For much of the 20th century, De Beers was widely associated with strong control over the global diamond supply, often described as a monopoly-like structure. This monopoly position was supported by centralized distribution and long-standing relationships with producers and buyers, allowing the company to influence diamond pricing and maintain market stability.

As the industry evolved, several factors contributed to a gradual shift away from this monopoly structure. Increased competition, changing global regulations, and the entry of new diamond-producing regions reduced centralized control. In response, De Beers introduced strategic initiatives such as the “Supplier of Choice” program, which aimed to modernize its distribution model by encouraging branding, marketing, and stronger partnerships with selected clients rather than relying on a monopoly-driven approach.

At the same time, global frameworks like the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme helped improve transparency and accountability across the diamond supply chain. These developments contributed to a more open, competitive, and ethically focused market environment beyond the traditional monopoly era.

Today, the diamond industry reflects a mix of legacy influence and modern competitive dynamics, with greater emphasis on responsible sourcing and consumer trust.

Surprising exactly no one, "a U.S. judge on Thursday dismissed X Corp's antitrust lawsuit ​that accused the World Federation of Advertisers and major ‌companies including Mars, CVS Health (CVS.N), and Colgate-Palmolive (CL.N), of illegally boycotting billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s social media company. U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle in the federal ​court in Dallas said, X failed to show it had ​suffered any harm under federal antitrust laws."

While I'm sure Elon would have preferred to win this, the chilling effect from filing this suit in the first place was probably a good enough win for him anyway.

[edit: removed 'opens new tab' stuff from copy-paste]

I've been working in the UK trade and customs space for a while now, and one thing that's become really clear since HMRC moved everything over to the Customs Declaration Service is just how much raw data businesses are sitting on - and how few are actually doing anything useful with it.

Most companies I've spoken to are still manually pulling reports from HMRC systems, dumping them into spreadsheets, and hoping nothing falls through the cracks. Meanwhile the businesses that have started using customs data analytics properly are catching classification errors, spotting duty overpayments, and identifying compliance risks way before they turn into penalties.

It feels like the customs industry is about 5-10 years behind other sectors when it comes to using data effectively. For anyone curious about what's possible, I came across this platform that does exactly this - turns raw customs declaration data into something actually actionable: https://www.cat360.io/

Curious if anyone else here works in trade, logistics, or compliance. How is your organisation handling the data side of things? Still spreadsheets, or have you moved to something more structured?

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing a proposal to scrap the ​requirement for companies to report their earnings every quarter ‌and giving them the option to share results twice a year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.