In 2012, a number of countries demonstrated their willingness to develop nuclear power by implementing various initiatives such as investment in nuclear energy research, signing of co-operation agreements with other countries for the development of nuclear power, and extending the operational lives of existing nuclear reactors. While many countries opted to develop nuclear power, a number wished to phase it out entirely or reduce dependence upon it, due primarily to public concerns regarding the safety of nuclear power plants following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011. Countries such as China, India, the US, the UK and South Korea are highly motivated to develop nuclear power, which augers well for the nuclear power industry, given the magnitude of planned nuclear power in these countries. However, countries such as Germany, Switzerland and Belgium have decided to phase out nuclear power, citing safety risks associated with the operation of nuclear power plants. France is expected to determine its stance towards nuclear power in 2013.

GlobalData's new report, "New Zealand Hospital Supplies Market Outlook to 2018 - Disposable Hospital Supplies, Mobility Aids and Transportation Equipment, Operating Room Equipment, Sterilization and Disinfectant Equipment and Others" provides key market data on the New Zealand Hospital Supplies market. The report provides value (USD million), volume (units) and average price (USD) data for each segment and sub-segment within market categories - Disposable Hospital Supplies, Syringes and Needles, Mobility Aids and Transportation Equipment, Operating Room Equipment, Patient Examination Devices and Sterilization and Disinfectant Equipment. The report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for each of the aforementioned market categories. The report is supplemented with global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants with information on company financials and pipeline products, wherever available.

Adult mouth care saw only sluggish sales growth in 2011 over the previous year, with 5% current value growth mainly driven by inflation. Sales suffered due to low consumer awareness of these products, with adult mouth care seeing little advertising support or new product development. Manufacturers are unwilling to invest in adult mouth care due to low sales and sluggish sales growth.

Growth in luxury jewellery and timepieces volume sales in 2012 was up modestly on 2011. This was partly due to growth in consumer confidence as economic conditions in Sweden continued to improve. Improvements in online distribution and the increasing supply and demand for affordable luxury brands also bolstered growth in volume sales, but contributed to a slight slowdown in current value sales growth. Volume and current value growth rates in 2012 were both markedly stronger than the respective...

Euromonitor International's Industrial reports provide a 360 degree view of an industry. The Industrial market report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the Basic Chemicals market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new product developments, packaging innovations, economic/lifestyle influences, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.

Spreads performed consistently well over the review period. Jams and preserves as well as honey are staple products in the Egyptian diet and they are therefore very popular. Other products such as chocolate spreads and nut and seed based spreads were still relatively new in 2012 as well as expensive and they were thus regarded as luxury products by many consumers.

Digestive remedies experienced sales of A$216 million in 2012, up from A$205 million in 2011, a growth rate of 5% in current value terms. Australia's ageing population, schedule changes, and the evolving Australian diet all played important roles in the sales performance of Australia's digestive remedies.

Surface care, although recording significant growth in recent years, can still be considered a niche area in Iran. Consumer awareness of professional surface care items remains limited to basic offerings like multipurpose cleaners, oven cleaners and window/glass cleaners while the majority of consumers still use products like bleach and hand wash detergents for cleaning different surfaces. However, during the last three years a significant improvement has occurred regarding the distribution of...

The general perception of the current diet of average Croatians is that it is insufficient in vitamins and minerals. This thinking persists in spite of the latest launches in packaged food, which offer additional vitamins and minerals for daily intake. Croats consider even fresh food to be less nutritional than it used to be in "the good old days". For this reason, if household budgets allow it, the regular intake of vitamins and dietary supplements is seen as a preventative measure against low...

Biscuits' consumption has increased over the last few years, mainly due to an impulse from healthy offerings, mainly functional. There is a lifestyle shift towards healthier food products that is affecting this category. The government is promoting this change of behaviour to a balanced and healthy lifestyle, and forcing companies to inform consumers on product packaging of the nutritional facts related to their goods and possible hazards, such as fat, sodium and sugar levels. This is...

Fruit/vegetable juice continued to record dynamic growth in 2012, with sales being fuelled by rising interest in healthy and natural drinks, the expansion of domestic players and increased investment in advertising, especially by financially strong operators. In general, the most popular advertising channels were radio, billboards, public transport and sales points. The largest advertisers are domestic manufacturers and the most-advertised brands are Jale (Qabala Konserv Zavodu), Vita1000 (Az...

As consumers develop more sophisticated tastes, they are increasingly purchasing more premium ice cream. In addition, due to increased health consciousness amongst consumers, they are also choosing healthier ice cream that is less sweet and less fat.

We continue to believe that the next several years will see Chilean real GDP growth trend lower as Chinese copper demand growth trends lower, weighing on Chilean exports and investment. We also see domestic demand trending lower in 2013 and 2014, mostly on easing investment and relatively less robust growth in private consumption. Indeed, a steady, multi-year decline in retail sales since 2010 leads us to believe that the Chilean consumer is entering a period of slower growth.

In our previous quarterly report, BMI revised down its production and sales estimates for Iran's autos industry - despite total vehicle output by Iran's automakers increasing 2.4% year-on-year (y-o-y) to 1.64mn in the Iranian year ended March 19 2012 - owing to the withdrawal of many international companies from the country in the wake of global sanctions against its nuclear efforts.

BMI View: Although Vietnam's telecoms sector is generally exhibiting declining growth momentum we believe the market still harbours significant potential given that the bulk of consumers are using basic, lowvalue services. The 3G sector is particularly attractive as consumers have yet to see the benefits of the service, in addition to other hindrances to adoption such as a lack of content. However, the competitive landscape is dominated by state companies, leaving little opportunities for foreign players.

BMI Ratings - Brief Methodology

Core Views

GlobalData has released its new Country report, "PharmaPoint: Prostate Cancer - Australia Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2022". The recent approvals of second-line metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) therapies like J&J's Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) and Medivation/Astellas' Xtandi (enzalutamide) will drive strong market growth over the next decade. These safe and orally administered treatments will provide safety and convenience benefits over the current standard of care, chemotherapy with docetaxel, while prolonging the overall survival of patients with mCRPC. The December 12, 2012 FDA approval of Zytiga for the added indication of chemotherapy-naive mCRPC marks the onset of a new treatment paradigm for the disease, in which chemotherapy is relegated to second-line therapy and beyond. For patients with earlier-stage prostate cancer, androgen deprivation therapy with LHRH agonists and first-generation antiandrogens remains the standard of care for suppressing testosterone levels and temporarily controlling the disease.

Freight Sector To Benefit From Limited Recovery

The United States is planning to withdraw from its decade-long military presence in Afghanistan from 2014. As the US reduces its footprint in the country, it will hand over an increasing share of the security burden to the Afghan National Army and police force.

Less complicated design and structure of carbon taxes, makes it easier to quickly implement them in comparison to emission trading programs. Implementing carbon taxes will have an immediate impact on the thermal power generation sector, which is the largest contributor to carbon emissions worldwide. Increased adoption of carbon taxes through a year-on-year phase-in process will enable the prediction of future energy and power prices with improved accuracy. Increasing carbon emissions are a serious concern, as they are causing an increase in temperature, leading to rising sea levels, which in turn are causing a number of adverse effects globally. China, the US, the UK, Australia and countries in the EU have set targets for mandatory energy cuts and are improving energy efficiency in order to curtail the increase of carbon emissions. For the same reasons, these countries, based upon the distinct features of accelerated emission control, are increasingly considering carbon taxation over emission trading schemes to quickly reduce their carbon emissions.

GlobalData's new report, "Asia-Pacific Wound Care Management Market Outlook to 2018 - Advanced Wound Management, Wound Closure Devices, Pressure Relief Devices and Others" provides key market data on the Asia Pacific Wound Care Management market - Japan, China, India, and Australia. The report provides value (USD million) data for all the market categories - Advanced Wound Management, Pressure Relief Devices, Traditional Wound Management, Ostomy Drainage Bags, Wound Closure Devices, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT), Compression Therapy, Tissue Engineering, Wound Debridement Devices and Automated Suturing Devices. The report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for each of the aforementioned market categories. The report is supplemented with global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants.

GlobalData's new report, "Syringes and Needles Market Outlook in BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) to 2018" provides key market data on the Syringes and Needles market in the BRICS countries. The report provides value ($m), volume (units) and average price ($) data for each segment and sub-segment within two market categories - General Syringes and Specialized Syringes. The report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for the overall Syringes and Needles market in each of the aforementioned countries. The report is also supplemented with global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants with information on key developments, wherever available.

GlobalData's mining industry offering, "Uzbekistan Uranium Mining Market Overview and Forecast to 2020: Trends, Major Projects, and Competitive Landscape" provides a comprehensive understanding of the uranium mining industry in Uzbekistan. This report provides historical and forecast data on uranium mine production to 2020. In addition to this, the report also includes drivers and restraints affecting the industry, profiles of major uranium mining companies and information on major active and planned mines. This report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research and in-house analysis by GlobalData's team of industry experts.

Global solar industry is now at cross roads and now shaping into a big industry. The current global solar power market can be characterized by solar module inventory pileup, intense trade disputes among countries, frequent incentives cuts, falling prices of solar module, pressurized margins of manufacturer and fierce competition among others. When the supply of modules from the manufacturers exceeds market demand, it reflects in their inventory levels. The inventory levels tend to increase due to a decrease in sales. This decrease in sales is mainly due to fragile demand, which in turn creates a fall in module prices. PV module prices fell by 10% from Q3 2011 to Q2 2012. The top 10 module companies accounted for more than 40% of the global share in 2012. Five out of these 10 module manufacturer companies are based in China.

Weight loss scene seems to have changed completely with natural fat burners getting more popular. Natural fat burners and diet pills have been around for a long time but the difference this time is that latest products are backed with clinical findings to substantiate their weight loss claims. Some of the most popular natural fat busters include garcinia cambogia, green coffee and raspberry ketones.

PageFlipPDF.com (eFlip Software Co., Ltd), a developer of digital publishing software for e-books, has announced it is cooperating with e-commerce partner REGNOW. The company sells e-book making software online. eFlip Standard is its hottest product selling online. REGNOW provides an efficient online ordering process that is protected via a secure connection. Data are sent to the recipient are encrypted so nobody else can read sensitive information such as credit card numbers, addresses, and more. All of these are sent to the recipient securely through the Internet.