India becomes the second most competitive BRICS economy, to grow faster than China: WEF

NEW DELHI: India has become the second most competitive BRICS economy and will grow faster than China this year, according to the last edition of the Global Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum. The report showed India’s competitiveness improved the fastest in 2015-16, jumping 16 places to rank 39th among 138 countries on the […]

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Africa to launch a Cairo-to-Cape Town free trade area that’s bigger than the European union

According to Business Insider the world is just about to get a free trade area that’s bigger, by population, than either the European Union or NAFTA. It’s got nothing to do with the much-publicised Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). In fact, you’ve probably never heard of it. It’s actually the Tripartite […]

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Asean to press RCEP to cut tariffs on 92% of goods

ASEAN countries will propose to the 16 member states of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to eliminate tariffs on 92 per cent of trade in goods to promote economic integration of the grouping soon. Sirinart Chaimun, director-general to the Trade Negotiations Department, said although Asean countries wanted the agreement to be finalised by the […]

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China’s Ambitious Plan For A New Silk Road Takes Shape In Africa

Four years and some hundreds of billions of dollars later, China’s ambitious global trading strategy known as the “Maritime Silk Road” or “One Belt, One Road“  is now coming to life, particularly in parts of East Africa where major infrastructure and defense projects are being built. New ports in Tanzania, rail lines in Kenya,naval facilities in Djibouti and industrial zones along the […]

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TPPA and RCEP: How will they benefit Malaysia?

Malaysia’s International Trade and Industry Minister, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, said recently that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is complementary to the TPPA  concluded last October. Both TPPA and RCEP embrace similar goals of trade liberalization and economic integration and have received the widest attention in the Asia Pacific region. So what is the […]

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