China's cross-border e-commerce trade rose 9.6 percent year on year to 577.6 billion yuan (about 81.3 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of this year, data from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) showed. During the period, the country's e-commerce imports and exports with Silk Road e-commerce partner countries such as Hungary, the United Arab Emirates, Cambodia and Brazil, saw rapid growth, the ministry said. The pace of international cooperation in e-commerce has accelerated, the MOC said, noting that for the first time, it organized Chinese e-commerce platforms to conduct roadshows in foreign countries. Through such an initiative, Chinese e-commerce firms connected with more than 60 small and medium-sized enterprises in Italy, according to the ministry. In the first quarter, the national online retail sales reached 3.3 trillion yuan, an increase of 12.4 percent year on year, with service consumption continuing to lead the growth, the MOC said.  Source: CNN

France has overtaken Russia on the list of the biggest weapons exporters, a study from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has found. The United States has reinforced its global dominance in arms sales. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war has driven new arms purchasing in Europe in dramatic fashion, with US manufacturers being the main beneficiaries, according to a new study from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). From 2019 to 2023, the worldwide trade in weapons declined by 3.3% overall from the 2014-18 figures, but the amount of arms imported by European countries in that period doubled compared with the previous five years. At 55%, the lion's share of arms sales to European countries came from the United States. This was up 20 percentage points from the previous period. US's global dominance Mainly thanks to sales to European countries, the United States increased its overall weapons exports by 17%. Stateside producers delivered arms to 107 countries, more than in any other period studied by SIPRI or any other exporting nation. "The USA has increased its global role as an arms supplier — an important aspect of its foreign policy — exporting more arms to more countries than it has ever done in the past," said Mathew George, director of the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme. "This comes at a time when the USA's economic and geopolitical dominance is being challenged by emerging powers." Unsurprisingly, Ukraine is the European country where weapons imports have most dramatically increased. From 2019 to 2023, Ukraine went from being a minimal importer and a site of domestic production to being the No. 4 weapons buyer in the world, after India, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Imports increased 6,600% compared with the previous period. In 2023, Ukraine was the No. 1 global arms importer. However, its allies offered rather than sold many of the arms it received in the fight against Russia. The United States, Germany, and Poland were Ukraine's top three suppliers. Russia's exports slip The five biggest arms exporters worldwide were the United States, France, Russia, China and Germany. France overtook Russia to claim the No. 2 spot. Russia's exports fell by 53%. French sales surged 47%. In 2019, 31 countries were still receiving weapons from Russia. By 2023, that had dropped to 12, with India and China, which have kept up trade in oil and gas with Russia, being by far the most significant customers. "In other cases, the US and European states to some extent, too, have put pressure on countries that have been buying Russian arms before or were thinking of doing that." Pieter Wezeman, one of the authors of the report, told DW. Wezeman said that was "something which we could see very strongly in the case of Egypt, which was going to buy Russian combat aircraft, which was then pressured by the US not to do so and basically has now turned to France to buy advanced combat aircraft." France is pursuing a policy of "strategic sovereignty," Wezeman said. "Basically, it wants to be able to apply military force whenever it wants to without being dependent on weapons from someone else. Therefore, they need an arms industry, but, to be able to have that, you really need to export. Otherwise, it becomes way too expensive." France's weapons industry has been very successful over the past 10 years, Wezeman said, with top sellers being the Rafale fighter aircraft, as well as submarines and frigates. Germany's submarine exports Germany's position as the world's No. 5 arms exporter remained unchanged from 2014 to 2023, with the Middle East as its main customer region. Arms exports from Germany fell 14% over that period, though Wezeman said the decline was relative. The previous five-year period was exceptionally buoyant due to large orders, particularly of submarines. In contrast, the year 2023 on its own was particularly good for the German arms industry. Wezeman said that was "partly related, of course, to the military aid that has gone to Ukraine, but also related to the delivery of, for example, submarines to Singapore and frigates and corvettes to both Israel and Egypt." In contrast to their European counterparts, African countries bought about half as many foreign weapons from 2019 through 2023 as they had in the preceding half decade, primarily driven by a decline in purchases from two major importers. Algeria imported 77% fewer arms products. Morocco's purchases went down 46%. Russia, whose presence on the continent has expanded in recent years, is the No. 1 weapons supplier to countries in Africa, followed by the United States and China.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina emphasized the necessity to expand trade between Bangladesh and India through their own currencies. "Bangladesh and India have excellent bilateral relations. The bilateral relationship between the two countries is getting stronger day by day. We have to expand our business through exchanges of Bangladeshi Taka and Indian Rupee in order to increase our businesses," she added.   PM  said this while a meeting was held with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2024 in Germany on Saturday(Feb 17) at Hotel Bayerischer Hof.  

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has said that discussions are being held to enhance diplomatic relations with Myanmar so that bilateral trade could be restored between the two neighbouring countries. The announcement was made during a briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday (Jan 23) following his participation in the NAM conference. Minister Mahmud said that Myanmar's foreign minister has expressed interest in the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.   Discussions were also held regarding the restoration of Bangladesh-Myanmar trade to its previous state.   During the briefing, the foreign minister shared that he received assurance regarding the request to fill the post of Special Envoy of Myanmar.   Dr Hasan Mahmud also mentioned that the UN Secretary-General has extended congratulations to the Prime Minister.   The UN Secretary-General commended Sheikh Hasina for her efforts in poverty alleviation and championing women's rights.   Minister Mahmud also disclosed his upcoming plans, stating that he will embark on a tour on the 7th at the invitation of the Foreign Minister of India.

The 28th Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) is set to begin tomorrow (Jan 21) at the month-long event's permanent venue in Purbachal. The inaugural ceremony of the fair will take place at 10:30 am at the Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre.   DITF is co-organised by the Ministry of Commerce and the Export Promotion Bureau. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the fair as the chief guest, with State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam presiding over the ceremony.  The fair will open at 10am and close at 9pm on weekdays. On weekends, the visitors can stay until 10pm. The entry fee for adults has been fixed at Tk 50 while that for minors at Tk 25. Freedom fighters and the physically challenged can enter the venue without any fee.  The showcase normally begins on the first day of January, but this year it was delayed because of the January 7 election. Speaking at the press conference, State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam said the goal of the fair is to increase exports by showcasing local products.   "We will focus more on tannery and jute products as part of diversification." He also informed of a transport facility from Farmgate to Purbachal through the elevated expressway so that people from the capital can visit the fair easily.  Ahsanul Islam also vowed to ensure fair prices at the exposition.  Turkey, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Iran (Six countries) alongside local companies are taking part in the fair where exhibitors will showcase products in 351 stalls, pavilions, and mini-pavilions. There will also be a food court which can accommodate up to 500 people. There are also a prayer room, children's playground, media corner, office rooms, medical rooms, guestrooms for officials, and stores. The parking area can provide facilities for 500 vehicles. The Dhaka International Trade Fair was first held in 1995.

The Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) will begin at the Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in Dhaka’s Purbachal area on January 21.  Haider Ali, Information and Public Relations Officer of the Commerce Ministry, confirmed the matter.   Haider said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the month-long fair at Purbachal.  The Dhaka International Trade Fair was first held in 1995. Due to Covid-19 pandemic, it was not possible to organise the fair in 2021. The Ministry of Commerce and Export Promotion Bureau jointly organise the fair.

Parliamentarians in South Korea on Tuesday passed a bill to ban selling or producing dog meat, something that has been practiced in the country for centuries. The law, which is to go into force in 2027, comes amid growing support for animal welfare in the country.   The National Assembly passed the bill by a 208-0 vote. Although it still needs to be endorsed by the Cabinet Council and signed by President Yoon Suk-yeol to go into force, those steps are considered a formality. Support for a ban has grown under President Yoon, who is known for adopting stray dogs and cats. His wife, Kim Keon-hee, has also been outspoken in her criticism of the practice. Recent surveys show that most South Koreans no longer include dog meat in their diets.   What does the law stipulate? Under the new law, it will become illegal to breed, sell or kill dogs for their meat, with offenses punished by up to three years in jail or 30 million won (€21,000, $23,000) in fines. "This law is aimed at contributing to realizing the values of animal rights, which pursue respect for life and a harmonious co-existence between humans and animals," the legislation reads. The law does not stipulate punishments for consuming dog meat.   Dog farmers are expected to hold protests against the bill and file a petition at the constitutional court. The South Korean Agriculture Ministry has estimated that more than 1,000 farms were breeding almost half a million dogs to be served at around 1,600 restaurants as of April 2022.

Over the past week, most of the world's largest shipping firms have said they will avoid the Red Sea and, therefore, the Suez Canal after Yemen-based Houthi rebels fired missiles at cargo ships over the Israel-Hamas war. Instead, ships traveling from the Far East to Europe will need to make a detour around the entire African continent via South Africa's Cape of Good Hope. The journey will take more than a week longer and will add about 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 kilometers).  The Suez Canal, which connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, is the shortest route between Europe and Asia. About 12% of global shipping traffic normally transits the waterway.   Costs for shipping firms skyrocket The decision already greatly impacts the cost of shipping goods, say industry analysts. If it becomes an extended crisis, it could spark a hike in the price consumers pay for imported goods. "Take one round-trip voyage from Shanghai to Rotterdam, and you add a million dollars in fuel costs from rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope," Peter Sand, chief analyst at the Copenhagen-based market analytics firm Xeneta, told DW. "So that alone is a huge bill." Insurance premiums have soared in response to the attacks, while container shipping lines that run weekly services between Asia and Europe will need to factor in the cost of three extra ships to ensure a similar level of service, Sand added. The delays in shipping will then have knock-on effects at container ports across Europe, which are usually highly efficient at handling flows of large numbers of containers. "Let's say I have a port that handles 50,000 containers per week. But then if nothing arrives for a week, and the following week a hundred thousand containers arrive, that can cause congestion problems," Lars Jenson, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, a Denmark-based shipping industry consultancy, told DW. The Red Sea crisis has stirred memories of March 2021 when the Suez Canal was blocked for six days after the container ship Ever Given ran aground. At that moment, the world was exiting lockdowns from the COVID-19 pandemic, and huge bottlenecks had already emerged in global trade supply chains. Hundreds of ships were left in a holding pattern in the Red Sea for weeks, and the cost of shipping a container rose from $2,000 (€1,828) to $14,000. The Ever Given crisis caused months of additional delays to goods imported from Asia.   Supply chains more robust today Although supply chains have since mostly returned to normal, the security threat in the Red Sea could see prices double over the next few weeks, say analysts. Global freight rates were already rising again after the Panama Canal last month curbed the number of vessels that could ply the waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans due to a drought. Fortunately, the shipping industry has learned the lessons from the post-COVID supply chain crisis, and many firms have expanded their fleet of cargo vessels, meaning the impact of any lasting Red Sea rerouting won't be as disastrous. "Right now, we have an overcapacity of container vessels, so in the absolute worst case, where we have to continue to go around Africa for a time, we do have the container vessels in the world to do this," Jensen said. For the first few days of the current crisis, shipping firms had kept their vessels in a holding pattern in the hope that the attacks would be curtailed or security in the region would be quickly increased.  "This week, more and more vessels are being redirected to go around Africa, which seems to indicate the carriers are beginning to lose faith that this crisis can be resolved very rapidly," Jensen added. US, allies step up naval security On Tuesday, the United States announced a multi-nation operation to safeguard maritime commerce in the Red Sea. As part of the measure, Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain will stage joint patrols in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. US and British warships in the area have begun shooting down Houthi missiles and drones in recent days. However, it is unclear whether the presence of a larger naval force will be enough to halt the attacks altogether. Some ships are, however, continuing to ply the Red Sea, albeit with armed guards on board, in case their vessels are boarded by Houthi rebels, who insisted Tuesday that the US-led security operation would not deter them. "[With Ever Given] it was easy to see that it would soon be resolved. This is more tricky because what is it going to take to get the Houthis to stop launching missiles and drones at the ships, especially as they are drawing attention to the [Israel-Hamas] conflict?" Jensen told DW. Shipment delays won't affect Christmas shopping, but there is the potential for stores to run low on stock by February if the delays continue, supply chain research firm Project44 said in a note on Tuesday. Other analysts have warned that while container shipping may be hit harder overall, the delay to vessels carrying fossil fuels to Europe may be felt first. "We see energy shipments being impacted right here, right now — whether that's oil or coal or gas — simply due to winter in the northern hemisphere," Sand told DW. This could lead to a knock-on effect on energy prices.  

Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen, MP, speaks at a high-level panel session on ‘Nearshoring and Friendshoring-- Changing Priorities in Global Trade’ at the Doha Forum as a leading panel speaker in Doha Forum, Qatar today (Dec 10). Dr. Momen discussed on the evolving trends in global trade, the impact of trade measures, and redrawing the supply chain routes as well as focused on the gains. He also highlighted Bangladesh's achievements in vaccination efforts both during and before the Covid-19 pandemic.   Earlier, he attended the grand opening ceremony of the Forum which was inaugurated by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar.  The program today is being attended by Heads of States and Governments, Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, Foreign Ministers and other senior Ministers, as well as policy makers, private sector and civil society representatives from around the world.    Foreign Minister is leading a 5- member Bangladesh delegation today at the Doha Forum at the invitation of the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jashim- Al Thani.  This is the 21st edition of the Doha Forum with the theme: ‘Building Shared futures.’ Held annually, the Forum brings together global policy makers, government leaders, private sector representatives, civil society and non- governmental organizations to discuss global challenges promoting dialogue and diplomacy for diverse issues facing the world.   Dr. Momen also attended the lunch hosted by the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar in honor of the Foreign Ministers attending the program.  Besides, Nepalese Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud called on the Foreign Minister and exchanged views on issues of mutual interests between the two countries.

An animal protection NGO has brought to light the alarming illegal trade of feline meat in China, specifically in the provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi. The illicit market was exposed when the local police, acting on a tip from animal welfare activists, intercepted a truck transporting more than 1,000 cats destined to be slaughtered and sold as pork or mutton. Acting on a tip from animal welfare activists, police intercepted the truck carrying the felines in the eastern city of Zhangjiagang. The cats were moved to a shelter, according to a report in a daily newspaper. According to an activist, cat meat can fetch 4.5 yuan ($0.61; £0.51) per catty, a unit of measure in China that is roughly equivalent to 600g. One cat can yield four to five catties, the activist added. The rescue uncovered an illicit trade of cat meat and raised fresh concerns about food safety. The Humane Society International said that most people in China do not eat cat meat, but an estimated four million furry friends are slaughtered for food each year in an illegal market that includes areas of Guangdong province, neighboring Guangxi and beyond. Several Chinese animal lovers have been fighting to save outdoor house cats and urban strays from meat traders, who snatch the felines from the streets and sell them in underground markets in areas including Guangdong province and neighboring Guangxi in southern China. According to The Paper, activists in Zhangjiagang had noticed a large number of cats being held in nailed-up wooden boxes in a cemetery and monitored it for six days. When the cats were loaded onto a truck on 12 October, they stopped the vehicle and called the police. Cat lover Ms. Han Jiali is the whistleblower. The 33-year-old Han is deeply committed to certain number of people in China fighting the abuse of pet cats and dogs in the absence of broader institutional protections for domestic animals. Upon losing her pet cat Dabai from her home in Shanghai last year, she began hunting for it and ended in exposing the underground feline meat trade. Han uncovered a supply chain preying on urban strays and outdoor pets in the region surrounding Shanghai. She found skinned cat carcasses piled in crates and sacks of fur in Guangdong province She reportedly found village restaurants that openly advertised cat meat and unscrupulous sellers who passed it off as mutton or rabbit. Last month, she and other animal rescuers, with the help of local police, intercepted a truck carrying hundreds of cats out of Zhangjiagang, near Shanghai. Police and the animal rescuers stopped the truck, and the cats were rushed to a shelter in the town of Taicang, an hour away from Shanghai. She expressed her determination to save other cats from the same fate and spent the past year filing police reports, tracking down thieves and sending petitions to the Guangdong government. It’s a dangerous mission that has resulted in death threats from cat meat traders and an incident in December where a man deliberately drove into her car at a highway rest stop. The cats are often obtained through cruel methods, such as theft or poisoning. They are then slaughtered, and their meat is sold in wet markets or online. However, the Chinese government has taken steps to crack down on the illegal trade in cat meat. In 2020, the government issued a new regulation that banned the sale of wildlife, including cats and dogs. However, the trade continues to thrive, and it is difficult to enforce the ban. The Chinese wild animal and livestock rules have several loopholes. For instance, the capture of a free-roaming family pet outdoors is not considered theft. And while the law prohibits the consumption of cats, violators are fined on food safety grounds rather than punished for animal cruelty. Activists and even state media commentators have called for legislators to adopt an animal cruelty law to close a loophole in the existing wild animal and livestock rules. The illegal trade of animals is not restricted to cats alone. Animal rights activists are a rapidly growing community of pet lovers and animal rights activists who have spoken out publicly against animal cruelty, including the Yulin dog meat festival, and who blame the government for not regulating dogs and their owners properly in the first place. Pet lovers and animal rights activists are a rapidly growing community in China. Global and it has spoken out publicly against animal cruelty, including the Yulin dog meat festival, and who blame the government for not regulating dogs and their owners properly in the first place. According to free radio Asia, the Chongqing University of International Business and Economics suspended one of its security guards in September after he reportedly beat a dog to death, admitting that he had “engaged in improper behavior” while “dealing with a stray dog.” Such killings, which were also reported during the Shanghai lockdown of 2022 — don’t enjoy widespread public support. A recent survey by journalist Wang Zhi’an showed that only around 10% of Chinese people support culls as a way of managing the problems caused by strays or undisciplined pets. In fact, such incidents have evoked strong reactions from animal lovers who started reacting like vigilantes in dog related incidents. A police report from the southwestern city of Guiyang stated that five people were hauled for questioning after they went round to harass a local man who beat a pet dog to death after it leapt up at his 6-year-old daughter. The China Small Animal Protection Association reported on its WeChat account that private dogcatchers are now taking pets in the eastern city of Wuxi, while reports have also been circulating that a dog was killed in a dormitory at the Sichuan Vocational College of Science and Technology. In fact, China recently observed National animal shelter appreciation week and Andrea Gung, animal welfare advocate made an appeal for financial help. Source: english.pardafas.com