The surprising answer may be that German companies are not leaving China. They are changing the way they operate in China. Germany has spent years talking about reducing its economic dependence on China. The political language is familiar: de-risking, diversification, supply-chain resilience and strategic dependence. But corporate investment is telling
The European Commission is proposing a major overhaul of EU public procurement rules—and Chinese suppliers could face a much tougher market. Under the proposal announced on September 9, European public authorities would have clearer legal grounds to favor European suppliers and restrict access for companies from countries that do not
For years, the conversation around global manufacturing has often been framed as a simple question: Will Vietnam replace China? The reality is more complicated—and more interesting. Vietnam is not simply replacing China. Instead, it is increasingly becoming an extension and diversification layer of the China-centered Asian manufacturing ecosystem. As U.S.-China
The U.S. auto industry is pushing Washington to go beyond tariffs. On September 3, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation urged Congress to permanently ban the sale, import and manufacture of Chinese connected vehicles, as well as certain Chinese automotive hardware and software, before the end of the current congressional session.
China is one of the world's largest manufacturing and sourcing markets, but there is one mistake many international buyers make: They think China is one giant factory. It isn't. China's manufacturing industry is organized around specialized industrial clusters. Electronics are concentrated in places such as Shenzhen and Dongguan. Furniture and
The latest September 1–14 FAK rates provide another important signal for the Trans-Pacific shipping market: Freight rates are still moving upward. After a sharp correction in July, rates have recovered rapidly through August and are now reaching even higher levels in early September. The Numbers Tell the Story Looking at
The EU’s new customs rules are starting to show their impact. Since July 1, 2026, the EU has removed the €150 customs-duty exemption for low-value imports. Small parcels entering the EU are now subject to a temporary €3 customs duty per item category. Early data from France suggests that imports
President Donald Trump has repeatedly argued that more iPhones should be made in the United States. At first glance, the idea sounds straightforward: if tariffs make overseas manufacturing more expensive, companies such as Apple will have a stronger incentive to bring production back to America. But there is a fundamental
