The stagnation of the Bulgarian industry continues for the third consecutive month, holding the turnover growth close to 0%. And this, unfortunately, can be seen as good news, since between March and June 2019, turnover was decreasing every month. The worst news is the steady decline in the manufacturing industry, where most people are employed and which has the highest added value for the Bulgarian economy. The situation in the apparel industry seems to be the worst. NSI data show that although there was a slight improvement in September, this year is extremely difficult for the production of textiles and clothing, metal goods and machinery, paper and cardboard, electrical equipment and machinery. All sectors are among those that require more skilled labor and relatively high wages are given. These are also sectors that are highly dependent on the European and global industry, as Bulgaria is part of a large supply chain from Europe to China and other markets.

BGN 450 million is the estimated revenue in 2020 from toll taxes for the use of the national road network of heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and BGN 296.3 million from electronic vignettes. Thus, a total of BGN 746.3 million will be collected from fees for the use of the national road network network. This was announced by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works yesterday at a meeting of the parliamentary Committee on Regional Policy, Public Works and Local Self-Government.

Dundee Precious Metals Krumovgrad, division of Canadian Dundee Precious Metals (DPM), reported record gold production in the nine months after its new project near Krumovgrad, Ada Tepe, began operations. A total of 65.6 thousand troy ounces of gold in the form of concentrate were produced for the period, with more than one-third of the amount being from Ada Tepe. The sales are smaller, as in the third quarter the new mine only supplied sample batches to various metallurgical companies and finalized sales contracts, according to a DPM report. However, by the end of the year, the start of the second project will be reflected in the company's financial results. "Although Ada Tepe only reached full capacity in mid-September, the project has made a significant contribution to record gold production. We expect a strong fourth quarter with significantly higher sales and reduced inventory," said President and CEO of DPM, Rick House.

The French-German consortium Sof Connect presented its video concept for the development of Sofia Airport in the coming decades. The vision of the company, selected by the transport ministry to run the airport for the next 30 years, is to make the airport a reflection of the city itself and its surroundings and make travelers feel immersed in Bulgarian culture. Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 will be redeveloped and the consortium will use the opportunity to create an authentic sense of place. According to the plan, more usable space will be created at both terminals. Passenger service will be improved to maintain and strengthen the airport's reputation for efficiency and convenience. The reconstruction of Sofia Airport will provide attractive buildings, new facilities, intuitive guidance and cutting-edge technologies. Airport pre-travel tools and services, offered by airlines and partners, will be created and launched on Sofia Airport's website.

Another industrial zone will be born by next summer, Economy Minister Emil Karanikolov promised. A year ago it became clear that at the initiative of the Municipality of Stara Zagora and local businesses, the municipal company Industrial Zone Zagore SPJSC, established at the end of March 2018 with a capital of BGN 4.86 mln (at a price of BGN 1 per share) will transfer 50 per cent of it to the state-owned joint stock company National Company Industrial Zones. The municipality entered this partnership through the in-kind contribution it had made when it was created - a plot of 115 decares in Zora quarter, divided into 11 plots with area between 15,000 and 4,000 square meters, which is adjacent to retailer Metro’s site. According to the estimation of the property provided by the mayor's office, its cost is about BGN 5 million. This is the funds that Industrial Zone Zagore will also receive by the State, so that the economic zone can be built.

After the Bulgarian Development Bank granted a loan of EUR 51.13 million in September for a management buyout of Technomarket Bulgaria, in early October the state institution continued with new financing for the newly formed group. Two new loans totaling to EUR 25.5 million are visible in the company’s register in the Commercial Register for the equipment chain. With this, the bank's exposure to Technomarket and its direct owner Market Investment increases to EUR 76.66 million, or just under BGN 150 million. One loan is for EUR 16.533 million, which will be used to repay old debts of the company. Up to EUR 13.633 million will go for FIBank on loan from 2016, with the remaining EUR 2.9 million will cover the debts to BACB under a contract of 2015. The term of the new loan from BDB is 15 years, and the interest on it is 2%. The second loan is a line for absorption of bank guarantees and letters of credit of up to EUR 9 million. It has a five-year term, with interest rates being the same as for the other loan. The collateral is the pledge of the enterprise as well as the goods in storage and future claims of the equipment chain. The sole proprietor of the loans is the owner of Market Investment.

More than 50% of the Zaharni zavodi’s consolidated revenue comes from the production and marketing of sugar. The company is not only the oldest but also the only working sugar producer in Bulgaria. With 250,000 tonnes of annual capacity for the production of white refined sugar and a storage facility for 40,000 tonnes of bulk and 8,000 tonnes of packaged sugar, the Zaharni zavodi Group responds to the needs of corporate clients as well. 20% of the sugar factories' consolidated revenue is generated from the ethyl alcohol business, with over 80% of sales coming from foreign markets. In 2017, a high-tech and fully automated installation for the production of dehydrated ethyl alcohol with a capacity of 60,000 liters per 24 hours was built based on a Ukrainian project. Since the privatization to date, over BGN 100 million have been invested in the Zaharni zavodi group - in modern equipment, innovative technologies, human resources development and environmental protection. The business is expected to expand by increasing export sales, investments in modern technologies and new products, reconstructions in order to increase energy efficiency and production of green energy.

The leader in the production of bags, packages of paper, textiles and polyethylene - the company Extrapack, is embarking on a new venture - the construction of a modern business center with no analogue not only in Veliko Tarnovo, but throughout the country. The Veliko Tarnovo Business Center (BCVT) project was officially unveiled on September 19 this year and will take two years to be completed, which means it will be ready in the fall of 2021. The project is the work of Ivo Petrov Architects Studio, and the construction is entrusted to the company Lucky Stroy 2011 EAD - Gabrovo. The investment in the construction (excluding equipment and furniture) amounted to BGN 25 million and was secured by a loan from UniCredit Bulbank. The business center will have parking for 230 parking spaces, 161 bicycle spaces and 33 electric vehicle charging stations. The office space will be 58 to 600 square meters, or 15,000 square meters in total, and will be flexibly configurable. The business center will also have facilities for shared workplaces.

EU Member States endorsed the trade agreement between the EU and Singapore. This means the agreement will enter into force as soon as 21 November. Singapore is by far the EU's largest trading partner in the Southeast Asian region, with a total bilateral trade in goods of over EUR 53 billion and another EUR 51 billion of trade in services. Over 10,000 EU companies are established in Singapore and use it as a hub for the whole Pacific region. Singapore is also the number one location for European investment in Asia, with investment between the EU and Singapore growing rapidly in recent years: combined bilateral investment stocks reached EUR 344 billion in 2017. Under the trade agreement, Singapore will remove all remaining tariffs on EU products. The agreement also provides new opportunities for EU services' providers, among others in sectors such as telecommunications, environmental services, engineering, computing and maritime transport. It will also make the business environment more predictable.

The United States won’t be announcing tariffs on European cars, according to Jean-Claude Juncker, the outgoing president of the European Commission. U.S. President Donald Trump has until November 13 to decide whether to apply new duties on European carmakers. This after Trump argued in May that U.S. imports of European autos pose a national security threat to the U.S. Juncker, who leads the EU’s executive arm, said Trump will not go ahead with new tariffs. “Trump will ruffle a bit, but there will be no automobile tariffs” Juncker told the German newspaper, according to Google translate. The trade relationship between the U.S. and the EU has been tense since Trump came to power and ended negotiations for a trade deal with Europe that the previous U.S. administration was conducting. Furthermore, last year, Trump announced steel and aluminium tariffs on Europe. The EU retaliated a few months later with duties on 2.8 billion euros of U.S. goods.

Japan's cabinet has approved an economic stimulus package worth more than 28 trillion yen ($ 275 bn). It is the latest attempt by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to kick-start the world's third-largest economy and boost growth. The package includes 7.5 trillion yen in new spending for the national and local governments over the next two years. More than half of that sum has been earmarked for the current fiscal year. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the stimulus package would be included in a supplementary budget, which will be considered by an extraordinary session of parliament starting in September. The government expects the measures to boost gross domestic product by 1.3%, but economists have expressed disappointment. "This package is very much in line with reports over the past few days and has not done much to improve sentiment," said Lee Jin-Yang, macro research analyst at Aberdeen Asset Management. The programme includes spending on infrastructure projects and the reconstruction of disaster zones, including parts of north-eastern Japan which were devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.