United States President Donald Trump’s first round of tariff on $34 billion worth of Chinese imports will take effect on Friday, July 6, 2018. The first 25% tariff will impact a variety of products including farm machinery, industrial products, medical devices, automobiles, and aircraft parts. Read a more detailed summary and our assessment here.
The Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) announced a ban that makes it illegal for American companies to supply ZTE with components and technology, through intermediaries or otherwise, effective immediately, for 7 years. CFIUS says this is due to the discovery that ZTE was selling US goods to Iran despite American sanctions in 2017. – Adriana Ray
The Friday, July 5 deadline of US president Donald Trump’s $34 billion USD tariffs on Chinese goods has already started causing trouble for American businesses in China. Smaller firms have been struggling with new obstacles in customs, regulations, inspections, and licensing applications. For a more detailed summary and our analysis, read more here.
Following increasing trade tensions between China and the United States, more countries have raised national security concerns surrounding Chinese foreign investment. After the U.S. blocked several deals with China, Germany, Canada, and the U.K. all raised concerns on proposed Chinese investment in their own countries. -Weiting Li
For a detailed summary and our assessment on business impacts, read more here.
Thailand would be seeking $5.5 billion-dollar bids for a high-speed rail project by end of 2018. The winning bidder would build the 157-mile route connecting central and northeastern Thailand with their neighbor to the east, Laos. American infrastructure and energy enterprises interested in investing in Thailand should consider cooperating with Thai companies like energy giant PTT Public Company Limited, urban railway operator BTS Group Holdings, and construction company CH. Karnchang Public Company Limited in-order-to avoid potential government red tape.
On June 28, in the middle of disputes with Chinese telecom giant Huawei on a 5G network, Australia passed a law to prevent foreign interference in the country’s politics and domestic affairs. The new legislation adds 38 new crimes related to foreign interference to the register, including stealing state secrets on behalf of a foreign government, and expands the definition of what can be considered espionage. Read a detailed summary and assessment here.
On June 29th 2018, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) hosted an event on China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) and how firms can work to mitigate the impacts. Since opened on May 14, 2017, BRI has initiated massive development projects that aim to improve infrastructure in developing countries throughout Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and South Asia. Due to high demand and a lack of quality infrastructure in those countries, BRI is highly welcomed and needed. As increasing capital flows from both public and private sectors, today’s panel focused on what the opportunities and risks are for investors in terms of global governance and the regional impacts of BRI. The moderator for the panel was Abdulwanhab Alkebsi, the managing director for programs at CIPE, and the panel invited 3 experts from CSIS, Brookings, and CIPE to discuss on issues related to investment in BRI and global governance.
On Thursday, June 14th, 2018, the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) invited American company representatives to listen to Xiamen, China delegates who spoke on the 20th annual China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) event.
On Monday, June 25, a Wall Street Journal report indicated that additional Chinese tech investment barriers severely impacted global investors’ confidence. Some restrictions being considered include limiting high-tech exports to China, tightening Chinese investment restrictions on U.S. tech companies, and prohibiting Chinese companies – defined as 25% or more Chinese ownership – from buying American companies involved in industrially significant technology. – Dillon Billingham
On June 18, Google announced that it would be investing $550 million in JD.com, also known as Jingdong. JD is China’s biggest e-commerce company and claims net revenue of 100.1 billion Chinese Yuan (16.0 billion USD) in Q1 2018. As per the investment agreement, JD will join the Google Shopping advertising platform and in return, JD will work with Google on other e-commerce projects in Europe, Southeast Asia and the United States. – Ziqing Zhang
FAO Global "Developing actionable solutions for complex operating environments, at home and abroad."
