Global Scans · Standards · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Improving standards are likely to be driven more by business and technological improvement than governments in the future. The latter will be under severe pressure to cut bureaucracy, speed policy making and improve their nation's productivity performance.

• [New] North American Class 8 orders jumped roughly 241% year over year in June as fleets raced to secure 2026 build slots ahead of 2027 emissions rules. iDispatchHub
• [New] Fastest-growing Region: South Asia, led by India's rapidly formalizing e-waste sector under the E-Waste Management Rules (2022) and EPR mandates enforced by the CPCB, is the fastest-growing regional segment, with formal recycling capacity scaling materially through 2033. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The European Commission's enforceable standards require a 15% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2025, a 55% reduction in passenger-car emissions by 2030, and 100% of new vehicle sales to be zero-emission by 2035, all measured against the 2021 baseline. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The next generation of AML regimens will integrate menin inhibitors with existing standards, including hypomethylating agents, BCL-2 inhibitors, and FLT3 inhibitors. Blood Cancers Today
• [New] Mandatory work requirement documentation will take effect nationally beginning in 2027, and under the GOP's new rules, most Medicaid patients will now have to renew their enrolment twice a year, rather than once a year. KFF Health News
• [New] ECAC flagged that stricter onshoring rules might push companies toward AI automation rather than U.S. hiring. gryphon.ai
• [New] The FTA underscores the UK and Switzerland's shared commitment to the WTO subsidies rules and enables both parties to consult each other if concerns are raised that a subsidy will negatively affect firms. GOV.UK
• [New] The Office of AI will be established within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to accelerate implementation of the Australian Standards on a national level. ARN
• [New] The Wire China documents Nvidia using the specter of Huawei to argue for looser export rules, even though Huawei's chip output is ~5 -6% of Nvidia's and, per one CFR expert, does not pose a competitive threat to Nvidia globally right now. Bio-Security Stack
• [New] The European Commission expects to roll out regulations requiring minimum WUE performance standards for data center operators. AI Business Weekly
• [New] The European Commission expects to roll out regulations requiring data center operators to meet minimum WUE performance standards per Zylos AI's energy research. AI Business Weekly
• [New] The National Institute of Standards and Technology finalized its first post-quantum cryptography standards in 2024, and a recent executive order set a 2031 deadline for the federal government to defend against quantum attacks on classical cryptography. Galaxy
• [New] DEFA, which will come into effect in 2027, is expected to simplify how businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, scale across South-east Asia by creating common rules for digital trade, data flows, payments and online transactions. ST
• [New] NHTSA will fund a $5 million, three-year consortium to develop the first federal AV performance standards, alongside Part 555 process changes, updated developer guidance, and a pending Robomart petition. Self Drive News
• [New] The Bay Area Air District's new rules speed that transition by phasing out the sale of gas water heaters starting in 2027 (Rule 9-6) and gas furnaces starting in 2029 (Rule 9-4). SPUR
• [New] China's evolving automotive safety standards under GB 7258 revisions are expected to further strengthen demand for high-performance automotive DSP solutions through 2027, particularly in connected and semi-autonomous vehicle platforms. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The Medical Counselling Committee will conduct counselling for the 15% All India Quota seats in Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). The Times Of India
• [New] The European Commission opened infringement procedures by sending letters of formal notice to States including Ireland for failing to establish rules on penalties for breaches of Regulation 2023/2405 (ReFuelEU Aviation). Mondaq
• [New] While no final decision has been taken, discussions at the official level are underway on measures that could require connected devices to meet stricter security and certification standards before they can be sold in India. The Times Of India
• [New] Companies that proactively develop scalable, environmentally friendly manufacturing processes will gain competitive advantage and meet increasingly stringent regulatory standards globally. Verified Market Reports
• [New] The SEC disclosure rules for crypto have the potential to impact a broad range of investors, both institutional and retail. Bitcoin Foundation
• [New] Gartner's latest forecasts show participation rates climbing from current levels of 29% to an anticipated 80% by 2027 in organizations that conduct application security testing. Palo Alto Networks
• [New] China may support the UN, the SCO and other multilateral institutions, but its selective adherence to common rules risks turning its multilateralism into a vehicle to compete with US rather than constraining great-power rivalry. Merics

Last updated: 13 August 2026