Trade & Supply Chain Finance

Buyers are asking Bangladeshi exporters to share the additional tariff burden in a garment market which exports almost $9bn of products to the US annually; meanwhile the government wants to reduce barriers for US imports.

The Hong Kong government is supporting exporters with insurance and cash flow needs, with Donald Trump now, temporarily, exempting electronics from tariffs imposed on China and Hong Kong.

US president Donald Trump has ordered a 90-day pause on retaliatory tariffs above the 10% already imposed, except for Chinese goods, with tariffs now at 125% after China retaliated; the EU has also retaliated. Trump may have been fearful over the impact on the US bond market.

The merged businesses, to be called SILQ Group, help support SMEs through funding and their supply chain; the merger is backed by a $110m funding round from Valar Ventures and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

Balancing core financial performance and meeting ESG regulatory standards is becoming a fine line for corporates to walk, according to senior executives at Towngas and Kerry Logistics Network.

Stock markets have fallen sharply and global recession risks have climbed as US import tariffs could rise to the highest level in a century on April 9; a weaker dollar could help address US trade deficits.

With negotiations ongoing, Vietnam and its companies are now at a crucial crossroads, dependent on whether Trump is willing to lower his 46% tariffs, incoming on April 9.

China, India, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Taiwan, Cambodia, Thailand, Pakistan and Indonesia to be hit particularly hard by US tariffs on imports announced on April 2; many fear the move could spark a global trade war.

US president Donald Trump is causing chaos this week across global markets with a spate of tariffs set to take effect in the US on April 2, against a wide range of goods; Goldman Sachs is predicting an extra US rate cut this year, amid stagflation fears.

The window left for negotiation remains key for the market to understand the impact of tariff policies, according to experts speaking at HSBC’s summit in Hong Kong this week; overnight the White House has announced 25% tariffs on cars from April 3 and car parts from May 3.

The pharmaceutical firm expects its workforce in Beijing to grow to 1,700 employees and is launching a JV with BioKangtai to help make vaccines; there is also investment into AI.

The bank's regional Apac co-head of trade finance has said he is leaving to take a break; Aditya Gahlaut, has started as regional head, Asia, global trade solutions, at HSBC; the bank has also made changes in its regional payment leadership team.