19JANUARY, 2026hat ways can packaging order volumes act as an early signal for capacity expansion, supply-chain shifts, or new technology investments in advanced manufacturing sectors?When manufacturers invest in capital equipment, they also need industrial packaging to export these machines since their production site is usually far away to their end customers or where their downstream manufacturing operations are taking place. Equally, the investments in new technology and R&D activities are an indication that mass production will eventually take place elsewhere. In each scenario, growth in manufacturing requires the use of capital equipment. Hence, capital equipment investment becomes an early indicator of increased manufacturing and trade activity. Since capital equipment has to be packed and transported, the industrial packaging demand can be taken as a leading indicator of broader economic trends.To reduce the risks of depending on a single supply source, the large manufacturers are currently adopt-ing dual-location strategies: one facility in China for the domestic market, and another outside China- of-ten serving the U.S. and other global markets to miti-gate tariff and geopolitical risks. As a result, countries such as Singapore and those in Southeast Asia have become preferred locations for regional headquarters or manufacturing plants. These decisions are an early indicator of new supply-chain shifts. That increase in packaging demand reflects the overall realignment of the supply chain trends.How are sustainability requirements influencing the materials, design, and engineering of high-value industrial packaging for sensitive electronic and medical equipment?Governments are now demanding a higher level of sustainability. For instance, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) of the EU is currently transitioning to active enforcement. This rule requires businesses to report the existence of non-recyclable in their value chain, as well as the proportion of materials that are recycled and non-recycled.The same applies to packaging, and compliance ex-pectations will only increase. As a result, it is crucial to monitor record and transparently report the types
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