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Producers' confidence holds up The re-entry of Sinochem into the market to negotiate third quarter tonnage, and another major tender from Pakistan has seen the bullish stance taken by producers [...]

A FREE-TRADE web linking China, India and Southeast Asia came closer to reality over the last two weeks after the signing of two free-trade agreements (FTAs). These, according to analysts, [...]

Farm produce exports to Asian countries will suffer as a result of the SARS epidemic, and those shipments that do arrive will suffer lukewarm demand from a frightened, stay-at-home population, according to industry analysts.

The current economic slowdown in South-east Asia will hit European exports to what has hitherto been a growing market for EU farm exports, according to a recent study*, while currency [...]

WHILE EXPORT MARKETS ARE DRYING UP, CHEAP IMPORTS TO U.S WILL SURGE Those fabric and apparel companies that export to East Asia and Korea and experienced a 'Goldilocks economy' in [...]

The nation's trade deficit is on the rise, triggering fears that the impact of Asia's recent financial turmoil has begun washing ashore here. If the trend continues, as expected by [...]

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is composed of the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam. Vietnam is the only Asean member that is not an APEC member. Asean leaders are scheduled to hold an informal meeting on Nov. 30, 1996, in Jakarta, Indonesia, to discuss the outcome of the APEC summit and prepare for the first ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization in Singapore in Dec. 1996.

Demand patterns for tankers to transport petrochemicals show Southeast Asia will increase its consumption of petrochemicals during the next few years. However, an increasing volume of Southeast Asia's demand will [...]

FOR some time, Paul Keating, the Australian prime minister, suffered from an embarrassing delusion: that he was Asian. His foreign minister, Gareth Evans, was similarly afflicted. He even produced a [...]

When we wanted to know how successful the Cochran Fellowship Program's consumer foods training course in Southeast Asia was, we went directly to the people who know best - the [...]

Southeast Asian economic powers are running into complaints from sectors afraid of the competition they bring to the international markets. The latest area to be disputed is financial services, with countries led by the US and EC calling for more open-market conditions from Southeast Asian countries. Southeast Asian leaders have responded by urging their governments to support domestic banks so that they may be able to support increased trade.

The New Zealand Dairy Board aiming to increase its liquid milk sales in South-east Asia as part of a strategy to sell half its anticipated 3% annual output growth in [...]

Singapore's commercial policy reforms are seen to benefit Thailand. Singapore has been undertaking efforts to develop trade and investments among other Asian countries to avoid being vulnerable to forces affecting the US and European markets, its largest trading partners. Thailand can take advantage of this shift in policy by increasing its products and markets and using Singapore as an outlet for its exports to Southeast Asia.

Air cargo service companies are aggressively expanding their operations in Latin America and Southeast Asia in anticipation of an impressive growth in trade volume within these regions, as well as between these regions and other areas of the world. Among the firms which have begun to enhance their presence in these markets are Federal Express Corp., which will open a hub in Subic Bay, Philippines, American President Lines Inc., Maersk Line and Regional Container Lines Company Ltd.

New Zealand's beef farmers are hoping to increase their penetration of lucrative new markets in southeast Asia by supplying the type of carcase demanded by supermarkets catering for increasingly urbanised [...]

US trade is expected to grow as global trade expands in 1996 and beyond. US exports of commodities and raw materials to Southeast Asia will increase as local industries in the region demand for more of these products. Imports are expected to outpace exports in Southeast Asia, which will result in the decline of merchandise trade surplus and will create a deficit in service trade. The US should take advantage of this foreseen decline both in trade surplus and in service trade in Southeast Asia.

The Swiss-Southeast Asia Chamber of Commerce (SEA) was created by major Swiss companies with the aim of promoting and improving economic relations between Switzerland and countries in the area, and increasing the participation of Swiss companies in the Southeast Asian economies. Headquartered in Zofingen, SEA will focus on the nine countries comprising the region: Brunei, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. The Board will develop business guidelines, offer consulting services and provide informationn regarding the region., The booming economy in Southeast Asia is of significant importance to Switzerland, and now is the time to tap that market, said Federal Councillor Jean-Pascal Delamuraz at a press conference [...]

The US is looking to benefit in Southeast Asia from an Australian and Saudi Arabian wheat producti shortfall in 1994/95. 'There may be new markets for us in the next [...]

Malaysia has opposed expansion plans to include Australia and New Zealand as market partners in Southeast Asian free trade. The inclusion of both countries, which carry a 'closer economic relations' free trade agreement, has been supported by Thailand. Thailand Deputy PM Supachai Panitchpakdi said that the addition of Australia and New Zealand will make ASEAN countries work faster on their own free trade programs.

P&O Containers Ltd. is carrying cargo from the Far East to the US through the Suez Canal so that a trans-Pacific service seems unnecessary. However, it still plans to enter the Pacific trades on an indefinite date. The Suez Canal alternative shows economic activity has shifted form Japan and Taiwan in Northern Asia to southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

Southeast Asian rubber producers are seeking for the amendment of the International Natural Rubber Agreement and plan to voice out their demand in the international conference sponsored by the UN Conference on Trade and Development to be held in Geneva, Switzerland. Producers led by Malaysia are asking for an increase in the price of rubber, claiming that low prices have been detrimental to their business.

The saturation of the US retail market opened opportunities for companies to venture into global retailing. Since the markets in Europe, Japan, Canada, UK and Germany have already been explored, the market leaves the Southeast Asian and Latino market as likely prospects. Retailers are predicting China as the future fourth block in the retail business. With new technology and infrastructure, global retailing will not be hard to undertake., By the time this is published, I'll be on a week-long visit to Singapore. Part of the idea behind the trip (besides using some soon-to-expire frequent flyer miles) is to [...]

Taiwan Pres Lee Teng-hui went on a vacation tour to Southeast Asia as part of his plan to establish closer trade ties between Taiwan and countries in the region. Lee met with Philippine Pres Fidel Ramos, Indonesia Pres Suharto and senior Thai officials. His visit to these countries provoked protests from mainland China which many countries recognize diplomatically. Taiwanese have yet to see the favorable results of Lee's vacation tour to Southeast Asia.

The Taiwanese government is expanding its investment in Southeast Asia to strengthen economic and political connections in the region. Taiwan's economic policy goal is to raise investment in Southeast Asia while opportunities exist. Taiwan plans to invest particularly in Indonesia's Batam Island. Joint natural gas and oil reserves projects are in the offing. Furthermore, the state-owned Chinese Petroleum Corp will build a US $1.2 billion oil refinery in Vietnam in joint efforts with Petrovietnam and Total Compagnie Francais de Petroles.

THE news that the Indonesian army had intervened in a strike of 8,300 shoe workers in west Java could not have been worse timed. The soldiers' actions came just as [...]