Donald Trump may well be the best thing that’s happened to Southeast Asia’s humble electronics industry in quite a while. Relatively small, and frankly not as sexy as their North Asia cousins, makers of components and devices with factories dotted around the region may get some time in the spotlight thanks to the US administration’s decision last month to levy ...
Read More »Japan is going global as America looks inward
If a random American were to be asked “Which countries are at the forefront of globalisation?†or “Which countries are the guardians of the liberal order?,†it seems unlikely that Japan would be among the countries they named. The Land of the Rising Sun is typically thought of as a closed-off country, with little immigration, a protectionist trade policy and ...
Read More »GDP growth data shows how little things have changed
The second-quarter gross domestic product data released recently showed a robust 4.1 percent increase. It wasn’t “historic,†as President Donald Trump proclaimed, but it was undoubtedly solid. With midterm elections a little more than three months away, it is no surprise the release became fodder in our endless national political debate. Lots of misinformation and questionable claims were proffered. But ...
Read More »Gauging the Fed’s reaction to Trump’s tweet
Judging from commentary in markets late last week, an additional factor now features in the calculus of some Fed watchers as they look forward to this week’s two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting: how policy makers will respond to President Donald Trump’s tweets suggesting that the central bank refrain from raising interest rates and risk â€taking away our big competitive ...
Read More »Dubai DED issues first licence in Chinese language
DUBAI / WAM The Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai has issued the first licence in Chinese and Arabic to one of the investors from the Republic of China. This is in line with the latest strategic partnerships betw-een the UAE and China to strengthen bilateral cooperation in economic, investment and trading sectors. The issuance of the Chinese licence ...
Read More »Oil hits one-month high amid global supply risks
Bloomberg Crude rose by the most in a month as traders focus on supply risks from Canada to the Middle East. Futures in New York advanced as much as 2.5 percent on Monday amid speculation that a Canadian oil-sands facility that supplies US refineries won’t return to full production as quickly as expected. Threats elsewhere included an imminent labour strike ...
Read More »CBI first-half profit up 55%
DUBAI / WAM Commercial Bank International (CBI) announced financial results for first six mon- ths of 2018, with net profit up 55 percent to AED81 million, compared to AED52 million in H1 2017. Operating profits were up 6 percent to AED194 million, from AED183 million during same period last year. Mohammad Sultan Al Qadi, Chairman of CBI, said, “The strong ...
Read More »UAE-Indonesia pact to boost halal sector, promote trade exchange
JAKARTA / WAM The Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indonesia’s National Standardisation Agency (BSN) and National Accreditation Committee (KAN) to officially recognise halal certificates issued by KAN. ESMA Director-General Abdulla Abdul Qader Al Maeeni told Salaam Gateway, which is a joint effort between Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre and Thomson ...
Read More »Imran Khan nears coalition government
Bloomberg Pakistan’s Imran Khan is close to forming a coalition government and has decided his cabinet, which will name former Engro Corp. head Asad Umar as finance minister. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or Movement for Justice, has “near†135 seats right now, Arif Alvi, a senior PTI leader and lawmaker-elect, said. The PTI is currently negotiating with smaller parties, including the ...
Read More »Spain unveils emergency immigration measures
Bloomberg The Spanish government approved emergency measures to handle a significant increase in the number of migrants reaching the country’s southern beaches. The administration will set up centres to process and identify migrants’ needs in their first few days, the prime minister’s office in Madrid said. The government said it expects the trend to continue for the rest of the ...
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