Economic News

E-Commerce in Southeast Asia: Major Challenges

E-Commerce in Southeast Asia: Major Challenges

Last updated May 18th, 2019.   E-commerce in Southeast Asia lags noticeably behind the rest of the continent. Despite an increased focus from the authorities, it'll be quite some time before e-commerce in ASEAN reaches the same level of other places in the...

Philippines GMO Ban Leaves Asia Shocked

Philippines GMO Ban Leaves Asia Shocked

New laws could halt genetically modified organism (GMO) agriculture in the Philippines. Actually, this GMO ban would stop new farming technology in Southeast Asia as a whole. That's because the Philippines is ASEAN's regional pioneer in the field. Back in late 2015,...

3 Economic Trends in China You Should Expect

3 Economic Trends in China You Should Expect

Update for September, 2018: This post was written back in 2016 and all our predictions on economic trends in China were accurate. But we aren't quite as bullish going forward. We're now looking at frontier markets like Vietnam and Cambodia for stronger growth.  ...

Advertising in ASEAN: Biggest Mistake Marketers Make

Advertising in ASEAN: Biggest Mistake Marketers Make

Last updated April 16th, 2019.   Companies around the world want to seize the ocean of opportunities that Southeast Asia now represents. That's especially true with the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community. Learning how to advertise in the ASEAN region is a...

ASEAN Economic Community is Here: What Now?

ASEAN Economic Community is Here: What Now?

Last updated November 19th, 2019.   The long-awaited ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) launched several years ago, back in 2015, with Southeast Asia officially merging its ten member nations into a single trading bloc. Such a move would otherwise offer immense...

Why Malaysia’s Economy is Southeast Asia’s Outlier

Why Malaysia’s Economy is Southeast Asia’s Outlier

Last updated February 7th, 2022.   Southeast Asia is among the fastest growing economic areas in the world. The region's strong demographics, strategic location, and rising middle class have created a ongoing boom period since the 1990s. Yet one economy stands...

Singapore Best Country for Business? Not for Long

Singapore Best Country for Business? Not for Long

Update for 2023:  As predicted, Singapore lost its first place spot to New Zealand soon after we published this article. You might be interested in reading our list of countries that could be the next Singapore.   For the past decade, Singapore has led the world...

Thailand Economy Seeks Revival from FDI

Thailand Economy Seeks Revival from FDI

Last updated December 5th, 2018.   Previously a high-growth market in Southeast Asia, the Thai economy is no longer what it used to be. That's especially true with declining tourism numbers and a GDP growth rate well below the regional average. A brief look at...

Why China Infrastructure Investment Must Grow

Why China Infrastructure Investment Must Grow

Last updated October 10th, 2019. Beijing realizes that a robust economy depends on having reliable transportation and telecom networks. Thus, China infrastructure will constantly improve in order for the nation to keep its edge. From the late 1990s until now, over 100...

ASEAN Highway Opens: Connecting Asia’s Roads

ASEAN Highway Opens: Connecting Asia’s Roads

The ASEAN highway connecting India, Myanmar, and Thailand has opened. The move will surely strengthen trade and political cooperation among the three countries, Asian Highway No.  1 (AH 1) is the most critical part of...