Our Scans · Brunei · Weekly Summary

• Recent high precipitation amounts have been generally conducive for cropping prospects, except in Brunei and parts of the Philippines where heavy rains could reduce yields. GEOGLAM Crop Monitor
• In terms of energy security, Brunei might have the potential to provide oil and gas to meet China's rising demand for fuels. Springer Nature Singapore
• In 2025 Vietnam will ban all e-cigarettes, aligning its full ban approach with Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, and Thailand. Law Society Journal
• Forces from the US's Marine Rotational Forces - Southeast Asia will partake in at least eight exercises through to in 2025, which will involve drills with Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. Platform for Peace and Humanity
• Inflation is expected to pick up slightly to 2.3% in 2025, driven by supply-side factors, including a reduction in energy subsidies in China, Hong Kong, Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The Edge Malaysia
• Like Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, Vietnam remains on track to meet its growth forecasts in 2024 and 2025, supported by robust domestic and external demand. The Star
• Power-supply disruptions to major Asian markets, most notably China, simultaneously deliver short-term boosts to the fossil-fuel markets of several Southeast Asian producers, most notably gas exporters Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Brunei. The Strategist
• Asia's crude oil imports from Canada's newly expanded Trans Mountain pipeline will rise in September as major refiners in Japan and South Korea and a refinery in Brunei have bought their first cargoes alongside China. Yahoo Finance
• The territorial disputes, which involve China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, have long been seen as an Asian flashpoint that could pit the U.S. against China if the high seas confrontations escalate into an armed conflict. AP News
• The Biden administration will launch a climate solutions hub to provide technical assistance to ASEAN members - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam - in implementing their emissions goals set under the Paris climate accord. the weekly ledger
• The Philippines' growth is forecast to be the highest among ASEAN members nations at 6.3%, ahead of Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, and Brunei. 2.4pc economic growth projected this year: AMRO
• The cable, connecting Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei and China's Hainan, is to be completed in the third quarter of 2025. Asia Times
• The countries that have relatively low hydropower potential values are Singapore, Brunei, and Timor Leste, whose largest potential values are 26 MW, 38 MW, and 75 MW, respectively. Nature
• Indonesia will initiate the development of power network interconnections with several ASEAN member countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Indonesia Business Post
• Fisheries industry has great potential that contribute to the diversification of Brunei Darussalam's economy. UK Essays
• Developing effective ways to offer suitable job opportunities, through public employment agencies or digital online services, has been highlighted for example by Australia; Brunei Darussalam; New Zealand; Peru; and Thailand. APEC
• Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Laos, the Philippines and Indonesia are exploring hydrogen's potential in electricity and industrial sectors. Australian Policy Online
• At least 19 new gas fields across Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei were sanctioned or are expected to be sanctioned by 2025, despite the scientific consensus that no new oil and gas exploration can take place while keeping global temperature increases below 1.5 ° Celsius. Global Energy Monitor
• Vietnam along with Chile, Malaysia, Brunei, and Peru will share a single, duty-free TRQ on sugar - the volume of which will increase incrementally over 10 years. Vietnam Briefing News
• ASEAN ASEAN Girls Education and Skills Programme, funded by £30 million of UK support, will be delivered in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Timor Leste. GOV.UK
• For Britain, existing bilateral trade deals with nine of the member countries - Canada, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam and Japan - mean the only immediate trading gains from accession will come from Mexico and Malaysia, which have a combined $1.6 trillion GDP. The Telegraph

Last updated: 17 June 2025