Resources

The CABC is pleased to share the fourth edition of the ASEAN for Business Bulletin for 2026, published by the ASEAN Secretariat. This edition examines “Natural Gas in the New ASEAN Petroleum Security Framework: Strengthening Resilience Amid Global Energy Disruptions”, focusing on the evolving role of regional energy frameworks and cleaner fuel alternatives in supporting collective security and economic development across Southeast Asia.

The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) is pleased to share the third edition of the ASEAN for Business Bulletin for 2026, published by the ASEAN Secretariat. This edition explores “Unlocking Green Investment: ASEAN’s Forestry Sector and Nature-Based Solutions (NbS)”, highlighting the growing role of sustainable forest management and ecosystem-based approaches in supporting climate resilience and economic development across Southeast Asia.

The latest ASEAN for Business Bulletin - Second Edition 2026 highlights important developments shaping the future of tourism across Southeast Asia. This edition focuses on key outcomes from the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026, where tourism ministers, senior officials, private-sector leaders, and international partners gathered to discuss the next phase of ASEAN’s tourism growth.

The first 2026 edition of the ASEAN For Business Bulletin spotlights the upgraded ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), marking the first major overhaul since its entry into force in 2010. While 99% of tariff lines have already been eliminated under ATIGA, today’s business challenges lie beyond tariffs in regulatory complexity, non-tariff measures, supply chain disruptions, and digital transformation. The upgraded agreement responds directly to these realities.

ASEAN has released its latest double issue, ASEAN Tourism: A Destination for Every Dream, marking a defining moment in the region’s socio-cultural and tourism landscape as Malaysia concludes its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025. The publication highlights ASEAN’s mission to build a sustainable, inclusive, and culturally rich tourism ecosystem, one that reflects the region’s diversity, strengthens economic recovery, and supports long-term integration under ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Fut

Over USD 772 billion in two-way trade in 2024. That single figure captures the scale and importance of the ASEAN–China economic relationship and sets the context for the ASEAN–China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0 Upgrade Protocol, signed on October 28, 2025 in Kuala Lumpur.

ASEAN Business Bulletin - November 2025 highlights how the rollout of the Unique Business Identification Number of ASEAN (UBIN) is transforming cross-border trade by enabling businesses to be recognised, verified, and approved across all member states. UBIN provides a single, trusted business identity that reduces administrative barriers, streamlines approvals, and supports growth for companies of all sizes, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises.

In ASEAN’s fast-growing and diverse markets, contracts are more than legal formalities, they are the foundation of trust between businesses and consumers. Yet, when agreements include unfair terms, such as hidden clauses, overly punitive penalties, automatic renewals, or one-sided termination rights, they can quietly erode consumer confidence, damage reputations, and undermine the broader business ecosystem. These unfair terms are often buried in long, jargon-filled contracts

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the discipline of creating intelligent machines capable of analytical reasoning, enabling organisations to operate effectively and with foresight. AI has transformed business operations into more efficient, competitive, and productive ones. For example, GrabMaps uses AI to cleanse and process the street view aggregated from data from merchants, drivers, and delivery partners to create a digital map to help drivers reach their destination quickl

The tourism sector is a significant contributor to the ASEAN Economy. Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The travel and tourism industry generated approximately 12,1% of ASEAN’s combined GDP and provided jobs to 42 million ASEAN people. Nonetheless, international tourist arrivals plummeted by more than 80%, and tourism revenue dropped by 75% during the pandemic. After the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the end of the pandemic in May 2023, the number of internati

Climate action is urgent since the ASEAN region is acutely vulnerable to the various impacts of climate change. Its long coastlines, heavily populated low-lying areas, and high dependence on agriculture expose it to the threat of rising sea levels, severe floods, and prolonged dry seasons. Germanwatch’s Global Climate Risk Index noted that five of the world’s 20 most at-risk countries are from ASEAN. Climate action is also crucial to maintaining ASEAN’s economic growth. Clima

The private sector is one of the key stakeholders of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). DEFA is the first regionwide agreement that aims to create a more predictable, inclusive, and competitive digital economy in the region. The study on ASEAN DEFA, commissioned by the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Pillar, identified nine core elements to be included in the agreement. These include: (1) Digital Trade, (2) Cross- border E-Commerce, (3) Payment and E-Invoici

ASEAN waters wield a colossal amount of natural resources and provide livelihood for an estimated of 625 million people in ASEAN. With more than 66 percent of Southeast Asia’s total area covered by ocean and sea, the region is the centre of marine biodiversity globally and home to 15 percent of the world’s fisheries. Additionally, ASEAN waters are estimated to generate between USD 3 and 6 trillion and about 260 million jobs per year. ASEAN is also home to 33 percent of seagra

The recently launched e-Conomy SEA 2023 by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company highlighted the opportunities of ASEAN’s digital economy. It reported that the digital economy in six ASEAN Member States (AMS), namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, is set to deliver USD 100 billion in revenue with growth of 27% CAGR since 2021 and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) is expected to grow by 11% to USD 218 Billion in 2023. To further strengthen digita

ASEAN continues to be a competitive economic region with a conducive business environment offering enormous opportunities for growth and development. After having experienced growth rate of 5.7% in 2022, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates that the ASEAN economy will grow by 4.6% in 2023 and 4.8% in 2024. The latest ADB Asian Development Outlook released in September 2023 highlights robust domestic demand and consistent recovery in the services sector, especially touri

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2025 Blueprint envisions to create a deeply integrated and highly cohesive ASEAN economy, among others, to facilitate the seamless movement of goods within ASEAN in order to enhance ASEAN’s trade and production network. To further boost this effort, ASEAN is upgrading the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) to include provisions to facilitate trade including the elimination and prevention of the use of non-tariff barriers, address impleme

A Food Contact Material is defined as any substance or material that comes into contact with food as part of packaging, holding, or processing, but is not intended to be added directly to, become component, or have a technical effect in or on the food. Food contact materials are one of priority issues discussed by the Prepared Foodstuffs Product Working Group (PFPWG) established by ASEAN Consultative Committee on Standards and Quality (ACCSQ) to enhance food safety across the

The role and contribution of MSMEs are crucial to support ASEAN’s transition to a more sustainable economy. MSMEs are the backbone of the ASEAN Economy, making up 85% of employment and contributing 44.5% to GDP in the region. MSMEs can support ASEAN Member States (AMS) in their sustainability efforts by reducing carbon emissions of their business activities and developing new products or services that contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation. At the same time, involvin

The ASEAN region has undergone significant economic and social transformation over the past few decades, with a growing middle class, improved infrastructure, and increased connectivity. ASEAN has become a region with conducive environment for business and investment, with a range of sectors including manufacturing, services, tourism, and agriculture offering exciting opportunities for growth and development. In 2021 and 2022, ASEAN experienced growth rates of 3.4% and 5.7%,

Green Taxonomy is an economic activity classification that supports environmental protection and management efforts, as well as mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Green Taxonomy plays an important role in driving investments to accelerate the transition towards the green economy. Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam have started the journey in developing their national taxonomy to enable a just transition towards sustainable econom