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

By John W. Miller, Chief Economic Analyst - Trade Data Monitor: China’s industrial sector is headed for a slowdown in the second half of 2021, according to an analysis by Trade Data Monitor, the world’s premier source of trade statistics. In July, overall exports increased 19.4%, to $282.7 billion, compared to the same month a year earlier, below analysts’ expectations. In June, they had increased 32.2% year-on-year. Imports in July rose 28.1% year-on-year, to $226.1 billion,

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

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

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

China is perhaps one of the most unprecedented stories of economic development in recent history. In the last 25 years, the country’s economy rapidly expanded, lifting more people out of poverty than anywhere else in the world. But all this wouldn’t have been possible without another outstanding story: the emergence of China from the periphery of world trade to becoming a global trade titan. Genesis of a trade transformation While the rise of China as an export powerhouse be

Official China Trade Data from our partners at Trade Data Monitor based on official HS Customs data on all commodities. It was March 2020 that marked the depths of the Covid-19 economic crisis. Factories closed. Shops shuttered. Consumer locked their doors and wallets. Last month’s Chinese exports signals that the global economy has found its way back. Spring is here. Wallets are open. In March, Chinese exports increased 30.7% year-on-year to $241.1 billion. That’s significan

Only 12 per cent of the 345 US firms surveyed by the American Chamber of Commerce in China said the investment environment was deteriorating This represented the lowest proportion since the question was first introduced in the 2012 survey As China-US relations face some uncertainties, a survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) said that most US companies expect a rosy year for their business growth in the world's second-largest economy, citing China'

Foreign direct investment (FDI) into China rose 4.5 per cent from 2019 to US$144.37 billion last year Investment from the Netherlands and Britain increased by 47.6 per cent and 30.7 per cent, respectively, from a year earlier Foreign direct investment (FDI) into China rose to a record high in 2020 by posing the fastest growth rate in five years despite the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. FDI in US dollar terms – excluding financial sectors such as banking, sec

As the world seeks to recover from the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic, trade data suggests it’s more dependent than ever on the Chinese export engine - Latest December China Trade Data insights from our partners at Trade Data Monitor, authored by Chief Economist, John W Miller - For a copy of December's trade data for China and other countries email: andrewk@kwconfex.com China’s full-year numbers show how global trade was almost crippled by the Covid-19 pandemic during

ASEAN countries have jumped to be the number one trading bloc with China in 2020, with the trade volumes hitting 4.74 trillion yuan ($731.9 billion), a 7 percent growth year-on-year, Chinese Customs spokesman Li Kuiwen told a press conference on Thursday, making ASEAN China's largest trading partner for the first time and making China ASEAN's largest trading partner for 12 years in a row. With the demonstration the huge potential and strong resilience of China-ASEAN cooperati

Latest November China Trade Data insights from our partners at Trade Data Monitor, authored by Chief Economist, John W Miller - For a copy of November's trade data email: globaltrade@kwconfex.com What has been building all year exploded into a crescendo in November, as China registered the biggest month of exports in economic history. Buoyed by a rebounding economy as the U.S. and Europe continue to struggle with containing the coronavirus, Beijing reported shipments of $268

The world’s biggest free-trade agreement by population and GDP will bring huge tariff cuts for its Asean and Pacific Rim signatories, including China But the agreement is less open and comprehensive than the 11-member CPTPP, which involves some of the same countries along with the United States When leaders from 15 countries in the Indo-Pacific region meet for a virtual summit on Sunday, they are expected to sign a free-trade agreement that, measured by population and GDP, is

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is expected to be signed this weekend during video meetings hosted by Asean In the absence of the US from trading blocs, China seeks opportunities to write regional trade rules, say observers China is expected to sign a mega regional trade deal with 14 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region this weekend, wrapping up a major agreement before the next United States administration comes into office, Chinese officials said on We

We are pleased to share the October China Preliminary Data from our partners Trade Data Monitor, summarised by John Miller. For a copy of 'October Preliminary China Trade Data' feel free to email andrewk@kwconfex.com Trade Data Monitor Partner APAC China maintained its strong 2020 export performance in October, buoyed by a summer of consumer spending in the U.S. and Europe after a locked-down spring. Overall, outbound shipments increased to $237.2 billion, up 11.4% compared t

Cross-border e-commerce in China is on track for growth this year despite global lockdowns that constrained shipping capacity and supply chain operations in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. China has put forward new measures in facilitating cross-border e-commerce to bolster trade, as retailers are increasingly bringing sales online to compensate for offline losses. The digital economy has been an important driver for post-pandemic trade recovery. China is holding t

China has recorded strong growth in trade, while other major economies still struggle with the impact of coronavirus. Exports in September rose 9.9%, while imports grew 13.2%, official data show. The rush of imports cut China's usually meaty trade surplus - the amount by which exports exceed imports - to $37bn from $59bn in August. Most other large economies are expected to suffer large contractions as lockdowns and public fear cut spending. But the data suggests a rapid reco

By John W. Miller, Chief Economic Analyst - Trade Data Monitor - The business of China is strong. The country’s exports increased to $235.3 billion in August, up 9.5% compared to the same month a year ago. Because China still reigns supreme as the world’s top maker and exporter of manufactured goods from car parts to computers, its trading performance is closely watched as business and government leaders try to figure out where the global economy is headed in the midst of the

“Reshoring was just something nice, a nice idea, mostly for companies that should never have outsourced to a country like China,” The Trump administration wants to reduce American dependence on overseas supply lines by encouraging ‘reshoring’ But returning manufacturers often face old infrastructure, underdeveloped networks and poor labour pools As the United States awakens to its supply-chain vulnerabilities amid heightened pressure on companies to “reshore” from China, it i

An interesting summary of the numbers behind the headlines by Scott Kennedy, CSIS With the world paying close attention to the geostrategic tensions between the United States and China, it is surprising that little coverage was given to what could be seen as a major development in superpower competition. Last week Fortune released its latest Fortune Global 500 list, and for the first time China had the largest number of companies represented. Chinese firms slightly outpace th