EV Ecosystem Push (Malaysia): Malaysia’s investment and industry minister says EV growth needs more than sales—local tech, skills and faster public charging are key, pointing to Proton’s PHEV production and high localisation that supports SME component makers. MSME Scaling (Malaysia): Malaysia reports MSMEs grew 5.7% in 2025 to nearly RM690bn and now make up 39.7% of GDP, but the big gap is scaling up and reaching global markets. Digital Trade for SMEs (Vietnam): Vietnam’s trade promotion agency is expanding cooperation to help SMEs use AI and digital tools for export, with plans for digital trade platforms, data portals and SME training. Payments + CBDC Rails (South Korea): Toss Payments is set to connect South Korea’s deposit-token network to merchant checkout systems for small businesses, aiming to avoid terminal replacements while extending central bank digital currency infrastructure into everyday commerce. SME Relief via ADB (Cambodia): The ADB approved a $250m loan to protect vulnerable households and support economic stabilisation, alongside a wider $450m package for Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Entrepreneurship Pressure (South Africa): A new GEM report says South Africa’s entrepreneurship support environment lags global peers, with a low national context score and persistent hurdles around finance and regulation. Customs Compliance for Cross-Border Sellers (US-China): A compliance framework targets Amazon FBA importers facing 2026 tariff and customs scrutiny, focusing on clearance, classification and CBP requirements. Made-in-USA Search Scrutiny (US retail tech): A study alleges Amazon and Walmart’s AI shopping agents suppress “Made in USA” results, raising new questions for sellers trying to market origin claims.