For companies operating across borders in ASEAN, tariff is no longer their main concern, thanks to the successful elimination of 99% of tariff rates under the ASEAN Trade In good Agreement (ATIGA). Today, the real challenges to ASEAN businesses lie in heightened uncertainties arising from supply chain disruptions, regulatory complexity, and the ...
Economic forecasts rarely hit the mark as reality is full of surprises. Thankfully we can learn from the patterns of forecast errors. They shed light on the types of shocks that are shaping the economy beyond what forecasts anticipated.Forecast errors are often seen as unavoidable gaps between forecasts and reality.[1] Nobody likes to make mistakes, s...
DOWNLOAD PICTUREThe Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB, AAA/Aaa/AAA*) has priced its inaugural EUR 3-year benchmark bond, raising EUR 1 billion and establishing a new reference point at the short end of its euro curve.The transaction attracted strong demand from a diversified investor base, including bank treasuries as well as central banks and off...
At a meeting of the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture on 27 February, members provided feedback on a new draft ministerial decision introduced by Argentina in addition to eight other submissions circulated since December 2025. In the absence of clear consensus around any single proposal, and in response to calls to take the lead, the Chair ci...
When Stella Ereyukomhen boarded her flight from Lagos to Beijing, she expected to learn and explore new sales opportunities. She did not expect to return with an entirely new perspective on how her company – Royal Winosa Industries Ltd., which makes plantain flour and cassava chips – could grow in global markets. Stella is part o...
Statement by Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC) When I meet entrepreneurs, no matter where they come from, their biggest barrier to trade is one and the same: access to finance.The global financing gap for small businesses is $5.7 trillion in emerging markets, according to the World Bank. That's more th...
ECB reports loss of €1.3 billion (2024: loss of €7.9 billion)Losses will be offset against future profitsThe financial statements of the European Central Bank (ECB) for 2025 show a loss of €1,254 million, which is much lower than the loss of €7,944 million reported in 2024, owing mainly to a significant reduction in net interest expense. The 2025 loss,...
Sustainable Infrastructure, Resilient Links: Energy, Transport and Industry in Asia’s Low-Carbon FutureDate26 February 2026Time12:45 - 13:45LocationBangkok, ThailandView SIPA Southeast Asia Brochure (PDF, 33 MB)AboutRapidly growing economies across Asia and the Pacific face a critical infrastructure challenge: demand for energy, transport and industrial s...
With the support of European Union, the East African Community (EAC) and ITC, East African companies can now access consolidated information tailored to their products and target markets without navigating multiple sources. Certifications, sanitary rules, packaging standards, and labelling requirements can make it difficult for small businesses in Eas...
New initiatives aim to bolster resilience and competitiveness in an increasingly volatile global economy.Default image copyright and description© UNCTAD PhotoAs geopolitical fragmentation, maritime disruption and climate shocks reshape global trade, Japan and UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) are scaling up strategic cooperation to help developing countri...
