11th Eastern Economic Forum concludes in Vladivostok

China

11th Eastern Economic Forum concludes in Vladivostok

2026-09-05 16:14 Last Updated At：16:37

The 11th Eastern Economic Forum concluded in Vladivostok, Russia, on Friday, with 285 cooperation agreements worth 6.66 trillion rubles (around 7.7 billion U.S. dollars) signed during the event, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev.

The four-day annual event brought together more than 7,000 participants from 70 countries and regions.

The forum featured five major themed sections on its business agenda, with over 150 business activities held; more than 1,000 guests gave speeches, and representatives from all sides conducted 1,200 business negotiations on Far East development projects.

During the event, multiple business dialogues were held among entrepreneurs from China, India, Mongolia and ASEAN countries, as well as special sub-events such as forums on the creative industry and small and medium-sized enterprises.

A dedicated exhibition area was set up at the forum to showcase a variety of technical solutions that support the development of the Far East region, with a focus on problems such as complex local logistics conditions, special climate and environment, energy supply gaps, lagging digital transformation, and heavy infrastructure construction tasks.

Meanwhile, the event also featured the Far East Street exhibition and various supporting cultural and sports activities.

Speaking of the achievements at the forum, Trutnev said Friday that the signed agreements involved major projects such as an international transport corridor through the Republic of Sakha and the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor.

Nine new enterprises were put into operation in the Far East during the forum, covering key areas such as mining, logistics, high-tech, and energy.

Launched in 2015, the Eastern Economic Forum is a leading platform for developing Russia's Far East economy and expanding international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Trump's tariffs on Canadian cars to impact Japanese automakers: economist

U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of tariff hikes on cars imported from Canada will severely impact Japanese automakers, which hold a significant share of the Canadian automotive market, according to a Japanese economist.

On August 24, Trump announced that tariffs on cars, automotive parts and steel imports from Canada will be increased to 50 percent, effective January 1, 2027.

"To some extent, it can be said that Japanese automakers have already captured a considerable portion of Canada's automotive industry. These automakers aim to export to the vast U.S. market, and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is the prerequisite for this model. The agreement stipulates that cars produced in Canada and Mexico can be exported to the United States duty-free or with significantly reduced tariffs. Now that this agreement may become invalid, it could deal a nearly fatal blow to Japan's automotive industry," said Hidetoshi Tashiro, chief economist of Japan's Infinity LLC.

Tashiro also said that a growing number of Japanese companies are beginning to reconsider and adjust their supply chains and global strategies.

"The U.S. market is no longer the overwhelmingly dominant market it once was. Therefore, from an economic perspective, Japanese automakers are very likely to shift the focus of their global operations and global strategies from North America to East Asia, with China at its center," said Tashiro.