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Foreign direct investment trends and outlook in Asia and the Pacific 2024/2025
No full text- In 2024, total Greenfield FDI inflows to Asia and the Pacific saw a 14 per cent decrease compared to 2023 driven by South-East Asia which dropped by 33 per cent. However, this is a small dip over a record 2023 showing the region’s strength.
- The North and Central Asia subregion has seen another year of strong investment growth in 2024, with Greenfield FDI inflows increasing by 27 per cent year-to-date. This was driven primarily by Kazakhstan through chemical and natural gas related projects. However, South and South-west Asia has attracted the most Greenfield FDI so far in 2024 amounting to US 76 billion thus far. Investments in semiconductors and renewable energy led the way.
- Greenfield investments into climate FDI represented 21 per cent of total investments into Asia and the Pacific led by investments into green hydrogen projects. Ho
The landscape of B2C e-commerce marketplaces in Thailand
Get PDFThis country brief is part of an eleven-part series exploring the landscape of B2C e-commerce marketplaces in various East Asian economies. This series offers in-depth insights into the traffic trends for active e-commerce websites, national established and emerging key players, main characteristics of the marketplaces, ease of online selling, the degree of specialization in terms of products as well as the products characteristics. For more project information visit https://www.unescap.org/projects/b2c Thailand shows a high internet penetration rate (88%) and a commendable proportion of its population purchases goods online (55%). Nevertheless, the density of B2C marketplaces is relatively low with a total of 213 B2C marketplaces for a population of 71.7 million (8.7% of the total traffic in the region studied).
visits. Among them, classified sites account for the largest proportion of marketplaces (58.2%) but online shopping malls capture most of the traffic (81.4%).
The e-commerce market is dominated by domestic companies (53%), followed by the United States (18%) and China (4%). Of the total 213 B2C marketplaces, there is an important geographical diversity given the 20 other countries with companies holding B2C marketplaces.
The e-commerce market is moderately concentrated, with the Top 10 leading websites capturing 79.5% of the traffic. This Top 10 is dominated by online shopping malls, 7 in total, of which two Singaporean companies (Shopee and Lazada) account for 62.8% of the total traffic. The other eight marketplaces are owned by domestic companies.
Regarding the ease of selling on these B2C marketplaces, only 32% allow foreign sellers to operate and 65% offer open registration to online sellers. Only 34% of these marketplaces are fully transactional and, as a corollary, only 37% require trading fees to sell online.
Thailand has a balanced proportion of generic (56%) and specialized B2C marketplaces (44%). Among the 94 specialized marketplaces, 41% specialize in cars, motorcycles, and motor parts (capturing 19.5% of the traffic). The traffic dynamics also show that consumer preferences lean toward purchasing groceries (26%) and to a lesser extent towards electronics & IT (18.5%).</p
India’s FTA with the EU : opportunities and challenges in services sector
Get PDFTrade in services has been of special interest to both India and the EU as services are a major contributor to GDP and trade flows in the two economies. Steadily rising services trade between India and the EU is, however, characterized by certain peculiarities, which are worth noticing. These include differences across sub-sectors, trading partners, modes of trade and regulatory barriers. These make it worth exploring the potential costs and benefits of increasing trade flows through trade agreements even further while also diversifying the sub-sectors and the destination countries. This is highly relevant as after a gap of nine years, in 2022, India and the EU have recently relaunched talks for an all-inclusive free trade agreement (FTA) in 2022, to cater to their common interests concerning trade in services.
Against this background, this study uses both quantitative and qualitative approach to explore the opportunities and challenges for India under a probably India-EU FTA. Using disaggregated data over 2010-2021, we construct different trade indicators, to identify these potential markets and services, prospects of which can be further explored in the India-EU FTA. Legal text analysis of analogous FTAs that EU and India have signed with developing and developed partners respectively was also undertaken to better understand the style to the negotiations, language of legal texts and commissions/restrictions offered by these countries to their respective partners.
The analysis discovers the services sectors in which India has strategic export interest in the EU region, namely, Technical and Trade related services, Research and Development related services and Transport services. The major sectors which need careful negotiations such that India can improve its services balance and put to good use its bilateral RCA are Computer and Information services, Professional and Management services and Travel. Charges for use of intellectual property, Telecommunication and Insurance and Pension services could be other areas for consideration which at present do not experience significant esports from India to the EU but have the potential for significant gains under a liberalized regime.
The broad scope of this study is to analyze the opportunities and challenges for India’s services industry under an FTA between India and the EU and provide suggestions for India’s negotiation approach. </p
Mechanization of agriculture : market dynamics in Bangladesh, Nepal, Russian Federation and Viet Nam
Get PDFAt the 7th ReCAMA Members Meeting in 2021, the members endorsed a proposal to develop a research paper on market dynamics of agricultural mechanization in Bangladesh, Nepal, the Russian Federation, and Viet Nam. This is the second paper in a series focusing on market dynamics in selected countries, following the first research paper completed in 2020, which
centered on China, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
The research aims to explore strategies for ensuring the sustainability of this sector by contributing to the entire value chain and aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals.
The aim of this research is to understand the market dynamics of each target country concerning agricultural mechanization. This involves examining how markets are structured within each target country; understanding the dynamics of both demand and supply; gaining insights into specific end-user’s preferences; identifying market segments within each country; evaluating the current level of mechanization and its alignment with demand; forecasting potential future demand; analyzing emerging trends towards mechanization in each country’s market and exploring sustainable driving factors for this process. A cross-country research study therefore provides an opportunity for ReCAMA Members to understand the diverse market dynamics and potentially identify similarities. This will be useful not only for agricultural machinery manufacturing, marketing, distribution companies, and mechanization services provision entities, but also for policymakers in the target countries.
Access to information and knowledge is critical for members of the agricultural machinery associations to contribute effectively to promoting sustainable agriculture mechanization in their respective countries through informed decision-making. A comprehensive understanding of the market dynamics will benefit members in sourcing appropriate machinery for different segments. This, research will not only provide valuable insights into market dynamics but also help minimize marketing risks by selecting appropriate agricultural machinery for each segment. This, in turn, will boost regional growth in sustainable agricultural mechanization.LIST OF FIGURES 6
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 7
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 10
I. INTRODUCTION 13
A. BACKGROUND 13
B. CSAM AND RECAMA 15
II. RESEARCH RATIONALE, OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY 17
A. PRESENT RESEARCH 17
B. RESEARCH RATIONALE 17
C. RESEARCH SCOPE 17
D. RESEARCH FRAMEWORK 18
E. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 18
F. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 19
G. RESEARCH PAPER STRUCTURE 19
III. COUNTRY MARKET DYNAMICS 21
A. BANGLADESH COUNTRY MARKET 21
B. NEPAL COUNTRY MARKET 46
C. RUSSIAN FEDERATION COUNTRY MARKET 64
D. VIET NAM COUNTRY MARKET 89
IV. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 111
ENDNOTES 122
REFERENCES 12
Fostering a green, affordable and inclusive energy transition in the impoverished regions of Pakistan
Get PDFThis study underscores the paramount importance of energy security in driving social development and alleviating overall poverty in developing countries like Pakistan. While there has been progress in increasing electricity access, the reliability and availability of clean power remain significant challenges impeding development in rural areas. Despite a noticeable shift towards RE in recent policies, the lack of regulatory and policy support for decentralized systems is a critical issue. While community-based organizations and NGOs are making efforts, robust policy and regulatory frameworks are essential for creating an enabling environment for the growth of decentralized RE solutions in the impoverished regions of Pakistan. Thus, in light of the challenges faced in ensuring energy security, this study provides policy recommendations and suggests a roadmap to address these challenges under the umbrella of six thematic areas including:
i) harnessing the potential of decentralized RE systems;
ii) mobilizing the finance to upscale RE systems;
iii) providing policy frameworks and institutional support for RE solutions;
iv) scaling-up RE systems; v) addressing the social and gender challenges;
vi) fostering regional collaborations
ESCAP population data sheet 2024
Get PDFThe Population Data Sheet, published annually by ESCAP, features a range of key indicators on population and development. The focus is on population size, structure and growth rates, as well as fertility, mortality and migration, at country, subregional and regional levels. The Data Sheet is a useful reference tool for researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders.
The 2024 Population Data Sheet focuses on overall population and development indicators, providing updated insights for the year
Targeting transformative disaster risk resilience in North and Central Asia : Asia-Pacific Disaster Report for ESCAP Subregions
Get PDFClimate change-induced disasters in North and Central Asia pose an escalating threat, mirroring the broader trend across the Asia and the Pacific. Over the past five decades, these events have caused around 64,000 fatalities, affected around 20 million people and resulted in more than $23 billion in damages.
The frequency and intensity of disasters in North and Central Asia have intensified in the recent years, reflecting the impact of climate change. Floods, droughts, and heatwaves have caused widespread damage, leading to loss of life, displacement of communities, and economic disruption. These events have exacerbated existing vulnerabilities and hindering capacity to cope.
The riskscape in North and Central Asia is evolving rapidly, with emerging hotspots and intensifying hazards. Climate change is projected to increase the frequency and severity of floods, droughts, and heatwaves particularly in the Aral Sea Basin and in the areas of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Particularly under 2°C warming, these risks extend to northern Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. This will further strain the subregion's resilience and require enhanced disaster preparedness measures.
Climate change also poses a significant threat to North and Central Asia's biodiversity. The subregion's biodiversity hotspots, which play a crucial role in mitigating climate change and supporting ecosystems, are facing increasing pressure from climate-induced hazards. Species loss, habitat destruction, and ecosystem disruption are becoming more prevalent, with potential long-term consequences for both human and natural systems. Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... iv
Executive Summary .................................................................................................... v
Boxes ........................................................................................................................ viii
Figures ...................................................................................................................... viii
Part 1: Disaster and climate riskscape in North and Central Asia ................................. 1
Part 2: Protecting People and Development Gains ..................................................... 13
Part 3: Targeting Transformative Adaptation in North and Central Asia ..................... 23
Part 4 - Early Warning System: The Critical Component of Transformative Adaptation....... 31
Way forward for North and Central Asia....................................... 44</p