Japan PM Ishiba, after meeting Trump, voices optimism over averting tariffs

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed optimism on Sunday that his country could avoid higher U.S. tariffs, saying President Donald Trump had “recognised” Japan’s huge investment in the U.S. and the American jobs that it creates. At his first White House summit on Friday, Ishiba told public broadcaster NHK, he explained to Trump how many […]

Read More

IMF mission visiting Pakistan to review governance, corruption risks: finance ministry

In order to add clarity to the reports circulating in the media, the Ministry of Finance and Revenue on Sunday said that the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) mission is visiting Pakistan to conduct a governance and corruption diagnostic assessment (GCDA). In a statement, a spokesperson for the finance ministry said that the IMF has long […]

Read More

Abu Dhabi Fund for Development announces loan for Velana Airport in Maldives

Abu Dhabi Fund for Development announced an additional loan of US$40 million  to support the completion of the Velana International Airport project in the Maldives. This follows an earlier loan of US$50 million provided in 2017 for the project’s initial phases, highlighting the airport’s vital role in driving tourism, a key pillar of the Maldivian […]

Read More

Japan, US agree to have FX matters in the hands of finance chiefs, Ishiba says

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump that the two countries will leave foreign exchange-rate matters in the hands of their finance ministers. “As was the case during the first Trump administration, we decided to continue close discussions between the Japanese and U.S. finance leaders, who are the experts,” […]

Read More

China challenges Trump tariffs at WTO as package shippers warn of chaos

China filed a World Trade Organization complaint on Wednesday against US President Donald Trump’s new 10% tariff on Chinese imports and his cancellation of a duty-free exemption for low-value packages, arguing the actions are “protectionist” and break WTO rules. Beijing’s request for US trade consultations came as confusion reigned among shippers and retailers over Trump’s […]

Read More

Japan provides 300 million Yen grant for ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ programme

The Government of Japan has extended a grant of 300 million Japanese Yen (approximately LKR 565 million) to Sri Lanka to enhance waste management infrastructure facilities under the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ programme, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the grant was signed today at the Presidential Secretariat in the […]

Read More

Trump’s tariff war 2.0: A windfall for Bangladesh?

When US President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on Chinese goods, the shockwaves were felt far beyond these three economies. European nations and Japan are also on edge, bracing for the ripple effects of this aggressive trade manoeuvre. As expected, Canada on Saturday announced […]

Read More

India increases aid to Maldives with MVR 1.06bn budget allocation

India is set to increase its financial aid to the Maldives for the upcoming year, with an allocation of MVR 1.06 billion in its 2025-2026 proposed budget. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration presented its 2025-2026 proposed budget to the Parliament on Saturday. According to the budget, which is published on the Indian Foreign Ministry’s […]

Read More

India raises alarm over Maldives’ recent trade pacts, without naming China and Turkey

India is concerned recent trade pacts signed by the Maldives will likely hurt the archipelago’s cash-strapped economy, the Indian foreign ministry said on Friday, in a reference to agreements between the Maldives and China, as well as Turkey. China and India both vie for influence in the strategically located Indian Ocean nation, whose $7.8 billion […]

Read More

Taiwan may offer help for industry over Trump tariff threats

Taiwan’s government will soon look at whether it needs to help its domestic industry over threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to put tariffs on semiconductors, Premier Cho Jung-tai said on Wednesday. Home to the world’s largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) (2330.TW), opens new tab, the island is a key link in […]

Read More