Economy and commerce

Following Monday’s military coup, life in Myanmar appears to be rapidly returning to normal. However, big questions remain over what happens next and especially the prospects for existing and future foreign investment in the country. We examine the possibilities.  What happened and why?  The military moved in ...

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Green Future Index listed Vietnam as a climate laggard economy for making low and uneven commitments toward a green future. The index released by MIT Technology Review Insights this week measures 76 global economies on their progress and commitment toward building ...

The Thai economy will grow next year after contracting by almost 10% this year. Next year, the Thai economy is expected to expand 3 to 4% from this year. It will not be until the end of 2022 before the Thai economy returns to its ...

Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit has pledged to cooperate with the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce (GTCC) to promote clean industry, as a means of reducing pollution problems including PM2.5 and making Thai industry more sustainable. “The German-Thai Chamber of Commerce offers to help Thailand make its industrial ...

Existing free trade agreements and longstanding non-trade barriers could limit the RCEP’s impact on Myanmar, but the country may benefit from increased investment due to improved access to global value chains. The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership on November 15 made headlines across the ...

Ministerial delegates from the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Council have now approved a list of strategic documents, charting a new course for it and strengthening its efforts to balance environmental protection and economic development in the Mekong Basin. The MRC Council represents the highest level of ...

Asia Pacific leaders set aside differences Friday with their first joint communique in three years, calling for free and predictable trade to help a global economy laid low by the coronavirus pandemic. Leaders of the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which included U.S. President Donald Trump ...

Seafood exports by Vietnam’s Mekong Delta provinces are picking up after a lull caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Ca Mau, one of the largest shrimp producing provinces, struggled earlier this year, but exports have been improving recently due to authorities’ support and businesses’ own efforts. Shrimp exports ...

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors last week approved US$40 million in emergency finance support for small and medium-sized businesses in Laos to help them recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the bank said in a press release. The funding will be channelled ...

NEWS flow on the construction of the China-Laos railway is giving confidence that the mega infrastructure will be on track for completion in December next year, and Laos will reap vast economic benefits from the project. Last month, the Laos-China Railway Company announced that the boring ...