ASEAN members exploring opportunities in Latin America

admin — Sat, 15 May 2010 22:31:17 +0000

***Southeast Asian countries are looking to expand their markets to Latin America, particularly after the global economic downturn forced developed countries – which are key importers of Asian products – to cut consumption, so hurting Asian exports and economies.

But the expansion may not be straightforward as both regions lack the infrastructure that is needed to cut high business costs, which may help determine whether or not the partnership between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Latin American countries will succeed.

Sundram Pushpanathan, deputy secretary-general of ASEAN for the ASEAN Economic Community, noted in his speech Monday the question that might arise: “Why foster trade and economic engagement between ASEAN and Latin America given the distance and logistical challenges, which may not make economic sense?”

He was speaking in a workshop on prospects for economic relations between Southeast Asia and Latin America at the ASEAN Secretariat building in Jakarta.

Indeed, there are many impediments that need to be addressed to develop a beneficial partnership, as noted by Mia Mikic, who work at the trade and investment division of the United Nations’ Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

Mikic, citing data from the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), pointed out several impediments including: High transport costs, weak trade logistics, the need for quality control measures (ISO), lack of research and development (R&D) spending, and the education gap between the two regions.

Those obstacles may help explain why trade between the two regions is relatively small.

Pushpanathan said total trade between ASEAN and Latin American countries stood at US$18.37 billion and $24.07 billion in 2006 and 2007.

While the figures showed a year-on-year increase of 33.1 percent, slightly more than double ASEAN’s global trade growth, they represented in total only 1.3 percent and 1.5 percent respectively of ASEAN’s global trade for 2006-2007.

Moreover, in 2007 only five out of 10 ASEAN member countries – Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines – had a significant volume of trade with Latin American countries, he added.

But still, Pushpanathan is confident there is “untapped potential for greater trade and investment cross-flows between these two regions provided necessary steps are taken to bridge the lack of connectivity”.

Mikic said some policy options identified by ECLAC included addressing existing gaps and bottlenecks, sharp structural and policy differences, also looking at market access, high transportation costs and weak SMEs.

Pushpanathan said ASEAN should have a presence in Latin America and vice versa. Brazil in Latin America is a key emerging economy in the informal group of nations known as the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China), while Indonesia in Southeast Asia is among the few countries scoring a positive growth amid the global downturn.

Pushpanathan said key products that could be exported by ASEAN to Latin America included footwear, fertilizer, sugar, cereals, animal and vegetable fats.

World Wide Tourism

Cruises reViewing

source to this post: ASEAN members exploring opportunities in Latin America
From the Exotic Asia website

Learn more:

Pintar!!! Thailand ingin jadi kekuatan energy terbesar di Asean dengan menggandeng Qatar

Absence of direct banking links hampering RI-Myanmar economic cooperation

Rafendi Djamin elected RI representive in ASEAN human rights commission

Bakat-bakat brilyan yang tak tersalurkan: Hacker se-ASEAN Kumpul, Indonesia Dominan

Tourism In Southeast Asia

admin — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:47:00 +0000

Search for the Adventure in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Sarawak – rough Malaysia. The majority of people follows Southeast Asian tourist trace from Thailand to continent Malaysia and on Singapore. Some undertake effort to cross to Sarawak, but the mountainous area still feels kept away. If Malaysian continent – an interstate high-speed highway, Sarawak – small highway of the party. Those who takes the initiative to investigate Sarawak, will find deep jungle and novel mountains. Wish to direct internal Joseph Conrad? Sarawak – a place.

Meander through Southern Laos.

The majority of people tends to a skirt through Laos, amazing the main destinations before to cross to Vietnam or back to Thailand. Typical бэкпэкер sees Vien Vieng, Vientiane and Luang Prabang – all from which in the big degree touristed. Is not present very much to make in Laos, and the road is rough enough, thus the majority of people jumps through really fascinating part of the country – the south. Do not pass chance to register departure of visitors from hotel this area, especially surprising gulf of Islands, the big space of the River of Mekong from more than 4 000 islands to investigate. Who knows, probably you will see a known pink dolphin before it will go gone out!.

Escape to a Random Thai Island.

Ko Phi Phi, Samui, Phuket, Ko Chang, Ko Tao…you’ve heard the names. They are all amazing islands, but also some of the busiest in Thailand. Secluded beach life is hard to come by on these developed islands.

If you really want peace and quiet, find a random island. Thailand has hundreds of islands, and although most have some form of tourism infrastructure, if you make the effort to catch one extra ferry or visit a place that isn’t in the guidebook, you just might find your paradise.

For example, Ko Chang is surrounded by a large chain of islands, and although most are private and used for dive trips, there are many that most people never even think to visit.

Down south near Malaysia there are many undeveloped islands, too. Thai beach paradise is out there, it just takes a little effort to find it.

Looking for an quiet island? Ask Voralak, a Matador contributor who lives in Bangkok and just published a Backpacker’s Secret Guide to the island of Trang, Thailand.

Explore the Northeast of Thailand.

Sometimes named Isaan, this area – mainly rice paddies and dusty cities. The Northeast – the most bad area of Thailand and also the least quantity touristed. The majority of people does not speak, Englishmen here and there – a few the main sights, but the area holds friendly, easy charm and the unique opinion of a rural Thai life expresses to you. Roads немощены, at cities are a few tourist services, and you will not find certainly smart hotels, but you will test a Thai life under the local Thai price. For what search for real Thailand, you will find it in Isaan.

Chill out in Kep, Cambodia.

This silent French colonial city – the good alternative Sihanoukville, quickly changing, capital of a party of a scene of coast of Cambodia. Coast Kep’s are peace, and you will not find so many people here. You can reach to Kep, making a detour to Kampot instead of going directly in Sihanoukville from Pnom-Penh. Be convinced that have made a trip in Koh Tonsay, or Island of the Rabbit where there are basic bungalows, and local residents submit new dishes of gifts of the sea as a shrimp or a crab with local sharp peppery sauce.

Temples in Lopburi, Thailand.

What search for historical ruins in Thailand, tend to concentrate on two main sights: Ayuthaya and Sukkothai. While Lobpuri it is not compared to these places from the point of view of magnificence, there are some really good temples here which do city value by visiting.

The majority of people comes as round of day from Bangkok, but those who remains to longer, can test a typical, rural Thai city. Enjoy the big night market station, observe that schoolboys socialise in the city centre, and a crinkle through a city, and ship itself in a small city life thaw.

Do not miss hyperactive group of monkeys which wander on a city. They, as it is known, grasp things directly from your hand!

National Park in Vietnam.

The majority of people travels to Vietnam and does typical rounds of the nature on gulf Halong, Sapa, and Delta of Mekong. But Vietnam has a set of National parks which allow each traveller to see that I think, the most part of Vietnam – its natural beauty. The majority of parks goes not visited by tourists, but the offer a useful landscape, excellent traces, the chance to find rare beings and is a little loneliness from weights.

Bike the Mekong River.

It is a lot of offers of the tour operators periodically repeating trips through delta of Mekong. It is more enterprising way to see area than a typical choice of rest under the bus/boat permit. A photo rounds Matthew Kepnes Bike a beret you from the main roads and along tracks for motorcycle races in rice paddies. You feel less as the tourist plying from appeal to appeal, and it is more as the traveller investigating in your own rate. I had a wide experience with Delta Round. But if you are a skilled bicyclist why not it is direct?

All roads lead to Bangkok.

For the majority of tourists, Bangkok means Khao San Road. Dignity Khao is the first stop on the Southeast Asian tourist trace, which loops through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. You could follow tourist trace to Cheng Mej, swimming on a current to Luang Prabang, to cross mountains to Vietnam, falling to Cambodia, and at last to come back to Bangkok, amazing all main tourist stops on the way. Or probably you could follow trace on the south to Krebi or Ko Phi Phi, the rock under the Full Moon on Ko Phan Ngan and to go, diving in Ko the Feasibility report. Probably you even drop in to Malaysia. Probably is not present. But why adhere to the main places of interest? Undoubtedly, places as Angkor Wat and Luang Prabang are known for the reason, but unique and unforgettable events wait, if you take the initiative to investigate a little further than the average tourist. Here 8 new (fresh) ideas for this purpose how to leave the Southeast Asian tourist trace.

source to this post: Tourism In Southeast Asia
From the Exotic Asia website

Exotic Asia » Southeast Asian

ASEAN members exploring opportunities in Latin America

Tourism In Southeast Asia