Economy

The Japanese and Canadian trade ministers, Yasutoshi Nishimura and Mary Ng, seal a memorandum of understanding over battery supply chains in Ottawa on Sept. 21. (The Canadian Press via AP)
Indo-Pacific

Canada trade agency to open offices in Tokyo, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City

Ottawa accelerates Indo-Pacific push after entering Jakarta and Seoul

5 December 2023
Tetsuya Watanabe became president of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia in July. (Photo by Kosuke Imamura)
International relations

Japan and ASEAN can jointly tackle decarbonization, says think tank chief

Partners complement each other technologically and demographically, ERIA head says

23 November 2023
Mass graves are a stark reminder of the more than 6,000 people killed in the Philippines by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.
Natural disasters

Philippines searches for answers 10 years after Typhoon Haiyan

Disaster mitigation woeful despite lessons from deadly cyclone, critics say

9 November 2023
Motorists on a street in Manila. Soaring prices for staples like rice have strained Filipinos' budgets. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Philippine economy grows at forecast-beating 5.9% in third quarter

Rising inflation still undercutting households' purchasing power

9 November 2023
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Jakarta on Sept. 5. Unable to contain food inflation, the president has told a key donor to control "prices of all agricultural commodities that are going up."
Politics

Philippines' Marcos relinquishes agriculture post as prices soar

Key duties handed to fishing tycoon reportedly among leader's top campaign donors

3 November 2023
Following monetary tightening in Indonesia and the Philippines, Asia will see key monetary policy meetings next week from Japan and Malaysia. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Markets

On topic: Asian wave of rate hikes hits as inflation bites

A collection of stories to catch up on a recent hot topic

28 October 2023
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) resumed monetary tightening following an emergency meeting on Thursday.
Economy

Philippines raises key rate as governor hints at further hikes

BSP lifts benchmark 25 basis points as government steps fail to rein in food prices

26 October 2023
Bank Indonesia explained that the rate hike was a precautionary measure to mitigate the impact of higher prices for imports.
Economy

Indonesian rate hike highlights Asia's tough battle to defend currencies

Prospects of easing fade as Philippine peso and others remain weak

23 October 2023
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., center, after signing the Philippines' first sovereign wealth fund into law on July 18.
Economy

Philippines suspends rollout of its first sovereign wealth fund

President Marcos Jr. now wants to study plan 'carefully' before any launch

18 October 2023
The surging rice prices were triggered by India, the world's largest rice exporter, which banned export of its crop amid increasing demand for rice as an alternative to wheat.
Economy

On topic: How do rising rice prices affect Asia?

A collection of stories to catch up on a recent hot topic

8 October 2023
Dole, which exports bananas from the Philippines, faces a huge tax hit without a VAT rebate.
Politics

Philippines risks losing foreign investment over delayed tax rebates

Multinational companies criticize byzantine tax code, slow VAT refunds

6 October 2023
Food stores in Manila have been losing money, with prices increasing rapidly since Sept. 1.
Economy

Marcos lifts Philippines' cap on rice prices after one month

President says Manila still taking 'other measures' to curb food inflation

4 October 2023
Sea's e-commerce platform, Shopee, has become the biggest online shopping site in Southeast Asia.
Markets

Thai, Singapore tech firms surge in market value

Delta and Sea worth more since pandemic while conglomerates falter

3 October 2023
Unfinished residential buildings in Shaanxi province. Problems in the property market are dragging on the Chinese economy.
Economy

World Bank cuts China's 2024 growth amid property crisis

'Growth shock' from Asia's largest economy affects rest of region: report

2 October 2023
A port along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok: Lackluster exports are dragging down Thailand's economic forecast.
Economy

Malaysia and Thailand GDP outlooks cut as China slows: JCER

Economists also warn that El Nino's swelter will impact India and Indonesia

29 September 2023
A woman carries a bag of rice from a store in Quezon City in the Philippines on Aug. 14. Rising food costs have hit many in the country hard.
Inflation

Philippines considers lower rice tariffs as inflation quickens

Market volatility has already pushed government to cap prices for staple grain

5 September 2023
A person checks rice at a store in Quezon City, Philippines on  Aug. 14.
Economy

Philippines' Marcos announces cap on rice prices

Official limit on price of staple item meant to ease costs for households

1 September 2023
A Jakarta shopping district. The cross-border QR code payment arrangement will make it easier for Southeast Asians to pay for items in other countries in the region.
Economy

Vietnam, Philippines and Brunei to join cross-border QR payment scheme

ASEAN-wide arrangement would ease reliance on U.S. dollar

26 August 2023
A vegetable vendor waits for customers at her stall at a market in Paranaque City, Metro Manila, the Philippines, on April 17. Farmers say storm damage is driving up their costs.
Economy

Marcos' Kadiwa stores leave Philippine shoppers feeling empty

Marcos Jr. revives father's ineffective program to address rising food prices

19 August 2023
A Manila construction site as a Cebu Pacific airplane flies overhead on July 5.
Economy

Philippines' GDP growth slowed to 4.3% in Q2 on lower spending

Marcos administration hoping infrastructure projects will fuel growth

10 August 2023
A man walks in Beijing's Central Business District on July 12.
Economy

ADB trims 2024 growth outlook for Asia on rate hike effects

Development bank maintains projection for this year

19 July 2023
Vietnam's first imports of liquefied natural gas reached PetroVietnam Gas' Thi Vai terminal this month. (Photo by Yuji Nitta)
Energy

Vietnam, Philippines heat up LNG demand in Southeast Asia

With renewables lagging, countries seek more accessible alternative to coal

14 July 2023
Container terminals in Singapore. The city-state's economy is highly sensitive to external economic conditions. 
Economy

Singapore, Indonesia outlook downgraded on weak China: JCER

Political instability emerges as top concern in Thailand post-election

2 July 2023
Scorching conditions from the El Nino weather pattern are expected to crimp production at palm oil plantations like this one in Indonesia's East Kalimantan province. 
Economy

From Indonesia to Vietnam, El Nino fans fears of fires and drought

Returning climate pattern set to hit key crops as well as industrial sector

23 June 2023
A car washed away by floods caused by Typhoon Goni in the Philippines in 2020.
Climate Change

Children in Vietnam, Philippines face high climate risks: report

UNICEF urges countries to develop infrastructure to minimize impact

1 June 2023