Other Briefings
Economic Growth Puts Vietnam on Track to Become Largest ASEAN Supplier to the U.S.
The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) predicts that Vietnam will become the largest ASEAN supplier to the United States by the end of 2014 – with a net export value of around US$29.4 billion. This would be a historical achievement for a nation surrounded by supply giants. In fact, Vietnam is likely to become the wealthiest Southeast Asian country in terms of trade. Additional statistics indicate that bilateral trade with the United States will surge to US$57 billion by 2020, cementing Vietnam’s prominence as a valuable hub for foreign investment and trade.
ASEAN Regional Meetings 2014
There are a number of important ASEAN regional meetings taking place in November, including the Meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN and the 25th ASEAN summit, which will also be attended by high level representatives of China, Japan, Korea, India, the United States, and Australia.
Malaysia Sees Improvement in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Rankings
In its new report, entitled “Doing Business 2015: Going Beyond Efficiency”, the World Bank has found that Malaysia ranks first out of the emerging economies in East Asia and ranks fourth out of all the countries in Asia.
EU-Singapore Finalize Free Trade Agreement
The European Union (EU) and Singapore have finalized their negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Singapore expects that exporters of electronics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and processed food products will especially benefit from the completion of the FTA.
Trade Ministers Report Progress on Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
Trade Ministers and Heads of Delegation for the nations involved in the negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) have reported significant progress in the talks over market access and trade and investment rules. The recent talks took place in Canberra, Australia on October 25-27.
ASEAN Update: Understanding the Geopolitics of the South China Sea Dispute
In recent years, the South China Sea has become a key area of concern for the ASEAN organization. In the face of an increasingly expansionary China, ASEAN has often seemed slow to react and unsure of what strategy it should pursue. While there are options in place, such as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), there has been little unity in the actions of the ten member nations.
Hong Kong-ASEAN FTA Could be Implemented by 2016
According to Hong Kong government officials, a free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should be ready for implementation in 2016. The first round of the trade talks was completed in July of this year.
Singapore-Turkey FTA Talks Progressing Despite Service Sector Concerns
Although some disagreements regarding services are yet to be hammered out, negotiations for Singapore-Turkey trade talks are “making good progress” said Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong.
Singapore Releases New e-Tax Guide for Business Trusts
The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has released a new e-tax guide which provides details on the income tax treatment of trusts registered under the Business Trusts Act, applicable to both trustee-managers and unit-holders.
Malaysia to Implement Lowest ASEAN Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Beginning in April 2015, Malaysia will introduce a goods and services tax (GST) of six percent – the lowest rate in the ASEAN region. The new GST will replace the country’s current sales and services taxes. 2015 will also see the release of Malaysia’s new budget.
The new tax regime is intended to increase the competitiveness of Malaysia’s exports, which will be zero rated. Additionally, a number of special schemes will be implemented in order to support the cash flow of exporters – such as, allowing companies to defer accounting for GST on temporarily imported goods for re-export.
