The Philippines has surpassed the net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows of Malaysia and Thailand in the first three quarters of 2023, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Ceferi…
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Global Economy Set for Weakest Half-Decade Performance in 30 Years
As the world nears the midpoint of what was intended to be a transformative decade for development, the global economy is set to rack up a sorry record by the end of 2024 —the slowest half-decade of G…
A decade of stopping deforestation: How the palm oil industry did the seemingly impossible (commentary)
Ten years ago this month, I stood with the CEO of Asia’s biggest agribusiness, Wilmar International, to announce the company’s new No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation policy. It banned deforest…
Opportunities and trends in 2024
This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on December 18, 2023 – December 24, 2023 With 2023 drawing to a close, talks and discussions on the outlook for the c…
Laos to launch agroforestry project for sustainable agriculture
A new agroforestry coffee plantation project dedicated to fostering sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation is poised to take root in Laos. The project aims to create a prototype coffee…
Lao economy’s leap towards independence
In a definitive stride towards economic autonomy, Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith has pledged to remodel the economy, focusing on independence and local ownership. The announcement came during a rec…
New Electric Vehicle Production in Thailand Sets the Stage for ASEAN’s EV Hub
Thailand is making significant strides in its electric vehicle (EV) industry as it welcomes the assembly of the Ora Good Cat EV, the first Chinese brand to be manufactured in the country. This develop…
Commodity Market Report – 15 Jan 2024
Gold prices made a technical recovery on Friday after the market has traded below USD2030 /oz for most part of last week. Technically, we outlook the trend will encounter strong selling pressure above…
Weekly Rubber Report – 15 Jan 2024
Market Fundamentals: The USD Index (USDX) consolidated sideways at 102.00 region last week. SICOM Rubber traded in fatigue while TOCOM Rubber move higher amid recovery due to weakening Yen. While Crud…
How Vietnam turned US-China competition to its advantage
Thanks to its deft diplomatic manoeuvres, Hanoi has found itself in a strategic sweet spot The once-impoverished and war-stricken nation of Vietnam has emerged as a global pivot state, with 2023 being…