Chinese Premier Li Qiang pledged on Sunday to further open up the economy and fully implement national treatment for foreign enterprises, as the country seeks to reassure the outside world amid rising global trade tensions.

The government is holding subsidized fuel prices steady through year-end as global oil price tops US$100 a barrel, with Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa saying the state will absorb the shock rather than pass it on to consumers.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that Washington might lift sanctions on Iranian oil that is already being shipped, as energy prices soar due to the war in the Middle East.

Last year, China sent Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand roughly a fifth of their fertilizer imports and that figure stood at a third for Malaysia and New Zealand, according to International Trade Centre data. For India, it was around 16 percent, according to its trade data.

China's show of willingness to work with the region of more than 700 million people would be welcome relief to Southeast Asian oil importers after an order by Beijing earlier this month to ban Chinese exports of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel.

Asia spot LNG prices have doubled to three-year highs in the second major supply shock in four years, as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has all but stopped and No. 2 global exporter Qatar has halted shipments. 

The cost of the subsidised RON95 transport fuel, available for all Malaysian citizens, will be kept at 1.99 ringgit per litre, with the government expected to spend over 3 billion ringgit ($763.36 million) per month to fund its fuel subsidy bill, the ministry said in a statement late Wednesday. 

Interest rates were kept steady at a range of 3.50 percent to 3.75 percent, with officials flagging one expected cut by the end of the year.

Uncertain economic prospects and delayed or absent holiday allowance disbursements have made some consumers more cautious, prompting them to spend less and save more.

International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank Group’s private sector arm, has urged Indonesia to prioritize the growth of more productive, higher-value businesses through regulatory reforms.  

The President's brother, who heads the public housing task force, says he has temporarily allayed Prabowo's concerns by pointing to the relatively recent existence of the housing ministry as a stand-alone institution.

Australia's central bank raised its cash rate for a second straight month on Tuesday, saying higher borrowing costs were needed to contain inflation, though a very tight vote suggested further tightening is far from certain.

The government has emphasized that lifting the fiscal deficit cap, which sits at 3 percent of GDP, could only happen in a crisis, and that it is focusing instead on slashing government spending.

The agreement is expected to strengthen the security and reliability of the critical minerals supply chain for both countries while supporting the development of clean energy technologies using Indonesia's mineral resources.

Industry players estimate that packaging costs in the bottled water industry could increase by as much as 45 percent if supply disruptions persist.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he had the authority to impose duties despite the US Supreme Court last month striking down his global tariffs.

US Federal Reserve policymakers are expected to leave interest rates unchanged at their meeting next week, as the US-Israel war on Iran sends shock waves through markets and recent economic data has begun to show weakness.

US trade investigations against Indonesia and other countries over alleged unfair practices could give Washington new leverage in bilateral negotiations after the US Supreme Court struck down the initial legal basis for the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART).

US President Donald Trump's administration launched a new trade investigation on Wednesday into excess industrial capacity in 16 major trading partners in a move to rebuild tariff pressure after the US Supreme Court tore down the centerpiece of Trump's tariff program last month.

Pertamina will partner with foreign investors to develop a strategic crude oil storage facility in Sumatra, aiming to increase the national reserves storage capacity to 90 days, a senior government official has said.

The US government is launching two new trade investigations into excess industrial capacity in 16 major trading partners, including Indonesia, to rebuild tariff pressure after the US Supreme Court tore down much of Trump's tariff program last month.

Soaring medical claims would force private insurers to raise premiums, ultimately squeezing individual policyholders and employers, who may either cut coverage or pass costs on to workers.

The target for year-on-year GDP growth of 5.5 to 6 percent in the first quarter remains in place, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa announced on Wednesday.

The economy of Batam continued to show strong momentum toward the end of 2025, with economic growth reaching 7.49 percent year-on-year (yoy) in the fourth quarter (Q4), the highest among regions in Riau Islands province.

Micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) loans contracted by 0.53 percent year-on-year (yoy) in January to Rp 1,482.9 trillion, amid “global and domestic economic dynamics” and a slower post-pandemic recovery.

The selection process is accelerated because of concerns about financial market volatility due to conflict in the Middle East, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said.

Economists say the downward revision could raise lenders’ funding costs and put pressure on share and bond prices, though strong capital and profitability should cushion the impact.  

Respondents to the BI survey believe that sales will remain “relatively stable” in April and increase in July, driven by the school vacation “peak season” during that period.

The government may accelerate plans to expand the use of biofuel and bioethanol as soaring global oil prices triggered by the Middle East conflict raise concern over the cost of imported fossil fuels.

The currency briefly breached the psychological threshold of Rp 17,000 per US dollar on Monday morning, flirting with the historic low of Rp 17,300 registered during the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and 1998.