Trade promotion has become a useful tool to help businesses overcome adversities.

The southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau shipped over 1.25 billion USD worth of products abroad in the first two months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 10.5%, according to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade.

The Republic of Korea’s trade ministry has launched talks with ASEAN to upgrade their free trade agreement (FTA) and further lower trade barriers, as the country seeks to diversify its trade portfolio and expand its presence in Southeast Asia.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs has put forward various policies to accelerate public administrative reforms and support domestic exporters and importers since the beginning of this year in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Institutional reform, deeper integration and digital transformation are important for Vietnam to recover the economy, which has been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, President of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Vu Tien Loc said on November 24.

The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will be a testament to the world on ASEAN and its trading partners’ efforts in strengthening the multilateral trading system, a Malaysian minister has said.

The World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update October 2020, released on September 29, forecast the Cambodian economy will contract 2 percent this year.

The 53-year history of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has proved that a united grouping with close linkages and combined national and regional interests will be able to maintain its central role.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warned on October 21 that his country could be hit with trade sanctions amid rising protectionism.

A free trade agreement (FTA) between Singapore and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) was signed by their leaders in Yerevan, capital of Armenia, on October 1.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasised Vietnam’s aspiration to develop a strong economy in his speech at a plenary session of the Vietnam Reform and Development Forum (VRDF) 2019 in Hanoi on September 19.

The 14th G20 Summit wrapped up on June 29 in Osaka, Japan, with the adoption of a declaration.

The fourth Raisina Dialogue, which kicked off in New Delhi capital city of India on January 8, is dealing with important issues facing the international community at present.

The 11-member Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) officially came into force on December 30, creating a free trade area covering more than a tenth of the global economy.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on December 12 announced the results of its recent survey that Singapore’s economy will grow only 2.6 percent in 2019 due to the negative impacts of protectionism and a trade war between the US and China, the world’s first and second largest economies.

A draft communiqué on November 12 showed that leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies, plan to warn against the dangers posed by protectionism, and resolve to work toward realising what would be the world's largest free-trade area at a meeting in Papua New Guinea later this week, according to Kyodo News.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh was among speakers at the panel session on “Asia’s Geopolitical Outlook” at the World Economic Forum on ASEAN (WEF ASEAN) 2018 in Hanoi on September 13.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc gave an interview to The Straits Times of Singapore on Vietnam’s policy making and stance on protectionism, ASEAN’s urgent issues and solutions to digital economic development of Vietnam.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its Northeast Asian partners - China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) - have reaffirmed commitments to promoting cooperation and economic integration to build a free and open East Asia region amid growing protectionism.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) have highlighted the significance of fighting protectionism and a possible global trade war in the context that foreign ministers of both sides are working together on a free trade agreement between the two regions.