20/10/2016 Asia Business Report

Now it is time for Asia Business Report.

We countdown to the last US presidential debate. How are

American companies in Asia feeling with just weeks to go until the

election? And will it be bottoms up after Brexit? With look at a study's

trade ambitions with the UK -- Australia's. Welcome to Asia

Business Report. The third and final US presidential debate kicks off in

half an hour and with three weeks to go to voting day, some polls have

shown Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the lead over Republican

rival Donald Trump. The biggest issue for US companies based in Asia

is the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, which is still not

passed by the US Congress, according to one assessment. Both candidates

have come out against it. What we want to do across all of us is to

get the vote now. President Obama is in favour of it. There are enough

Republicans and Democrats in the house to pass it. We would like to

see the ticket, to vote in Congress after the election and before the

next president -- TTIP. How will markets react width the chief

economist at the bank in Singapore gave it his view. It is a winners

take all system. They are expecting Hillary Clinton will win. That is

done. Now the interest is shifting. Are they so far ahead that the

Democrats will win Congress as well? And maybe they are not so positive

about that. Then you lose some of the checks and balances in the

system. You talk about checks and balances, and Congress has not quite

passed the Trans-Pacific Partnership. That is something a lot

of Asian countries have lots of stakes in, the ones that have signed

up to it. What are the prospects for the TTIP going through depending on

who wins? If Donald Trump wins, it is completely dead. It will be a

trade war. Forget about their bad. Clinton said she would renegotiate

it -- forget about them out. It is so complex that so many countries.

Remember how long it took to negotiate it. To renegotiate would

be close to being dead. The only real hope is to pass it in the lame

duck session after the election but before the new president takes over.

Most people want that and it would solve problems for Clinton, whose

she probably wants it even though she can't admit it. But whether

Obama can persuade the Republicans to play ball is another thing. And

how do either candidates factor into the Fed reserve's interest decision?

A Quentin win might suggest that they continue with their policy of

raising rates -- Clinton. Yes, if Clinton wins, the federal rate may

rise in December. Nobody thinks they will raise rates during the

election. If Donald Trump wins, all bets are off. He has a crazy

expansion it fiscal plan, but if you have a global recession because of

outright trade was, the Fed will be stuck in terms of trying to avoid

another recession -- trade wars. A status quo Clinton victory means it

may rise in December and a couple of times next year. In other business

news, a number of trade deals will be signed by the Philippines and

China later today as part of President Rodrigo Duterte's four-day

visit to China. The deals come despite of territorial disputes

between the two sides over Ireland in the South China Sea. That has not

stopped the bank of China agreeing to learn $3 billion for

infrastructure projects in the Philippines -- over islands. Stores

in China could one day outnumber those in its home market in the US.

The US cover chain is pushing ahead with an aggressive plan to double

its doors to 5000. Starbucks has so far captured about three quarters of

the market in mainland China. And more car industry judges could be

added to the workload of the Chief Executive of Nissan. But their plan

to buy a stake in Mitsubishi mean they could take on a third role as

chairman. Mitsubishi has been struggling to recover from an image

and scandal. -- emissions. Economic and building if researcher to big

issues for Indonesian President Joko Widodo. He also has plans to improve

transport. Java is the most populous island with 150 million people, and

includes the capital of Jakarta and the second biggest city. A highway

to connect the west and east of the island was launched by the

government in the 1990s. The trends job at all road will stretch more

than 1200 kilometres when it is finally completed -- trans-Java. We

visited one of the sections under construction. She spoke to Joko

Widodo as part of a series of exclusive interviews. Infrastructure

is an essential aspect for economic growth. So now we concentrate on

infrastructure. Not only be to road but also the deep sea port, and a

new airport and a row away -- the toll road. Not only in Java but the

other island, into my trap -- in Sumatra, and the other islands. We

hope with good infrastructure, the transport costs will be decreasing.

And then logistics also gritting. How do you think this will change

people's lives here? -- logistics costs also decreasing. It will be

faster. But it has taken a long time. 15 years this project has been

under way. I asked my minister three things. To make it faster? Yes.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo. As the row continues in Britain over

the timing of its exit from the EU, reduces in another part of the world

are eyeing up opportunities it might bring them. Australia has said he

wants to be the first in line to sign a new trade deal with the UK

after Brexit. Our Sydney correspondent has been finding out

exactly what a new pact could deliver.

On the hills of New South Wales, could Brexit mean these cattle one

day find a way into the British market? Selby Green grew up on this

farm and remembers when Australia sold 80% of its beef to the UK. That

all changed when Britain joined the U. Brexit rings a welcome

opportunity -- EU. It will be a great boon for Australia visit

brings up more competition. We note in Australia our quality is very

good, very high. We have a lot of things in our favour. Will British

farmers want your competition, want your meat being sold? We are pretty

confident they will. Because of the quality. Britain already has a taste

for Australian wine. It is one of the biggest exports. But Brexit has

so far brought a bit of a hangover. Bruce's winery usually sells 100,000

bottles a year to the UK. But the price depends on the exchange rate.

After the referendum in June, the pound slumped and the Australian

dollar rose. Now trade is much harder. I suppose the biggest

question in what it will do for us is what happens with currency.

Brexit hasn't been good for you so far? God no. Basically the currency

has gone down by 20%. So our wines will get more expensive now. As they

start having to pay for them at the new rate. For the last decade,

Australia has concentrated on connecting with its Asian customers,

sunning huge new trade does with its biggest partners, China, Japan and

South Korea -- signing huge new trade deals. But Brexit still brings

an important opportunity. Australia wants to carry on tying up its own

deals, while there is little prospect of a new world trade

agreement on the horizon. That story has been going on for decades and

does not look like it will proceed. It is at a glacial pace and most

have been up on the world trade or the processors. -- organisation

processes. That is why Australia has opted for these bilateral processes.

As Britain choose over what the terms of Brexit will be, there are

plenty of Australians hoping it is a part that brings new business there

way -- chews over. Singapore exchange's takeover is

rich in the final stages after approval from the British regulator.

The acquisition is meant to be completed by the middle of next

week. The news comes as SGX announced a fall committed the same

time a year ago. A quick look at the markets. The Nikkei is opening up

slightly taking its cues from the US, where we saw gains on Wall

Street. That is it from this edition of Asia Business Report. Thank you

for watching. You are watching BBC News. The top

stories this our hole Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump meet in Las

Vegas in just a few minutes for their third and final presidential