Philippine-based universal bank Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort is optimistic about the rebound of foreign direct investments (FDIs) to the Philippines given the continued recovery of the domestic economy. The chief...
The Indonesian and Norwegian governments have agreed to strengthen economic cooperation by focusing on implementing digital trade and addressing Indonesia’s halal certification standards, among other topics. Both countries have agreed to cooperate on the 2018...
The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) has granted investment privileges totaling THB 56.6 billion (USD 1.64 billion) to a variety of projects aimed at enhancing the country’s infrastructure, particularly in the energy and digital sectors. In addition, the...
The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) has recently revealed that the country’s approved investment for 2022 amounted to MYR 264.6 billion (USD 60 billion) the second-largest number ever recorded. It is projected that these investments will generate...
Senior executives from 52 US companies have recently participated in the US-ASEAN Business Council’s (USABC) largest-ever business mission to Vietnam in March 2023. The delegation included many notable corporations, such as Boeing, Coca-Cola, CitiBank, Meta,...
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has renewed its call for the resumption of talks for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU). In a meeting with the members of the European Parliament Sub-Committee on Human Rights, DTI Trade Secretary...
A recent report from KPMG International Ltd and HSBC Holdings Plc has disclosed that the number of startups in Vietnam almost doubled between the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and mid-2022. The growth is supported by some of the biggest investors in the world, such...
During German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s three-day official visit to Malaysia in February 2023, he praised Malaysia as a prime destination to diversify businesses, citing that over 700 German companies operate in Malaysia, many of which run production plants...
Singapore and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) have launched negotiations on an EFTA-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (DEA). EFTA and Singapore share strong trade and investment relations underpinned by the 2003 EFTA-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. The...
Foreign investment soared by 56% to THB 129 billion (USD 3.9 billion) in value in 2022, with Japan topping the list in terms of budget to develop businesses in Thailand. Japan’s investment value tallied THB 39.5 billion (USD 1.2 billion), followed by China at...
Indonesia has become a crucial player in the global electric vehicle industry, leveraging its abundant nickel resources to attract significant investment from major manufacturers such as Hyundai, LG, and Foxconn. Since 2020, Indonesia has secured over a dozen deals...
The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has launched a five-year, PHP 1 billion (USD 18 million) partnership with the Philippine government to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) transition to mature e-commerce...
