INDONESIA recorded total palm oil exports of 1.78 million tonnes in April 2025, a sharp decline of 39.2 per cent compared to 2.88 mil
lion tonnes in the previous month, the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) announced on Tuesday. “The largest drop occurred in
processed palm oil products, which fell by 41.7 per cent to 1.24 million tonnes from 2.13 million tonnes,” said Mukti Sardjono, executive director of the GAPKI. Exports to various destination countries also saw significant decreases, particularly to the European Union (EU), India, and the United States, which declined by 156,000 tonnes, 155,000 tonnes, and 113,000 tonnes, respectively.
On a year-on-year basis, palm oil exports from January to April 2025 fell by 3.08 per cent to 9.42 million tonnes, down from 9.71 million tonnes in the same period last year, with the steepest declines seen in exports to India, the EU, China, and Pakistan. — Xinhua

Source: GNLM

India launched a portal to promote EV car manufacturing. In a bid to boost the domestic manufacturing of electric vehicles, the Indian government on Tuesday, announced the portal launch of the application process under the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India.

 The application portal would be open for applications from June 24 till October 21. This scheme has been formulated under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, keeping in mind the goals of ‘Net Zero 2070’, ‘Make in India’, and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.  Under this initiative, global Electric Vehicle manufacturers will be able to invest in India.

mitv

A seminar was held to promote labour cooperation between Viet Nam and small- and medium-sized enterprises in Japan’s Kyushu region.

The event aimed to connect Vietnamese labor dispatch companies with Kyushu-based businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, seeking Vietnamese workers. It focused on building sustainable partnerships and ensuring a stable, safe, and long-term environment for Vietnamese employees in Japan.

The Fukuoka SME Association praised Vietnamese workers for their diligence, professionalism, and sincerity. Kyushu is currently home to about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.

mitv

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said that Putrajaya’s ongoing negotiations with Washington over unilateral tariffs imposed by former US President Donald Trump are “going excellent”.

He said two ministers — Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz and Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan — held talks with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick yesterday to advance the tariff negotiations. “I said to them to secure what is fair for Malaysia but also present the case that is best for Asean too,” he said, during his keynote address at the 38th Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR) at Hilton KL, here, today.

Malaysia currently faces a 24 per cent tariff on all goods entering the US, and is seeking to lower the rate to the 10 per cent baseline tariff. Anwar acknowledged the economic strain caused by the tariffs but stressed that Malaysia’s bilateral relations with the US remain strong.

“Some of our differences in foreign policies cannot be too exaggerated because our bilateral relations with the US remains strong,” he said.

Anwar added that Asean is working to upgrade trade agreements with member states and dialogue partners, as the US tariffs continue to cast a shadow over the region.

He also said he was confident that the conclusion of the Digital Economic Framework Agreement (Defa) will help unlock the potential of the region’s digital economy.

The agreement is to be the world’s first region-wide and legally binding agreement on digital economy governance.

“In the face of rising protectionism, we must remind ourselves that trade is not a sideshow to security — it is part of the scaffolding that holds the region together,” he said.

“When trade falters, fractures follow.”

Anwar also defended Asean leaders’ engagement with the BRICS bloc, saying it should not be seen as an anti-Western move but rather a means to tackle shared challenges.

BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

“The recent reinvigoration of BRICS to include members and partner countries from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa, and South America, is the very essence of bridging regions,” he said.

“It is an opportunity to build new partnerships and renew old ones,” he added.

Malaysia formally applied to join BRICS in July 2024 and was admitted as a partner country in October.

Indonesia and Thailand are also partner countries in the alliance.

ကိုးကား- Malay Mail

THE shipments of Indonesia’s water and non-alcoholic beverages expanded 34.36 per cent to US$164.21 million in 2024, according to the Indonesian Export Financing Institution (LPEI).
Senior economist at the LPEI, Donda Sarah, said she was confident the uptrend would continue for the next several years. This was due to a strong demand from trade partners, she said in a statement on Monday.
The Philippines was the largest market, accounting for 23.61 per cent of Indonesia’s total exports of water and non-alcoholic beverages in 2024, followed by Vietnam with 12.76 per cent, Singapore with 9.96 per cent, Malaysia with 8.57 per cent, and Timor-Leste with 7.23 per cent, official data showed.
Indonesia’s exports of water and non-alcoholic beverages in the first four months of 2025 grew 73.45 per cent to $77.47 million. 

Ref: Xinhua

Photo: VOI

INSIDE a workshop at Chinese tech giant Xiaomi’s electric vehicle (EV) factory, the scene is a stark contrast to what one might expect to see on a factory floor.
With few workers in sight, robotic arms move with precision and speed, seamlessly assembling vehicle body components. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) glide across the floor, efficiently transporting materials to their designated stations.
Xiaomi entered the EV market in 2021, setting up a state-of the-art factory spanning some 720,000 square metres in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town — a key innovation hub for China’s autonomous driving industry. The market newcomer unveiled its SU7 model in March 2024.
Every 76 seconds, a new Xiaomi vehicle rolls off the production line at the factory, with over 700 robots operating around the clock to enable the full automation of key processes such as large-scale die casting.
The factory embodies Xiaomi’s vision for smart manufacturing, in which intelligent machines take the lead and automation fuels both quality and efficiency. To Lei Jun, founder and chairman of Xiaomi, the importance of sustained investment in innovation is self-evident.
“Upholding our unwavering principle of ‘technology as the foundation,’ Xiaomi has invested over 100 billion yuan (about US$13.93 billion) in R&D over the past five years, making significant strides in many core capabilities.
In the next five years, we plan to invest another 200 billion yuan to pursue new heights in global next-generation hard tech,” Lei said. — Xinhua

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Thailand's formal trade proposal will be submitted to the U.S. this week, with the first round of discussions set to take place online, the country's finance minister said on Tuesday, as it seeks to head off the threat of higher U.S. tariffs.  The Southeast Asian nation faces a 36% U.S. tariff on its exports if a reduction cannot be negotiated before a 90-day pause that caps President Donald Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs at a baseline of 10% expires in July.

Formal trade negotiations with the United States will commence this week, starting with technical discussions at the official level, Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira told reporters.  "The latest formal proposal will be submitted following these discussions this week. After that, the first round of discussions with the U.S. will be conducted online," he said, without giving a date.

Any potential in-person meetings would be considered after the initial talks, Pichai said.  The formal proposal to be submitted would be under the main criteria previously announced, he said.  Last month, Pichai said the country had submitted a proposal to Washington that aims to address the trade imbalance, and includes measures to enhance market access for U.S. exports and tackle transshipment violations, as well as Thai investment that would create U.S. jobs.

On Monday, the commerce minister expressed confidence that both countries could agree on good terms on tariffs, possibly as low as 10%.  The United States was Thailand's largest export market last year, accounting for 18.3% of total shipments worth $55 billion. Washington has put its trade deficit with Thailand at $45.6 billion.

A meeting to consider a 157 billion baht ($4.8 billion) economic stimulus project will be held on Wednesday, Pichai said, to support a sluggish economy, which could grow by just over 1% this year due to the impact of U.S. tariffs.  Pichai also said he is open to working with any candidate chosen as the next central bank governor from the list of applicants, leaving the decision to the selection committee. He said he has already been closely engaging with the central bank on various collaborative matters.

Ref : Reuter

Myanmar business people are invited to participate in the Industry Expo 2025 that will be held at BMICH in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 19-22 June 2025, organized by the Industrial Development Board (IDB) and the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development of Sri Lanka, according to the Myanmar Trade Promotion Organization.
The expo will provide a platform to build networks with regional and international industrial leaders, showcase industrial products and investment potential, and explore partnerships in manufacturing and industry. Over 400 exhibitors are expected to participate in this.
Individuals can enquire about details through the contact number at 067 408623 and email event.td.myantrade@gmail.com. — NN/KK

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have completed negotiations to further refine their free trade area to include the digital and green economy and other new industries, China's commerce ministry said on Wednesday (May 21).

ASEAN, made up of 10 Southeast Asian countries, is China's largest trading partner, with the value of total trade reaching US $ 234 billion in the first quarter of 2025, according to Chinese customs data.

The so-called 3.0 version of the free trade area will "inject greater certainty into regional and global trade and play a leading and exemplary role for countries to adhere to openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation," the statement said.

Negotiations began in November 2022, and the agreement covers areas including the digital economy, green economy, and supply chain connectivity, the statement said.

The pact will "promote the deep integration of the production and supply chains of both sides", it added.

China has intensified engagement with ASEAN since US President Donald Trump announced hefty import tariffs on countries around the world and targeted China with even heavier levies. Some of the levies have since been delayed while China and the US agreed this month to pause some of their tariffs.

President Xi Jinping took a three-nation tour of Southeast Asia in April to consolidate ties with some of China's closest neighbours, calling on Asian nations to unite against what he called geopolitical confrontation, unilateralism and protectionism.

The formal signing of the trade agreement is expected to take place before the end of the year. The ASEAN-China Free Trade Area was first signed in 2002 and came into force on Jan 1, 2010.

ကိုးကား - Channel News Asia

THE EU unveiled plans Wednesday to cut red tape for medium-sized companies and abolish barriers for businesses to sell goods across the bloc as part of its efforts to catch up with China and the United States.
The European Union wants to make doing business in the 27-country bloc easier and attract investment, as US President Donald Trump pushes an America First policy.
The latest raft of proposals come after the EU said earlier this year it would simplify environmental rules for farmers and businesses to boost economic growth. Brussels wants medium-sized businesses to benefit from some of the same exemptions -- including on data protection rules -- previously enjoyed only by smaller firms, to reduce their administrative burden. — AFP

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar