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Cyprus Industrial Output Edges Up 0.3% In June As Mining And Manufacturing Grow

Cyprus’ industrial sector posted modest growth in June 2026, with production rising by 0.3% year on year, according to figures released by the statistical service Cystat.

The overall industrial production index reached 117.6 points, using 2021 as the base year of 100. Over the first six months of 2026, industrial output was 1.2% higher than in the same period a year earlier, indicating a sector that is expanding, albeit unevenly.

Mining And Water Supply Lead Monthly Gains

June’s performance was driven by strength in mining and quarrying, which rose 11.4% annually, and by water supply and materials recovery, which increased 1.5%. Manufacturing also registered a gain, albeit a narrower one, rising 0.6% from June 2025.

By contrast, electricity supply fell 4% over the same period, underscoring the mixed nature of the country’s industrial trajectory.

Mixed Performance Across Industrial Activities

Within water supply and materials recovery, the two activities diverged sharply. Water collection, treatment and supply climbed 14.2%, while materials recovery dropped 15.1%.

Among manufacturing subsectors, other non-metallic mineral products recorded the strongest annual increase in June, up 7.5%. Rubber and plastic products followed with growth of 4.7%, while wood and cork products excluding furniture and basic metals and fabricated metal products each advanced 2.3%.

Smaller gains were seen in textiles, wearing apparel and leather products, which edged up 0.4%.

Several manufacturing categories, however, moved in the opposite direction. Machinery, equipment, motor vehicles and other transport equipment saw the steepest decline, falling 8.5%. Production of electronic and optical products and electrical equipment decreased 2.4%, while furniture, other manufacturing, and the repair and installation of machinery and equipment slipped 2.3%.

Paper products and printing fell 0.7%, food, beverages and tobacco products declined 0.6%, and refined petroleum products, chemicals and pharmaceutical products and preparations were down 0.5%.

First-Half Output Shows Broader Stability

Looking at the January-to-June period, the underlying picture was more stable. Manufacturing output increased 0.7% year on year, mining and quarrying rose 1.1%, and water supply and materials recovery grew 2.5%.

Among individual activities, water collection, treatment and supply delivered the strongest first-half expansion, increasing 11.5%. Basic metals and fabricated metal products followed with growth of 5.1%, while electricity supply rose 4.3%.

Other non-metallic mineral products advanced 3.4%, and wood and cork products excluding furniture increased 3.2%. Refined petroleum products, chemicals and pharmaceutical products and preparations were up 1.8%, while rubber and plastic products rose 1.4%. Paper products and printing increased 0.7%, and food, beverages and tobacco products were unchanged from the same period in 2025.

On the downside, materials recovery recorded the sharpest decline in the first half, falling 8.8%. Machinery, equipment, motor vehicles and other transport equipment dropped 5.9%, while furniture, other manufacturing, and the repair and installation of machinery and equipment decreased 4.2%. Textiles, wearing apparel and leather products declined 3.9%, and electronic and optical products and electrical equipment edged down 0.4%.

The latest data point to an industrial economy moving forward at a measured pace, with gains in essential and extractive activities helping to offset weakness in several manufacturing segments.

Meta’s $18 Billion Settlement Limits State Claims Over Children’s Data

Meta’s $18 billion settlement with attorneys general from 29 U.S. states includes a provision limiting future state claims over the company’s use of children’s data for age-assurance systems.

Under the agreement, Meta must develop, train and begin testing a system to identify users under 13 within a year of the settlement taking effect. The company already uses AI-based age-detection tools, although the agreement does not require the new system to use AI.

States Agree To Limits On Future Claims

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) generally restricts the collection and retention of personal data from children under 13. Under the settlement, the 29 state attorneys general agreed not to bring past, present or future claims under COPPA or similar state laws over the specified use of children’s data.

Meta will not be permitted to use information from users under 13 for advertising, marketing or algorithmic optimisation.

Federal Enforcement Remains Unclear

COPPA is primarily enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, which is not a party to the agreement. That leaves open the possibility of separate federal action over how Meta collects or uses children’s data.

Another issue is whether Meta can keep age-assurance data isolated from its other systems. An independent auditor will monitor compliance, but the settlement does not fully specify what data Meta can retain for training, how long it can be stored or whether derived insights can be used elsewhere.

Legal Risks Remain

Joshua Wurtzel, a partner at Schlam Stone & Dolan, said states could still pursue claims if Meta uses the data outside the settlement’s limits. Such cases could depend on how those limits are interpreted.

Peter Jackson, a data and intellectual property attorney at Greenberg Glusker, said the provision could “disincentivize future enforcement actions.”

The agreement gives Meta greater legal certainty around using children’s data for age assurance, but questions remain over federal enforcement, data retention and secondary use.

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