Author: News Desk

Bangladesh plans to lower import tariffs on smartphones in an effort to stabilize handset prices and tighten regulatory oversight ahead of the December 16 rollout of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR), the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology declared. The decision was reached during a meeting on December 1 between representatives of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the Ministry of Commerce, the Posts and Telecommunications Division, and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). The Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology stated that the government is taking steps to reduce the existing import duty of around 61%…

Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan on Thursday finalized several agreements aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation in various fields, including energy, mining, trade, agriculture, culture, health, tourism, and regional connectivity. The agreements, which had been pre-signed, were officially exchanged during a ceremony at the Prime Minister’s House, marking the first state visit of Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov, who was visiting at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Among the accords, one focused on establishing a sister-city partnership between Bishkek and Islamabad, while another memorandum of understanding outlined collaboration on using Pakistani ports to promote regional connectivity. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and…

The European Union has reached an agreement to phase out all Russian gas imports by November 2027. The provisional deal, declared on Wednesday, was reached between the European Parliament and the bloc’s member states, establishing a clear deadline to dismantle Europe’s reliance on Russian energy. The deal was finalized during overnight discussions between EU institutions and national governments, concluding months of talks on the pace of the bloc’s separation from Russian energy. This represents a major step to limit Moscow’s energy revenue as the conflict in Ukraine nears its fourth year. “We’ve made it: Europe is turning off the tap…

Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, stated that the United States has regained confidence in Indonesian shrimp products, with demand rising after exports were confirmed free of Cesium-137 contamination. “This shows that we are capable. When a problem emerges, we resolve it quickly,” Zulkifli said at an event on Wednesday marking the shipment of 128 tons of shrimp from Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta. The United States continues to be Indonesia’s top market for shrimp, with annual exports valued at roughly $1 billion. The U.S. shrimp market is estimated at over $6 billion, while the global shrimp…

The Japanese government plans to abolish the ‘five category’ rule on defense equipment exports next year, according to government sources. Government and ruling party sources said work has started to scrap the five-category restriction on defense equipment exports, with the change planned for next spring. By amending the operational guidelines of the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, the government intends to allow exports of defense equipment from additional categories, including items with highly lethal capabilities. The revision is anticipated to bolster Japan’s defense sector and broaden collaboration with partner nations. The government and ruling parties are…

The United States will reduce import tariffs on South Korean automobiles to 15%, effective retroactively from November 1, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick declared. The move brings U.S. tariffs in line with similar measures recently applied to Japan and the European Union, underscoring Washington’s commitment to fostering balanced and mutually beneficial trade ties with major global partners. Lutnick announced the update on X, explaining that the tariff cut comes in the wake of last month’s U.S.–South Korea trade agreement. The decision also follows South Korea’s new legislation introduced to uphold investment commitments under the bilateral agreement. By reducing tariffs, the U.S.…

The UK has reached an agreement securing a zero-tariff rate on all medicine exports to the U.S. for a minimum of three years, officials revealed on Monday, in exchange for increased British spending on new drugs. As part of the arrangement, the U.S. will waive import duties on pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical ingredients, and medical technology originating from the UK. In return, the Trump administration stated that British pharmaceutical companies pledged to boost investment in the U.S. and generate additional job opportunities. The UK government stated that the 0% tariff on all its pharmaceutical exports is the lowest rate offered to any…

Vietnam and Laos have agreed to strengthen their bilateral ties by enhancing cooperation in the economic, infrastructure, financial–banking, and tourism sectors. Both nations also agreed to take steps to lift trade to $5 billion in the short term, with a long-term goal of reaching $10 billion. The agreement was reached on Monday during discussions between Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Lâm and Laos’ LPRP General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, following a state ceremony. President Thongloun welcomed Secretary Lâm and the senior Vietnamese officials on their two-day state visit. He stated that the visit offers a chance for both countries to…

The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism has launched the Meticulous Artificial Intelligence of Indonesia (MaiA), an AI platform designed to enhance tourism services and improve global competitiveness. The Ministry of Tourism stated that the digital platform assists travelers in discovering trip ideas and instantly generating routes, offering personalized destination suggestions, automated itineraries, interactive maps, and multilingual support. Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana unveiled the platform on Friday during an event in Jakarta titled ‘Transforming Travel Beyond Ordinary Through Intelligence.’ Wardhana noted that MaiA is developed in response to evolving global travel trends, which increasingly call for personalized, efficient, and easily accessible…

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated on Monday that Beijing has been assured that Malaysia’s trade deal with the U.S. will not hinder its cooperation with China. Anwar stated that Malaysia had offered clarifications to Beijing about the trade agreement signed with the United States during the recent 47th ASEAN Summit. He added that he conveyed the same message to Chinese Premier Li Qiang, assuring him that the deal contains ‘nothing’ that would hinder Malaysia’s ongoing bilateral cooperation with China. “They wanted some clarification, and we have provided it. I don’t think we should make a big deal out of…