Trade
Trade policy and regulation
Myanmar’s health ministry deems Thai cosmetic products ‘unfit for use’

Products of a popular Thai cosmetics brand were found to be “unfit for use,” according to an official announcement by Myanmar’s Ministry of Health on 10 February. “Two products of ‘Forever Young’ cosmetics were found to contain prohibited chemical ingredients that can harm people’s health and [we] ...
Thailand ready to halt imports of Australian salad

Thailand is ready to halt imports of prepacked salad products from Australia if salmonella bacteria is detected by Thai food safety officials. Keep reading ...
Tra fish exports to UK increase sharply

Tra fish exports to the UK hit US$46 million last year, an increase of 13.9 percent against 2014, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). Keep reading ...
Laos orders product labelling in Lao language
Every product manufactured domestically and also imported products shall now be required to be labelled in Lao language prior to distribution in order to protect consumers. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has issued an ordinance on product labelling in Lao language, in order to expand ...
Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand to cut rubber exports
The three Southeast Asian countries grouped in the International Tripartite Rubber Council (ITRC) will cut exports by 615,000 tons in the six months until August 31, 2016. Indonesia agreed to cut its exports by 238,736 tons, while Malaysia and Thailand pledged to reduce their overseas ...
Pacific Rim nations sign giant trade deal amid protests

The US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership, one of the biggest trade deals in history, was signed in New Zealand on 4 February as protestors demonstrated over fears for jobs and sovereignty. The ambitious deal, promising the elimination of nearly all tariffs among the 12 member nations, aims to break ...
Vietnam targets high growth to 2020

Vietnam aims to achieve annual average economic growth of 6.5 per cent to 7 per cent through 2020, striving to turn itself into an advanced industrial country soon, according to the Resolution of the 12th National Party’s Congress. The Resolution, approved and made public at the ...
Strong Vietnam GDP growth, low inflation forecast for ‘16

Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) will likely grow 6.82 per cent this year, 0.12 percentage points higher than that predicted by the National Assembly last November in its resolution on the socio-economic development plan for 2016, the Centre Institute of Economic Management (CIEM) said on ...
Made in ASEAN initiative on the cards
Thailand is set to team up with the Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro) and ASEAN members to push forward the Made in ASEAN initiative, making certain products to the same quality standards. Keep reading ...
Tariffs on 1,100 items may go

Thailand’s Finance Ministry is seeking cabinet approval to waive import tariffs on more than 1,000 items, says Customs Department director-general Kulit Sombatsiri. If approved, 56 categories of imported goods and a total of 1,100 items will be allowed into the country without tariff, Mr Kulit said. Keep reading ...