Despite Western media reports that the Netherlands would follow the US guidelines on technology exports to China, ASML’s chief executive Peter Wennink said Wednesday that the company would probably maintain its level of exports to mainland China this year. ASML’s sales of chipmaking equipment to China rose from about US$700 million in 2016 to US$2.8 […]Continue Reading
Indonesian Minister of Investment Bahlil Lahadalia suggested that Indonesia is looking into forming an OPEC-style cartel for nickel and other inputs used in battery production. Nickel is becoming a hot commodity as it is a key input in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries needed for electric vehicles (EVs) — and Indonesia has the world’s largest nickel ore […]Continue Reading
In 2022, North Korea exported tensions through stepped-up missile tests and threats toward South Korea. It also kept a national quarantine that prevented official imports of economic goods in place, but ultimately failed to keep Covid-19 from infecting the country. North Korea achieved a record number of around 90 missile tests of various types and ranges, including […]Continue Reading
After nearly two years of military rule, Myanmar remains trapped in conflict, facing increasing political instability and a growing humanitarian crisis. While businesses and the labor market had already been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, post-coup instability has done even more damage to Myanmar’s economy. This began with a cash shortage, rapid depreciation of the kyat against […]Continue Reading
Copper is all around us. The metal is both ever-present and invisible in our world. Copper makes reading the words on this screen possible. And the global spread of artificial light, electric power and telecommunications all required ever-increasing quantities of copper. Where does all of this copper come from? How was it produced, distributed, controlled, […]Continue Reading
December 2022 highlighted how much US trade policy has changed in recent years. It is tempting to blame the changes on former US president Donald Trump, whose protectionist views were strongly held and clearly stated. Many observers have been surprised by the Biden administration’s continuation of many Trump policies, albeit with different rhetoric, which culminated […]Continue Reading
China’s export performance is clearly important for the world, and certainly Europe. To start, global inflation not only depends on commodity prices but also on China’s export prices and its own cost dynamics. Second, the European Union is the other major export machine, together with China, so developments in China’s export capacity and competitiveness are […]Continue Reading
The many unfinished buildings — most owned by Chinese investors — lining the streets of the coastal town of Sihanoukville may be symptomatic of the Cambodian economy entering 2023. Cambodia’s economic rebound in 2022, with GDP growth of 4.8%, has been slower than many had hoped. For 2023, the Ministry of Economy and Finance has pegged […]Continue Reading
Although the two countries’ leaders met in Washington on Tuesday, the United States and the Netherlands have yet to reached agreement on some possible new restrictions on exports to China. After a face-to-face discussion with US President Joe Biden in the White House, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told Dutch TV program Nieuwsuur that he […]Continue Reading
SINGAPORE – Singapore’s export-reliant bellwether economy is bracing for tough times in 2023 with trade expected to shrink or record no growth amid weakening global demand, tighter liquidity and persistent inflation. Accordingly, many economists foresee a possible technical recession in the first half of next year. Though the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) does […]Continue Reading