A World Economic Forum report on ASEAN’s digital economy highlights the gap between digital ambition and practical execution, positioning Thailand’s leadership as pivotal.
Canada and Vietnam are reinforcing trade ties as Ottawa pushes for broader commercial access in Southeast Asia. Canadian merchandise exports to Vietnam increased by 30.2% in 2025, while both sides are discussing deeper cooperation in energy, aerospace, agriculture and agri-food.
A look at Southeast Asian trade to weigh the factors that have contributed to making tariffs much less of a drag than many expected.
From 17 to 18 September, the opening ceremony of the "Dual Carbon" Smart Energy Exhibition and the New Energy and Intelligent Connected Vehicle Exhibition at the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and the 2026 China-ASEAN Power Cooperation and Development Forum were held in Nanning.
ASEAN has kept a tariff-slashing deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on its wish list, as the Southeast Asian grouping assesses whether such a pact is practical.
Asean faces a harder path to industrial upgrading, as its businesses are facing intensifying competition, with automation reducing the advantage of lower labour costs, says Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.
ASEAN and South Korea have set a 2027 deadline to upgrade their free trade agreement (FTA) as they plan to team up on building the critical mineral supply chain.
China sees Cambodia as a key participant in the next phase of China–ASEAN cooperation, with trade, investment and infrastructure among the areas expected to drive the partnership, a Chinese foreign ministry official told visiting Southeast Asian journalists on September 28.
<p>Time: November 2025<br /> By: WTO and International Trade Group, Legal Department – VCCI</p>
