SUMMARY On Tuesday, April 17th, United States (US) merchant ships carrying $216 million worth of sorghum had to turn back to the US halfway en route to China after the country announced strict news tariffs on the grain. The new People’s Republic of China (PRC) trade law would require importers to pay a 178% tariff…
In a partnership expected to be announced early May, Chinese ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing and Volkswagen (VW), the world’s largest car manufacturer, will be become equity partners in a joint venture focused on ride-sharing. The two companies plan on perfecting a fleet of green vehicles, special models specifically for ride-sharing are…..Read More Here – Adriana Ray
Over Easter Weekend, (March 31-April 1) then CIA Director Mike Pompeo and other intelligence officials make a secret trip to North Korea as a representative for the Trump administration. The goal of the trip was to lay the groundwork for talks between Kim Jung-un,…..Read More Here – Adriana Ray
On Tuesday, April 19, Chinese leaders announced they will be loosening restrictions on foreign ownership of car manufacturers incrementally through to 2022. Current legislation does not permit foreign car manufacturers to own more than 50 percent of joint ventures with local companies…. Read More Here – Adriana Ray
China recently announced plans to build up ports in Vanuatu, a small south Pacific Island nation off the Northeast Coast of Australia that could lead to significant duel use by Chinese merchant ships and naval vessels. Additionally, investments into Brunei, Pakistan, and Djibouti ports signify Beijing’s determination to move China’s largest infrastructure plan forward resulting in significant strategic benefits when implemented. – Adriana Ray
International excitement due to China’s One Belt One Road (BRI) Initiative has made recent strides in port city Gwadar, Pakistan, a country Beijing plans on investing $57 billion into. Construction plans include improving the deep-water port for both trading and military use, the addition of a luxury golf resort, and an airport to rival the Islamabad International Airport just finished by a Chinese company in Islamabad. – Adriana Ray
On Tuesday, April 17th, 2018, at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington, DC, a panel of think tank experts and university faculty gathered for a conference titled China and North Korea: Past, Present, and Future. The conference is well timed. With North Korean leader Kim Jung-Un’s recent visit to the People’s Republic…
On January 23, 2018, President Donald Trump approved two decisions imposing tariffs and quotas on solar cells and washers. These tariffs may adversely affect U.S. consumers through increased import prices and are likely to spark retaliatory polices by many of the U.S. trading partners in Asia. This began when the current administration approved safeguard measures, pursuant…
The hallmarks of innovation in international trade arguably are the creation of the bill of exchange for importers and exporters in 1555 ACE[i] and the introduction of shipping containers in the 1960s. [ii] Could the next innovation in global trade be blockchain technology? And if so, how should your business prepare to utilize the blockchain?…
In the first few weeks of 2018, FAO Global conducted a business mission to Myanmar to establish a baseline professional network and gain first-hand understanding of the market environment, amidst the height of the Rohingya Refugee crisis in Myanmar’s Northern Rakhine State. This trip was a culmination of meetings with Chambers of Commerce, government officials from the Myanmar Embassy (based in Washington, DC), and discussions with non-profit researchers and human rights advocates. Additionally, FAO Global interviewed private consultants and entrepreneurs (both foreign and local) which helped frame challenges and opportunities from the “doers” on the ground. – FAO Global
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