Other Briefings
Singapore-European Union Conclude Free Trade Agreement
Dec. 18 – Singapore concluded an agreement with the European Union (EU) this weekend in a deal that will grant both parties improved access to each other’s markets. Singapore is the first Southeast Asian nation to conclude such a deal, with the agreement seeing the EU eliminating tariffs on all imports from Singapore over a […]
China to Join RCEP, Creating Massive Free Trade Area with ASEAN, India, and Japan
Plus Myanmar issues new foreign investment law Nov. 9 – China is set to commence negotiations to create a 16-nation trade bloc, known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), with its launch expected to be formally announced at the ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh later this month. The RCEP will include the 10 members […]
The China Alternative – Singapore
The China Alternative is our series on other foreign investment destinations in emerging Asia that may soon be competing with China in terms of labor costs, infrastructure and operational capacity. In this issue we look at Singapore. By Joshua Gill and Martino di Nola Background Jul. 17 – In a global economy dominated by huge […]
European Union Free Trade Negotiations with Southeast Asia
By Ian Bhullar Jul. 3 – The announcement of negotiations on a Vietnam-European Union (EU) free trade agreement (FTA) this week is promising for business leaders with interests on the intersection of Europe and the whole of the Southeast Asian region. EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Vietnamese Minister for Industry and Trade Vu […]
Myanmar Attracts International Investment
By Joshua Gill Jun. 25 – Following U.S. President Barack Obama’s May 17 announcement that the United States would ease its sanctions against Myanmar, some American firms have begun to make efforts to expand into this newly available market. In his speech, President Obama declared that the suspension of the bans on the exportation of […]
Free Trade Agreement between the EU and India Getting Closer?
Jun. 13 – Long-delayed negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement between India and the European Union seem to be gaining momentum again. A ministerial level meeting is slated for June 26 between Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht to take the talks forward.
Why ASEAN Matters For Your China Business
The 2015 Free Trade Agreement will soon kick in. Is your China business ready? Op-Ed Commentary: Chris Devonshire-Ellis May 22 – The term “ASEAN” is cropping up more often these days, yet still many businesses in China are unaware of what it is and why it is gaining in importance. The basic answer is fairly […]
ASEAN and China to Become Top Trade Partners by 2015
Apr. 20 – When taken together as a group, the combined members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will become China’s top trading partners by 2015, according to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. Made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, ASEAN […]
Myanmar Set to Open Up to Foreign Investment
Mar. 28 – The Myanmar government is introducing a new set of regulations expected to promote foreign direct investment into the country. Coupled with the lifting of U.S. sanctions on the existing regime, this move may well spell the beginning of a new chapter in the nation’s development. Long a pariah state and run until […]
China, ASEAN Negotiating Trade in RMB
Oct. 25 – China is negotiating with ASEAN countries over settling trade in Chinese renminbi (RMB), Assistant to the Governor of the People’s Bank of China Jin Qi told reporters Saturday in Nanning during the third China-ASEAN Summit Forum on Financial Cooperation and Development. “It (the agreement) is currently underway, but the exact time for […]
