News
Energizing EU-ASEAN trade
EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström visited Manila recently to discuss trade with ASEAN Economic Ministers. The summit was a milestone in itself as the Ministers discussed the next steps toward the resumption of the ASEAN-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations as well as ways to enhance ...
Spanning the economic gap between Asia and Latin America
Politically, 2016 was a volatile year. The electoral changes in Europe, North America, and Asia have created uncertainties for international trade and investment in 2017. It’s clear that there’s a growing sense of nationalism and anti-internationalization where the masses feel they are missing out on ...
China's chill hits banks' bottom lines
Unable to shrug off its disappointing performance of the preceding year, Asia’s financial sector registered a second straight year of decline in its bottom line in 2016. Net profit for the sector came in at $173.1 billion, a decline of 8.8% compared to 2015 and ...
ADB report poses $26tn question for Asia
Back in 2009, the Asian Development Bank estimated the region would need $8 trillion worth of infrastructure investment between 2010 and 2020. Now, for the 15 years from 2016 to 2030, the bank reckons $26 trillion is in order to sustain current levels of growth. ...
Malaysia reports 'highly pathogenic' bird flu
Malaysia has reported an outbreak of a highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus in the eastern part of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health said on March 8, citing a report from the Malaysian agriculture ministry. The strain was confirmed among chickens at ...
Oil imports lift US trade deficit
The US trade deficit jumped to a near five-year high in January as rising oil prices helped to push up the import bill, pointing to slower economic growth in the first quarter and posing a challenge for the Trump administration. President Donald Trump took office ...
Palm oil prices set to drop
A rebound in Southeast Asia’s palm oil production this year is forecast to drag down prices of the tropical product in the second half, with additional pressure coming from an expected slowdown in demand from top importers India and China. Tight supplies following a drought in ...
Japanese, Singaporean banks finance controversial Indonesian coal plant
A consortium of Asian banks will provide US$3.36 billion in loans to support the expansion of the Tanjung Jati B coal-fired power plant project in the Jepara district of Indonesia’s Central Java province. Plans to expand Tanjung Jati B are part of a broader initiative ...
Australia to reshape foreign policy, trade
Australia will call home all of its overseas ambassadors for a meeting, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on March 2, as it reshapes its foreign policy to balance ties with long-time ally the United States and China, its largest trading partner. It is the first ...
Palm oil recovers from four-month low
Malaysian palm oil futures recovered late on February 28, tracking stronger prices after hitting their lowest level in nearly four months earlier in the day. Benchmark palm oil futures for May on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange ended the session 0.6 percent higher at 2,770 ...
