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Trade Development News
- Feb 18
- 1 min
Can Asean recover this year?
Prior to the pandemic, Southeast Asia had made huge advancements and was forecasted to be the fourth biggest economy by the year 2030. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in economic devastation for Asean, arguably posing the greatest challenge since the region’s formation. However, there are positive signs that Asean can make an economic recovery in 2021. “All Asean nations are involved in the Asean Single Window Live Operation, where trade and cargo flows can
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Trade Development News
- Feb 11
- 1 min
UNCTAD Latest Global Trade Update Indicates Strong Recovery in China & East Asia
UNCTAD has published its latest Global Trade Update. The good news is that world trade continued its recovery from the pandemic in the fourth quarter of 2020, and most sectors saw positive growth. The less good news is that although trade in goods rebounded by 8%, services stagnated. And while goods exports from East Asian economies grew by about 12% in Q4 (year-over-year), negative trends continued for goods exported from most other regions. The report also highlights persis
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Trade Development News
- Dec 2, 2020
- 2 min
OECD - Getting goods across borders in times of COVID-19
This note updates Trade facilitation and the COVID-19 pandemic from April 2020 with insights into the evolution of new border protocols and trade facilitation measures impacting traders since COVID-19 and exploring what more can be done to prepare for the next stages of the pandemic as uncertainty persists. It highlights the importance of transparency and availability of timely trade-related information in mapping bottlenecks and risks, as well as the importance of trade faci
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Trade Development News
- Nov 5, 2020
- 2 min
New policies boost cross-border e-commerce in China amid pandemic
Cross-border e-commerce in China is on track for growth this year despite global lockdowns that constrained shipping capacity and supply chain operations in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. China has put forward new measures in facilitating cross-border e-commerce to bolster trade, as retailers are increasingly bringing sales online to compensate for offline losses. The digital economy has been an important driver for post-pandemic trade recovery. China is holding t
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Trade Development News
- Nov 4, 2020
- 2 min
Six Asean countries implement Asean Customs Transit System
The Asean Customs Transit System (ACTS) will be implemented in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ACTS enables goods to be transported by road under a single regime, regardless of which Asean member state they depart, transit and arrive at, although it is subject existing border measures imposed by respective countries during the Covid-19 pandemic. BUSINESSES can look forward to time savings, cost reduction and better connectivity in moving goods by la
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Trade Development News
- Oct 26, 2020
- 4 min
WTO - Members cite role of trade facilitation in ensuring access to goods to tackle COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic was a recurring theme at the meeting of the WTO’s Committee on Trade Facilitation on 20-21 October. A number of members highlighted how trade facilitation — and the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in particular — can be used to help authorities ensure that essential goods related to COVID-19 treatments and equipment can cross borders and reach their intended recipients quickly. Several members made presentations during the committee meeting rega
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Trade Development News
- Sep 11, 2020
- 1 min
World Bank interest to invest $170m for customs modernisation in Bangladesh
Promoting regional trade, investments - The World Bank (WB) has expressed interest to help the National Board of Revenue (NBR) modernise its customs procedure for promoting regional trade and investments, officials said on Tuesday. The WB has assured Bangladesh of providing assistance worth US$170 million for upgrading the cross-border and regional trade facilitation works, said an official of the Economic Relations Division (ERD). Meanwhile, the ERD, on behalf of the NBR, re
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Trade Development News
- Sep 9, 2020
- 3 min
ADB halts single window project of Maldives' on suspicious grounds
In an unprecedented first in Maldives, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has halted the USD 6.7 million (MVR 100 million) National Single Window project of the Ministry of Economic Development, as it was handed over to an ineligible contractor on suspicious grounds. Marking the first time that a major international organisation has stopped a project in Maldives, local media Mihaaru reported that ADB ordered local authorities to investigate the matter and re-open the project fo
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Trade Development News
- Sep 2, 2020
- 1 min
As Roberto Azevêdo Jumps Ship from WTO to Pepsi, What Legacy Does he Leave Behind?
Azevedo has claimed success on issues like a Trade Facilitation Agreement aimed to cut through delays in trade. But on his watch, the WTO also failed to conclude the Doha Development Agenda. After acting as the custodian for the 164-member inter-governmental trade organisation for the past seven years, one would think it wouldn’t be that easy to go from trying to straighten a sinking ship to working for a profit-making multinational company that produces sugary drinks. But th
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Trade Development News
- Sep 2, 2020
- 1 min
DCSA's Thomas Bagge and the quest to digitise container shipping
Former Maersk executive Thomas Bagge has been chief executive and statutory director of Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) for nearly 18 months, in an attempt to pull the shipping industry into the 21st century. It is, he says, not an easy quest, but the first fruits of his labour are starting to show. “The container shipping industry is currently not a digitally advanced industry. We are, however, seeing a shift as many companies are thinking about how to change t
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Trade Development News
- Sep 2, 2020
- 2 min
Trade Digitalisation: ASEAN ministers to strengthen regional supply chains
ASEAN economic ministers are committed to strengthening regional supply chains and improve trade digitalisation to spur trade and investments, as well as cushion the impact of the ongoing health crisis, according to Indonesian Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto. The commitment came after the 52nd ASEAN Economic Minister (AEM) meeting on Tuesday, in which ministers gathered virtually to discuss the impact of Covid-19 in the region’s economy, among other issues. “Indonesia supports
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Trade Development News
- Sep 1, 2020
- 1 min
Need Help To Access Asia Markets?
Asia Trade, Investment, FDI, Trade Facilitation, Digitalisation & Technical Consulting, Events & Networks - With Covid-19 reducing the ability for travel and business development KW Group have expanded our technical consultancy support across the region to support market access across Asia Pacific from our HQ in Malaysia. We work with trade donors, governments, academia, chambers, associations & enterprise clients with technical consulting, market access, sales & event suppor
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Trade Development News
- Aug 25, 2020
- 2 min
‘Rules as data’ – the 21st century answer for trade facilitation?
Designing ‘human-centred’ trade facilitation solutions: How does it work? By Craig Atkinson for Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Following digitisation of commercial documents, the digitalisation of trade implies functional use of data to improve the automation potential of cross-border processes. By taking a human-centred approach to policy design in conformity with global semantic standards, trade rules in a ‘data driven’ format can address inequalities in access to info
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Trade Development News
- Aug 20, 2020
- 3 min
SERVICE AT THE BORDER – KEY STEPS FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW
Insight perspectives by ALEXANDER DE VOET, Manager, Global Consulting Lead, Accenture Border Services In my previous blog, I looked at some of the challenges border agencies face as they address the flows of people and goods in a world that is increasingly volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous (‘VUCA’). To adapt and evolve their services to better meet these challenges, agencies need to start seeing the world from the point of view of the travellers and traders that
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Trade Development News
- Aug 18, 2020
- 1 min
GTDW August Trade Intelligence Newsletter
News & intelligence on safe, smart and secure cross border trade & investment for donors, governments, multilaterals, academia, enterprise & technologies As Covid continues to dominate international trade headlines in August we have seen a resulting move forward in the speed of tradetech digitalization and implementation which are encouraging signs.
Trade intelligence supports a paradigm shift in consumer behavior with a significant rise in e-commerce that is defining the 'Ne
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Trade Development News
- Aug 16, 2020
- 1 min
This is how drones and other 'tradetech' are transforming international trade
Interesting perspectives by World Economic Forum on how technology is transforming global trade. Digitalization is the key to unlocking trade potential post COVID-19 and harnessing Fourth Industrial Revolution innovations for the Great Reset. Tradetech and innovative solutions for trade facilitation are already being piloted successfully. For example, drones used for underwater inspection and port infrastructure maintenance already show how the acceleration of a tech-ready mi
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Trade Development News
- Aug 13, 2020
- 1 min
BUILDING SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE STARTS AT THE BORDER
Interesting article by Dr. Deborah Elms, Asian Trade Centre, Singapore who we must congratulate for being an incredibly busy advocate for trade in the region during lockdown! I have been asked to speak at multiple online events this week alone on the topic of “supply chain resilience.” It’s not just supply chain professionals and business leaders worried about how to ensure that chains can bend, but not break, and handle the current and future crises with ease. Increasingly
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Trade Development News
- Aug 12, 2020
- 3 min
GAC: China's foreign trade can achieve high-quality development
Interview with Ni Yuefeng, Head, General Administration of Customs (GAC) China: China's foreign trade has the conditions and capabilities to achieve high-quality development even though COVID-19 has dealt a heavy blow to the global market. According to World Trade Organization (WTO) estimates, the volume of global merchandise trade would slump by around 18.5 percent year on year in the second quarter of this year and by 13 percent throughout 2020. Amid increasing uncertaintie
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Trade Development News
- Aug 10, 2020
- 1 min
Dubai Customs launches AI security system to protect port and ensure trade
Dubai Customs has launched Siyaj, an AI-based integrated control system to protect and secure the country’s ports and trade gateways, according to a statement from the government. The government said the new system is based on a number of “sophisticated AI technologies, rapid intervention teams and drones”, as well as rapid intervention teams and a sniffing dog unit. It said the Siyaj will enhance Dubai and the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) security and help protect ports from
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