Explore Business Standard
American companies in China are reporting record-low new investment plans for this year and declining confidence in their profitability, with uncertainty in US-China relations and President Donald Trump's tariffs their top concerns, according to a new survey. The companies are also challenged by China's slowing economy, where weak domestic demand and overcapacity in local industries are eroding profitability for the Americans. Businesses in China are less profitable now than they were years ago, but risks, including reputational risk, regulatory risk, and political risk, are increasing, said Sean Stein, the president of the US-China Business Council, a Washington-based group that represents American companies doing business in China, including major multinationals. The survey, conducted between March and May and drawing from 130 member companies, was released Wednesday. It came as the two countries clash over tariffs and non-tariff measures, including export controls on critical ...
The US and China are holding a second day of talks Tuesday in London aimed at easing their trade dispute, after President Donald Trump said China is not easy but the US was doing well at the negotiations. A Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifeng met US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer for several hours on Monday at Lancaster House, an ornate 200-year-old mansion near Buckingham Palace. Wang Wentao, China's commerce minister, and trade negotiator Li Chenggang are also in Beijing's delegation. Asked late Monday how the negotiations were going, Trump told reporters: We are doing well with China. China's not easy. The two sides are trying to build on negotiations in Geneva last month that agreed to a 90-day suspension of most of the 100%-plus tariffs they had imposed on each other in an escalating trade war that had sparked fears of recession. Since the Geneva talks, the US and China have exchanged an
The ongoing tariff wars seem to have triggered a rethink among Indian businesses, and a growing number of entities are shifting focus to prioritize domestic markets, a survey of 250 entities released on Thursday said. "Indian firms are rethinking their trade strategies to adapt to evolving market dynamics, with 87 per cent of firms pivoting their focus toward domestic clients, prioritizing local customer needs to ensure stability," the survey of entities having turnovers between USD 50 million-2 billion, said. Over three-fourths of the respondents said that they are reassessing their long-term business strategies in response to changes in trade policies, as per the survey conducted by foreign lender HSBC. Four-fifths of the respondents said they are exercising greater caution in expansion and investment decisions due to trade-related uncertainties. US President Donald Trump has taken a slew of measures on the trade policies front to protect domestic interests, which are different f