According to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the country’s international trade in goods reached USD 18.2 billion in January 2026, an annual increase of 0.9 per cent, with exports growing by 7.9 per cent year-on-year and imports registering a 3.1 per cent decline. Electronic products remained the Philippines’ leading export category, generating USD 4 billion and accounting for 56.5 per cent of total exports. Machinery and transport equipment and oth

Despite geopolitical tensions and increasing local competition, China's 15th Five-Year Plan creates significant opportunities for foreign companies with specialized know-how that remains difficult to replicate. The Chinese market actively seeks foreign direct investment in sectors where international expertise remains irreplaceable, recognizing that global integration and knowledge transfer continue to serve national development goals. Italian companies with experience in ind

Beijing has identified what it terms "New Quality Productive Forces" as the primary engine of growth for the 2026 to 2030 period. These sectors represent the future of China's economy and will receive priority access to funding, talent, and policy support as the nation seeks to transform its economic structure and secure its position in the global hierarchy of advanced economies. In the realm of high technology, China aims to achieve technological self-reliance through massiv

The Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation jointly issued the Announcement [2025] No. 2 on the Tax Credit Policy for Foreign Investors Utilizing Distributed Profits for Direct Investment. This Announcement stipulates the tax credit policy for foreign investors who reinvest profits distributed by Chinese resident enterprises. The core provisions are as follows. Foreign investors who utilize distributed profits from Chinese resident enterprises for qualifi

On December 25, 2024, the National People's Congress of China passed the Value-Added Tax (VAT) Law, which will come into effect on January 1, 2026. The newly enacted VAT Law largely retains the existing tax framework, including the three-tier tax rate structure: 13 per cent for general goods sales and imports, 9 per cent for certain services like transportation, telecommunications, and publishing, and 6 per cent for modern services. It also maintains the simplified 3 per cent

A new China-Italy Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement has been signed and will take effect from January 1, 2026 and introduces several more favorable amendments, especially regarding interests, dividends, and royalties paid by a company resident in one side to a company resident in the other side. In particular, the new DTA will: Reduce withholding tax on dividends paid to beneficial owner holding directly at least 25% of the capital of the company that is paying dividends th