A spokesman for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on Tuesday that the commitments relating to Hong Kong and Brunei, an Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) member state, under the trade and investment agreements between Hong Kong and ASEAN, will enter into force on Oct 20.

Though Vietnam has done exceptionally well in quickly containing COVID-19, the pandemic has taken unprecedented toll on its economy. However, it is notable room for the country to further accelerate reforms and climb up global value chain to meet its long-term development goals, heard at a forum on September 29.

Dozens of French groups and companies joined an online conference on September 28 that sought to promote French investment in Vietnam after the COVID-19.

A virtual conference on trading in fruits and vegetables between Vietnam and the Netherlands was held on September 29 to match Vietnamese suppliers and potential Dutch importers, wholesalers and retailers.

Vietnam’s export and import revenues in the first nine months of 2020 reached US$388.73 billion, representing an increase of 1.8% compared to the same period last year, the General Statistics Office (GSO) reported on September 29.

In one month and a half, the amount of Vietnamese goods and products that benefit from EVFTA’s preferential treatment is equivalent to that of the CPTPP throughout 2019.

In August 2016, the economic ministers of Canada and the ASEAN agreed to co-sponsor a study to determine the economic outcomes should an ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Area (FTA) be put into effect.

THE PHILIPPINES started implementing an ASEAN-wide exporter self-certification scheme that allows businesses to claim their own origin declaration for lower or no duties under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA).

A teleconference was held on September 25 to discuss the implementation of the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), with the trade deal expected to provide new investment and business opportunities for EU businesses in Vietnam.

Over the course of this summer time—or winter, to Canberra—Beijing has imposed 80% tariffs on Australian barley, launched anti-dumping investigations into Australian wine, blocked Australian beef, arrested an Australian journalist, and reportedly banned two Australian teachers from visiting China.