Foreign direct investment (FDI) can significantly contribute to the sustainable development of both home and host countries in several important ways: through expanding access to markets, bringing in foreign exchange, contributing to skills development, human capital growth, technology transfer and increasing competition in local markets. It can also support industry upgrading and facilitate regional and global value chain integration of small and medium-sized enterprises. Co

Investment flows plunged globally by 35% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis. The fall was heavily skewed towards developed economies. Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows are expected to bottom out in 2021 and recover some lost ground with an increase of 10% to 15%, according to UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2021, published on 21 June. FDI flows plunged globally by 35% in 2020, to $1 trillion from $1.5 trillion the previous year, the report says. Lockdowns caused b

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

Excellent new report by Simon J. Evenett and Johannes Fritz, Centre for Economic Policy Research outlining implications for national development policies, for deliberations on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, for the financing of FDI, and for the negotiation on investment accords. Sharp reductions in FDI inflows have occurred since the onset of the pandemic. The reality is that FDI was in trouble long before. This comes at a time when governments and civil soci

The 2021 FDI Report from FDI Intelligence outlines key regional factors driving FDI through the current turbulent times. Covid-19 has deeply shocked the world economy and global investment plummeted accordingly. However, a deeper look at the data published in The fDi Report 2021 reveals the many different nuances of this main narrative, and provides valuable guidance for the years to come. In 2020, both the number of FDI projects and capital investment in FDI dropped by a thi

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'

UNCTAD says uncertainty about the COVID-19 pandemic’s evolution and the global investment policy environment will continue to affect FDI flows in 2021. For developing countries, the prospects for 2021 are a major concern. Global foreign direct investment (FDI) collapsed in 2020, falling 42% from $1.5 trillion in 2019 to an estimated $859 billion, according to an UNCTAD Investment Trends Monitor published on 24 January. Such a low level was last seen in the 1990s and is more t

Article by Paul Grossman, Director, US, OCO Global: It was a year ago this month that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global health emergency. Over the past year, business practices have changed forever, and none more so than those used for international trade. As we look forward to a post-COVID world, governmental agencies devoted to the promotion of international trade should consider the following: “Some exporters are more equal than

Leading specialist trade and investment advisory firm OCO Global is further expanding its presence across Asia with the appointment of KW Group, as Associate Regional Partner based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The new partnership will enhance OCO Global’s presence across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, supporting existing operations in China, South Korea and Japan, while boosting OCO Global’s footprint across Asia Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand. Joachim Arnold, Ch

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

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

UNCTAD's James Zhan identifies the factors that will shape the coming decade in FDI, published by FDI Intelligence Over the past two decades, global value chains witnessed one of rapid growth followed by one of stagnation. The decade to 2030 is likely to be one of transformation for global value chains (GVCs), reshaping the global trade and investment landscape. The pandemic has caused a treble shock of supply, demand and policy. It has a severe impact on FDI and GVCs. I woul

The investment landscape in Asia and the Pacific has become increasingly uncertain and tied to the unfolding of current global and regional political economic risks, such as increased trade tensions, the retreat of multilateralism, and health risks resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, these risks have disrupted global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to, from and within Asia and the Pacific. HIGHLIGHTS • Globally, both FDI inflows and outflows started to recov

Foreign direct investment has been hard hit in 2020, with levels plummeting by 40–50%. Investment Monitor has identified five key trends to keep an eye on in 2021. 1. FDI will continue to struggle in 2021 The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) stated in June 2020 that it is expecting FDI volumes to decline by 5–10% in 2021. Investment will be highly dependent on Covid-19 recovery. The news in December 2020 of new nodes of the virus has dampened hopes that progres

In today’s heavily interconnected world, a country’s reputation can have a big impact on its overall economic prosperity. In fact, a country’s reputation—its brand—is arguably one of its most important assets. A strong nation brand has the power to boost tourism, attract and retain talent, and potentially bring in foreign investment. This graphic uses data from Brand Finance’s Nation Brands 2020 report, which attempts to quantify the reputations of different countries around

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement comes at a time of major upheaval caused by COVID-19 and could help revive economic growth. A new mega Asia-Pacific trade bloc has the potential to help fuel investment in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, especially in poorer economies in the region, according to an UNCTAD report. Signed on 15 November, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement (RCEP) unites 15 countries, including China, Japan, Austral

With the growing importance of foreign direct investments (FDI) for accelerating development, to eradicate unemployment and increase exports, many governments around the world have established investment promotion agencies (IPAs) to attract, advocate and facilitate investment in their countries. As often being the first entity contacted by investors and serving as an intermediate between foreign investors and the government, they have one of the key roles in the overall site

Irregularities in the data saw the withdrawal of this year's World Bank Doing Business report. Investment Monitor delves into the world of FDI data to assess whether the numbers can be trusted. The withdrawal of the World Bank’s Doing Business report this year sparked alarm among investors and policymakers the world over. The bank is currently investigating ‘irregularities’ in recent editions that affected the rankings of China and Saudi Arabia, among others. The level of con

KW Group has been leading capacity building and technical networks for donors, governments, academia, associations & enterprise clients in the region since 2010. We specialise in Inbound & outbound trade & investment, FDI, healthcare, digitalisation, customs, compliance, anti illicit trade, supply chain security, technologies & intelligence COUNTRIES WE COVER: China | Malaysia (HQ) | Singapore | India | Australia | New Zealand | Indonesia | Brunei | Thailand | Vietnam | Cambo

Trade and foreign investment are different but related types of transactions that play fundamental roles in the global economy. Foreign direct investment (FDI) and international trade are both drivers of the global economy, facilitating the cross-border transfer of goods, services and capital around the world. Research shows that the relationship between FDI and international trade is often complementary rather than competitive, although they represent different types of tran