How Businesses can Adapt and Prosper in a Post-Pandemic Economy

May 10th, 2020 Bill Higgs Leave a comment

As the economy restarts after the forced shutdown caused by COVID-19, businesses face a litany of unknowns. How quickly will shoppers return to their buying routines? Will temporary measures – working remotely, eating at home more, using delivery services – become permanent for large numbers of Americans?

“Many businesses won’t be able to return to their old way of doing things, but in some cases that might be just as well,” says Bill Higgs, an authority on corporate culture and the ForbesBooks author of the Culture Code Champions: 7 Steps to Scale & Succeed in Your Business (www.culturecodechampions.com).

Often, those old ways probably weren’t working, says Higgs, a founder and former CEO of Mustang Engineering who recently launched the Culture Code Champions podcast.

“Many companies have problems within their corporate culture that keep them from prospering the way they should,” he says. “They hire whoever is available instead of seeking out the best talent. They communicate poorly. They have silos within the company that create a lot of rework and foster competition instead of cooperation.”

Now is a chance to do better, Higgs says, and he recommends a few thing business leaders should do as they work to bring their companies out of the economic downturn:

Be a visible presence. Higgs says he has known instances where, during a downturn, leadership goes into hiding. “They would just disappear,” he says. “They didn’t want to face the music with their people. But as businesses struggle to recover from our current crisis, owners and CEOs need to get out and talk to their people. I call it ‘management by wandering around.’ They need to engage their team and discuss how everyone can pull together to get through this.”

Understand this could be an opportune time to hire. The unemployment rate spiked upward as the economy went into freefall, but that means there’s an opportunity for businesses that want to build a strong team, Higgs says. “During just about any downturn, the people who lose their jobs include top-notch performers,” he says. “Be on the lookout for that talent. Snap them up if you can. But even if you can’t hire right away, it’s important to be aware that those top performers are out there so you can go after them when the time is right.”

Don’t get comfortable. One problem businesses encounter when good times return is that they revert to bad habits, Higgs says. They aren’t as diligent about eliminating waste. They keep poor-performing employees long past the point where they should have parted ways. “Companies by necessity run lean in the lean times,” he says. “But they also need to run lean in the good times, so they will be in better shape the next time the economy goes bust. Staying lean in the good times is a game changer.”

“One more mistake businesses make in good times is that when they get really busy, they stop selling, or at least aren’t as motivated to sell,” Higgs says. “I always say you should sell while the shop is full. That way when your salespeople are in a client’s office, they don’t come off as desperately begging for work. Instead, they are talking about all the fun stuff and good stuff you’re doing at your company. That makes a big difference in how you are perceived.”

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Bill Higgs (www.culturecodechampions.com), an authority on corporate culture, is the ForbesBooks author of Culture Code Champions: 7 Steps to Scale & Succeed in Your Business. The website and book provide methods to self-implement a culture that will improve a company’s bottom line. Higgs recently launched the Culture Code Champions podcast, where he has interviewed such notable subjects as former CIA director David Petraeus and NASA’s woman pioneer Sandra Coleman. Culture Code Champions is listed as a New & Noteworthy podcast on iTunes.

Higgs is also the co-founder and former CEO of Mustang Engineering Inc. In 20 years, they grew the company from their initial $15,000 investment and three people to a billion-dollar company with 6,500 people worldwide. Second, third and fourth-generation leaders took the company to $2 billion in 2014. Higgs is a distinguished 1974 graduate (top 5 percent academically) of the United States Military Academy at West Point and runner up for a Rhodes scholarship. He is an Airborne Ranger and former commander of a combat engineer company.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, Imports/Exports, In The News

Commerce to Investigate Expansion of Section 232 Tariffs on Steel to Include Imports of Electrical Transformer Steel

May 8th, 2020 Nithya Nagarajan and Jeffrey Neeley Leave a comment

On Monday May 4, 2020, the Department of Commerce issued a news release announcing the start of a Section 232 investigation on imports of “Laminations and Wound Cores for Incorporation Into Transformers, Electrical Transformers, and Transformer Regulators.” This investigation is effectively an examination of whether or not to expand the current Section 232 tariffs on steel to include these products.

The announcement indicates that imports of the steel incorporated into the specifically identified transformers “are being imported into the United States in such quantities or under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security.” According to Commerce, it had received “inquiries and requests from multiple members of Congress as well as industry stakeholders,” to start this investigation. Similar to other 232 investigations, the Bureau of Industry and Security will conduct the investigation and request comments in a Federal Register notice that will likely be published soon.

Quoting Commerce’s press release – “transformers are part of the U.S. energy infrastructure,” and “laminations and cores made of grain-oriented electrical steel are critical transformer components. Electrical steel is necessary for power distribution transformers for all types of energy—including solar, nuclear, wind, coal, and natural gas—across the country. An assured domestic supply of these products enables the United States to respond to large power disruptions affecting civilian populations, critical infrastructure, and U.S. defense industrial production capabilities.” It is also important to note that grain-oriented electrical steel (“GOES”) was subject to antidumping duties and countervailing duty orders for several years but there are no current antidumping and countervailing duty orders on GOES.

Based upon the proposed schedule, the secretary of Commerce will notify the secretary of Defense of the investigation, as required by statute. In addition, it stated that the “Department of Commerce will conduct a thorough, fair, and transparent review to determine the effects on the national security from imports of laminations for stacked cores for incorporation into transformers, stacked and wound cores for incorporation into transformers, electrical transformers, and transformer regulators.”

In January 2020, Commerce expanded the scope of the Section 232 tariffs on Steel and Aluminum to include certain other derivative products on products such as nails and thumbtacks without conducting an investigation such as the one now seemingly being proposed. The trade remedies team at Husch Blackwell LLP represents clients now challenging that expansion in the U.S. Court of International Trade. In initiating this new investigation, it appears that Commerce has recognized that it may be on shaky ground for its earlier expansion of section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum and may be willing to provide a fuller procedure for comments and input from interested parties.

Regardless of the procedures, however, if affected U.S. companies cannot locate the steel they need domestically, and the tariffs make importation of steel to manufacture downstream products, then the only option is to source from other countries. Thus, we expect that numerous companies will file comments on this new round of expansion of national security tariffs.

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Nithya Nagarajan is a Washington-based partner with the law firm Husch Blackwell LLP. She practices in the International Trade & Supply Chain group of the firm’s Technology, Manufacturing & Transportation industry team.

Jeffrey Neeley is a Washington-based partner with the law firm Husch Blackwell LLP. He leads the firm’s International Trade Remedies team.

Archives, Foreign Trade Zones, Global Trade Daily, International Trade

INTO THE DALGONA COFFEE TREND? MMM, THANKS TRADE.

May 7th, 2020 Brooke Tenison Leave a comment

Whipping up a Trade Trend

The “cloud coffee” phenomenon making the rounds on Instagram and TikTok is a prime example of how ingenious people leverage global trade to bring us ideas and products we never knew we needed, but that we now love.

I’m talking about dalgona coffee, sweet caffeinated happiness in a cup. It is made of equal parts instant coffee, sugar and hot water whipped together into a beautiful froth and then spooned on top of your favorite hot or cold milk. This delightful and photogenic confection is *everywhere* on social media.

In the spirit of inquiring into the global origins of the products we love, here’s what we found out.

Dalgona’s “Honeycomb Toffee” Origins

Dalgona coffee isn’t new, but owes its new popularity to Korean actor Jung Il-woo, who demonstrated how to make it on a television show. Dalgona, however, appeals to both older and younger generations because it harkens back to a street food candy from the 1970s and 80s called ppopyi in Korean, meaning honeycomb toffee. The shortcut version of dalgona coffee is meant to be the Millennial version of ppopyi.

Thanks to K-pop culture and social media, dalgona coffee has spread worldwide. As it goes viral globally, more cultures are laying claim to its origins. Macau, in southern China, is where Jung’s clip was filmed earlier this year. The owner of Hon Kee Café in Macau had been making the drink since the early 2000s.

Culture warriors in India and Pakistan claim it as well. There the drink goes by phenti hui coffee, “hand-beaten coffee,” and “Indian cappuccino.” Proud coffee drinkers in Greece claim dalgona derives from its “frappe” (sound familiar?). A form of dalgona can be found in Libya. Coffee aficionados in Cuba use espresso instead of instant coffee.

Image credit: KIMCHIMARI, Dalgona/Ppopgi – Korean Sponge Candy Street Food

We Can’t Make Our Dalgona Without Trade

But these countries aren’t the superstars of coffee trade, nor is the United States. Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia and Ethiopia are the world’s top producers of coffee. Coffee is mainly produced in developing countries located in the Bean Belt and exported to higher income countries (we see you Finland, top consumer of coffee in the world).

The sugar in dalgona coffee (at least outside the United States) is likely to come from one of the largest producers in the world – Brazil, India, China, Thailand or Pakistan. Both sugar and coffee involve tariffs and complicated supply chains that include giant multinational corporations and myriad smallholder farmers growing crops around the world. Yet somehow, they are both quotidian or everyday products that we don’t think deeply about when we buy them. We choose our coffees and sugars from the grocery aisles or coffee shops and move on with our lives.

So the next time you find social media inspiration for your next food craze, think about the global trade that underpins it. The world is a big place, and trade brings it right to our Instagram feeds.

Take the “dalgona coffee challenge” and find out how good trade tastes: video tutorial from Yummy:

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Brooke Tenison is an International Economist at the Department of Commerce. She was previously a Research Analyst at the International Monetary Fund, a Graduate Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center, and an Economic Fellow at New Markets Lab. She received her Master’s in Economics from George Mason University. Any opinions expressed are her own and are not representative of her current or former positions.

This article originally appeared on TradeVistas.org. Republished with permission.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

Nonwoven Textile Market in Asia Amounted to $16.1B

May 7th, 2020 IndexBox Leave a comment

IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘Asia – Nonwoven Textiles – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

The revenue of the nonwoven textile market in Asia amounted to $16.1B in 2018, increasing by 3.9% against the previous year.

Consumption By Country in Asia

In value terms, China ($7.8B) led the market, alone. The second position in the ranking was occupied by Japan ($1.4B). It was followed by Indonesia.

The countries with the highest levels of nonwoven textile per capita consumption in 2018 were Saudi Arabia (4.28 square meters per person), South Korea (4.21 square meters per person) and Japan (3.37 square meters per person).

From 2014 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of nonwoven textile per capita consumption, amongst the main consuming countries, was attained by India, while nonwoven textile per capita consumption for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Market Forecast to 2019-2030

Driven by increasing demand for nonwoven textile in Asia, the market is expected to continue an upward consumption trend over the next decade. Market performance is forecast to decelerate, expanding with an anticipated CAGR of +1.1% for the period from 2018 to 2030, which is projected to bring the market volume to 5.3B square meters by the end of 2030.

Exports in Asia

In 2018, Asia’s nonwoven textile exports stood at $6.6B (IndexBox estimates). The total export value increased at an average annual rate of +5.5% from 2014 to 2018; however, the trend pattern remained consistent, with somewhat noticeable fluctuations over the period under review. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2018 with an increase of 13% y-o-y. In that year, nonwoven textile exports reached their peak and are likely to continue its growth in the immediate term.

Exports by Country

China represented the key exporter of nonwoven textiles in Asia, with the volume of exports resulting at 1B square meters, which was approx. 53% of total exports in 2018. Turkey (211M square meters) took the second position in the ranking, followed by Taiwan, Chinese (110M square meters). All these countries together held near 17% share of total exports. The following exporters – Thailand (81M square meters), Malaysia (75M square meters), Japan (71M square meters), Israel (71M square meters), Saudi Arabia (70M square meters), South Korea (60M square meters), China, Hong Kong SAR (55M square meters) and India (55M square meters) – together made up 28% of total exports.

Exports from China increased at an average annual rate of +11.9% from 2014 to 2018. At the same time, Saudi Arabia (+24.5%), Turkey (+17.6%), India (+15.6%), Thailand (+12.2%), Malaysia (+7.1%), China, Hong Kong SAR (+6.8%), Japan (+6.1%) and Taiwan, Chinese (+4.3%) displayed positive paces of growth. Moreover, Saudi Arabia emerged as the fastest-growing exporter exported in Asia, with a CAGR of +24.5% from 2014-2018. Israel experienced a relatively flat trend pattern. By contrast, South Korea (-5.4%) illustrated a downward trend over the same period. While the share of China (+19 p.p.), Turkey (+5.2 p.p.), Saudi Arabia (+2.1 p.p.) and Thailand (+1.5 p.p.) increased significantly, the shares of the other countries remained relatively stable throughout the analyzed period.

In value terms, China ($3.1B) remains the largest nonwoven textile supplier in Asia, comprising 46% of total nonwoven textile exports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by Japan ($768M), with a 12% share of total exports. It was followed by Turkey, with a 9% share.

Export Prices by Country

The nonwoven textile export price in Asia stood at $3.4 per square meter in 2018, approximately mirroring the previous year.

There were significant differences in the average prices amongst the major exporting countries. In 2018, the country with the highest price was Japan ($11 per square meter), while Saudi Arabia ($1.5 per square meter) was amongst the lowest.

From 2014 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Israel, while the other leaders experienced mixed trends in the export price figures.

Imports in Asia

Asia’s nonwoven textile imports amounted to $4.8B (IndexBox estimates) in 2018. The total import value increased at an average annual rate of +3.9% from 2014 to 2018; however, the trend pattern remained relatively stable, with somewhat noticeable fluctuations being recorded over the period under review. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2018 with an increase of 8.8% against the previous year. In that year, nonwoven textile imports reached their peak and are likely to continue its growth in the immediate term.

Imports by Country

In 2018, Japan (268M square meters), distantly followed by China (144M square meters), South Korea (129M square meters), Viet Nam (122M square meters) and India (77M square meters) represented the largest importers of nonwoven textiles, together mixing up 62% of total imports. The following importers – Indonesia (53M square meters), Turkey (49M square meters), Pakistan (42M square meters), Thailand (37M square meters), Saudi Arabia (35M square meters), Malaysia (31M square meters) and Taiwan, Chinese (27M square meters) – together made up 23% of total imports.

From 2014 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of imports, amongst the main importing countries, was attained by Pakistan, while imports for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, China ($905M), Japan ($858M) and Viet Nam ($525M) constituted the countries with the highest levels of imports in 2018, with a combined 47% share of total imports. South Korea, Indonesia, India, Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Chinese, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan lagged somewhat behind, together accounting for a further 37%.

Import Prices by Country

The nonwoven textile import price in Asia stood at $4.1 per square meter in 2018, approximately mirroring the previous year.

Prices varied noticeably by the country of destination; the country with the highest price was China ($6.3 per square meter), while Pakistan ($1.9 per square meter) was amongst the lowest.

From 2014 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Indonesia, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Source: IndexBox AI Platform

Archives, Global Trade Daily, Imports/Exports

EU’s Belt and Bandolier Imports Bounced Back to $817M in 2018

May 7th, 2020 IndexBox Leave a comment

IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘EU – Belts And Bandoliers – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

The belt and bandolier market size in the EU is estimated at $711M in 2018, an increase of 1.5% against the previous year. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers’ margins, which will be included in the final consumer price).

Overall, belt and bandolier consumption continues to indicate a moderate shrinkage. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2014 when the market value increased by 6.2% y-o-y. The level of belt and bandolier consumption peaked at $858M in 2009; however, from 2010 to 2018, consumption remained at a lower figure.

Consumption by Country

Germany ($123M), France ($109M) and the UK ($95M) were the largest markets for belts and bandoliers, together accounting for 46% of the EU market. These countries were followed by Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Romania, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium and the Czech Republic, which together accounted for a further 46%.

Imports in the EU

In 2018, EU’s belt and bandolier imports stood at $817M (IndexBox estimates). The total import value increased at an average annual rate of +1.7% over the last decade; the trend pattern remained relatively stable, with only minor fluctuations throughout the analyzed period. The pace of growth appeared the most rapid in 2011 when imports increased by 14% against the previous year. Over the period under review, belt and bandolier imports reached their peak figure at $829M in 2014; however, from 2015 to 2018, imports stood at a somewhat lower figure.

Imports by Country

In value terms, the largest belt and bandolier importing markets in the European Union were Germany ($173M), France ($161M) and the UK ($122M), with a combined 56% share of total imports.

The UK experienced the highest rates of growth with regard to the value of imports, among the main importing countries over the period under review, while imports for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Import Prices by Country

In 2018, the belt and bandolier import price in the European Union amounted to $47,531 per tonne, jumping by 3.8% against the previous year. There were significant differences in the average prices amongst the major importing countries. In 2018, the country with the highest price was the UK ($59,224 per tonne), while Belgium ($28,562 per tonne) was amongst the lowest.

Source: IndexBox AI Platform

Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Trucking

Handling Workforce Management Challenges in a Logistics Company During High Demand

May 6th, 2020 Derek Jones Leave a comment

The ongoing COVID-19 global crisis has caused a spike in demand for online shopping due to the stay-at-home orders that have been instituted by many countries all across the world. Most of the hauling necessary to get these ecommerce products to their intended recipients is being done by truck drivers. This means there’s more work than ever for the logistics industry but more tired workers too.

Keeping fleets properly organized and scheduling the right number of employees to manage all the necessary deliveries is the top workforce management challenge in a logistics company during such a period of high demand. It can be both difficult and stressful to match employees’ availability to demand.

Managers have to be able to track employees’ stress profiles for effective scheduling and also have to be ready to deal with unplanned changes to schedules as drivers could need to swap a shift with a colleague or fall sick (not just from coronavirus, but other ailments too). Companies should have the right tools in place to keep up with unforeseen shifts in demand and update their schedules accordingly.

Communication is important

Efficient, effective communication is absolutely vital to any workforce, but it is particularly crucial for teams that are as remote as those in the logistics industry, especially during this time. It’s important for managers to prioritize communication during this crisis because if communication falters, work progress not only suffers, but truck drivers are also extremely vulnerable to feeling both overwhelmed by the news and isolated from the team and company. This can have adverse effects on employee morale.

Work on employee morale

Speaking of employee morale, that’s another pressing workforce management challenge for logistics companies during this time. If we who are at home are struggling with motivation and mental health, you can imagine how heavy it must be for truck drivers who are out there all alone on the roads driving through deserted cities, staying away from their families as the world goes through such a scary time.

Keep in mind that they are scared to go home because they might accidentally infect their families and have to eat alone due to strict social distancing rules at restaurants. Maintaining high morale in the face of such extreme loneliness can’t be easy, both for the truckers and for their managers. Companies should leverage instant messaging apps to keep in touch with staff and use video sharing/conferencing tools more than ever to make both team updates and employee appreciation more personal.

We have all come to realize just how important truck drivers are to our way of life; that they have always been providing a service that is absolutely crucial to our supply chains and are continuing to do so even with their well-being at high risk. They are driving into places that others are fleeing from to deliver consumer goods to retailers and medical supplies to hospitals. Companies should make sure they are being compensated like the essential employees they are with significant salary raises and bonuses.

Keep your employees safe

Furthermore, employee morale during such a time is greatly tied to a sense of personal safety. Most truck drivers are middle-aged and/or older men who are more likely to suffer immunodeficiency from chronic illnesses such as pneumonia that make them more vulnerable to succumbing to the coronavirus.

Logistics companies should, therefore, make sure their drivers are sufficiently supplied with the necessary protection at all times – from face masks to gloves to hand sanitizer. Trucks should also be thoroughly disinfected as frequently as possible. When it comes to morale during such a time, it’s extremely crucial for employees to feel that their employers are doing their absolute best to keep them protect them.

Managing employees and hiring new ones to help

Managing the multiple locations and mobile employees that characterize the logistics industry was already challenging enough before the pandemic hit and even more now, in this time of high demand. There’s high potential for confusion around tracking hours accurately for payroll. Managers should be able to track employee hours from any location and capture accurate timesheets using geo-location.

Lastly, with the increased demand, many logistics companies are facing a higher need to acquire and onboard fresh talent but unfortunately, even before COVID-19, hiring and retention was already a major issue for the logistics industry according to recent PwC research. The survey found that transportation and logistics companies are lagging behind other sectors in terms of recruiting and hiring. SMEs in particular are not regarded as the preferred employers of the future.

Job seekers still don’t see transportation and logistics as a desirable industry. Logistics is one of those industries that most people looking for jobs, especially for fresh graduates, simply don’t find very appealing. This has to change if the industry is to keep up with this recent spike in demand. Companies have to make it appealing for fresh graduates, as well as people who have been laid off by other industries, by highlighting the potential for career growth.

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Derek Jones (VP Enterprise Strategy, Americas)

Derek spearheads key initiatives at Deputy, a global workforce management platform for employee scheduling, timesheets and communication. With a focus on Healthcare, Derek helps business owners and workforce leaders simplify employment law compliance, keep labor cost in line and build award-winning workplaces. Derek has over 16 years’ experience in delivering data-driven sales and marketing strategies to SaaS companies like MarketSource and Griswold Home Care.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, International Trade

Trade Protectionism Won’t Help Fight COVID-19

May 6th, 2020 Marc L. Busch Leave a comment

Countries around the world are limiting international trade and turning inward, seeking to produce nearly everything — especially medical supplies — themselves.

The Trump administration, for instance, is considering a “Buy American” executive order that would require federal agencies to purchase domestically made masks, ventilators, and medicines. And over two dozen countries — including France, Germany, South Korea, and Taiwan — have banned domestic companies from exporting medical supplies.

The scramble for self-sufficiency in medical supplies and medicines needed to fight the coronavirus is make-believe. It is neither feasible nor desirable, and will only deepen the pain felt amidst this pandemic.

Governments around the world have responded to COVID-19 by imposing export restrictions on things like ventilators and masks. In mid-April, Syria became the 76th country to follow suit. The import side of things isn’t much better. The World Trade Organization (WTO) reports that tariffs remain stubbornly high on protective medical gear, averaging 11.5 percent across the 164 members of the Geneva-based institution, and peaking at just under 30 percent.

This is no way to fight a pandemic.

It’s not that COVID-19 caused this bout of trade protectionism. It’s just that COVID-19 offers up a useful narrative to promote trade protectionism.

The Trump administration, for instance, has been touting its “Buy American” executive order as a move to spur local manufacturing. Canada has also considered going it alone in ventilators and masks, but recently acknowledged it can’t possibly achieve self-sufficiency in medicines. No one can.

The way many governments see it, the only thing standing in the way of greater self-reliance in medical equipment and medicines is the will to pay for it. The story is that ventilators might be more expensive if made domestically, but that’s the cost of going it alone. It’s only a matter of getting Bauer and Brooks Brothers, for example, to make personal protective equipment, rather than hockey gear and clothing.

But there’s a reason Bauer makes skates instead of surgical masks. It’s better at it, and skates are a much more lucrative business. Bauer didn’t misread the market. It’s heartwarming to hear that Bauer is stepping in to help out, but the company knows that making surgical masks in the US is five times more expensive than making them in China. That’s why 95 percent of the surgical masks in the US are imported.

The absurdity of self-sufficiency in medicines is even more glaring. The US is a major exporter of medicines, but the raw chemicals used to make them are imported. Nearly three-quarters of the facilities that manufacture America’s “active pharmaceutical ingredients” are overseas. To reorient supply chains to produce these ingredients domestically would take up to 10 years and cost $2 billion for each new facility. Consumers would pay at least 30 percent more at the pharmacy.

The last plug for self-sufficiency in medical equipment and medicines is that it’s not a good idea to depend on adversaries to keep us healthy. We don’t. What’s striking about medicines, medical equipment, and personal protective products is that market share is highly concentrated among allies. For example, Germany, the US, and Switzerland supply 35 percent of medical products sold worldwide. True, China leads the top ten list of personal protective products, at 17 percent market share, but the other nine, including the US at number three, are all longstanding allies. To be sure, the untold story of China is that it depends on Germany and the United States for nearly 40 percent of its medical products.

This past week, the WTO and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) called for an end to the folly of trade restrictions during this pandemic. The communique should have — but obviously couldn’t — call out governments around the world for maintaining, on average, a 17 percent tariff on soap. That tariffs on face masks average nearly 10 percent is baffling. That 20 countries in the WTO have no legal ceiling on the tariffs they impose on medicines is unforgivable.

Self-sufficiency in medical supplies and medicines is a political sop. It’s a narrative that can’t deliver anything but misery. If governments want to fight COVID-19, they should spend more time looking at how they’re denying themselves access to medical necessities, and less time on how to deny others the tools to save lives.

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Marc L. Busch is the Karl F. Landegger professor of international business diplomacy at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a nonresident senior fellow in the Atlantic Council.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, Imports/Exports

Asia’s Market for Tea Extracts, Essences, and Concentrates Has Skyrocketed Over the Past Five Years

May 6th, 2020 IndexBox Leave a comment

IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘Asia – Extracts, Essences And Concentrates Of Tea Or Mate – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends And Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

The market for tea extracts, essences and concentrates in Asia rose by 10% and reached $2.8B in 2018. The market size increased at an average annual rate of +10.3% from 2014 to 2018. The level of extracts of tea consumption peaked in 2018 and is likely to see steady growth in the immediate term.