１． Corporate earnings squeezed due to soaring raw fuel costs including crude oil and naphtha
In all industrial sectors, corporate management of enterprises of all sizes has been increasingly constrained because of rising raw material and fuel costs. Ordinary households are also suffering from price hikes of all kinds of goods including public utility rates.

By Japan Packaging Institute

- Value -

Shipment value of packaging materials and containers \ 6,227 bil. (yen)
( previous year : \6,216 bil.(yen) ratio : 100.2% )

Production value of packaging machinery \ 488 bil.
( previous year : \4576bil.(yen) ratio : 102.4%)

- Volume -

Defra seeks assessment of packaging's impact on environment

Focus on biodegradable and degradable packaging.

20 September 2007 - The environmental impact of biodegradable and degradable packaging is seen as a key issue for the UK 's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and its implementation of the Government's waste strategy.

The news follows a warning from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) that bioplastics need to be introduced with care by retailers and brand owners. (See PRW.com 12 September 2007 ).

Valued at approximately $121 billion in 2004, the Asian packaging market is growing by a CAGR of 6% and is forecast to reach $174 billion in 2011. Over the last decade the packaging industry in Asia has become increasingly sophisticated and in most countries in the region, growth of the packaging sector is ahead of the nation's GDP growth. Based on major new research this report from Pira International provides expert analysis of the fast-growing Asian packaging market.