According to preliminary estimates from the Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce, Thailand’s economy registered a year-on-year growth of 2.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, an increase from the 2.5 per cent growth recorded in the previous quarter. On a seasonally-adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis, the economy expanded by 0.7 per cent, slowing from the 1.9 per cent rise in the fourth quarter of 2025. During the first quarter of 2026, the manufacturing sector expanded by 3.0

Following the implementation of new trade measures on 1 May 2026, China has officially granted zero-tariff treatment to 100 per cent of products from all 53 African nations that maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing. The policy builds upon a December 2024 initiative that initially covered 33 African countries. The updated framework now includes the remaining 20 nations, such as Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. According to the Ministry of Commerce, the zero-tari

United States President Donald Trump is undertaking a three-day state visit to China from 13 to 15 May 2026. This visit represents the first by a U.S. president to the country since 2017 and follows an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to The White House’s list released on May the 11th, the visit includes a high-level business delegation representing the aviation, finance, technology and social media industries. The delegation features 16 prominent Amer

According to the latest data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority, the Philippines economy expanded by 2.8 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026. On the demand side, household consumption continued to support economic activity, rising by 3 per cent year-on-year, while government expenditure strengthened significantly with growth of 4.8 per cent, helping sustain domestic demand. Fixed investment showed signs of improvement compared with the previous qua

According to data from Statistics Indonesia, the country’s exports for January–March 2026 reached USD 66.9 billion, a 0.34 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025. In March 2026, exports reached USD 22.5 billion, representing a 3.1 per cent decrease year-on-year, while imports rose by 1.5 per cent to USD 19.2 billion during the same period. Southeast Asia’s largest economy recorded a trade surplus of USD 3.3 billion in March 2026. Indonesia’s trade surplus was pr

According to Vietnam’s National Statistics Office, total trade grew by 24.2 per cent year-on-year in the first four months of 2026. Exports increased by 19.7 per cent, while imports rose by 28.7 per cent year-on-year. For April only, total trade reached USD 94.3 billion, a rise of 0.8 per cent from March and 26.7 per cent year-on-year. Exports grew by 21 per cent, while imports increased by 32.5 per cent. From January to April 2026, processed industrial goods reached USD 151.