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How Forever Chemicals Are Impacting International Trade

The World Bank published their new blog on the impact of Forever Chemicals (PFAS) on international trade. This impact is quietly reshaping global trade and supply chains. New PFAS rules are becoming market access barriers.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (or PFAS) are a group of human-made chemicals. These substances have been used since the 1950s in various products for their water- and grease-resistant properties. PFAS are often referred to as “forever chemicals” because it was believed that they do not break down in the environment or the human body. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to serious health issues.

The blog was written by Melvin Spreij with with Iryna Sikora and Dr. Tom Deeb

To read the blog, please see the World Bank blog

Connect with us on LinkedIn and join the discussions on building resilient supply chains, developing strong localization and local content frameworks, and maximizing the value created in your country.

Virdivis: Bio-inspired Cleaning Technology

VIRDIVIS™ delivers bio-inspired solutions for industrial and commercial environments. Built on advanced scientific principles, Virdivis™ products solve the toughest challenges, while remaining safe for people, equipment, and the environment.

For more information on our new bio-inspired industrial cleaners, visit #Virdivis

And to learn about the many applications, follow us on LinkedIn

In 2024, Virdivis™ graduated from the prestigious BAJ Accelerator Start-up Program. BAJ Accelerator is renowned for “accelerating the acceleration of technology” by providing high-touch relationships and an extensive network for funding and growth, business and legal support, marketing techniques, and academic partnerships. We are excited about the opportunities this program will bring and look forward to an exciting journey ahead. For more information on the BAJ Accelerator

EU Food Trade Issues

European Union Food Trade Issues: The evolving EU regulations on Maximum Residue Limits for Perfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) could have significant implications for emerging market suppliers and governments.

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage in a discussion to explore solutions and mitigation strategies that can be adopted with experts in the field.
Speakers include:
Welcome: Natia Mgeladze, Global Lead, IFC Food Safety and Food Loss Prevention Advisory Program
Dr. Tom Deeb, Vice President, T&M Associates
Melvin Spreij, Head, Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) Secretariat
Shane Sela, Senior Trade Facilitation Specialist, WBG
Moderator: Kateryna Onul, Policy Lead, IFC Food Safety and Food Loss Prevention Advisory Program

T&M Associates’ Onshoring Programs Build Sustainable Supply Chains

T&M Associates’ onshoring programs help our clients develop, grow, diversify, and optimize their supply chains. Our programs are supported by proprietary systems and processes designed to meet the needs of our clients. Digitization and data analytics are some of the tools used to provide information to make business decisions. By themselves, data analytics do not grow supply chain ecosystems. Growing local supply chains requires hands-on experience in implementation and execution. The output of our program provides clients with a portfolio of opportunities and a list of activities targeting short-, mid- and long-term development and investment opportunities.

The success of our programs was seen during the pandemic. “We have seen a lot of plants and factories and suppliers that support Saudi Aramco from Europe, including China and other places – they had to shut down because of the lockdown. That impacted us for a while. But because of the optimum level of inventory that we have and because of our in-Kingdom total value add, which is our local content – we are at 56% so a lot of things are being manufactured in the Kingdom – it helped us a lot.” Quote by Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser in Oil&Gas, June 2020.

Over the last decade, T&M Associates developed and executed the leading onshoring and in-country value addition programs, recognized by the IFC and World Petroleum Council Excellence Awards in Social Responsibility and especially our clients. Our programs have developed hundreds of supply chain ecosystems to support our clients’ industries, generated billions in new revenue for local companies, created 1000’s of new jobs, and 10’s of millions of USD in new investment.

Saudi Aramco’s iktva Program Helped Battle the Pandemic

Resilient supply chains, as a result of iktva, were a clear advantage during the pandemic. The pandemic caused supply chain disruptions and exposed the vulnerabilities and critical pinch points of global supply chains. During these events, companies and regions experienced difficulties obtaining services and materials, especially from offshore suppliers, delivery times increased, quality decreased, and some suppliers had to shut down or went out of business.

“Mohammad A. Al Shammary, VP Procurement & Supply Chain Management at Saudi Aramco, discusses the impact of iktva on the pandemic, and how localization helps build resilience in Oil&Gas.

The full Press Release can be read here: O&G Aramco iktva Mar 2021

Saudi Aramco CEO credits iktva with helping to build resilience before the pandemic. “We have seen a lot of plants and factories and suppliers that support Saudi Aramco from Europe, including China and other places – they had to shut down because of the lockdown. That impacted us for a while. But because of the optimum level of inventory that we have and because of our in-Kingdom total value add, which is our local content – we are at 56% so a lot of things are being manufactured in the Kingdom – it helped us a lot.” Quote by Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser.

The Oil&Gas Press Release can be read here: O&G iktva and Covid Jul 2020

Leveraging Value Add Programs to Support Economic Recovery

Webinar Presented by AmCham Abu Dhabi

AmCham Abu Dhabi in collaboration with ADNOC, ALDAR and Etihad hosted a live webinar on Wednesday Nov. 18th, 2020 on ” Leveraging Value Add Programs to Support Economic Recovery”.

Moderator: Dr. Tom Deeb, VP, T&M Associates.

Panelists:

Mona Ahmed Balalaa: Manager ICV Execution ADNOC
Sultan Almheiri: Local Content Manager Sourcing & Procurement Etihad Airways
Kim Schofield: Founder and Managing Partner O2K Limited
Leya Al Damani: VP Sustainability Department Procurement ALDAR

Opportunities in Oil & Gas in the Middle East

Danish Export Association Member Conference

In September 2019, Elisabeth Deeb, T&M Associates, was invited to present “Opportunities in Oil & Gas in the Middle East” at the Danish Export Association Member Conference in Esbjerg, Denmark.

World Economic Forum on Economic Development

T&M Associates was an invited author and reviewer for World Economic Forum on Economic Development, Chapter 10. Stimulating Broader Social and Economic Development from Natural Resources. This book was published as a part of the WEF on-going work to help countries maximize the value they create from their natural resources. Read More