Industries
Manufacturing
Export optimism varies according to sector
Despite signs of a recovery in the export sector, Thai manufacturers and exporters have been encouraged to focus more on product development, brand recognition, and adding value to enhance competitiveness in global markets. For the rest of this year, exporters expect exchange-rate fluctuations will still ...
Mongla: ‘the wildlife trafficking capital of the world’
Mongla lies on the border of the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in southwestern China and Shan State in northeastern Myanmar. Situated in the heart of the Golden Triangle, the city is known among other sad epithets as the wildlife trafficking capital of the world and for drugs, gambling, ...
Govt gives green light to Vientiane province cement production
The government has agreed to allow Vientiane Hongshi Saythirath Cement Co., Ltd to excavate lime and construct a cement factory in Vientiane province after the developer completed feasibility studies. The agreement was signed in Vientiane on October 12 on behalf of the government by Deputy Minister of ...
Formosa Plastics taps India, Southeast Asia for growth
Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics, the island’s largest maker of key plastic materials, on Tuesday said it wanted to aggressively expand in India, Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Africa to lower its dependence on China, which has been mired in a prolonged supply glut. “We are aiming to ...
Textile & garment companies still attract foreign investors
Though growth in investment in the textile & garment sector has slowed down, it is still attractive in foreign investors’ eyes. The years 2014 and 2015 witnessed the massive landing of foreign textile & garment enterprises in Vietnam. In 2015 alone, $2 billion worth of foreign ...
Consumers in Vietnam go ‘hog wild’ for pork
Vietnam has a population of approximately 93 million people with, according to official reports, an average pork consumption of about 20 kg per capita annually that is on a trajectory to double over the next few years. The nation’s pork production ranks sixth on a global ...
Low production and quality to blame for rubber sector’s export woes
Low productivity, high labour costs and sub-par quality are holding Myanmar back from becoming a serious rubber producer, experts say. The nation’s rubber plantations produce at less than half the international production rate, and a rise in volume must be matched by improvements in product ...
Growth to continue but economy faces significant risks
Economic growth in Laos will remain buoyant however the region still faces significant risks to growth, according to a new World Bank report. The outlook of the Lao economy remains favourable overall but with increasing downside risks GDP growth is projected to remain at around seven ...
‘Footloose’ garment sector continues to drive growth
Despite an onset of risks—the uncertainty of upcoming elections, a looming E.U.-Vietnam free-trade deal and a rising U.S. dollar—the immediate outlook for Cambodia’s economy remains bright, a World Bank report released on October 5 says. But the country will have to address looming challenges now in order ...
Large M&A deal could change Vietnam’s sugar industry
Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group HAGL has finally confirmed that it is negotiating with Thanh Thanh Cong on the transfer of its sugar mill in Laos to TTC. As both of them are giants in their field, the deal is expected to lead to big ...