I was going to devote an entire leader article to Brexit and its impact on the glass industry.
But that would have bored you.
A lot of media pages and broadcast time has been taken up with the subject and commentators have complained of Brexit fatigue.
There is another B word discussed later in the article that is far more positive.
Bickering
As you have no doubt heard, the UK is due to leave the EU at the end of March.
While politicians have bickered the clock has ticked and at the time of writing, days before the March 29 deadline, no one appears to know what the future holds.
This has caused unease among those UK glass suppliers that export technical equipment.
Will they have to pay extra tariffs to freight goods overseas? Will it take longer for relevant documentation to be processed?
What does it mean for those which export to countries outside the EU that have trade agreements with an EU that includes the UK. Will goods that arrive in these countries shortly after March 29 be subject to an extra tariff?
Despite the reams of Brexit-related news, glass suppliers have complained about the lack of answers about doing business after March 29.
Brazil
So to end on some uplifting news and the other important B word.
As you will see from this month’s news pages the glassmaking industry in Brazil appears to be heating up.
Domestic container manufacturer Vidroporto has acquired the IVN glassmaking site in the northeast of the country and re-hired a number of former staff.
The site, previously owned by Verallia and a local partner, had closed two years ago.
In a similar story, O-I has re-started operations at its plant in Pernambuco and hired a number of former staff.
Demand
It cited the increased demand for glass in the Brazil as a reason for the re-opening.
Some of the smaller, more domestic, players have also invested in their operations.
Unlike Brexit, that’s news I want to read about.
