Vietnamese enterprises will face greater difficulty exporting products to the European market this year, due to stricter technical barriers as well as the Government's tightening monetary policies, said Dang Hoang Hai, Head of the European Market Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. While it was unlikely that exports to the EU this year would match last year's growth of 20 per cent, 10-per-cent export growth was within reach, Hai said.

BEIJING—China plans to shrink its trade surplus further this year but is looking for ways other than rapid yuan appreciation to ease tensions with global trading partners, said the nation's commerce minister. Beijing wants to "stabilize exports, grow imports, and shrink the trade surplus," Chen Deming said at a press briefing on the sidelines of the National People's Congress, the annual meeting of China's legislature.

BANGKOK, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Thai government on Monday raised its guaranteed prices of rice paddy in response to rising production cost of farmers, a senior official said. The national rice policy committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva decided to increase its guaranteed prices of rice paddy to 11,000 baht (360 U.S. dollars) per ton from the current 10,000 baht (328 dollars), according to Yangyong Phuangrach, permanent secretary to the Commerce Ministry.

Kolkata, Mar 7 (PTI) Slovenia today said it is looking forward to wrap up negotiation for two agreements on trade and economic cooperation before June when the Slovak Prime Minister visits the country "We are working on two agreements, one of investment guarantee and another on double taxation avoidance treaty. I think we will able to finish the talks before our Prime Minister visits India," said Slovenia Ambassador to India Janez Premoze here, while addressing the members of Merchants' Chamber of Commerce.

 India's corn and soymeal exporters are hoping that a trade row with Vietnam over quality issues will be resolved soon because alternative supplies are driving up Vietnamese prices, traders said on Friday. Authorities in Vietnam, a leading buyer of Indian corn and soymeal, had rejected 50,000 tonnes of the grain and feed after finding insects in cargoes. Corn prices in Vietnam have now surged 11 percent, with meal rates likely to go up as well.

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- China's export limits on rare earth conform with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), said China's former WTO representative Sunday. China had imposed regulating measures on the mining, manufacturing, processing and exporting of rare earth, limiting both exports and supply to domestic companies, Sun told Xinhua.

Washington, Mar 5 (PTI) The US considers India as "one of the most significant" markets for growth and will press New Delhi for promoting "open and transparent" trade and investment regime, a key American policy document has said."In South Asia, India presents one of the most significant markets for growth in US exports and investment," American 2011 Trade Policy Agenda said.

New Delhi, Mar 5 (PTI) India is unlikely to lift ban on export of wheat and non-basmati rice in the wake of high food inflation and food security concerns, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has said in its latest report. India had suspended wheat exports in early 2007 and non basmati rice in 2008 due to high inflation in the country. "The government of India may continue to ban exports of wheat and non-basmati rice due to ongoing food price inflation and food security concerns," the report said.

China aims to allow all exporters and importers to settle cross-border trades in the yuan by 2011, according to the Chinese central bank, reported Reuters.   Moreover, China will “respond to overseas demand for the yuan to be used as a reserve currency” and allow the yuan to flow back into China more easily.

WASHINGTON - Despite continuing trade disputes, the United States and China share an unprecedented opportunity to boost the domestic economy and create jobs if they maintain close dialogue and cooperation, former US trade representatives (USTR) told Xinhua Thursday. "China has done so well in its economic development, especially when it allows its people to be productive," Charlene Barshefsky, USTR from 1997 to 2001, said after finishing a panel discussion on US trade agenda in 2011 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.