Author: Editorial Desk

Pakistan’s economy has come under greater strain as the border closure with Afghanistan, in place since October 11, continues to restrict trade, manufacturing, and exports. The disruption has halted two-way commerce and triggered shortages, price surges, and production delays across sectors that rely heavily on cross-border routes, according to Dawn. The cement industry is among the worst affected. Imports of Afghan coal and exports of cement to Afghanistan have come to a complete standstill, forcing manufacturers in northern Pakistan to shift to more expensive coal sourced from South Africa, Indonesia, and Mozambique. Prices of Darra coal have risen from PKR…

Agricultural trade between ASEAN countries and China is gaining pace, highlighted by two major breakthroughs over the weekend. Laos sent its first full-train shipment of cassava starch to China on Saturday, while China received its first approved batch of frozen durians from Indonesia on the same day. According to Xinhua News Agency, a train carrying 1,000 tons of cassava starch departed Vientiane via the China-Laos Railway and is expected to reach Zhengzhou in about 80 hours. This is the first time Laos has exported a full trainload of cassava starch to China. The shipment was produced entirely by a local…

India will continue negotiating new trade deals but only under a firmly ‘people-centric vision,’ External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said, stressing that global uncertainty and shifting power dynamics require a cautious and strategic approach. Speaking after receiving an honorary doctorate from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Dr Jaishankar described a world in which long-standing economic assumptions are being rewritten. He said the United States, traditionally the architect of the modern global system, is now setting “radically new terms of engagement”, often through bilateral arrangements rather than established multilateral regimes, while China “has long played by its own rules…

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has called on Vietnam’s logistics industry to speed up its green transition and digital transformation, and to reduce costs to match global averages. Addressing the Vietnam Logistics Forum on 29 November, he said the sector must lift its performance to achieve a growth rate of 15 to 16% and contribute 6 to 7% of GDP next year. Chính noted that the industry had a successful year, helping push the country’s import–export turnover to 900 billion dollars. He stressed the need for decisive action to remove long-standing bottlenecks and ensure steady, sustainable expansion. “Logistics plays a…

The United Arab Emirates is reinforcing its position as one of the world’s leading centers for gold trading, driven by advanced commercial infrastructure, growing trade flows, and flexible economic policies. The UAE gold sector saw notable expansion across 2024 and 2025 in both value and traded volumes. Minister of Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi said that gold worth 186 billion dollars passed through the UAE in 2024, securing its rank as the world’s second-largest trading hub for the precious metal. Speaking at the Dubai Precious Metals Conference, he highlighted the impact of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements program,…

More than 70 species of sharks and rays have been granted strengthened international protections in what conservationists are calling a landmark victory for global marine conservation. The measures were approved at the 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP20) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Whale sharks, along with all manta and devil rays, have been uplisted to Appendix I, the highest level of protection under CITES. The listing bans all commercial international trade in these species and their products. The decision follows yesterday’s vote to uplist the critically endangered oceanic white…

South Sudan and Saudi Arabia have signed a wide-ranging trade agreement aimed at deepening economic cooperation and advancing major infrastructure projects, following the visit of South Sudan’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Atong Kuol Manyang, to Riyadh. The Ministry of Trade said the deal was finalized during a high-level meeting between Minister Atong and the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, describing the discussions as ‘particularly productive.’ The agreement sets out a comprehensive roadmap to expand bilateral trade, attract investment, and strengthen cooperation across industry and commerce. It builds on the 2022 General Cooperation Agreement, which established a broad…

Iranian and Syrian drug networks have moved parts of their illicit production and trafficking operations to Yemen following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government last year, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and Yemeni officials cited by AFP. Yemen’s internationally recognized government recently seized 447 kilograms of narcotics and performance-enhancing substances, largely amphetamine-based, during coordinated land and maritime raids. WADA chief Gunter Younger described the operation as “a landmark moment,” saying it reflects stronger enforcement efforts against banned substances. WADA and Yemeni authorities assessed that Syria’s previous role as a safe haven for drug production collapsed with Assad’s ouster…

Vietnam’s electronics industry has reached its highest export level to date, overcoming rising tariffs and tightening trade barriers in key international markets. Data from Vietnam Customs shows that as of November 15, electronics exports totalled nearly $143 billion. Shipments of computers, electronic products, and components reached $92.13 billion, up 48.3%, while phones and components generated almost $51 billion, an increase of 5% year-on-year. The sector earned $32 billion more than in the same period of 2024, contributing significantly to Vietnam’s total export value of over $410 billion. Electronics exports in the first ten and a half months exceeded the full-year…

Indonesia is positioning itself as a rising contender in the global durian industry, supported by growing demand and deeper international cooperation, according to the Indonesian Durian Plantation Association (Apdurin). In May, Indonesia signed a frozen durian export protocol with China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC), marking a major step in expanding its access to the world’s largest durian market. Eight Indonesian companies have already passed verification to export frozen durian to China. This agreement aims to place Indonesia alongside Thailand and Vietnam as a key global supplier, improving trade efficiency and strengthening economic growth. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded 600 metric…