A special supplement featuring status updates on environmental and legislative updates from leading experts in the ASEAN region. The report covers Thailand, India, Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia

Legislative developments have impacted the Asia Pacific coatings industry with some force over the last few years, with ‘environmental’ and ‘green’ solutions a recurring buzzword in conference themes and technological innovation. But the story is different for every region.

Whilst some areas are at the forefront of environmental compliance – like Singapore and Japan for instance, markets that do not export to Europe (as of yet) still have a way to go. India and Indonesia are among the few that are lagging behind – but are still booming markets generated by a wealth of domestic demand.

For businesses interested in expanding into the ASEAN region, it is invaluable to be kept up-to-date with how changing legislation including REACH, GHS and more, has affected the trends and challenges of the market place. For ‘Getting Asia Ready for Change’ we have pulled together some of the leading experts in the industry to provide status reports for each region as well as contact details for further enquiries, making this a comprehensive guide to legislative development in the Asia Pacific coatings industry.

Political developments

Aside from regulatory changes, Asia must also prepare for the changing political arena, including a new government for Indonesia and Free Trade Agreements for China and New Zealand, which will change the business environment quite dramatically and introduce more competition for developing markets that rely on domestic sales. There are differing views on whether China will provide new opportunities or new threats to the marketplace, some of which are discussed briefly by the columnists for Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Below we have provided a definition of the main regulations and agreements discussed within the supplement, with access to more information provided at the end of each section.

We hope this supplement brings value to your business.