Construction Supply-Chain Integrity: Philippines President Marcos warned illegal trade of substandard reinforcing steel may have expanded since 2018, as investigations continue to map how much bad steel entered construction. Electrical Safety Enforcement: Sri Lanka’s Consumer Affairs Authority carried out 1,000+ island-wide raids on electrical and electronic goods, seizing 1,150+ items and pushing tougher warranty and labeling checks for products like extension cords, power strips, chargers and adapters. Trade Policy Shock for Solar: The US finalized steep anti-dumping and countervailing duties on solar cells/panels from India, Indonesia and Laos, with USITC review due in October. EV/Auto Market Access: India-EU FTA terms would give European automakers concessional access for up to 100,000 ICE/hybrid cars in year one, while Pakistan cut HEV sales tax from 25% to 18%. Inflation Pressure on Industry: India’s wholesale price inflation rose to 9.92% in August, driven by food, fuel/power and manufactured items. Manufacturing Tech & Skills: Global eTraining is taking AI-powered digital adoption to Autodesk University 2026, while Keysight joined EuroCDP to expand semiconductor design tools and training for European SMEs. Corporate Moves: Solar Group offered to buy Omnia for about $1.355bn (₹12,951 crore), aiming to strengthen mining and agriculture manufacturing and supply chains.