Other Briefings
Grounds for Investment: Opportunities in Southeast Asia’s Coffee Industry
Southeast Asia has an ideal climate for coffee cultivation. While Vietnam has traditionally led the way for coffee production in ASEAN, other countries in the ten-nation bloc are steadily growing as coffee exporting nations. In this article, we provide an overview of the coffee industry in these countries.
Philippine Aviation Industry Sees Strong Growth
While 2014 was not a particularly good year for the aviation industry in Southeast Asia, the Philippines was an important exception to the wider trend. In a report released by CAPA, a global aviation think-tank, which looked at 18 airlines, it was found that out of the six airlines that were able to generate a profit in 2014, four of them were based in the Philippines: Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific, Tigerair Philippines, and Philippines AirAsia.
USA, New Zealand to Take Indonesia to WTO on Import Restrictions
The US and New Zealand have asked the World Trade Organization (WTO) for a dispute settlement panel to examine Indonesia’s wide-ranging restrictions on horticulture and animal imports.
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.
Indonesia Online: A Guide to E-commerce
While currently, e-commerce only accounts for less than one percent (worth ~US$2 billion per year) of Indonesian retail spending, analysts believe that the country’s fast growing middle class and proliferation of smartphones will soon raise that share to eight percent (worth US$8 billion) in just a few years. If that scenario were to happen, then Indonesia’s e-commerce market would be the largest in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia-Malaysia Financial Agreement a Model for Bilateralism
Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) banking supervision commissioner Nelson Tampubolon has said a recent agreement with Malaysia, which eases Malaysian restrictions on Indonesian banks, is a model for future bilateral agreements. He intends to use the agreement as a basis for planned negotiations with Singapore.
Key Industries for Investment in ASEAN
As ASEAN continues its transition to greater economic integration with the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, the region is seeing strong growth in a number of industries. Among the key business areas are electronics, information and communications technology, textiles and apparel, and medical devices.
BPO in the Philippines Could Jumpstart Economic Growth
The month of August saw an all-time high for employment in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector in the Philippines, hitting over one million employees. The growth in employment is being primarily driven by the expansion plans of a number of companies, such as Accenture and Convergys. Over the past decade, the Philippines BPO industry has seen tremendous growth – revenues and employment have expanded tenfold since 2004. The industry sees an average per year growth rate of 20 percent.
Singapore Promotes Green Energy Research and Development
The Singaporean government announced this morning that it has pledged US$80 million to fund two new research and development R&D initiatives within the energy sector.
E-Commerce Markets Across ASEAN
Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines are quickly becoming four of the hottest e-commerce markets in ASEAN. In this article, we review the characteristics of each nation’s e-commerce markets and highlight opportunities for international investors.
