Author: News Desk

Singapore and China finalized 27 agreements at their annual summit, strengthening collaboration in financial connectivity, green and digital initiatives, and the education sector. The series of memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and agreements—now totaling 27, up from 25 last year—were revealed on Monday during the 21st Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting. The meeting was jointly led by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang. It represents the top-level bilateral engagement between Singapore and China. A major focus of this year’s meeting was the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity (CCI), now marking…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has directed Pakistan to evaluate the reliability of its import data after uncovering discrepancies of about $30–35 billion, prompting the IMF to introduce new requirements to enhance data accuracy. An IMF staff report, released following the approval of the third $1 billion tranche under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), revealed discrepancies of $30–35 billion in Pakistan’s import data over the past seven years. The inconsistencies were found between trade figures reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and those recorded in the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) balance of payments. The IMF emphasized the…

Thailand has indicated a potential escalation in its response to ongoing clashes with Cambodia, with the military considering halting fuel exports and imposing maritime restrictions, as conflicts continue despite reports of a renewed ceasefire. Reuters reported that Thai military officials are discussing measures to halt fuel shipments to Cambodia, alongside increasing naval surveillance of strategic cargo vessels, and designating maritime zones near Cambodian ports as high-risk. The discussions follow U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration two days earlier that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to a new ceasefire. “At this time, there are no orders on these measures,” said Captain Nara…

Botswana has reimposed its ban on vegetable imports from South Africa and other nearby nations, affecting cross-border trade and local farmers. The Ministry of Lands and Agriculture declared the measure on December 8, confirming that a broad range of fresh produce is now prohibited from entering the country. The renewed ban comes only months after Botswana had started reopening its borders to vegetables from South Africa. Authorities had lifted restrictions in two stages, indicating a gradual resumption of normal trade. In December 2024, imports of turmeric, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, green peas, sweet corn, broccoli, and baby marrow were permitted. By…

China will introduce an export licensing system for steel, starting next year, to limit the flow of the metal that has fueled global trade disputes. According to a joint statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs on Friday, China will begin regulating exports of certain steel products through the export licensing system starting January 1, 2026. The statement noted that exporters will be required to obtain official approval to ship specific steel products starting January 1 but did not specify the reason behind the decision. Under applicable laws and regulations, the two authorities have…

EU finance ministers on Friday approved a three‑euro levy on all small parcels imported into the bloc starting July 1, 2026. The measure is intended to curb the surge of low‑cost imports from platforms such as Shein and Temu. This decision follows last month’s agreement by the bloc to eliminate the duty exemption for parcels valued under €150, often sent directly to consumers via Chinese-based platforms. According to an EU spokesperson, the fixed charge will be applied on an interim basis and remain in effect until the EU establishes a long-term framework for taxing these imports. In 2024, the EU…

Vietnam’s parliament passed revisions to the Geology and Minerals Law on Thursday, bringing rare earth elements under strict state control and banning the export of unprocessed ores, marking a shift in the country’s approach to developing the valuable resources. Under the revised legislation passed by the National Assembly, rare earths are now classified as a ‘special strategic’ mineral. All geological surveys, exploration, mining, and processing will be required to follow the national rare-earth strategy and may only be conducted by companies authorized or designated by the state. Additionally, the government will centralize geological data, manage imports and exports based on…

A forum on Vietnam-Cambodia border trade connectivity was held on Wednesday in An Giang province, focusing on boosting cross-border trade and investment prospects. The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) reported that in the first nine months of 2025, bilateral trade through land border gates totaled $5.9 billion, marking a 15.5% year-on-year rise. Vietnam’s exports climbed 16.6% to $5.83 billion, primarily consisting of textiles, steel, and seafood, while Cambodia’s exports included rubber, cashew nuts, and other agricultural products. The ministry aims to achieve a bilateral trade turnover of $20 billion by 2030, prioritizing the modernization of logistics, enhancement of…

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto held talks to boost military cooperation and advance collaboration in nuclear energy, as Moscow seeks to strengthen ties with Indonesia as part of its Global South strategy amid Western sanctions. On Wednesday, Putin emphasized the need for collaboration with Indonesia during his meeting with Prabowo in Moscow. Putin acknowledged the expanding military cooperation between Russia and Indonesia, underlining Russia’s readiness to support Indonesia in nuclear energy development. “We have very promising prospects in the energy sector, including nuclear power generation. I know your country has similar plans, and we are always…

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has simplified rules allowing industrial importers to bring in capital goods on usance terms of up to three years without needing prior clearance from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA). Earlier, the provision was applied solely to the import of capital machinery. With the revised directive, importers are now permitted to bring in both capital machinery and capital goods under the same three‑year usance arrangement, a senior central bank official told The Business Standard. On Wednesday, the central bank issued the circular based on the decision of the 186th meeting of BIDA’s Scrutiny Committee on Foreign Loan…