Economy and commerce
Economic policy and administration
Turmoil at the top prompts business uncertainty
In Myanmar’s business environment, where many prominent firms have close ties to officialdom, political developments at the top can have major ramifications for the economy. It remains to be seen how significantly the political turmoil that recently engulfed Myanmar’s ruling party will play out in Myanmar’s business sector. When Union ...
China, ASEAN to strive to end talks on upgraded FTA
Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said on 23 August that both China and ASEAN have agreed to strive to bring to an end their negotiation on an upgraded version of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area before the end of this year. “Progress has been made in ...
Japan charts road to industrialization for Mekong region
Japan and the five Southeast Asian countries bordering the Mekong River adopted a blueprint on 24 August to boost industrialization in the subregion. The blueprint, known as “The Mekong Industrial Development Vision,” got the thumbs-up during a meeting between Japan’s Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Yoichi ...
Vietnam's CPI expected to drop slightly in August
Vietnam’s consumer price index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, is expected to drop slightly by 0.07 percent in August, compared to the previous month, said the country’s General Statistics Office on 24 August. Keep reading ...
Shanghai shares plunge another 5%
Shanghai shares fell more than 5% on 19 August, extending their largest daily fall in more than three weeks on concerns of waning government support. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 5.04%, or 188.74 points, to 3,559.42 during the morning session. Keep reading ...
Vietnam devalues dong by 1%
Vietnam on 18 August devalued its currency by 1% following the devaluation of the Chinese yuan and a possible US interest rate increase. Keep reading ...
ASEAN puts last touches to economic community
With most of the high-priority measures in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) blueprint already adopted, policymakers and businesses need to work closely on the remaining challenges to achieve benefits of full economic integration beyond 2015, a new report recommends. The report from Ernst & Young, titled ...
Bank of Thailand: Slower growth a regional ill
The Bank of Thailand insists that despite shocks and changes experienced in the macroeconomic environment, the country’s fundamentals remain strong, as reflected in the country’s current account surplus, stable foreign exchange rate and low unemployment. Central bank governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul on 17 August said speeding up infrastructure investment ...
Importers hedging against baht slump
Local small and medium-sized importers are in a rush to hedge their currency exposure to protect against the rapid weakening of the baht, says TMB Bank. The number of SME customers hedging against foreign exchange risk has increased by 20-30% since the baht began depreciating after ...
Vietnam, EU prepare for free trade launch
Vietnam and the EU have reached a framework agreement on the creation of a free trade zone under which almost all customs barriers between the partners will be eliminated. The deal, which follows two and one-half years of talks, will once fully implemented remove nearly all ...
