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Highlights
- Austrade and DBS team up for Southeast Asia expansion
- ASX-listed miners expand regional operations and green projects
- Crossborder trade poised for long-term growth with Southeast Asia
Australia is accelerating efforts to strengthen economic ties with Southeast Asia, with a fresh collaboration between Austrade and Singapore’s DBS Group (SGX:D05) set to unlock new commercial avenues for Australian enterprises. The partnership, formalised through a new memorandum of understanding, will focus on enhancing investment access to fast-growing markets like Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore.
The move aligns with Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, targeting sustainable two-way trade growth. The initiative includes a Sydney-based investor roundtable in Q3 2025, designed to bring together regional stakeholders and showcase opportunities across technology, energy, infrastructure, and renewables.
This development is particularly significant for companies in the ASX top 200, such as Fortescue (ASX:FMG), which is actively engaged in Southeast Asia through clean energy ventures. In April 2024, the company entered a joint venture with global phosphate leader OCP Group to create a green energy hub supporting renewable targets in Asia and beyond.
Meanwhile, Nickel Industries (ASX:NIC) is tapping into Indonesia’s vast nickel reserves—estimated at 25% of global supply—by securing a major US$943 million investment from local firm United Tractors. These developments bolster its position as demand for battery-grade nickel continues to surge.
Another ASX-listed player, Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC), has strengthened its regional presence with key operations in Malaysia. The company recently confirmed first production of terbium oxide and dysprosium oxide at its Gebeng facility, further supporting supply chains for critical minerals.
In Thailand, Alpha Fine Chemicals is building a 40,000-tonne-per-year nickel sulphate plant to support the growing lithium-ion battery market. Similarly, GroundProbe continues its trade growth in Indonesia through its Kalimantan tech hub, benefiting from the Indonesia–Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
Australian exports to Southeast Asia exceeded AU$31 billion in 2022, with the region's energy demand forecast to double by 2050. However, Austrade highlights a recent stagnation in direct Australian investment, even as other global players increase their footprint.
With Southeast Asia projected to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2040, this partnership offers a timely platform to scale Australian innovation and deepen regional trade ties. As global supply chains evolve and clean energy targets intensify, Australian companies are set to play a strategic role in powering Southeast Asia’s economic transformation.
