https://www.scmp.com/rss/523796/feed The latest news and top stories on Asia-Pacific Economics. A Singapore-based entity in the economic research and consulting sector, Asia-Pacific Economics Pte Ltd specialises in geopolitical and macroeconomic analysis and forecasts for global and Asia-Pacific economies. It primarily serves businesses, financial institutions and governments and is known for its market position bolstered by CEO Rajiv Biswas’s experience. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Jet fuel shortages and surging prices are forcing flight cancellations across the Asia-Pacific, a squeeze that could intensify after the United States began controlling oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz following failed peace talks with Iran. Tehran’s effective closure of the strait – a chokepoint for about 20 per cent of global oil supply – is hitting regional airlines, particularly in countries without strategic energy reserves, analysts said. Jet fuel reached nearly US$198 in the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349928/asia-air-travel-faces-turbulence-iran-war-exposes-jet-fuel-vulnerability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349928/asia-air-travel-faces-turbulence-iran-war-exposes-jet-fuel-vulnerability?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:00:31 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi As the US-Israeli war on Iran continues, China’s top legislator, Zhao Leji, has told the Boao Forum for Asia – a high-level gathering of governments and business leaders – that power politics should be rejected in favour of economic development and conflicts should be resolved through negotiations. “The people of Asia, having endured the scourge of war and chaos, deeply understand the value of peace and stability,” said Zhao, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, China’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347963/iran-war-rages-china-links-peace-economic-growth-boao-forum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347963/iran-war-rages-china-links-peace-economic-growth-boao-forum?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 06:39:36 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China could potentially face shortages of methanol – a vital input for several industries – if the Iran war drags on and causes lengthy disruptions to shipping traffic along the Strait of Hormuz, analysts said. Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, is a chemical compound that is widely used by Chinese producers. It is both a biofuel and a key raw material for a range of products – from paint and formaldehyde to plastics and synthetic fabrics. The growing conflict in the Middle East could be a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345276/iran-war-could-significantly-disrupt-chinas-methanol-imports-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345276/iran-war-could-significantly-disrupt-chinas-methanol-imports-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:00:09 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell If anyone anywhere this week spares a thought for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, it will almost certainly be linked to the Apec leaders’ meeting set for Shenzhen in November. But this is to miss the massive value and purpose of the 21-member grouping inaugurated in Canberra in 1989. To witness Apec’s unique and distinguishing value, you should have been in Guangzhou this week, where over 1,000 have gathered without pomp or fanfare for the first senior officials’ meeting (SOM1). I... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342541/apecs-quiet-cooperation-still-matters-noisy-divided-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342541/apecs-quiet-cooperation-still-matters-noisy-divided-world?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Orange Wang,Cao Jiaxuan Orange Wang,Cao Jiaxuan Chinese President Xi Jinping’s unprecedented back-to-back conversations with his US and Russian counterparts have shed new light on how the three powers are positioning themselves. The Chinese leader’s separate talks on Wednesday with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin also reveal their attempts to stabilise ties as they prepare for in-person summits and grapple with mounting headwinds at home. However, analysts expressed mixed views on whether – and how – China could... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342561/what-xis-calls-trump-and-putin-reveal-about-chinas-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342561/what-xis-calls-trump-and-putin-reveal-about-chinas-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:07:48 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Kandy Wong Xiaofei Xu,Kandy Wong Near the end of last year, thousands of European travellers saw their holiday plans unravel after a prolonged power outage in the Eurotunnel – the underwater train passage linking Britain and France – caused by a fault in the overhead supply. For many, this brought back memories of chaotic scenes the previous April, when rolling blackouts struck much of Portugal and Spain. The United States also suffered from multiple power outages last year, including major disruptions in California – most... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339668/ai-boom-needs-electricity-western-grids-are-strained-power-chinas-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339668/ai-boom-needs-electricity-western-grids-are-strained-power-chinas-power?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:01:07 +0000 Kandy Wong,Ralph Jennings,Xinyi Wu Kandy Wong,Ralph Jennings,Xinyi Wu Washington’s secondary sanctions on countries trading with Iran are likely to push up China’s oil import costs in the short term and send a dire warning to Beijing’s policymakers, who analysts said need to urgently find ways to protect the country’s strategic interests abroad. The shock waves arrived on Monday, when US President Donald Trump said a 25 per cent tariff would be imposed immediately on all goods and services imported from any country that “does business” with Iran, linking the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339731/will-trumps-iran-tariffs-force-china-reshape-its-trade-tehran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339731/will-trumps-iran-tariffs-force-china-reshape-its-trade-tehran?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Fears of China choking off exports of critical minerals to Japan amid a deepening political dispute have set off industry alarms and prompted Tokyo to elevate the issue at a G7 gathering of finance ministers this week, despite Beijing’s assurances that civilian trade would be spared. Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said last week that she would attend the Group of Seven event in Washington on Monday with the “risk of a rare-earth-supply interruption from China in mind”, the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3339615/japan-firms-seen-stockpiling-rare-earths-tokyo-looks-g7-face-china-controls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3339615/japan-firms-seen-stockpiling-rare-earths-tokyo-looks-g7-face-china-controls?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:00:12 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Laos has received approval to begin exporting fresh durians to China, becoming the latest Southeast Asian nation to vie for a slice of the vast Chinese market for the tropical fruit. China’s General Administration of Customs said on its website that Laos was given clearance to begin exports from this past Friday as long as its shipments met phytosanitary standards. Laos could emerge as a challenger in China’s increasingly crowded durian market, as it benefits from cheap labour, logistical... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336771/laos-cleared-export-fresh-durians-china-malaysia-thailand-face-new-rival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336771/laos-cleared-export-fresh-durians-china-malaysia-thailand-face-new-rival?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 01:00:14 +0000 Mia Nurmamat,Ralph Jennings Mia Nurmamat,Ralph Jennings Three years into the cross-border e-commerce trade, Shenzhen-based seller Xiong Hao is grappling with the fallout from Washington’s decision to scrap duty-free treatment for small parcels – and now the European Union looks to deliver the next blow. “It’s getting harder and harder in the current environment,” said Xiong, who deals in toys and household goods. “Even though small parcels are technically duty-free, the EU already has a lot of miscellaneous taxes.” EU member states have agreed with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3332843/china-sellers-brace-eu-preps-us-style-move-tighten-rules-low-value-parcels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3332843/china-sellers-brace-eu-preps-us-style-move-tighten-rules-low-value-parcels?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 15:00:10 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong A northern Chinese region that boasts the world’s biggest rare earth element (REE) mine is looking to develop its second-largest city, Baotou, into a world-leading hub for critical materials. And analysts say the effort could further shore up China’s leading position in the supply chain. In a 10-year development plan, which includes intentions to build a “solid ecological security barrier”, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region said it will make comprehensive progress on the protection and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3332645/baotou-set-become-chinas-rare-earth-hub-under-inner-mongolias-10-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3332645/baotou-set-become-chinas-rare-earth-hub-under-inner-mongolias-10-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 10:30:13 +0000 Alice Li,Kandy Wong Alice Li,Kandy Wong While US officials express expectations of meaningful progress in the next round of trade talks – where agricultural purchases are likely to top the agenda – analysts suggest soybeans are poised to become a key bargaining chip for China in upcoming negotiations, and a comprehensive deal may not be easily signed. James Downes, executive co-director at the Centre for Research and Social Progress, an Italian think tank, said that US President Donald Trump was “strongly motivated” to secure a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3327815/soybeans-chinas-new-bargaining-chip-trade-war-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3327815/soybeans-chinas-new-bargaining-chip-trade-war-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Malaysia’s ban on exports of unprocessed rare earth metals this week signals that the Southeast Asian country has a realistic shot – on its own terms – at feeding the mineral-hungry United States amid its strained trade ties with the world’s dominant supplier, China, according to analysts. Kuala Lumpur will bar exports of unprocessed rare earth minerals, which are globally prized raw materials used in a range of electronic hardware, to keep supplies onshore for investment in downstream... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3322810/malaysia-flexes-rare-earth-muscle-mineral-hungry-us-seeks-non-chinese-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3322810/malaysia-flexes-rare-earth-muscle-mineral-hungry-us-seeks-non-chinese-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 02:00:22 +0000 Alice Li,Kandy Wong Alice Li,Kandy Wong China has launched an anti-dumping investigation into pea starch imported from Canada, marking Beijing’s latest retaliatory measure against Canada’s tariffs targeting Chinese steel. The probe was initiated at the request of domestic industry insiders, with preliminary evidence showing a significant increase in dumped Canadian pea starch in recent years, according to the Ministry of Commerce. “With import prices below domestic products, it has been causing losses and difficulties for China’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3321610/china-launches-anti-dumping-investigation-canadian-pea-starch-imports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3321610/china-launches-anti-dumping-investigation-canadian-pea-starch-imports?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 12:30:15 +0000