As if the foot soldiers of global trade needed more complications this holiday season, many logistics managers and customs brokers are starting to brace for a mini Y2K moment come Jan. 1. That’s when changes will take effect to the official nomenclature for hundreds of product groups used to classify imports and exports. So-called Harmonized System numbers — known as HS codes — exist on more than 5,000 product categories developed by the World Customs Organization, an intergo

Bottlenecks at U.S. ports have raised the alarm about supply chains, but the manufacture and shipping of essential goods from the U.S.’s biggest supplier of goods are operating smoothly, suggesting that supply chain troubles are easing, according to an analysis by Trade Data Monitor, the world’s top source of trade statistics. Exports from China, by far the U.S.’s top supplier of goods for U.S. consumers, increased 27.1% to $300.2 billion in October. Shipments to the U.S. lea

New estimates show that world trade continues its remarkably strong but uneven recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Key findings include: - World trade in goods set a new record of $5.6 trillion in the third quarter of 2021. - Overall, trade in goods and services is projected to reach $28 trillion for the year, a 23% increase compared with 2020 and 11% above pre-COVID-19 levels. - Trade in services shows increasing momentum but remains below pre-pandemic levels. Global trade

Digital industries, and a comeback of oil and gas, push the fDi Index to 22-month high Global foreign direct investment (FDI) announcements reached their highest level for more than a year in September, as companies serving growing demand for connectivity and technology outlined major expansion plans, while oil and gas investment also made a comeback as energy shortages reveal the need of new capital expenditure (capex) across the energy matrix. The fDi Index, which tracks fo

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

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

Latest Infographic from Hinrich Foundation: Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been transformational for the global economy, in particular for the Asia Pacific region. For evidence of FDI's impact, we look no further than China in our latest infographic. In many countries, FDI outperforms aid, remittances, and portfolio investments as the largest source of external financing. The investments create jobs, boosts incomes and productivity, improves management expertise, and spu

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) -

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

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,

For all the talk of deepening tensions between the United States and China, there is one area where relations appear to be 'business-as-usual': trade. Official Chinese data show that bilateral trade between the two countries surged in 2021, with China's exports to and imports from the United States reaching $46.9 billion and $14.3 billion in June respectively. “Trade wars between the U.S. and China have not really diverted trade towards other countries,” Keyu Jin, professor o

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

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

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

According to a new report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) economic growth in developing Asia is set to rebound to 7.3% this year, supported by a healthy global recovery and early progress on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines, The projected resurgence follows a 0.2% contraction last year, according to ADB’s flagship economic publication, Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021, released today. The region’s growth is forecast to moderate to 5.3% in 2022. Excluding the

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'

Some interesting insights and conclusions on vulnerability in manufacturing by Investment Monitor. The Vulnerability Index looks at which locations would be hit hardest if their manufacturing sector experienced a downturn. Globally, manufacturing has faced a challenging year in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. From supply chain breakdowns, workforce restrictions and unprecedented volatility in demand, manufacturing has indisputably been impacted. This has had a ripple effec

Asian markets are seeing a robust resilience through the current covid, trade wars & associated economic turbulence. With strong intra regional trade, developing local economies, free trade agreements, booming e-commerce and China +1 Asia Pacific economies offer fantastic opportunities through domestic and international growth but remain complex to access and in many cases language and bureaucratic red tape can be key factors to deter international FDI and market access. We

Interesting perspectives on China +1, an often misunderstood economic & trade reality that is based on high value market growth in SE Asia and no longer just based on cheap labour and manufacturing costs. Increasingly, Chinese companies are finding the region an appealing alternative to compensate for their loss in market growth elsewhere, say Dr Lau Kong Cheen and Dr Vanessa Liu. There is a concept among the business community known as the “China Plus One (+1)” strategy wher