Singapore Qualifies as ASEAN Hub for Fast Track Patent Applications
Singapore is the first nation in ASEAN qualified to accept and process fast track patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The new services provide businesses a cost effective alternative to preexisting PCT offices.
Norway Enters into Formal Partnership with ASEAN
Norway has become the first European country to enter into a formal partnership with the ASEAN trading bloc. The northern European country has been accepted as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner, a move that was announced at the recent ASEAN meeting in Kuala Lumpur.The ASEAN free trade area includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The Three Most Common IPR Mistakes for SMEs in ASEAN
There are very few SMEs that would not take the issue of intellectual property rights (IPR) seriously in their home countries, but IPR legislation can be opaque when they move overseas. Here we take a look at the top 3 IPR mistakes SMEs make in ASEAN.
Rule of Law in ASEAN: Not All Appealing
ASEAN has shown mixed results in the 2015 Rule of Law Index, published by the World Justice Project (WJP), an initiative of the American Bar Association. The rankings are based on the results of 1,000 people surveyed in each jurisdiction, and reflect some regional variation within jurisdictions.
Malaysian PM Strongly Supports Goods and Services Tax
A range of Malaysian politicians have strongly criticized the country’s recently implemented goods and services tax (GST), causing Prime Minister Najib to step into the fray and reiterate his reasons for the new tax.
China-ASEAN Cost of Business Comparisons – Executive Summary
Our nine part series on the cost of doing business in ASEAN compared with China details cost of labor and taxes, together with bilateral trade profiles between China and ASEAN countries.
State by State: ASEAN and Texas Trade
Known as the “Lone Star State”, Texas is the second largest American state and the second most populous. The ten nations that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are becoming increasingly important trade partners for Texas. In this article, we take an in-depth look at this blossoming trade relationship between Texas and ASEAN.
ASEAN’s 2015 AEC Compliance Deadline – What It Actually Means
Chris Devonshire-Ellis explains what the much publicized “AEC Deadline” which is due at 31st December 2015 really means for your business in ASEAN.
State by State: ASEAN and Minnesota Trade
Minnesota’s almost billion-dollar trade surplus with ASEAN is impressive; in 2014, Minnesota’s exports of US$1.77 billion far exceeded imports from the region of US$808.4 million. ASEAN received 8.3% of the state’s total exports in that year.
The Philippines Calls for a Further Simplified Tax System
Over the past year, the Philippines has been making great strides in improving its business environment. Chief among these improvements has been the government’s efforts to simplify the country’s tax system. While the initial steps in this area have met with some success, there have been calls from within and outside of the government to further improve the tax system.