Fashion
EU Parliament greenlights CBAM update, SMEs get relief
The updated CBAM introduces a new de minimis mass threshold, exempting imports of up to 50 tonnes per importer per year from CBAM requirements. This replaces the earlier rule exempting only goods of negligible value. According to the EU, this change will relieve 90 per cent of importers—primarily SMEs and individuals—of reporting and compliance obligations while still covering 99 per cent of total CO2 emissions from CBAM goods such as iron, steel, aluminium, cement, and fertilisers, the Parliament said in a press statement.
European Parliament has approved CBAM reforms under the ‘Omnibus I’ package, easing compliance for SMEs by exempting imports up to 50 tonnes per importer annually.
The changes simplify authorisation, emissions calculation, and verification rules while retaining 99 per cent emissions coverage for some products.
The text now awaits Council endorsement.
For goods still covered by CBAM, the law simplifies key processes including authorisation of CBAM declarants, calculation and verification of embedded emissions, and financial liability requirements. The legislation also introduces safeguards and anti-abuse provisions to ensure that emissions coverage remains intact and that the threshold cannot be misused to avoid compliance.
The legislation must now be formally endorsed by the Council of the EU. It will enter into force three days after its publication in the EU Official Journal.
CBAM is the EU’s flagship tool to ensure a level playing field between EU-made products—which are subject to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS)—and imports from non-EU countries. It is designed to encourage foreign producers to adopt more climate-friendly production methods. In early 2026, the European Commission is set to review whether the CBAM’s scope should be expanded to cover additional ETS sectors and consider measures to assist EU exporters of CBAM-covered goods facing carbon leakage risks.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)
However, actual use of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland declined during the same period, falling 5.7 percent year on year (YoY) to ¥161.45 billion ($23.43 billion), as mentioned in official ministry figures.
China established 8,631 new foreign-invested firms in the first two months of the year, up 14 per cent YoY, even as actual FDI inflows fell 5.7 per cent to ¥161.45 billion ($23.43 billion).
High-tech industries attracted ¥63.21 billion ($9.19 billion), rising 20.4 per cent and accounting for 39.2 per cent of total inflows, while investment from Canada and Switzerland surged sharply.
Sector-wise, FDI inflows totalled ¥47.52 ($6.90 billion) in manufacturing and ¥111.22 billion ($16.17 billion) in services, indicating continued dominance of the service sector in attracting foreign capital. High-tech industries remained a key growth area, drawing ¥63.21 billion ($9.19 billion) in investment, up 20.4 per cent year on year (YoY) and accounting for 39.2 percent of the national total.
In terms of source countries, investment from Canada and Switzerland recorded strong gains, surging 210 per cent and 41.3 per cent respectively compared with the same period last year, highlighting a shift in the composition of foreign capital entering the Chinese market.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (JP)
In 2023, 73 per cent of APAC CEOs were optimistic about global economic prospects; however, it was down to 64 per cent in 2025. Globally, only 68 per cent of CEOs remain upbeat about this—the lowest level seen in four years.
APAC CEOs reported much more optimism in 2025 about the growth prospects of their own economies over the next three years, while confidence in global economic prospects dropped, KPMG said.
Optimism about their own country’s prospects was the highest in Australia and lowest in India last year.
About four-fifths of APAC CEOs also saw substantial growth opportunities for their organisations and industries.
Optimism about their own country’s prospects was the highest in Australia (90 per cent) and lowest in India (71 per cent) last year, a KPMG release said citing its latest annual ‘APAC CEO Outlook’.
The declining confidence of APAC CEOs in the global landscape also reflects ongoing uncertainty and volatility that has plagued the global markets, stemming from an evolving geopolitical landscape, persistent supply chain constraints and intensifying scrutiny on sustainability, KPMG noted.
Furthermore, about 80 per cent of APAC CEOs also saw substantial growth opportunities for their organisations and industries, in line with the global average.
In fact, in 2025, executives appear more certain that their companies are on an upward trajectory compared to the previous year: 61 per cent of respondents expect earnings to increase by more than 2.5 per cent this year, compared to just 52 per cent in 2024.
CEOs in Japan (76 per cent) are particularly optimistic about their earnings outlook compared to global and regional peers, reflecting its solid domestic demand and stable GDP performance.
This positivity is driving many in APAC to continue investing in their businesses, with executives noting that there is strong appetite for increased hiring (92 per cent) and mergers and acquisitions (87 per cent) over the next three years, and a substantial number (82 per cent) of APAC CEOs expecting to spend more than 10 per cent of their budgets on artificial intelligence (AI) in the next 12 months.
This clearly indicates that subdued global outlook has not dampened optimism around companies’ prospects in APAC, KPMG remarked.
Confidence in the growth prospects of the global economy is lowest among Chinese companies (58 per cent). This likely reflects, in part, the impacts of an uncertain tariff environment. Strained relations with its main export partner and uncertainty around global demand are likely some areas of concern among firms in China.
Global trade risks topped the minds of APAC CEOs last year, especially as geopolitical tensions and trade realignments dominated headlines. These trends have persisted in 2025, with supply chain resilience remaining a top three driver of organisational decision-making in the short term.
However, the landscape is shifting with the arrival of emerging technologies like generative AI. AI integration is the top issue driving APAC executives’ short-term decision-making, a notable contrast with global peers who are more focused on cybersecurity issues and supply chain resilience, KPMG added.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Strait of Hormuz disruption has unleashed a cascading cost shock across the textile value chain, from crude to fibre.
Indian PSF has surged 26.5 per cent while naphtha prices have spiked nearly 90 per cent, inflating feedstock costs.
The cotton–polyester spread has tightened to multi-year lows, while 31 force majeure declarations across Asian petrochemical plants intensify supply risks.
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