ASEAN Financial News / April 9, 2026 ASEAN Express

Vietnam: Vietnam's Q1 FDI grows over 42%, new registered investment more than doubles

(Central News Agency Taipei April 9) Vietnam's foreign direct investment (FDI) strongly rebounded in the first quarter after a slight decline in the first two months of this year, reaching a total investment of US$15.2 billion (approximately NT$486.4 billion), an annual increase of over 42%. This data reflects a significant recovery in foreign investors' confidence in the Vietnamese market amidst global supply chain adjustments.

According to official Vietnamese statistics, new registered FDI reached US$10.23 billion in Q1, with 904 approved projects. New registered capital increased 2.4 times compared to the same period last year, and the number of projects increased by 6.4% year-on-year. The data shows a continuous influx of big data and electronics industries, driving the expansion of overall investment scale and providing a strong boost to Vietnam's manufacturing and export momentum.

(Central News Agency Taipei April 9) The Laotian government held a high-level meeting in Vientiane this week to urgently discuss current economic problems. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Sandipha Phomvihane pointed out that the public is currently facing immense pressure from fuel shortages and rising prices.

The authorities have listed "ensuring fuel supply, promoting electric vehicles, price control, curbing informal trade, and strengthening mining regulation" as the five major priority tasks. In particular, fuel supply will be prioritized for agriculture and food production, while national fuel inventory monitoring will be strengthened to alleviate public anxiety.

(Central News Agency Taipei April 9) Affected by the Middle East conflict on global fuel supply chains, Singapore's public sector will take measures to reduce electricity consumption in government facilities to enhance energy resilience.

According to Singaporean media reports, these measures include setting air conditioning temperatures at 25 degrees Celsius or higher, controlling the operating hours of air conditioning, lighting, and elevators, and unplugging or turning off non-essential equipment and appliances when not in use.

(Central News Agency Taipei April 9) The latest survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows that with the release of new job vacancies, the unemployment rate in February this year dropped from 5.8% in the previous month to 5.1%, but it was still higher than 3.8% in the same period last year. The Middle East conflict poses a major concern for the labor market.

The Philippine Star reported that an estimated 2.66 million Filipinos were unemployed in February this year, lower than 2.96 million in the previous month, but higher than 1.94 million in February 2025.

Myanmar: Rice exports earn US$861 million in FY2025-2026

(Central News Agency Taipei April 9) According to statistics from the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF), Myanmar's rice exports exceeded 2.7 million metric tons, valued at US$861 million (approximately NT$28 billion), in the 2025-2026 fiscal year, which began on April 1 last year.

"Global New Light of Myanmar" reported that Myanmar's rice exports are highly dependent on sea transport. The Myanmar Rice Federation aims to achieve an export volume of 3 million metric tons in this fiscal year.

Malaysia: World Bank upgrades Malaysia's GDP growth rate to 4.4%

(Central News Agency Taipei April 9) Despite tensions in the Middle East, the World Bank still upgraded Malaysia's 2026 economic growth forecast from 4.1% to 4.4%, stating that Malaysia's resilient economic fundamentals have become a "safe haven" in the region.

"Free Malaysia Today" reported that benefiting from strong domestic demand and exports, Malaysia's 2025 economic growth rate reached 5.2%; as for 2026, private consumption will become the core driver of GDP.

(Central News Agency Taipei April 9) Bloomberg reported that analysts said Thailand's sovereign bonds have performed among the worst globally since the outbreak of the Iran war. With rising inflation risks and concerns about fiscal pressure, the Thai bond market is expected to fall further.

Bloomberg tracked 29 global markets, and Thailand's local currency bonds have fallen 4.1% since the end of February, second only to the UK, making it the second-largest decline. Thailand's 10-year government bond yield surged 52 basis points in March, the largest monthly increase since September 2022.

Cambodia: Tariff and energy tax cuts expected to reduce monthly fiscal revenue by US$47 million

(Central News Agency Taipei April 9) The General Department of Customs said that a series of tax reduction measures recently implemented by the government are expected to reduce the national monthly fiscal revenue by approximately US$47 million.

The government has significantly lowered tariffs on daily necessities such as electric vehicles, batteries, solar equipment, and electric stoves, and reduced import tax burdens on diesel and natural gas. Kun Nhem, Director General of the General Department of Customs, said that the above tax reduction measures are expected to reduce the national monthly fiscal revenue by approximately US$47 million.

Indonesia: Indonesia and UAE still expected to reach US$10 billion trade target despite war

(Central News Agency Taipei April 9) "Jakarta Globe" reported that despite the fragile ceasefire in the Iran war, this has not shaken the confidence of the United Arab Emirates, which believes that the annual US$10 billion bilateral trade target between the UAE and Indonesia is still achievable.

UAE diplomats said that both sides have even begun discussions to increase the trade target by nearly four times. Indonesia and the UAE had previously agreed to increase annual bilateral trade to US$10 billion and have signed a free trade agreement to reduce tariffs, which is expected to provide the necessary momentum for import and export activities.

※For more information, please contact Group Leader Chang Li-Chuan at (02) 2505-1180#792 EMAIL: [email protected]