The case for free trade has always been a tough sell. While trade is an economic endeavor, trade policy is the product of politics, where perceptions often matter more than facts. Domestic politics, national security concerns, and geopolitics conspire against the economics and the prospects for resuscitating multilateralism. The world remains deeply connected on trade despite political turbulence across continents. Trade as a share of global value grew by 23%, from 46.8% in 2

The latest trade insights from John W Miller, Chief Economic Analyst, Trade Data Monitor; Chinese exports recovered in May, boosted by a tapering off of antivirus restrictions and higher prices in the U.S. and Europe. Overall, Chinese exports rose 16.9% year-on-year to $308.3 billion, after increasing only 3.9% in April. Monthly imports increased 4.1% to $229.5 billion, over the 0.0% figure for April. The performance beat analysts’ expectations for May. With the Covid restric

Since the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership entered into force in Jan 2022, its impacts are largely unknown. This report brings together the insights from 20 experts across 10 different Asia-Pacific countries analyzing how RCEP will change the economic and political landscape in the 21st century. Accounting for nearly a third of the world’s population and almost 30% of global GDP, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), entered into force on January

Are the Himalayas too high for the internet to pass? The prospect of an Asian digital single market seems remote, especially when India and China seem to be pulling apart. India is busy banning Chinese apps like TikTok, while China promulgates ever stricter rules on data transfer abroad. Asian governments still fail to see that rising above local conflicts might yield enormous dividends, strengthening their own economic security in the process. Digital single markets permit c

- Sustaining our current consumption levels would require the resources of 2.3 planets by 2050. - Shifting to a circular economy, where we reduce, reuse and recycle, can decouple the world's growth from consumption. - A push for circularity in construction and cities can create jobs and reduce waste and carbon emissions. Our global economy is growing, reaching an unprecedented $94 trillion in 2021 – with rising population, urbanization and living standards. Our challenge now

The U.S. government has announced that its new economic grouping for the Indo-Pacific will begin with 13 inaugural members, accounting for about 40% of the world's gross domestic product. US President Joe Biden on Monday announced the launch of a new Asia-Pacific trading network during a visit to Japan. The framework, which includes an initial 13 countries, including India and Japan, has been touted as a counterweight to China's aggressive expansion in the region. "The United

A new study by the APEC Policy Support Unit revealed that foreign direct investment provides an important pathway to global value chain participation, showing that participation develops as investments accumulate. “When member economies hold a central position in the foreign direct investment network, they have the tendency to also be hubs in the global value chain trade network,” said Dr Akhmad Bayhaqi, a senior analyst with the APEC Policy Support Unit. “And when economies

Annually KW Group: Asia FDI, Trade, Economic Development & Market Access support over 100+ businesses & government entities with inbound and outbound Asia-Pacific foreign direct investment (FDI), trade, economic development, market access, research, policy & intelligence projects on a full-time & project basis. Established in 2010 we have extensive start-up / scale-up experience & networks with regional investors, governments, multipliers, and businesses. ​ By 2030 65% of the

- US-Asean summit in Washington to highlight rift on trade deals - Indo-Pacific framework seen lacking on details, ambition Southeast Asian nations are increasingly disappointed with the US over a lack of progress on trade issues, undermining President Joe Biden’s efforts to strengthen ties with the region’s leaders at a summit this week in Washington. The administration has repeatedly highlighted the importance of US leadership in Asia and building relationships to counter C

Supply chains are important levers for achieving sustainability goals and have gained increased corporate, governmental and civil society attention. This white paper charts regulatory developments in supply chain sustainability, from international guidelines and free trade agreements to national laws and financial disclosure requirements. It draws on interviews to highlight corporate trends and challenges in delivering sustainable supply chains, as well as offering perspectiv

The war in Ukraine has triggered a costly humanitarian crisis that demands a peaceful resolution. At the same time, economic damage from the conflict will contribute to a significant slowdown in global growth in 2022 and add to inflation. Fuel and food prices have increased rapidly, hitting vulnerable populations in low-income countries hardest. Global growth is projected to slow from an estimated 6.1 percent in 2021 to 3.6 percent in 2022 and 2023. This is 0.8 and 0.2 perce

Global GDP has grown massively over the last 50 years, but not all countries experienced this economic growth equally. In 1970, the world’s nominal GDP was just $3.4 trillion. Fast forward a few decades and it had reached $85.3 trillion by 2020. And thanks to shifting dynamics, such as industrialization and the rise and fall of political regimes, the world’s largest economies driving this global growth have changed over time. This slideshow using graphics from Ruben Berge Mat

The burgeoning economy of Vietnam is maturing its way into a new phase. The Asian nation of 97.3 million has taken its place among the linchpins of high-tech supply chains, taking in raw materials and churning out mobile phones, tablets, and other computer gear for over a billion middle-class consumers all over the world. In addition, Vietnam is becoming a key part of the alliance of Asian trading powers setting up a counterpoint to the economic poles of the U.S. and European

ASEAN, a regional block of 10 very diverse countries, was created to support economic growth, good governance, and human rights in Southeast Asia. After decades of rapid growth, these 10 countries now face changing global dynamics, internal divisions, and economic uncertainty. This week, the Altamar team of Peter Schechter and Muni Jensen is joined by Niharika Mandhana, the Southeast Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal. She leads a team of correspondents covering po

Annually KW Group support over 100+ businesses & government entities with inbound and outbound APAC FDI, trade, market access & tradetech projects on a full-time & project basis. "By 2030 65% of the world's middle-class consumers will be found in Asia. It is forecast that ASEAN will become the world’s fourth-largest economy with a USD 4 trillion consumer market." Established 2010 we work with regulators, donors, governments & businesses to support Asia trade & investment, FDI

Countries with trade partners that implemented more stringent lockdowns had a sharper drop in imports. Though trade flows have adjusted, more diversified global value chains could help lessen the impact of future shocks. The demand and supply shocks unleashed by the pandemic were expected to lead to a dramatic collapse in trade, but international commerce has proven more resilient than during previous global crises. While goods trade fell sharply in the second quarter of 2020

Gigafactories are an increasingly important driver of FDI, but attracting this investment requires a varied mix of incentives. Another excellent article by Jon Whiteaker, Investment Monitor hot on the heels of Vietnams EV Unicorn Vinfast announcing a $2Billion Dollar gigafactory investment in N. Carolina The competition for gigafactory investment is only set to increase, with global capacity predicted to be 10 times its 2020 level by 2030, according to research by GlobalData.

The promise of TradeTech: Policy approaches to harness trade digitalization Technology has always propelled trade. From the invention of the steam engine and steamship in the 1700s, the popularization of the standard shipping container in the 1950s, and the rise of the internet in the 1990s, technology has over the centuries profoundly changed the way we trade. Today, emerging technologies and digitalization are changing trade at a speed much faster than before – leading to b

Governments come in all shapes and sizes, but can ultimately be divided into two broad categories: democracies and autocracies. Using the Regimes of the World classification system developed by political scientists Anna Lührmann, Marcus Tannenberg, and Staffan Lindberg and data from V-Dem, it’s estimated that 2.3 billion people—about 29% of the global population—lived in a democracy in 2021. By contrast, 71% of people lived under what can be considered an autocratic regime. I

UN Sees Worsening Prospects for Global Growth In 2022 Due to Ukraine War and Monetary Tightening UNCTAD report estimates global economic growth will decrease to 2.6% from 3.6% for 2022 Developing countries are projected to need US$ 310 billion to meet external public debt service requirements in 2022 UNCTAD warns inflationary pressures do not warrant premature rolling back of pandemic support policies. The UN’s trade and development body has downgraded its global economic gro