Latest news with #1969
Business Recorder
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Customs' values on import of a wide range of tiles fixed
ISLAMABAD: The Directorate General of Customs Valuation Karachi has fixed new customs values on the import of wide range of tiles including ceramic and porcelain tiles. According to a valuating ruling (2011 of 2025) issued by the directorate, customs values have been revised on the import of 14 types of porcelain tiles polished; 14 types of porcelain tiles; nine types of matt/glazed and porcelain tiles - glazed polished and borders/motif/moulding/skirting/trimming whether plain or embossed, decorated with gold/silver/luster. The ruling revealed that the Customs values of ceramic and porcelain tiles were determined under Section 25-A of the Customs Acct 1969 videvaluation ruling No 1972/2025. The ruling was challenged before the director general under Section 25D of the Customs Act, 1969 and was remanded back to the Directorate vide order in revision No 34/2025 with the instruction to undertake fresh exercise under Section 25A of the Customs Act, 1969 and to conduct fresh exercise keeping in view the objections mentioned in the Order in Revision till then the valuation ruling shall hold field. The Order-in-Revision specifically highlighted the issue of grouping UAE, Turkey and Iran origin tiles into the 'other' category, with lower values from China. Turkey and UAE origin tiles, and the values of tiles of bigger sizes. Analysis to determine Customs values: In line with the directives of the director general, the directorate held multiple meetings to re-evaluate the Custom values. The stakeholders submitted certain documents in support of their respective positions. Aiming to issue a valuation ruling that duly considered both the stakeholders' perspectives and supporting documentation, the Directorate scheduled meetings on 0-5.05.2025 and 16.06.2025. During these sessions, importers contended that international tile prices had declined significantly due to technological advancements. They also emphasised the need to prevent the mis-declaration of porcelain tiles. On the other hand, local manufacturers highlighted their substantial investments in domestic tile production, including the development of larger-sized tiles. They argued that imported tile prices in the local market remained high and recommended conducting a market inquiry to validate their claims. Instead of submitting comprehensive documentation, stakeholders provided proposed valuation figures for various, tile sizes. A key point of contention in VR 1972/2025 relates to the categorisation of tile, origins under a single 'others' classification. Importers argued that this approach undervalues hon-Chinese tiles and lacks adequate stakeholder consultation. Theyfurther asserted that tile prices do not proportionately increase with size. Conversely, manufacturers maintained that prices do scale with size and advocated for higher valuations for larger tiles, suggesting that only the 'other origin' valuations require revision, as per the Order-in-Revision. The department acknowledged the participation of manufacturers. Additionally, importers /representatives of RAK Ceramics, UAE were instructed to submit sales tax returns along with Annexure-C. However, they failed to provide the necessary documents to substantiate their position. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
19-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Glass lid for cookware: New customs' values fixed
ISLAMABAD: The Directorate General Customs Valuation Karachi has issued new customs values (US$ 1.25- 1.60 per Kg) on the import of glass lid for cookware of all types (Including Pots, Pans etc.) from China. In this regard, the directorate has issued a valuation ruling (2007 of 2025). According to the ruling, Directorate had issued Valuation Ruling No.1945 of 2025. Subsequently, the Valuation Ruling was challenged before General Customs Valuation under section 25D of the Customs Act 1969. Resultantly, Order-in-Revision was issued and it was directed to afford a hearing opportunity to the petitioners and re-examine the case within four weeks. Therefore, the Directorate of Customs Valuation, Karachi, initiated the process for re-determination of customs values for the subject goods. Govt plans to establish Rs3bn aquaculture park in Karachi Accordingly, based on a detailed analysis of import data, prevailing market trends, and observed discrepancies between market prices and existing customs values this exercise was undertaken in accordance with Sections 25 and 25A of the Customs Act, 1969. During the exercise, the stakeholders argued that the Customs values of subject goods determined vide above mentioned Valuation Ruling were very high and without consultation of stakeholders. Moreover, the item is being imported on very low values as per their declared and invoice values, therefore, should be considered for re-determination of Customs values. Furthermore, the stakeholders provided relevant information including their export GDs and Commercial Invoices in establishing fair customs values. The viewpoints of the stakeholders were heard in detail and evaluated to arrive at the Customs values of the subject goods. However, as the goods comprised of different sizes, especially in two distinct shapes viz with and without steel ring, therefore, Section 25(6) was considered to be more relevant and applicable. Relevant references and data were examined under this method to determine the customs values. Based on the analysis of available import data, which provided a reasonable indication of the actual value of the goods, the customs values were accordingly determined under Section 25(6) of the Customs Act, 1969. Customs values for Glass Lid -hereinafter specified shall be assessed to duty/taxes on the Customs values given against them, the ruling added. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Fast Company
07-07-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
This simple shape turned the Coca-Cola logo into a timeless icon
Today, Coca-Cola has one of the most iconic brand identities in the world—so iconic, in fact, that one 2010s study found that 'Coca‑Cola' is the second‑most widely understood term in the world after the word 'okay.' But the brand's modern global footprint might look entirely different if it weren't for one major design overhaul in 1969 called Project Arden. That pivotal era of Coca-Cola's history is the focus of the new book, Brand Identification Manuals for Coca-Cola, published by Standards Manual and designed by the firm Order Design. The book compiles seven brand manuals and dozens of additional materials, circa 1969 to 1979, from The Coca-Cola Company Archives. Perhaps most notable is its documentation of Project Arden, a design effort spearheaded by Walter Margulies, partner at the design firm Lippincott & Margulies. His team's directive from Coca-Cola was an intimidating one: to create a cohesive corporate brand system for the beverage company at a time when it was scaling up exponentially. The overhaul was nicknamed Project Arden as a nod to the Elizabeth Arden beauty salon, best known at the time for its signature fire engine–red front door. Project Arden's core visual system, the simple-yet-versatile Arden Square, would become one of the most influential branding assets of all time. How Project Arden paved the way for Coke's branding Margulies' approach to Project Arden started not with how his team could change the brand, but how they could preserve its most important features. By 1969, the Coca-Cola serif logo was solidly engrained in consumers' perception of the brand, alongside the brand's bold red, which Margulies called 'highly motivational.' In years prior, though, the logo was a bit tricker to pin down. It sometimes appeared in backgrounds depending on the application, from a red disc for advertising in the late '40s to a tag-like arciform shape for signage and vending machines in the '50s. As Coca-Cola set its sights on global expansion, the company's executives realized that a more cohesive branding approach would be key. Lippincott & Margulies' aim, then, was to create an identity that would both elevate Coke and allow it to maintain brand familiarity, all while also devising a scalable look across packaging, product, and advertising. Their solution was to boil Coke's identity down to a few core design elements and lay out a clear set of guidelines for how they could—and could not—be used. According to Jesse Reed, a partner at Order Design who helped create Brand Identification Manuals for Coca-Cola, the final Project Arden system comprises 'less than a half dozen elements of design.' 'The firms that [Coca-Cola] was working with at the time, like [Lippincott & Margulies], pulled from the Swiss school of thinking, with minimalism and the idea of reduction as the best path forward,' Reed says. Project Arden maintained Coke's script logo and core red. However, it substituted the former circle background for a square, which could also be elongated into a rectangle; added Helvetica as the brand's main typeface; and created a brand-new asset now known as the Dynamic Ribbon, a fluid white band that Reed describes as the 'connective tissue' supporting the branding. All of these changes are best represented by the Arden Square, a red square that contains Coca-Cola's serif logo, the Dynamic Ribbon, and the word 'Enjoy' in Helvetica. Lippincott & Margulies' system specified exactly which dimensions could be used to elongate the mark into a rectangle for product labels, advertising, packaging, and even signage for Coca-Cola's fleet of vehicles. The brand standards also include examples of 'unacceptable' uses of the Arden Square, like reversing the placement of its red and white accents or introducing a new color into the mix. 'Beforehand, you would have something that was almost like freestanding or free-floating, but the Arden Square allowed Coca Cola to really use it in a modular fashion,' Reed says. 'The Arden Square was the core DNA that allowed that structural device to really play out. It's not scaled in an arbitrary manner: it gives order to what could have potentially been chaos.' Why the Arden Square remains so iconic today Today, nearly 60 years after the introduction of the Arden Square, Coke is still using an almost identical branding system, with the exception of small tweaks like the introduction of a custom brand font in 2018. Reed believes that consistency is a direct result of establishing a brand that relies on certain unbending guidelines. 'They knew that consistency and repetition was going to be the most powerful device in introducing this new identity, it's one of the simplest Gestalt principles,' Reed says. 'This entire identity in and of itself is one of the best examples of it being pulled off beautifully. They don't compromise; they don't allow for variations to be very easily introduced. And that has paid off.' The longevity of the Arden Square and its component parts have effectively baked each of those parts into the public consciousness—so much so that a certain hue of red is likely to instantly evoke the brand. That lends Coke an inherent advantage over competitors in the beverage space who 'have rebranded a dozen times,' Reed says. '[Coke] is one of very few companies at their size and scale that have stood strong in the identity that they introduced at the very beginning all the way up until today,' Reed says. The super-early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, July 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
Business Recorder
04-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Eight varieties of Baryte: New customs export values fixed
ISLAMABAD: The Directorate of Customs Valuation, Lahore has fixed new customs export values, ranging between US$80 to US$295 per metric tons (PMT), of eight different kinds of grades of Baryte. In this regard, the directorate has issued a Valuation Ruling No.1 of 2025. According to the directorate, in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 25A read with Sub-Section 15 of Section 25 of the Customs Act. 1969, the customs value of Baryte is determined. Customs appraisement: Southern region collects Rs3339bn revenue in FY25 The Directorate of Customs Valuation Lahore received an application from Bolan Mining Enterprises (BME.) seeking review of the existing Valuation Ruling No: 3/2024 on grounds that the said VR was applicable only on Baryte specific gravity (SG) 4.2, whereas other grades are also exportable and require customs valuation. Therefore, the Directorate initialled an exercise for determination of the value of the said grades in terms of section 25A read with sub-section 15 of Section 25 of the Customs Act, 1969. Three meetings were convened with stakeholders. The issue pertaining to the valuation of the subject item was deliberated upon in detail in the afore-referred meetings. The stakeholders submitted their proposals pertaining to the valuation of Baryte for consideration and the same were thoroughly pursued. The documents submitted by the stakeholders, arguments submitted during the meetings, price trends and exports data from PRAL were also examined for determination of customs export value of Baryte. Therefore, export data, market survey, international market trends and documents submitted by stakeholders were examined to arrive at customs export values of the subject item, the ruling added. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Norman Greenbaum On New ‘Spirit In The Sky' Video, Mix, Vinyl Reissue
Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" is now available in Dolby Atmos for the first time with a ... More vinyl reissue via Craft Recordings and brand new music video As one of the most licensed songs of all time, Norman Greenbaum's 'Spirit in the Sky' is the rare tune that has managed to resonate across generations, finding placement in movies, commercials, video games and more over the course of the last 55 years. Released in 1969, the song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, continually popping up in films like Apollo 13 and, more recently, the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy, while appearing in countless commercials as well as video games like Rock Band 2. Despite initial reservations by label Reprise Records, who worried the song was too long for AM radio at four minutes, 'Spirit in the Sky's' classic tone immediately grabbed fans, a fingerpicked sound which grew from acoustic roots and took on a whole other dimension when run through a fuzz box built into an electric guitar, one triggered by a switch as opposed to a pedal. Inspired in part by both a greeting card and gospel music, the song began to grow when that iconic guitar sound was set against a series of handclaps and the backing vocals of gospel trio the Stovall Sisters by Greenbaum and producer Erik Jacobsen (The Lovin' Spoonful, Chris Isaak). That Fender Telecaster was lost long ago and Greenbaum was left with the unenviable task of trying to follow up a one of a kind hit. 'It was steps from a greeting card that said 'spirit in the sky' with American Indians in front of the tepee - basically praying to their god the spirit in the sky - to Porter Wagoner singing a gospel song halfway through his show every week,' Greenbaum explained during a recent video call. 'The riff I had was something I had diddled around with since high school - without the fuzz box. I learned it really when I was going to college in Boston. And I changed it. It's not a copy of anything. That was my progression. And you need a progression,' said the songwriter. 'After 'Spirit in the Sky,' I had a couple of 'duds' as they say. And then everybody is calling me a one hit wonder. And it made it hard for my career to succeed after that,' said Greenbaum. 'One of the reasons is they wanted another 'Spirit in the Sky.' However, you can't do it. I mean, it's gonna look like an attempt to do it and it's just not the same. The song stood out too much. But the record company didn't see it that way. So, it was hard.' Today, Greenbaum, 82, lives and occasionally performs in northern California, interacting with fans via his website. And following the release of a brand new mix of the song in Dolby Atmos, Craft Recordings has reissued Greenbaum's debut album on vinyl, releasing the song's first ever official music video (one directed by Laurence Harlan Jacobs featuring Greenbaum alongside actors Conor Sherry and Abby Ryder Fortson). I spoke with Norman Greenbaum about the process behind creating a slice of Americana and the enduring legacy of 'Spirit in the Sky.' A transcript of our video call, lightly edited for length and clarity, follows below. Jim Ryan: So you grew up in Massachusetts - but I've heard that early on you were discovering southern blues and folk music. Where were you discovering that prior to the onset of rock and roll? Norman Greenbaum: Well, the delta blues was from hanging out and playing at folk houses. And there was a college circuit where those types of entertainers were booked at different colleges. The delta blues was just there as part of it. The rest of it was kind of boring: old folk songs that everybody sang. But I just started playing the folk style of music and I was writing songs. Those were my first gigs doing my own songs. Then I had friends that had moved from my hometown to Hollywood. And they were visiting. And they said, 'Do you really like it here?' I said, 'I could move…' And they said, 'Well, then let's all go back to Hollywood.' That's where I went. And that's where I started my first band Dr. West's Medicine Show - which was a goofy band. But we actually had a small hit: 'The Eggplant That Ate Chicago.' American rock band Dr West's Medicine Show and Junk Band (American singer-songwriter Norman ... More Greenbaum, American musician Jack Carrington, and American bass player Evan Engber) perform live on stage, location unspecified, April 1967. The band's singer, Bonnie Zee Wallach, is out of shot. (Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael) Ryan: That pre-rock and roll era is really fascinating to me. Because you were only 9 years old when 'Rocket 88' hit in 1951. What was it like discovering new sounds like that at such a young age? Greenbaum: Well, I got tired doing the Dr. West thing. And so I formed rock and roll bands. I was different. Rock was starting to come in. I was interested in doing more than that. I listened to a lot of music! So, I had a lot of influences. But, of course, I didn't have horns and background girls back then - it was just a five piece rock band. By chance, we're playing at the Troubador and after our set, backstage, a gentleman walks in and says, 'Hi, I'm Erik Jacobsen. I produced the Lovin' Spoonful. I like you. I'm based in San Francisco.' So, I moved my operation from New York to San Francisco. He said, 'I'd like to work with you…' It was out of nowhere. It was really cool. So, we started a relationship. And that led to 'Spirit in the Sky.' Ryan: When people talk about the song, they always seem to talk about religion. But, to me, it's not so much religion, it's spirituality that really defines the song. How does that idea kind of inform the song to you? Greenbaum: Well, that's exactly what it is - and what it was when I wrote it. But I had to make it accessible. So, the words are accessible. Of course, everybody wants to die with their boots on. I learned that from watching western movies. And, to me, the record was more about the track. And it turned out to be the same for most people that listened to it. They just bypassed the words. Later on, the words became more significant as everybody got older. So, it took more of a religious theme at that point. But I still meet people that go, 'I'd recognize that song everywhere - just that first note!' I believe that that intro made it. It got you immediately into it. And, at the time, there was nothing like it. So, I didn't know it but I wrote a masterpiece. I didn't. I didn't know. Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" is now available in Dolby Atmos for the first time with a ... More vinyl reissue via Craft Recordings and brand new music video Ryan: You talk about the track and certainly there's that juxtaposition of the beautiful gospel singers set against that fuzzy guitar. I know it started as a more folk, more jug band oriented thing. How did you kind of settle on that guitar tone for 'Spirit in the Sky?' Greenbaum: I kind of fooled around. When I wrote it, I didn't have the fuzz tone yet. Whatever I played, it just didn't go. It was just another song. Then one of my guitar players invented this little alternative fuzz box that he put right into the guitar. A switch. It wasn't a pedal. And, once I had that, it just kind of came to me: 'That's what I'll do with the song!' And, as we've said… it really made it. It was different. And it stood out. It was ahead of its time. Ryan: What was the collaborative process like working in the studio with Erik Jacobsen? Greenbaum: Well, we didn't change a lot of the song. The production was him - mostly. And, of course, he had so many hits before me. He was a great producer. We recorded it at one of the studios that existed in 1969 in San Francisco called Coast Recorders. Maybe it was a magical place? You probably know, back then, the machines were like five feet tall. The tape was an inch. And you needed a shaving blade to cut and splice. But, interestingly enough, I think that had a lot to do with it. It's very hard to get that sound with what we have now - since everything went digital. But Erik was really good at putting it together. In recording, you get to the point where it's, 'OK. Here it is. We've got the basics. What else can we put in it?' And that's where the gospel girls came to thought. And, so, we got the three Stovall Sisters. And that was quite good too. And then we put in the clapping. And that was definitely Erik's idea. The rest of it was pretty basic. We didn't really use any gizmos. The sound was in the guitar. The guitar player, his little knobby thing was not a gizmo thing. A lot of people thought I had split the speakers in my amp to get my sound - but it wasn't. And, to this day, it's, 'How'd you get that sound?' I don't know. It was magical! Sometimes, it's that way in the studio. It just comes together. You make a few changes here and there. And, when you finish, you go, 'Wow! This is good.' So, Erik Jacobsen was the genius behind the recording. For sure. Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" is now available in Dolby Atmos for the first time with a ... More vinyl reissue via Craft Recordings and brand new music video Ryan: I love this age old story of artist walking into label with a finished song that eventually becomes a mega hit. And yet the initial response is, 'Well, we don't know…' What was your reaction upon delivering that final mix to Reprise and receiving their tepid response? Greenbaum: Well, they were. Because it was four minutes long. And AM radio was still at two minutes and 20 seconds: 'We play more music than any station in town!' And they go, 'Well, how are we going to fit this on? Can you make it shorter?' And I said, 'No!' And, yeah, they were very hesitant. They liked it - but hesitant. They didn't think anyone would play it because it was too long - and it wouldn't fit into their programming. Eventually, they did put it out and it did fit in. The sales at first were probably enough for them to keep playing it and keep it in the top 10. But it was starting to fade - and they were gonna drop it from programming… until they got a call from one of Warner Bros.' promotion men. And they said, 'Do not, take it off the playlist! I got 20,000 sitting here.' And they go, 'OK!' And so they kept it up. And, within like two or three weeks, it was #1. Ryan: I read that you didn't sign one of those legendarily horrendous publishing deals. So you get half the publishing, is that correct? Greenbaum: Yeah. I wasn't the publisher. I got the half as being the writer. I didn't care at the time. I knew I wasn't being screwed. I was really coming out of nowhere - but with a person that wasn't going to screw me. It was OK. He discovered me, he got me in the studio. To me it was OK. And the relationship moneywise was always quite good. Norman Greenbaum, 82, appears in the first ever official music video for his 1969 hit 'Spirit in the ... More Sky,' a new Laurence Harlan Jacobs-directed short starring Conor Sherry and Abby Ryder Fortson Ryan: It's obviously rare for a song to cross multiple generations. But 'Spirit in the Sky' has. What's it been like watching that play out now over five decades? Greenbaum: Yeah, that was interesting! The song got a life of its own. I wasn't so important anymore to the song. It was the song - and wow! What a thing to happen. It was in a movie - and that was a whole new area to get into. And then it got into a television commercial. And just more movies and all kinds of things were happening. I go, 'Well, that's OK! I'm gonna just go with that.' It's been in more than 70 movies and probably 30 commercials. And some of them are very memorable. Here's a good story: I was having a burger with my friend. We were in a place that had a jukebox. And maybe a 10 year old kid goes up to the jukebox and he plays 'Spirit in the Sky.' And we saw him! I go, 'God, that's interesting. How in the hell does he know this song?' I went up to him and I said, 'Hi. Can I talk to you? How come you played that song?' And he said, 'Oh, I saw it in Remember The Titans. That's my favorite song!' I said, 'Oh! That's so cool. Thank you.' He said, 'Why did you thank me?' I said, 'That's my song!' He nearly fell on the floor. But that's the greatest example of how it was going through the generations and how movies helped that. Before that, when it was in Apollo 13, that was just amazing. And totally memorable. Because here it is, long before Guardians of the Galaxy, here's the cassette floating through the air. It was too cool. And it got other movies and everything to go, 'Wow, this song is great. This track is great. We could use it.' And that's what happened. It became a terrific thing. And how could you not be happy with that? 'Spirit in the Sky' is still going. It's incredible.
