China

The financial belt is tightening around China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Many headlines in recent weeks highlight the mounting debt and declining activity that the “project of the century” is now facing.

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has announced that it is revising its merchandise global trade growth forecast for 2022 from 4.7% to 3% due to ongoing concerns about the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and lockdowns in China.

The race is on to lead the world in electric vehicle (EV) production. Will China dominate, or will the EU and Japan forge ahead?

Several public and private banks and financial institutions have imposed trade and commodity finance restrictions on Russia amid the escalating conflict in Ukraine

Twenty years ago Asia had a 12% share of the global factoring market. Today that share is 25%.

In this article, FCI’s Lin Hui looks at factoring’s two decades of steady growth in Asia, and where the industry goes from here…

Global supply chains have been and continue to be deeply impacted by the changes that have taken place in the last 12 months. From the Suez canal debacle to the current shortage of HGV drivers in the UK, it is fair to say that the industry is, currently, facing significant challenges.

We should be careful not to underestimate the importance of geography in any plan for post-Brexit trade

Covid-19 pandemic, the rise of techno-nationalism, US-China trade war, and Singapore string of frauds – just how well are the Asian markets responding to these issues?

TFG heard from BofA on the possibility of SCF’s structural shift to localisation.

Barings Bank collapse. Noble Group’s demise. The 2020 commodities scandals of Agritrade, Hin Leong, Zenrock, Sugih Energy and Hontop Energy. Will these recent commodity financial scandals shatter Singapore’s reputational armour?

TFG heard from Andreas Tesch of Atradius on the status of credit insurance market in Asia and the key initiatives taken in response to Covid-19’s impact on Asian trade.

We dive deeper into how Covid-19 impacted the shipping industry. Will the cruise liners be able to financially recover from this outbreak?

TFG heard from Dr. Deborah Elms, CEO, Asian Trade Centre on the impact of COVID19 for businesses in Asia Pacific and how governments and policymakers can accelerate the economic recovery.

The magnitude and complexity of the OBOR project creates numerous policy challenges for countries in the region seeking to benefit from its implementation thus, the need for policy cooperation.

The pandemic can be an opportunity for TFTA Member States to weaponise cooperation not only for fighting against COVID-19, but also to achieve deeper integration which in the long run will boost intra-Tripartite trade.