The Indonesian government is aiming to increase national sugar production to 3 million tons by 2026 as part of efforts to achieve sugar self-sufficiency, reduce imports, and strengthen food security.
Malaysia's palm oil industry is eyeing fresh growth in the United States after selected palm products secured zero-tariff access under the Malaysia-US agreement on reciprocal trade (ART).
Indonesia has surpassed the US for the first time in the proportion of electric vehicles in new car sales, demonstrating Southeast Asia's strong acceleration in the electrification of transportation.
Viet Nam is rapidly establishing itself as a key economic hub in Southeast Asia, delivering some of ASEAN’s strongest GDP growth as the government pushes industrial reforms, accelerates infrastructure development, and steers the economy towards a greener growth model.
HSBC says ASEAN-China trade in 2025 is set to exceed US$984bn, with supply-chain links deepening and Chinese FDI rising above 25% in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Thailand’s agriculture and food sector is entering a major turning point: price is no longer the deciding factor for buyers.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and US President Donald Trump are expected to sign a landmark bilateral trade agreement in January 2026.
Maybank noted that FDI metrics continued to improve in Malaysia, Viet Nam and Thailand in 2025, but slowed in Indonesia and the Philippines.
<p>Time: November 2025<br /> By: WTO and International Trade Group, Legal Department – VCCI</p>
