Trade and Investment

Measures being discussed include the One Borneo Quarantine Initiative, joint border surveillance and inspection, as well as pandemic mitigation, preparedness, and response protocols.

Here’s How BIMP-EAGA Is Boosting Health Security at the Border

February 10, 2021

Joint efforts to fortify health security include the One Borneo Quarantine Initiative, a proposed pandemic plan, and other improvements in CIQS.

BIMP-EAGA businessmen are eager to revive connectivity between Manado and Davao to spur trade and investment in the two cities. Photo credit: Asian Development Bank.

Businessmen Call for Resumption of Air and Sea Links between Manado and Davao

January 08, 2021

Jakarta-based Sriwijaya Air and Manila-based shipping operator Reefer Express Line Filipinas, Inc. eyed to serve the BIMP-EAGA route.

Thai Shipping Line Links Southern Philippine Traders to Asia, Middle East Markets

January 08, 2021

Regional Container Line (RCL) connects the Visayas and Mindanao regions of the Philippines to its transshipment hub in Singapore, improving access to other Southeast Asian markets and beyond.

Online Customs Transit System Enables Seamless Trade in ASEAN

December 15, 2020

The ASEAN Customs Transit System will help fast-track medical supplies that are vital in the fight against COVID-19.

ADB, Gojek to Study Digitization, COVID-19 Impact on Indonesian MSMEs

December 03, 2020

The joint research project will use the Gojek digital ecosystem to study the benefits of business digitization on Indonesia's micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.

Finding Gold in Cacao

December 01, 2020

The development of agricultural value chains can help turn cacao into a cash crop for farmers in the southern Philippines.

The MOU covers the ASEAN List of Essential Goods, which covers mostly medicines and medical supplies and also includes soaps, disinfectants, and face masks. Photo credit: Asian Development Bank.

ASEAN Removes Trade Barriers on Medicines and Other Essential Goods

November 23, 2020

Ten countries in Southeast Asia are removing restrictions on intraregional trade of medicines and other goods needed to fight COVID-19.

7 Ways to Bolster Southeast Asia’s ‘Fragile’ MSMEs

November 19, 2020

To navigate the COVID-19 crisis, MSMEs require tailored approaches, with the most vulnerable being prioritized.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement is expected to improve market access, build regional supply chains, increase investments and opportunities, and boost economic recovery efforts during the COVID-19 crisis. Photo credit: Asian Development Bank.

5 Things You Need to Know about ASEAN’s Biggest Trade Agreement

November 19, 2020

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) groups the 10 ASEAN member states and its 5 regional partners: Australia, the People’s Republic of China, Japan, Republic of Korea, and New Zealand.

Direct cash transfers or deferrals of tax or rent could boost local consumption and help improve sales of local retailers, which are often micro-enterprises. Photo credit: Asian Development Bank.

Targeted Measures for Small Businesses Are Critical to Economic Recovery

November 09, 2020

Small businesses need dedicated programs to help them weather the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, says an ASEAN–OECD policy paper.