Other Briefings
26th ASEAN Summit sees Progress on AEC and FTA with Hong Kong
The 26th ASEAN Summit was recently held in Malaysia on April 26-27. During the meeting, leaders from the member nations discussed the progress of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the ongoing free trade agreement negotiations with Hong Kong.
The Big Players in ASEAN-Africa Trade
The Asia-Africa Summit has been taking place in Jakarta over the past few days, with government officials from over 100 countries taking part. High-level dignitaries attending the event have included Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Indian Minister Sushma Swaraj, as well as heavy hitters from the smaller nations of both regions.
The Cost of Business in Myanmar Compared With China
The fifth part in our comprehensive look at how doing business in ASEAN compares with China, this time focusing on Myanmar.
The Cost of Business in Malaysia Compared With China
The fourth part in our comprehensive look at how doing business in ASEAN compares with China, this time focusing on Malaysia.
Your Guide to Singapore’s Wage Credit Scheme
Singapore’s government announced in its recent 2015 Budget that the Wage Credit Scheme measure would be prolonged until year of assessment (YA) 2017. In this article, we take an in-depth look at the scheme’s structure.
The Cost of Business in Cambodia Compared With China
In Part One of our series comparing ASEAN nation business costs with China, we discuss Cambodia and how the country may fit into your China strategy.
Philippines and the European Free Trade Association begin FTA Negotiations
The Philippines and members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) have begun their first round of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations in Makati, Philippines. The EFTA is made up of four countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. A completed FTA could have profound effects on businesses in both regions.
Indonesia Struggles to Strengthen Weakening Rupiah
Tuesday, March 17th, Indonesia’s central bank, Bank Indonesia, announced that it will hold the country’s key interest rate steady at 7.5 percent. The bank has chosen not to follow the recent regional trend of countries drastically cutting their borrowing costs. Markets have so far met the news positively and the rupiah has strengthened 0.6 percent to 13,165 against the dollar – the largest gain in eight weeks. Indonesia’s government has been struggling to strengthen a rapidly weakening rupiah, the country’s currency. The rupiah is Asia’s worse performing currency against the U.S. dollar this year.
CLMV in India’s “Act East” Policy
The 2015-2016 Indian budget includes a proposal to set up manufacturing hubs in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam.
ASEAN Case Study: The Auto Industry and GM
With the ASEAN Economic Community going into effect at the end of this year, many companies are now seriously considering moving their operations to the region. However, the question remains as to where in ASEAN to base your business. As such, it is helpful to consider corporations that have made the move to ASEAN in the past and to try and understand their reasons for doing so. We delve into GM’s expansion into the region and provide snapshots of their operations in a few key countries.
