Economy

Shipping containers are unloaded from a ship at the Port of Los Angeles-Port of Long Beach complex.
Supply Chain

Global supply chains poised for relief as ship congestion eases

Vessels waiting to load off U.S. West Coast drop to less than 10th of peak

11 September 2022
Fourteen countries have signed onto the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. (Photo from Katherine Tai's Twitter account)
Indo-Pacific

Indo-Pacific framework objectives take shape, but India not all in

Group's most populous member stops short of agreeing to trade 'pillar'

10 September 2022
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, left, speaks at the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework conference in Los Angeles on Sept. 8, with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. (Photo by Satsuki Kaneko)
Biden's Asia policy

Indo-Pacific ministers talk skills training, not tariffs, at U.S. gathering

1st in-person IPEF forum to cover supply chain resiliency, emergency chip reserve

9 September 2022
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has told Sri Lanka that Washington will support its debt restructuring effort.
Sri Lanka crisis

U.S. backs Sri Lanka's debt restructuring effort: Yellen

Treasury chief calls for all creditors to cooperate

7 September 2022
Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida and Narendra Modi participate in the IPEF launch event in Tokyo on May 23: When one door closes, others can open.
Opinion

Success of Biden's IPEF will depend on business involvement

Initiative can benefit region's economies even without cutting tariffs

7 September 2022
Maintaining healthy garment exports will be crucial for Bangladesh as the country struggles with dwindling foreign exchange reserves.
Trade

Bangladesh clothing exporters target Asia as Western demand fades

Manufacturers increasingly look to markets such as Japan, South Korea

7 September 2022
 A currency trader in Tokyo: Soaring energy uncertainty in Europe looms over the inflation outlook. 
Currencies

Yen hits 143 to dollar in quickening sell-off

BOJ holds out on easing as soaring energy prices accelerate inflation

7 September 2022
A grower picks apples from tightly packed trees in a Kashmir orchard. High-density planting is increasingly popular in the region. (Photo by Kaleem Geelani) 
Agriculture

Ripe for change: Kashmir apple orchards get modern overhaul

Some farmers switch to high-density planting to help profits grow

6 September 2022
Oil tanks at a petroleum depot in the port of Vladivostok, Russia. Myanmar starts importing Russian fuel oil as early as September.
Ukraine war

Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar deepen Russia ties to blunt economic woes

Southeast Asia nations seen giving Moscow breathing room on sanctions

6 September 2022
BOJ Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda, left, stressed at Jackson Hole that Japan must continue its easing policy, while U.S. Fed Chair Jerome Powell called for fighting inflation "until the job is done." (Nikkei montage/Photos by Reuters, iStock)
Currencies

The Fed and the Bank of Japan are even further apart after Jackson Hole

With big U.S. rate hike expected in September, pressure on Kuroda set to rise

5 September 2022
U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participate in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity launch event in Tokyo on May 23. 
Indo-Pacific

Indo-Pacific nations to agree on better supply chain communication

IPEF draft statement for Sept. 8-9 meeting also includes push for clean energy

4 September 2022
The Biden administration had been considering whether to remove some tariffs as a way to reduce inflationary pressures.
Trade war

U.S. to maintain China tariffs while review continues

USTR's office says it received requests to maintain the 'Section 301' tariffs

3 September 2022
Stream article image
Podcast

Asia Stream: Turkey's Rise on the World Stage

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's quest to restore his nation's great-power status began when the AKP took control of the government 20 years ago. We discuss Turkey's role in the world today.

3 September 2022
The Japanese currency has fallen by 25 yen against the dollar since the beginning of this year. 
Currencies

Japanese yen falls to 140 per dollar for 1st time since 1998

Prospect of further U.S. interest rate hikes drive sell-off

2 September 2022
The dollar's nominal effective exchange rate against a broad basket of currencies, including from both advanced and emerging economies, is now at one of its highest points since it started publicizing the data in 1994. 
Currencies

Superstrong dollar threatens debt crisis across emerging economies

Mexico pressured to follow Fed hikes, while Sri Lanka's repayment costs soar

2 September 2022
Nvidia and compatriot AMD say that have been affected by tighter U.S. export controls regarding shipments of advanced chips to China. 
Semiconductors

U.S. tightens chip export rules to China, hitting Nvidia and AMD

Latest move targets high-end processors used in supercomputer development

1 September 2022
An employee of a semiconductor factory in Binzhou, China on Jan. 9: An effort to further restrict Beijing's access to American chipmaking technologies looks likely to backfire.
Opinion

U.S. controls on China chip tech will crack if tightened too far

Efforts to restrict access to older equipment could fracture fragile alliance

1 September 2022
Though beneficial to government balance sheets, the "inflation tax" could burden consumers with unmanageable price hikes.
Datawatch

Inflation tax hits $4.5tn in U.S., Europe amid global price hikes

Consumers may ultimately pay for less government debt through devalued currencies

30 August 2022
Docked oil drilling platforms in Port Aransas, Texas, in 2020: The emergence of the U.S. as an energy exporter makes the country a source of energy security for its international allies and friends.  
Opinion

The U.S. is ready for the next era of globalization

Consensus undermined by China's coercion and Russia's weaponization of energy

30 August 2022
About 96% of companies surveyed by the U.S.-China Business Council said they were negatively impacted by Beijing's COVID-19 measures.
US-China tensions

U.S. company business outlook for China sinks to record low: survey

COVID-19 lockdowns and diplomatic tensions are among the biggest challenges

30 August 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of their meeting in New Delhi on Dec. 6. 2021.
Comment

India attempts to diversify energy sources with cheap Russian oil

Despite Western pressure, New Delhi says more imports from Moscow are best for nation

29 August 2022
Bangladesh, where consumers are feeling the pain at the pump, is looking for cheaper fuel options. (Photo by Shahru Nayef)
International relations

Bangladesh eyes cheap Russian fuel oil to lower import bills

Dhaka wary of antagonizing West but desperate to ease inflation, forex pressure

27 August 2022
A cargo ship passes through the locks on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal. It takes 10 days longer to ship gas from the U.S. to Japan without using the canal.
Energy

Panama Canal toll hike looms as new East Asian energy risk

Japan braces for higher import costs of household fuel LPG

27 August 2022
President Yoon Suk-yeol has made nuclear power plant exports a major economic policy, leveraging the technological capabilities of domestic manufacturers.
Energy

South Korea wins $2.5bn order to build Egypt's first nuclear plant

Contract flags an acceleration of the Yoon government's export ambitions

25 August 2022
Past summits between the European Union and ASEAN were limited to members of the EU's executive body.
International relations

EU, ASEAN to hold summit in December to develop supply chain

Two blocs seek to tighten ties and cut reliance on Russia, China

24 August 2022