The Philippine government is working to expand market opportunities for bananas and other agricultural products in Asia and the Middle East, a government official said.
The Indonesian government plans to restrict palm oil waste exports – including used cooking oil (UCO) – to prioritise domestic use, according to a New Straits Times report quoting the country’s President Prabowo Subianto.
THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the Philippines is hoping to regain its former status as the leading banana exporter to Japan when the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) is reviewed.
Reducing tariffs on banana shipments to Japan could help the Philippines compete with Ecuador for the title of the world’s largest banana exporter, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Malaysia’s economic growth is expected to moderate to 4.6% in 2026 from an estimated 4.9% in 2025, even as the ringgit emerged as the strongest-performing regional currency last year, according to the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (Amro).
Economists say the January figures offer encouraging signs for the Kingdom’s economic outlook in 2026, following years of uncertainty caused by the pandemic and global economic headwinds, besides the border conflict with Thailand in the second half of 2025.
Singapore has raised its forecast for key exports in 2026 in response to an improved global economic outlook, especially for artificial intelligence-related demand.
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) is positioning agriculture as the main driver of Indonesia’s economic engagement with Canada under the Indonesia-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (ICA-CEPA).
<p>Time: November 2025<br /> By: WTO and International Trade Group, Legal Department – VCCI</p>
