Commodities
A campaign to boycott non-Muslim products, believed to have been quietly unleashed by opposition UMNO Malay nationalist and PAS Islamist parties has spread like wildfire, at least on social media. On the surface, it certainly looks like a declaration of war against the minorities in the country, especially ethnic Chinese whose prowess in the business […]
... written on Sep 04 2019By now, the US-China trade war has entered a stage where it’s almost impossible for either one to surrender. The belief is such that the dispute will continue until at least the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Donald Trump is betting that his get-tough-on-China platform will rally American voters and help him get re-elected for the […]
... written on Sep 03 2019The duty on crude palm oil was lowered to 40% from 44%, while a tax on the refined variety was cut to 50% from 54% after Indonesia and Malaysia, the top two palm oil producers in the Southeast Asia, sought a reduction in the import tax. Prior to that, India had raised the import tax on crude […]
... written on Aug 28 2019China has made good on its promise to retaliate against President Donald Trump’s latest 10% tariff on US$300 billion worth of Chinese goods. On Friday (August 23), the Chinese State Council announced it decided to slap tariffs ranging from 5% to 10% on US$75 billion U.S. goods in two batches – effective on Sept. 1 […]
... written on Aug 24 2019Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were formally invited to Denmark by Queen Margrethe II in July and both had accepted the invitation. According to the White House, the U.S. president had been expected to participate in a series of bilateral meetings and meet with business leaders in the 2-day state visit to Copenhagen […]
... written on Aug 22 2019Stocks dropped like a rock on Wednesday (August 14) when the DJIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average) plunged 800.49 points – worst percentage drop of the year. What happened? Apparently the bond market flashed warning of recession. The yield of 10-year Treasury note broke below the 2-year rate – a rare but reliable indicator of economic […]
... written on Aug 16 2019Earlier this month, when President Donald Trump announced a new round of 10% tariffs on US$300 billion worth of Chinese imports, the remaining goods yet to be taxed, Beijing was not convinced that the U.S. would escape from the escalated trade war unscathed. Trump also overplayed his hand in the poker game when he threatened […]
... written on Aug 14 2019Singapore has a piece of very bad news for not only its own people, but also the region, if not the world. The small island’s economy almost came to a standstill in the second quarter, thanks largely to the US-China trade war, which has gotten worse after China retaliated against Trump’s 10% new tariff on […]
... written on Aug 13 2019Zakir Naik, the controversial Indian Islamic preacher accused of spreading hate speech, laundering money, and funding terrorism by the Indian government has launched what appears to be a stinging attack against China. His attack is so damaging to the Malaysia-China bilateral ties that not even Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had dared do it. Speaking […]
... written on Aug 12 2019A day after the Wall Street crashed 333 points as a result of less than impressive interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve, the stocks made an incredible rally – skyrocketed to as much as 311 points – until Trump spoils the party. The president dropped a bombshell when he declared an additional 10% tariff […]
... written on Aug 02 2019
