00:00ASEAN nations have pledged to keep trade lines open, promising to avoid export bans as the region grapples with fallout
00:08from the Iran conflict.
00:09In a meeting of economic ministers in Manila today, the bloc also agreed to advance emergency fuel sharing plans, providing
00:17a safety net for nations facing acute supply shortages.
00:23Philippine Trade Secretary Christina Rourke says predictability is the key to regional stability, and that keeping the movement of essential
00:31goods like food and medicine free from unnecessary delays is now a shared responsibility.
00:37Since the conflict in the Middle East began, fuel prices in Southeast Asia have surged, stoking inflation and straining national
00:45budgets.
00:45Rourke warned that geopolitical tensions are already weighing on economic stability across the region.
00:52To counter this, ASEAN is planning to upgrade key trade agreements with China, South Korea and Canada, seeking to strengthen
00:59supply chains amid the current global volatility.
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