Beijing has applied to join an Asia-Pacific trade pact once pushed by the US as a way to isolate China and solidify American dominance in the region. China submitted the formal application letter to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to New Zealand, according to a statement late on Thursday (Spet 16) in Beijing. Commerce Minister Wang Wentao had a follow-up call with his counterpart Damien O’Connor, as New Zealand is the dep

Asia is the world’s consumption growth engine — miss Asia and you could miss half of the global picture, a $10 trillion consumption growth opportunity over the next decade. Scale continues to be a key characteristic, but the story of the next ten years and beyond is one of rising diversity in consumer markets in this already diverse region amid significant social, demographic, and technological change. Three changes in perspective are key to understanding the new consumption

The ASEAN Investment Report is an annual report analysing investment and related issues in ASEAN. It is prepared under a technical cooperation arrangement between the ASEAN Secretariat and UNCTAD, supported by the ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Program Phase II. Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in ASEAN, an engine of global FDI growth for the past decade, fell by 25 per cent from its all-time high of $182 billion in 2019 to $137 billion in 2020 because of the im

Companies have reason to be sceptical about investing in Asia in general, and in China in particular, but Asian investment could still be a good bet. Issues such as intellectual property protection and the US-China trade wars could dissuade some companies from investing in Asia in general, and China in particular, but there is still plenty of interest in the region. In China, Beijing is tightening its grip on its thriving tech industry, forcing companies such as Alipay to hol

In the ongoing disruption of the global economy, Vietnam is emerging as a clear winner. Its economy is expected to grow by 4.8% of GDP in 2021, according to the World Bank. To be sure, the Covid-19 pandemic has hit Vietnam this summer, after the country was largely successful at curtailing the virus in 2020. That will hurt the country’s second half of 2021, but long-term trends still support Vietnam establishing itself as a major economic power. Crucial to its rise are powerf

TDM Insight: China Trade Statistics Show Supply Chain Disruption. By John W. Miller, Chief Economic Analyst - Trade Data Monitor The global economy is getting back to normal, but supply chains are not exactly returning to where they were before the Covid-19 pandemic. Consider this: In August, Chinese shipments of textiles fell 14.8% year-on-year, off a low base in 2020, to $12.5 billion, and exports of mobile phones declined 24.4% to $7.4 billion. However, sales of motor vehi

As part of our commitment to Asia FDI, Trade, Export and Market Access we are pleased to announce new regional partnerships to support Governments, Chambers and Businesses to access and grow across Asia Pacific: - Missouri Department of Economic Development (USA) - State of Missouri (USA) - Atlantic Canada Chambers of Commerce - Asia Market Development Program (Canada) - Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Malaysia) - OCO Global (UK) - Dentsu Tracking (Switzerland) -

KW Group delighted to support Atlantic Canada Chamber of Commerce, Asia Market Development Program What is the AMDP? The Asia Market Development Program (AMDP) is a powerful advisory and consultation program that is helping Atlantic Canada exporters expand their presence and grow sales in new industry sectors and countries in Asia. The AMDP provides exporters with the in-market expertise and network to quickly identify opportunity and connect with qualified customers. Your co

Article by James Zhan, Director of Investment and Enterprise, UNCTAD courtesy of FDI Intelligence. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a triple economic shock — it hit supply, demand and policy-making at the same time. Foreign direct investment (FDI) paid the highest price as its drop in 2020 was significantly sharper than the drop in global gross domestic product (GDP) and trade. Looking ahead, I am cautiously optimistic about global FDI prospects in 2021, and more optimistic for 2

Analysis of recent UNCTAD's World Investment Report presented by UOB FDI Advisory Global flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) have been hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic than the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. According to a 2021 report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global FDI flows dropped one-third from US$1.5 trillion in 2019 to US$1 trillion in 2020. In fact, 2020's FDI flows were 20 percent lower than in 2009 after th

With Southeast Asia’s e-commerce market forecast to be worth at least US$300 billion by 2025 we are pleased to share this opinion article written by Shane Britten, CEO, Crime Stoppers International with references to the latest report by our partners at EU-ASEAN Business Council, 'Tackling Illicit Trade in ASEAN' Asean has long been a fertile hub for counterfeit products, partly due to its proximity to China, which is the world’s largest manufacturer and consumer of fake or i

Cross-border trade has been a key driving force in the development of most of the world since the existence of the first civilizations. From the Silk Road that connected the East and West in ancient times to the goods we purchase online today, it has been essential to the growth of a multitude of civilizations, empires, and nations throughout the course of history. Decades back, countries in the European Union (EU) collaborated on facilitating cross-border economic activity w

As the world emerges from an unprecedented pandemic-induced economic slump, Asia is once again garnering the attention of international investors and multinational corporations in the form of large-scale inflows of portfolio and direct investments into strategic economic sectors. Unlike the period following the 2008 Global Financial Crisis where the focus on Asian economies was almost exclusively realized by corporate and institutional investors, in the post-pandemic era, gov

For decades, export manufacturing has played a critical role in powering remarkable socioeconomic development across Southeast Asia. Yet while several other Asian manufacturing economies have evolved into global leaders in advanced industries and innovation, most of Southeast Asia is still viewed primarily as a location for low-wage assembly work. The ten-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) now has a golden opportunity to move up the manufacturing value chai

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China on Monday celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of their dialogue relations. Since the relations began in July 1991, bilateral trade volume had soared from less than 8 billion U.S. dollars to more than 680 billion dollars last year. With such a strong foundation, the two sides have pledged to enhance cooperation in all sectors to open a new chapter in ASEAN-China common development and prospe

The EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) has published two papers calling for more progress on ASEAN’s regional economic agenda and linking a durable recovery from the pandemic to ASEAN’s Leaders, Trade and Finance Ministers putting in place specific measures to accelerate work on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The EU-ABC, which represents the interests of the European business community across Southeast Asia, cited concerns about the lack of progress on key elements of AS

RCEP Explained: The World’s Biggest Trading Bloc Trade and commerce are the lifeblood of the global economy. Naturally, agreements among nations in a certain geographical area help facilitate relationships in ways that are ideally beneficial for everyone involved. In late 2020, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was signed, officially creating the biggest trade bloc in history. Here, we break down everything you need to know about it, from who’s involved t

Official China Trade Data Analysis by John W. Miller, Chief Economic Analyst, Trade Data Monitor - May 2021 China Preliminary Data by Major Products & by Country/Region Asia is really humming. Chinese exports of goods to top Asian trading partners boomed in May, suggesting that the continent is blowing past Europe and the U.S. in 2021 in the speed and scale of its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Chinese exports to the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Nations, o

The Japanese government has approved the world’s largest trade deal. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) could come into force next January. Deborah Elms, Executive Director of the Asian Trade Centre in Singapore, explains what it is, how it differs from other trade deals and what has to happen next. RCEP is a big deal, literally and metaphorically. When it’s signed off, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will create a free trade zone covering

CREDENTIALS - KW Group Asia: FDI, Trade Innovation & Digitalisation Consulting & Events Since 2010 Did you know that by 2030 65% of the worlds middle-class consumers will be found in Asia and it is forecast that ASEAN will become the world’s fourth-largest economy with a roughly $4 trillion USD consumer market? "ASEAN is poised to become a dramatic consumption opportunity, driven by four mega-forces: strong demographic trends; rising income levels; geopolitical shifts increas