Uzbekistan introduces tariffs on raw material exports before joining WTO
The Uzbek Tax Committee announced that Uzbekistan would introduce export duties for 86 raw materials including natural gas and cotton fibres, silk, wheat, copper, and wheat in preparation for its application to join the World Trade Organization. The new measure will be effective on July 1. It is intended to improve Uzbekistan’s export regulations and to encourage local producers, Azizbek Urunov said Tuesday. Uzbekistan considered joining the WTO almost 30 years ago, but recently the Uzbek Government has intensified its negotiations and plans to join in 2026.
Thieves Fry Kenya's Power Grid to Cook Fast Food
(Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The morning scene is increasingly routine for Kenyans. When it's time to start the day, the power is already out. Somewhere nearby, the shell of a wrecked electrical transformer lies on its side underneath the pole where it had been fixed 20 feet off the ground. The culprit is an unusual one: A vandal who is selling the toxic oil, drawn from the transformer, to chefs who use it for frying food in roadside stalls. Five liters of the viscous, PCB-laden liquid sells for $60. It looks like cooking oil, but lasts much longer, users say.
US Navy Awards Contract To Dismantle Constellation
The Navy competitively awarded a contract to International Shipbreaking Limited of Brownsville, Texas, for the towing, dismantling and recycling of conventionally powered aircraft carriers stricken from service, June 13. Under the contract, the company will be paid $3 million for the dismantling and recycling of the decommissioned aircraft carrier Constellation (CV 64). The price reflects the net price proposed by International Shipbreaking, which considered the estimated proceeds from the sale of the scrap metal to be generated from dismantling. The Navy continues to own the ship during the dismantling process.
