Foreign Ministers Rekindle Interest in EU-ASEAN FTA
Foreign ministers attending the 20th EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Brussels last week have raised the possibility of resuming negotiations for an EU-ASEAN free trade agreement once the ASEAN Economic Community comes into effect at the end of 2015.
August 2014 ASEAN Regional Meetings
There are a number of important ASEAN regional meetings taking place in August, including the 46th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting, the RCEP Ministers Meeting and the ASEAN-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement Trade Negotiation Committee Meeting.
Indonesia’s Election Results Boost Economic Optimism
Joko Widodo, the former governor of Jakarta, was declared the next president of Indonesia last week, leaving foreign investors optimistic about the country’s economic prospects and triggering a favorable reaction from the rupiah.
China-ASEAN Trade Sees Strong Growth in First Half of 2014
Trade between China and the ASEAN nations reached US$220.69 billion in the first half of 2014, an increase of 4.8 percent compared with the same period last year, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced this week.
Manufacturing Hubs Across Southeast Asia
ASEAN manufacturers can be divided into those that have invested in mid- and high-tech manufacturing and those which, for the time being, are concentrated in low- or no-tech assembly. In this article, we explore the market characteristics of ASEAN’s most important manufacturing destinations.
ASEAN +3 Bolsters Financial Assistance in the Region
An expanded financial assistance pool among the ASEAN +3 nations was implemented last week, strengthening financial cooperation within the region.
Singapore Boosts Information Technology Cooperation with South Korea
Small and medium sized information technology companies in South Korea and Singapore can look forward to more opportunities for cooperation and growth as the two countries inked a Memorandum of Understanding on Information and Communications Technology collaboration last Friday.
Cambodia Reports Strong Business Growth
According to Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce, the number of newly registered businesses has increased by 33 percent over last year, including a strong contingent of foreign enterprises.
Myanmar Establishes New Special Economic Zone
Plans are currently underway to develop a new special economic zone in Myeik. Located in Myanmar’s southeastern Tanintharyi region, Myeik is home to one of Myanmar’s growing number of industrial zones.
New ASEAN-RCEP Talks Held in Singapore
Leaders of 16 Asia-Pacific nations gathered in Singapore last week for the fifth round of negotiations for the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).