The new VAT Law of the People's Republic of China took effect on 1 January 2026, maintaining the existing tax framework without increasing the tax burden on businesses. To support its implementation, the State Council approved the draft Implementation Regulations on 19 December 2025, with Premier Li Qiang signing State Council Decree No. 826 on 25 December 2025 to formally promulgate the Regulations. The final text was published on 30 December 2025 and took effect concurrentl

Based on figures released by Singapore’s Department of Statistics, year-on-year exports rose by 31.8 percent while imports expanded by 34.7 percent throughout April 2026. Overall merchandise trade recorded a 33.1 percent growth during this timeframe, coming after a 38.3 percent rise observed in March 2026. Electronics domestic exports rose by 66.7 per cent in April 2026, fuelled by a strong demand for AI. As the main contributors to this increase, Disk Media Products extended

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