Pakistan and Sri Lanka have agreed to reactivate the Joint Working Group (JWG) for redressal of technical issues pending between the two trading partners, the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) said on Saturday.

New Zealand will use its platform as host of an Asia-Pacific trade group in coming months to seek a global approach to coronavirus vaccinations that would eliminate tariffs on goods needed to fight COVID-19.

The EU has outlined a more “assertive” trade policy as it attempts to reset relations with the US and stand its ground on China.

The Thai Ministry of Commerce planned to propose on February 9 to the parliament the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world's biggest free trade deal signed by 15 nations in Asia-Pacific in November 2020.

Recently, many localities across the country have been restructuring the agricultural sector in the direction of increasing the added value and developing sustainably. One of the important solutions to achieve the goal is developing the formation of value chains for agricultural products.

Despite the negative socio-economic consequences of COVID-19, Vietnam is one of the few countries that recorded positive economic growth in 2020. As per the General Statistics Office (GSO) Vietnam’s GDP increased by 2.91 percent in 2020. This reflects two key factors: the relative success in containing the health and business risks of the pandemic, and the ability of the country to keep investor confidence high.

Freight forwarders in Southeast Asia are set to benefit from a customs transit system that allows single declaration across multiple states.

E-commerce has assumed its crucial role in the time of Covid-19 pandemic, when people need to observe social distance for safety. This advanced method has basically changed shopping habits in the community and trading strategies of businesses. However, e-commerce has also been more increasingly used for illegal activities, and to some extent made consumers lose their confidence in this modern shopping channel.

Import and export activities in January reached a high rate compared to the same period last year, mainly due to Samsung boosting the export of mobile phone products with the new S21 version and the Lunar New Year last year fell in January.

Vietnam will continue to be a promising investment destination for South Korean companies, given its manufacturing potential, says a Korean Chamber of Commerce official.