Bussiness
US companies in China see record-low profits amid geopolitical tensions
The geopolitical tensions between both countries was the top challenge to businesses’ operations in China. | Photo: Shutterstock
American companies in China are seeing record-low profits, with business confidence at an all-time low amid US-China tensions and a slowing Chinese economy, according to a report published Thursday by a US business group.
Out of 306 companies polled, a record-low 66 per cent were profitable in 2023, according to the China business report published by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.
The report also found that only 47 per cent of respondents were optimistic about their business outlook in China over the next five years, the lowest in the survey’s history of more than two decades.
Beijing and Washington have been at odds in recent years over issues like trade and manufacturing, as well as China’s claims over the South China Sea.
China is also grappling with a slowing domestic economy, with lackluster consumer demand and deflationary pressures persisting even post-Covid.
The geopolitical tensions between both countries was the top challenge to businesses’ operations in China, the report found.
It’s a balance between risk and reward, said Eric Zheng, president of AmCham Shanghai, during a news conference ahead of the report’s publication.
The perceived risks of doing business in China have gone up in the past few years, but at the same time the market is slowing down, with soft demand and overcapacity, he said.
Many businesses are now redirecting investments to other regions such as Vietnam, Malaysia and South Asia, Zheng said.
A record high of 25 per cent of companies polled cut investment in China in 2023, AmCham’s report found, largely driven by concerns over China’s slowing growth.
While just over half of US companies expect their revenue to increase over last year, only 37 per cent are expecting growth in China to outpace global growth in the coming three to five years.
The AmCham report came a day after the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China published a report with similar sentiments on the increasing risks of doing business in China. The report highlighted a lack of implementation on promised reforms and an increasingly politicised business environment.
The European Chamber’s report found that for some European companies, the risks of investing in China were beginning to outweigh the returns.
We are concerned about there being a tipping point now, and therefore we have a call for action to the Chinese government to turn the tide, said Jens Eskelund, the European Chamber’s president, at a news conference on Wednesday.
The European business group called on China to prioritise economic growth and reform, and to boost investor confidence by levelling the playing field for all companies in the country.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Sep 12 2024 | 4:44 PM IST
Elon Musk courts Europe’s surging far right
China Says It “Firmly Opposes” US Military Aid To Taiwan
Wife of US hostage Keith Siegel pleads for holiday miracle: ‘we need to get them back’
Trump accuses Panama of exploiting US vessels, threatens to capture the canal
Two US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent ‘friendly fire’ incident: US military
2 U.S. Navy pilots eject to safety after friendly fire downs their fighter jet
2 US Navy Pilots Shot Down In ‘Friendly Fire’ Incident Over Red Sea
Kari Lake says she has no intention of turning Voice of America into
Trump’s plan to end daylight savings: Will 4:30 a.m. be the new American daybreak?
