On 6 May 2025, the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the UK was announced after three years of negotiations.

The agreement covers goods and services, digital trade, government procurement, intellectual property, labour rights, gender equality, anti-corruption measures and environmental standards. The British government forecasts a £25.5 billion increase in bilateral trade and a £4.8 one in the country's GDP annually in the long term.

Mutual reduction of tariffs is also a key aspect of the FTA. India has agreed to reduce or completely eliminate import duties on 90% of products from the United Kingdom. A 85% of imports from UK are expected to become tariff-free within a decade. Tariffs on whisky from UK in India will be halved, from 150% to 75%, and after 10 years they are expected to fall to 40%. India will also drop car tariffs to 10%. In return, the UK promises to remove tariffs on 99% of goods from India, including clothing, footwear, food, jewellery and a wide range of manufactured products. Among the goods that will face tariff reductions are medical devices, electrical machinery and aerospace.

Major opportunities are also emerging for the plastics sector. These include India's entry into the £22.5 billion UK plastics market, a competitive edge for plastic from India over material from ASEAN countries and China, and encouragement for UK brands to use India-made packaging. The UK government is exempting 6.5% duty on Indian plastic products.

Aside from the opportunities, there are several challenges that both countries will need to overcome to maximise the benefits of cooperation. India needs to obtain United Kingdom Conformity Assessed (UKCA), Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards (BRCGS), and ISO14001 certifications, improve the recyclability and biodegradability of its packaging, and establish partnerships with the UK's Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and retail brands. UK buyers will need to consider the use of material from India in terms of scale and price, and sign long-term contracts to mitigate the risk of supply shortfalls.

Borealis will invest more than €100 million in a new High Melt Strength polypropylene (HMS PP) production line at its Burghausen site in Germany. The Austria-based producer expects the new unit to start up in H2 2026, significantly expanding supply to meet growing demand for fully recyclable materials. The new technology is expected to triple Borealis’ HMS PP output capacity. Reminder: the company currently operates two PP plants in Burghausen with a combined capacity of around 650,000 tpy. The additional HMS PP output will be marketed under the Daploy brand, developed at Borealis’ innovation centre in Linz, Austria.

Daploy HMS PP offers high foamability, lightweight performance, and mechanical strength, supporting material efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint. The product is designed for monomaterial applications and is fully recyclable. Its applications range from packaging and hygiene to automotive and construction:

• In consumer goods, it is used for reusable cups, food trays, and flexible packaging;

• In automotive, foamed HMS PP components are 60—90% lighter than conventional parts, improving fuel efficiency and enabling zero-waste production through recyclability of offcuts;

• In construction, it replaces heavier materials in insulation and panels, offering durability, heat resistance, and recyclability.

The product can be manufactured from mechanically or chemically recycled feedstock, as well as renewable-based materials. Borealis highlighted its use of chemically recycled feedstock from OMV’s ReOil pyrolysis technology, applied through the mass balance method.

Following a disappointing Q1 2025, which saw Japanese carmaker Nissan report a $4.55 billion loss and a 25% drop in its shares, the company is set to lay off 20,000 employees globally, resulting in a 15% reduction in headcount.

The company also intends to shut seven plants down by 2027, reducing the total number from 17 to 10. This decision is expected to save JPY 500 billion ($3.37 billion) a year. In addition to closing plants, Nissan plans to restructure its supply chain to source more parts from fewer suppliers in order to save money.

The reason for Nissan's failure in Q1 2025 is attributed to a decrease in sales in Europe, the USA, China, and Japan. The consequences of the trade war unleashed by Donald Trump are also a major factor.