ASEAN 'more open' than EU or US: World Economic Forum reportPARIS -- ASEAN, the 10-state Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a more open market for international trade than either the European Union or the United States, according to a World Economic Forum report released Wednesday. "ASEAN's progress as an economic power comes at a time when the United States and European Union are becoming less open," it said in a key finding of the 2016 Global Enabling Trade Report. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to withdraw from international trade agreements and possibly levy trade tariffs. European states, buffeted by populists, have been under pressure to ditch a trade deal with Canada and a proposed agreement with the United States. "Free trade remains the most powerful driver of global economic development and social progress.

Source: The China Post December 01, 2016 18:25 UTC