For decades now, China has talked about getting its consumers to spend more. The problem hasn’t gotten better. In fact, it’s gotten worse. Boosting domestic consumption is now not just a policy imperative for China. A comprehensive societal transformation is needed, Chen Gang writes. As US tariffs fuel global trade volatility, understanding their impact on trade flows is key. UNESCAP’s new Trade Intelligence and Negotiation Adviser (TINA) offers a simulation dashboard to model and assess the effects of shifting trade policies. By adopting AI-powered solutions, organizations can reduce governance, compliance, and quality costs, David Horlock writes. India’s trade agreements have seen a shift in terms of how it picks trade partners, scope, and coverage. A holistic approach to trade negotiations will help India to play a bigger role in global trade, Arpita Mukherjee writes. Plus, our latest Discussion Guide on how China secures its chip stack.
TRADE AND GEOPOLITICS
China’s consumption dilemma in the age of Trump
Chen Gang 10 June 2025
Boosting domestic consumption is not the only policy imperative for China. A comprehensive societal transformation is needed to address China’s biggest problem, Singapore’s East Asian Institute Deputy Director Chen Gang writes. China must overhaul its fiscal system to increase public revenues and realign local government incentives, spur economic recovery, get cash into hands of consumers, reform SOE governance, and address financial distortions in the system that discourage household spending.
As US tariffs fuel global trade volatility, understanding their impact on trade flows is key to navigating today’s complex dynamics. UNESCAP’s Trade Intelligence and Negotiation Adviser (TINA) tariff simulation dashboard is an interactive tool for modeling tariff impacts and running data-driven assessments at the product level to support better-informed tariff strategies. Check it out here.
Global trade is a complex web of regulations, standards, and protocols. Businesses face numerous challenges in ensuring compliance and maintaining competitiveness. By adopting AI-powered solutions, organizations can reduce governance, compliance, and quality costs. Supply chain expert David Horlock explores how AI can transform global trade.
What should India do to advance its trade dealmaking?
Arpita Mukherjee 10 June 2025
Post 2020, India’s trade agreements have seen a shift in terms of identification of trade partners, scope, and coverage. Before 2020, the majority of India’s trade agreements were with countries in South Asia, ASEAN, and Japan and South Korea. It now has to consider what kind of trade deals it wants. A holistic approach to trade negotiations will help India to play a bigger role in global trade, Arpita Mukherjee at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations writes.
The US' leadership in the downstream segment of the semiconductor industry masks significant dependencies on Chinese production, testing, and packaging. This grants Beijing the ability to disrupt US operations and influence boardrooms. If Washington can better understand China’s capabilities and positioning, it will conclude that Beijing is competing for the entire value chain. Read more in this discussion guide based on a paper by Nathan Picarsic and Emily de la Bruyère, co-founders of Horizon Advisory.
