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

Western European countries lead in the 2021 rankings, reflecting the resilience of economies in the face of the global COVID-19 health crisis. Switzerland has come top for the first time in the 33-year history of IMD’s World Competitiveness Ranking, in a year that reflected the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on economic competitiveness. Sweden came second (up from 6th last year) with Denmark in third spot (2nd in 2020) in a shakeup that saw European economies weather the hea

China has made a rapid economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, which seems to have moved European investors from favouring offshoring to rediscovering their appetite for the country. European companies are seeking to increase their exposure in China and move their supply chains onshore in the country, according to a report from the EU Chamber of Commerce in China published in June 2021. The European Business in China Business Confidence Survey 2021 finds that 59% of Eur

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

We are pleased to share the latest FDI & Trade Intelligence News and Resources from across KW Group Networks & Partners - For daily updates follow us on LINKEDIN OFFICIAL MAY CHINA TRADE DATA. Analysis by John W. Miller, Chief Economic Analyst, Trade Data Monitor: 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

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

Member nations of a Pacific regional trade deal agreed Wednesday to allow the U.K. to begin the process to join in a potential boost for the country’s trade following Brexit. Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said the move would strengthen economic ties between the U.K. and Japan, as well as making the zone covered by the deal equal to the EU in terms of economic size. He spoke to reporters after hosting an online meeting of ministers and officials from the 11 cou

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

McKinsey highlights five growth levers for emerging ASEAN and show how they could boost recovery in countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia Emerging ASEAN (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) began the crisis at a disadvantage, and COVID-19 exposed and often heightened their challenges. Larger, developed nations generally have the resources and infrastructure to weather the pandemic’s impact. Some emerging ASEAN countries were unable to mount stimulus pr

Switzerland tops the GlobalData Country Risk Index as the world's least risky country, while Venezuela ranks bottom, but what does the risk factor mean for a location's FDI inflows? Key findings from assessing the relationships between a country's risk score and FDI and GDP per capita: - Switzerland tops the ranking as the least risky country. - Venezuela is the riskiest country. - FDI and GDP per capita are negatively correlated against country risk. - More successful FDI co

"ASEAN is poised to become a dramatic consumption opportunity, driven by four mega-forces: strong demographic trends; rising income levels; geopolitical shifts increasing foreign investment; and digital advances opening new consumer markets." Over the next decade, ASEAN will become the world’s fourth-largest economy with a roughly $4 trillion USD consumer market. While the entire region will offer abundant growth opportunities, each market will evolve differently. Eight key c

The RCEP agreement creates a free trade arrangement between ASEAN and Asia-Pacific nations, providing new trading opportunities through tariff reduction, new rules of origin, and trade-facilitation measures. Article by Dezan Shira as part of May China Briefing In November 2020, after eight years of negotiation, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement was finally inked by 15 Asia-Pacific nations, by far becoming the largest plurilateral free trade agre

New economic data from across the APEC region shows a softer economic contraction of 1.9 percent in 2020, with continued fiscal measures leading to a rise in government consumption and improved investment and household consumption. According to the latest APEC Regional Trends Analysis, household consumption, APEC’s main driver of growth, improved to -3.9 percent in the second half of 2020 on a year-on-year basis, as compared to -7.0 percent in the first half of last year. Inv

As India emerges from a public health crisis, the serious issues of illegal products need to be addressed on a war footing. COVID-19-induced mobility restrictions gave an impetus to illicit trade of essentials and non-essential items. As a result, the alcohol and tobacco trade invariably hung in an uncomfortable situation. According to a market research report by Euromonitor research and TII (2019), India has become the fourth-largest and fastest-growing illegal cigarette cap

World trade’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis hit a record high in the first quarter of 2021, increasing by 10% year-over-year and 4% quarter-over-quarter, according to UNCTAD’s Global Trade Update released on 19 May. According to the report, the impressive rebound in Q1 2021 continued to be driven by the strong export performance of East Asian economies, whose early success in pandemic mitigation allowed them to rebound faster and to capitalize on booming global demand for

At KW Group we are continually looking for new and innovative ways to help Governments & Businesses become globally connected. Our virtual trade mission programs play an important role in supporting expansion in international markets and to increase exports. CASE STUDY: UAE - MALAYSIA TRADE MISSION Organised by KW Group in 2018 as the first major trade & investment mission in ASEAN by the UAE Government the mission was led by His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minis

Fascinating article on Indonesia as arguably the world's largest invisible nation. Over the coming years and decades, however, the world should begin to pay more attention to this rising global power that is already shaping the future of the Indo-Pacific order. When India's then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was asked in the 1950s why Southeast Asian nations were designated as Category C in his country's foreign policy, he reportedly replied: "Do you gentlemen wish to becom

China preliminary data for April (release by Major Products & by Country/Region) and below TDM insight by John W. Miller, Chief Economic Analyst - Trade Data Monitor For years, economists marveled at China’s history-shaping growth in manufacturing exports. But as this April’s trade data from Beijing illustrates, it’s time to start paying more attention to the ballooning of shipments to China. Chinese imports in April increased 43.1% year-on-year to $221.1 billion, the biggest