MotionTech has appointed Kristian Hulgard as executive sales director for the United States.
- Hulgard will lead US operations from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
- MotionTech focuses on end-of-line packaging, storage systems and conveying solutions.
- The company has completed more than 30 installations for US customers.
- MotionTech plans to expand its commercial and service presence across North America.
DiDi Shop has partnered with Mexican materials firm Bioelements, with technical validation by UNAM's Institute of Engineering, to replace 500,000 plastic delivery bags a month with compostable bags made from corn byproducts in Mexico. The companies aim to deliver 3.5 million compostable bags by the end of 2026, with the bags containing 20-40% corn starch and composting fully within six months.
Why this mattersA delivery platform switching rider bags to compostable corn-based film is a visible test of agri-residue materials, though the 38 tonnes of plastic displaced is small.
- DiDi Shop will distribute 500,000 compostable bags a month to delivery riders in Mexico.
- The partners target 3.5 million compostable bags delivered by the end of 2026.
- The bags are made by Bioelements from corn byproducts, with 20-40% corn starch content.
- UNAM's Institute of Engineering validates the bags' compliance with Mexican rules; the bags meet NMX-E-273, ISO 14855 and EN 13432.
- The bags fully compost within a maximum of six months.
- The initiative is expected to keep 38 tonnes of conventional plastic out of the market and cut landfill emissions by up to 60%, equivalent to 74 tonnes of CO2.
Thai beverage group Osotspa has upgraded its OSP Bottle to Bottle programme into a flagship corporate responsibility project, targeting collection of 625,000 tonnes of glass cullet by 2030 for reuse in new bottle production. The scheme, run with local authorities, waste collectors and the Stock Exchange of Thailand plus 40 member companies, focuses on recovering small glass bottles that often escape collection systems.
Why this mattersA major regional brand owner's cullet target gives glass producers and recyclers a concrete, dated demand signal for closed-loop collection infrastructure.
- Osotspa targets collecting 625,000 tonnes of glass cullet by 2030
- The target equals 99% of estimated M-150 sales volume for 2026-2030
- Programme partners include the Stock Exchange of Thailand and 40 member companies
- A beach waste collection and sorting event was held at Laem Chabang, Chonburi province
- Osotspa is upgrading the project in its 135th anniversary year
- The scheme uses fair pricing and faster payment to give waste collectors an incentive
LyondellBasell has installed the pyrolysis reactors at its chemical recycling plant in Germany, taking the project out of engineering and into mechanical construction. The plant is designed to turn mixed plastic waste that mechanical recycling cannot handle into a liquid feedstock for crackers. No capacity or commissioning date has been given.
Why this mattersReactor installation narrows the gap between announced and operating European chemical-recycling capacity that supplies recycled polymer feedstock to packaging producers.
- Pyrolysis reactors are now in place at LyondellBasell's German chemical recycling site
- With the reactors installed, the project has passed from engineering to mechanical construction
- The plant will process mixed plastic waste into pyrolysis feedstock for crackers
- LyondellBasell has disclosed neither throughput capacity nor a commissioning date
Niagara Bottling and biotech startup Rhea's Factory will test Rhea's enzymatic PET depolymerisation platform, RheaCycle, at industrial scale at Niagara's PET recycling facility in Vernon, California. The project is one of nine selected under the US Department of Energy's Industrial Technology Validation programme, which is providing USD 3m in combined funding across all nine projects, with results independently verified by DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Why this mattersA successful industrial-scale test could open mechanically unrecyclable PET streams, such as thermoforms and textiles, to food-grade recycling.
- DOE's Industrial Technology Validation programme selected nine projects nationwide for a combined USD 3m in funding
- RheaCycle uses AI-designed enzymes to break PET into terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, which can be repolymerised to virgin-equivalent PET
- Test site is Niagara's PET recycling facility in Vernon, California, acquired from rPlanet Earth in May 2026
- Performance will be independently measured by DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Site preparation is underway, with installation and commissioning expected to take up to six months before validation begins
- RheaCycle will run as a parallel line, targeting feedstocks such as thermoforms, contaminated PET and polyester textiles outside the mechanical recycling spec
Ganesha Ecopet, the recycling subsidiary of Ganesha Ecosphere, received FSSAI clearance on 15 October 2026 for its fourth food-grade recycled-PET line, at Warangal; the group's Indian recycling and washing capacity is now about 219,000 tonnes a year. India has roughly 17 FSSAI-approved food-grade rPET plants with combined capacity of about 300,000 tonnes a year, built on an estimated USD 948m-1.05bn (INR 9,000-10,000 crore) of investment, driven by an EPR rule requiring 40% recycled content in rigid plastic packaging in 2026-27. The constraint has shifted from plant capacity to supply of clean, sorted PET bottles.
Why this mattersA capacity build driven by regulation means Indian recyclers now compete for clean bottle feedstock and brand offtake rather than on plant investment, changing collection-chain economics.
- Ganesha Ecopet received FSSAI clearance on 15 October 2026 for a fourth food-grade rPET line at Warangal, Telangana, valid two years
- Ganesha Ecosphere's Indian recycling and washing capacity is now about 219,000 tonnes a year
- India has about 17 FSSAI-approved food-grade rPET plants with combined capacity of about 300,000 tonnes a year
- Capacity is projected to reach about 750,000 tonnes a year by March 2027
- Investment behind the capacity is estimated at USD 948m-1.05bn (INR 9,000-10,000 crore)
- India's EPR rule requires 40% recycled content in Category I rigid plastic packaging in 2026-27, rising to 60% by 2028-29, and excludes imported recycled content
Portuguese packaging-waste scheme Novo Verde reported that selective collection of plastic packaging fell 3.8% year on year to 63,477 tonnes in the first nine months of 2026, one of three materials to decline alongside steel and aluminium. Total selective packaging collection across all materials rose 1.1% to 373,182 tonnes, led by growth in paper/board, but the scheme's director-general said this pace remains short of what is needed to meet national recycling targets.
Why this mattersA decline in plastic packaging collection widens the gap to national recycling targets, raising compliance pressure on producers under Portugal's EPR scheme.
- Selective collection of plastic packaging in Portugal fell 3.8% year on year to 63,477 tonnes in January-September 2026.
- Overall selective packaging collection across all materials rose 1.1% to 373,182 tonnes in the same period.
- Steel packaging collection fell 6% to 5,398 tonnes and aluminium fell 4.6% to 1,630 tonnes.
- Glass remained the largest collected material at 166,157 tonnes, up 0.7%, representing about 45% of the total.
- Paper/board collection rose 4.4% to 127,919 tonnes, the biggest volume contributor to growth.
- Novo Verde director-general Pedro Simões said the 1.1% overall growth is insufficient to meet national recycling targets.
India's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has notified a Quality Control Order making Bureau of Indian Standards certification mandatory with immediate effect for wrought aluminium utensils, with aluminium beverage cans following on a staggered timetable from 1 April 2027. The order, S.O. 5624(E) of 13 October 2026, applies to domestic manufacturers and importers and, unlike the order it replaces, makes contravention punishable under the BIS Act, 2016.
Why this mattersAluminium can makers and importers serving India must secure BIS licences to standard IS 14407:2023 well ahead of 2027, adding compliance lead time and cost to market access.
- Order S.O. 5624(E) was notified on 13 October 2026, Gazette No. 5410, under the BIS Act, 2016.
- Wrought aluminium utensils (IS 1660:2024) require BIS certification with immediate effect for all enterprise sizes, replacing a prior phased schedule.
- Aluminium beverage cans (IS 14407:2023) must carry the BIS mark from 1 April 2027 for general manufacturers, 1 July 2027 for small enterprises and 1 October 2027 for micro enterprises.
- Goods made for export, and imports of filled containers, are exempt from the order.
- Existing certified or import-pending stock may be sold for up to six months after the implementation date with a Chartered Accountant-certified declaration.
- The order supersedes an earlier 2026 Quality Control Order and adds a penalty clause for contravention that was absent before.
Zimbabwe's government has suspended customs duties on imported printing and packaging materials, according to a Statutory Instrument published in the Government Gazette on 16 October 2026. The measure is intended to ease cost pressure on media companies and other designated businesses that depend on imported inputs for print and packaging.
Why this mattersLower import costs for print and packaging inputs could ease margin pressure for Zimbabwean converters and media firms reliant on foreign-sourced materials.
- A Statutory Instrument suspending customs duties on imported printing and packaging materials was published in Zimbabwe's Government Gazette on 16 October 2026.
- The relief applies to media companies and other designated businesses sourcing these materials from outside Zimbabwe.
- The measure was confirmed by the relevant government minister.
Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs confirmed a six-month 0% import duty on six tariff codes covering polyethylene and polypropylene raw materials, under Finance Ministry Regulation No. 68 of 2026, issued 2 October 2026. The move responds to a sharp rise in international resin prices, intended to protect domestic plastics manufacturers' cost base and supply continuity.
Why this mattersThe relief may do little for packaging converters: early feedback cited by officials suggests most covered codes are liquid resins, not the pellet-form PE and PP converters use.
- Regulation PMK No. 68/2026, enacted 2 October 2026, sets 0% MFN import duty for six months on specified PE and PP tariff codes.
- International polypropylene prices rose about 42.79% and polyethylene about 27.87% year-on-year as of 13 October 2026.
- The incentive covers six tariff codes: PE codes 3901.10.12, 3901.10.19, 3901.10.99, 3902.10.30 and PP codes 3902.10.90, 3902.30.30.
- The policy decision was agreed at a ministerial coordination meeting on 28 April 2026.
- Officials say early industry feedback indicates most covered products are liquid-form resins not matching downstream packaging, household, agriculture or SME needs for pellet-form plastic.
- The government plans ongoing monitoring and stakeholder consultation to assess the policy's effectiveness before any revision.
South Korea's trade association KITA and trade promotion agency KOTRA have launched support programmes to help small and mid-sized exporters, particularly in food and cosmetics, comply with the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which took effect on 12 August 2026. KITA will provide training, on-site consulting and documentation help for declarations of conformity and technical files, while KOTRA has published a country-by-country PPWR implementation report focused on extended producer responsibility.
Why this mattersCompliance burden under PPWR's conformity-documentation requirements is pushing exporting countries to build dedicated support infrastructure for smaller suppliers into the EU market.
- The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) took effect on 12 August 2026 across all 27 member states.
- The Korea International Trade Association announced on 14 October 2026 a PPWR support package for food and cosmetics exporters.
- KITA will run three sector-specific training sessions for 200 food and cosmetics industry staff in the first week of November 2026.
- KITA consultants will visit companies to check packaging compliance and assist with declaration of conformity (DoC) and technical documentation (TD).
- KOTRA published a report on 12 October 2026 on PPWR implementation by EU member state, focused on extended producer responsibility (EPR).
- KOTRA and the Korea Food Industry Association held an online briefing on 14 October 2026 covering PPWR rules in Germany, Hungary, Czechia and the UK.
The Canadian International Trade Tribunal ruled on 18 October 2026 that there is a reasonable indication of injury to Canadian producers from dumped and subsidised paper cups and containers imported from China. The finding, under case PI-2026-004, lets the Canada Border Services Agency continue its dumping and subsidy investigation, with preliminary determinations due by 16 November 2026.
Why this mattersThe injury finding keeps Canada's case against Chinese paper cups and containers alive, raising the prospect of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on those imports.
- CITT issued a preliminary injury finding on 18 October 2026 in case PI-2026-004.
- The case covers dumped and subsidised paper cups and containers imported from China.
- The tribunal's inquiry was conducted under Canada's Special Import Measures Act alongside CBSA dumping and subsidy investigations.
- CBSA is to issue its preliminary dumping and subsidy determinations by 16 November 2026.
- The CITT finding is a procedural step, not a final ruling on duties.
- Any anti-dumping or countervailing measures depend on the outcome of CBSA's ongoing investigation.
