Declining exports have adversely affected both the industrial output and seaport cargo volumes of South Korea as global economic activity continues to slacken. Industrial…
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Air cargo expands in April but outlook stays somber
Global air freight markets for April 2016 showed growth year-on-year following a very modest first quarter, but this is more due to distorting factors…
PH Customs modernization act signed into law
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III on May 30 signed into law the long-awaited Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA). Republic Act (RA) No. 10863 or…
Myanmar crafting foreign investment law; Laos economy seen to grow 7%
Growing Southeast Asian economy Myanmar is now drawing up a foreign investment law that will mandate tax reductions in a bid to woo more…
Asia-North Europe freight demand inches up
Since the middle of April, the Asia-North Europe westbound trade has taken a turn for the better with many carriers reporting full ships with…
Singapore, HK exports hurting as global economic activity remains low
Both Singapore and Hong Kong, whose economies are heavily dependent on external trade, continue to be affected by the global economic inertia. Singapore’s non-oil…
New PH law tags agricultural smuggling as economic sabotage
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III on May 23 signed into law a measure that declares large-scale agricultural smuggling as an act of economic sabotage…
‘Makeup’ parcel yields over 200 ecstasy pills
The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) busted another attempt to bring illegal drugs into the Philippines with its latest catch of 95 grams of…
IMO gives 3-month leeway in implementation of VGM
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) is allowing governments and port authorities to take a “practical and pragmatic approach” in the…
Timor Leste to join ASEAN as 11th member in 2017
The Democratic Republic of Timor Leste will become a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations by 2017, Indonesian Ambassador to ASEAN Rahmat…
BOC forms public assistance unit
The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) has created an internal customer assistance unit that will resolve inquiries and concerns of stakeholders and the transacting…
Indonesia to create monitoring task force on deregulation packages
Indonesian President Joko Widodo is planning to form a task force to ensure that the dozen economic stimulus packages issued by his administration are…
PH cargo volume up 6.4%, box traffic down 9% in Q1
Cargo volume handled by Philippine ports increased 6.4% in the first quarter due to higher foreign and domestic cargoes handled. Data from the Philippine…
Malaysia launches KLIA Aeropolis development project
Airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) rolled out on May 23 the KLIA Aeropolis project, a multi-billion ecosystem development expected to boost the…
Weak global economy, external trade vagaries rein in Singapore growth
The Singapore economy grew by 1.8% year-on-year in the first quarter, unchanged from the previous quarter, according to the Ministry of Trade and Industry…
Indonesia dials down 2017 growth expectations
The Indonesian government has revised downward its forecast for national economic growth in 2017 to the range of 5.3% to 5.7% year-on-year, according to…
Confusion high over new container weighing rule, says Drewry
With just over a month to go before a new safety regulation comes into effect mandating container weighing, there is still much confusion over…
Aquino signs law creating ICT department
President Benigno Aquino III signed on May 23 a law creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), effectively detaching ICT concerns from…
BOC amends rules on issuing Certificate of Origin Form A under EU GSP
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has revised its guidelines for the issuance of Certificate of Origin (CO) Form A under the European Union Generalized…
APEC outlines plans for greater supply chain connectivity
While acknowledging advances made to improve supply chain connectivity, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers believe more steps can be taken to tighten linkages…