Eleven nations signed a slimmed-down version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement Thursday, moving to lower tariffs just as US President Donald Trump raised them after withdrawing from the deal. The TPP, which would have represented 40 percent of the global economy and nearly one-quarter of its trade, was left for dead after Trump […]
Read MoreAsian currencies may be on the verge of a correction after completing the best year in at least two decades. The warning sign? Indonesia’s rupiah slumped to a two-year low last week. The rupiah is seen as a bellwether of sorts for Asia given the high foreign ownership of the nation’s bonds. The currency is […]
Read MoreSINGAPORE: As Singapore takes over the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, it will push for the roll-out of an e-commerce agreement and an innovation network to give businesses a leg-up when they expand across Southeast Asia. This is according to Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) Lim Hng […]
Read MoreSINGAPORE/BANGKOK Tighter restrictions on foreign labor in Malaysia and Thailand have pushed out millions of migrant workers, driving up wages and threatening a growth model reliant on freedom of movement and cheap labor. Malaysia’s Top Glove, the world’s largest manufacturer of rubber gloves, faces a very challenging increase in labor costs, according to Executive Chairman Lim Wee […]
Read MoreKUALA LUMPUR: The sale of vehicles increased in all Asean countries except Malaysia and Brunei last year. Total sales in Malaysia fell by 3,450 units to 576,635 from 580,085 in 2016, according to the Asean Automotive Federation (AAF). The Edge Markets quoted the AAF as saying Brunei sold 15% less in 2017 at 11,209 units. […]
Read MoreSINGAPORE: Currently the sixth-largest economy in the world and projected to be the fourth-largest by 2030, ASEAN’s potential has “yet to be fully realised”, said Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) Lim Hng Kiang on Thursday (Mar 1). “With our young population, growing middle class and rapidly increasing urbanisation, ASEAN’s potential has yet to be fully […]
Read More
Thailand
