China gave a further twist to escalating trade tensions with key commodity supplier Australia on Tuesday, halting barley imports from the country’s biggest grain shipping company.

Cambodia and the Republic of Korea (RoK) launched the second round of negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) on August 31 as the RoK works to expand its export portfolio to cushion the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Economic Ministers of ASEAN member states and their partner countries on August 28 emphasised the importance of further strengthening regional economic cooperation and promoting economic growth post COVID-19

FREE TRADE agreement (FTA) negotiations between the Philippines and South Korea are still due to conclude this year despite delays caused by the pandemic, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.

The 9th AEM-Canada Consultations took place on August 29 within the framework of the 52nd ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM-52).

Policy clarification and adjustment are the best methods in which the nation can further integrate into global value chains, according to Ambassador of the EU to Vietnam Giorgio Aliberti, adding that the absence of being part of global supply chains and global trade activities would be a significant limitation for any country.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has agreed to prioritise its signining of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with six free trade partners by the end of this year.

According to the report of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, as of August 20, the total FDI in Vietnam reached US$19.54 billion, equaling 86.3% over the same period in 2019.

Vietnam ran a surplus of 6.2 billion USD in agro-forestry-fishery trade in January-August, 4.9 percent higher than the same period last year, the latest updates of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development showed.

BREXIT could offer the UK the opportunity to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trading bloc expert has told Express.co.uk, which they believe could become the "highest of high-grade" trade agreements.