Other Briefings
ASEAN Expected to Commence FTA Talks with Hong Kong
Jul. 23 – According to Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So, the 10-nation ASEAN bloc and Hong Kong are expected to begin negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA). This agreement would rapidly expand the volume of trade and investment between the two sides. Currently in the preparatory stage, the agreement […]
ASEAN, Indonesia Ready to Phase out Haze
Jul. 19 – The ASEAN nations have recently agreed to better monitor the burning of jungles throughout the region – especially in Indonesia and Malaysia – by way of a newly signed agreement after thick smoke has clouded parts of Singapore for much of the past month. The agreement allows for the better dissemination of monitoring […]
Mongolia Attends ASEAN Regional Forum
Jul. 12 – Mongolia was in attendance at last week’s 20th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) – entitled the “Asia Regional Forum” – which was held in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city of Brunei. Brunei is the current chair of the 10-state Southeast Asian trade bloc. The forum detailed not just ASEAN-related issues, but also held […]
Opportunity ASEAN: Australian Dairy Exports
Jul. 11 – Growing demand in ASEAN for dairy products presents an immense opportunity for dairy product exporters, a void which many Australian dairy producers have been trying to fill. Notably, demand has grown fastest among the ASEAN-6 – which is comprised of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam – thanks to their […]
New Issue of Asia Briefing: An Introduction to Tax Treaties Throughout Asia
In this issue of Asia Briefing Magazine, we look at the various types of trade and tax treaties that exist between Asian nations. These include bilateral investment treaties and also the meatier double tax treaties and free trade agreements that directly affect businesses operating in Asia.
ASEAN-India Center to Boost Economic and Cultural Relations
Jul. 5 – New Delhi is now home to the newly inaugurated ASEAN-India Center (AIC), a resource center designed to increase political and economic relations between India and the 10-nation ASEAN bloc. The center is sponsored by the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, a think tank managed by the Ministry of External Affairs […]
Philippines to Adopt ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard
Jul. 2 – In preparation for the integration of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, the Philippines has begun to take additional measures to improve the corporate governance of its local companies by fully implementing the use of the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard (ACGS). The ACGS is an ASEAN-wide scorecard used to evaluate companies […]
Special Economic Zones in Myanmar
Following its rapid economic growth in the aftermath of democratic and economic reforms, Myanmar began to further facilitate the establishment of special economic zones (SEZs) to foster greater foreign investment.
Report: U.S. Should Prioritize Engagement with ASEAN
Jun. 26 – With a GDP of $2.2 trillion, ASEAN is made up of over 620 million people spanning the 10 nations of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The region is host to the largest inflows of United States (U.S.) foreign direct investment (FDI) in Asia, and […]
ASEAN’s Rising Minimum Wage Levels: Indonesia
Investors have complained that the somewhat drastic minimum wage hikes amongst ASEAN nations have hurt the market in terms of global competitiveness. In this article we will discuss the impact of recent minimum wage changes in Indonesia on conducting business in the country.
