China Outbound: Asia’s Export Processing Zones and ASEAN Opportunities

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Our Latest Round-Up Of Business News Affecting China Based Businesses Investing In Asia

In this edition of China Outbound, we explore several key regions set to benefit as China shifts manufacturing to ASEAN and consumer demand in the Middle Kingdom continues to grow. As this trend builds steam, export processing zones – already thriving throughout Asia – will become even more important as destinations for international investment and participation. To stay up-to-date with the latest trends across China and Asia, subscribe to our complimentary weekly newsletter concerning legal, tax, investment and regulatory updates throughout Asia.

New Alliance Expands Dezan Shira & Associates’ Pan-Asian Reach

Dezan Shira & Associates is proud to announce the new Dezan Shira Asian Alliance, which unites each of our firm’s offices in China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Vietnam with four partner firms in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. The new alliance brings together a wealth of accounting, legal and investment expertise across Asia to help facilitate our clients’ growth throughout the region.

Leveraging ASEAN to Sell More China Manufactured Products

The ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement represents a great opportunity for foreign manufacturers based in China to expand their export markets throughout Southeast Asia. ASEAN will also become a key manufacturing hub for China-bound products as rising costs in China push manufacturing capacity elsewhere in the region.

Leveraging India to Sell More China Manufactured Products

India’s growing consumer base, coupled with the China-India FTA, make the country an ideal market for China-based manufacturers looking to expand their scope in the region. In this article, we highlight several key trends in India, such as infrastructure development and auto manufacturing, that will provide investment opportunities for China-based manufacturers.

Internationalizing Your China WFOE

In the rush to get into China over the past decade, many foreign investors established WFOEs – either as trading and services companies, or as manufacturing entities in their own right. Today, however, as many foreign investors begin to eye other Asian markets, transferring WFOE equity ownership from China to Hong Kong or Singapore may provide greater trade flexibility and tax incentives for China-based enterprises.

South China’s Balancing Act Between Raising Wages & Keeping Investors

Annual increases in Chinese worker salaries and the increasing mandatory welfare costs associated with this are making some local governments in China have to strike a fine balancing act between investors facing increasing overheads and social discontent from workers demanding higher salaries and benefits. In response to these rising costs, some manufacturers have begun moving operations to Vietnam and elsewhere in ASEAN for low-end and traditional manufacturing industries, such as shoes, garments and leather production.

Ten of Asia’s Most Dynamic Export Processing Zones That You’ve Never Heard Of

As global manufacturing starts to spread across Asia, Export Processing Zones – once the sole preserve of China – are springing up all over the region. Conceived as ideal for emerging markets as they help develop worker skill sets and begin the development of supply chain infrastructure, export processing zones are also popular with foreign investors as they negate the need to import directly into the host country, thus avoiding costly import duties. In this article, we list ten of Asia’s most dynamic Export Processing Zones – and almost certainly most you will not yet have heard of.

Tax Policy Ranks as Key Consideration for Foreign Investors in Asia

For firms engaging in business throughout Asia-Pacific, tax policy remains a key deciding factor when choosing specific FDI destinations. While Mainland China and India are ranked as having the most complex tax systems in the region, Hong Kong and Singapore received the most favorable appraisal of their tax structures, according to a survey conducted by Deloitte this month.

Foreign Investment Opportunities in the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor

Spread out across more than 1,500 kilometers and six different Indian States, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) is one the most ambitious Indian infrastructure projects in the nation’s history. the DMIC is set to consolidate India’s growing role as a global manufacturing and trading hub while boosting the nation’s economy in the process.

Related Reading

For  further news sources concerning Asia, please refer to our other websites as follows:

Asia Briefing  
Established in 1999, Asia Briefing Ltd. is dedicated to providing individuals and enterprises with the latest business and regulatory news as well as expert commentary relating to conducting business in emerging Asia.

ASEAN Briefing  
ASEAN Briefing features business news, regulatory updates and extensive data on ASEAN free trade, double tax agreements and foreign direct investment laws in the region. Covering all ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), ASEAN Briefing aims to be the premier online source for technical and business information concerning investment and trade with ASEAN countries and includes downloadable copies of all ASEAN and member country double taxation and free trade treaties held with China. The newest ASEAN business guide, “Doing Business in Singapore 2014 (Second Edition),” is available as a complimentary download in the Asia Briefing Bookstore.

India Briefing  
India Briefing has developed into a premium source for insight on doing business in India. It publishes business news concerning foreign direct investment into India, including the most important tax, legal and accounting issues. You can download a complimentary copy of our latest edition of India Briefing Magazine, “An Introduction to India’s Audit Process,” in the Asia Briefing bookstore.

Vietnam Briefing
Vietnam Briefing is one of the few available sources for quality legal, tax and investment insights into Vietnam. Vietnam Briefing publishes a wealth of information contributed to by on-the-ground business professionals in Vietnam. The newest Vietnam business guide, “An Introdcution to Doing Business in Vietnam 2014 (Second Edition),” is available as a complimentary download in the Asia Briefing Bookstore.

Dezan Shira & Associates
Meet the firm behind these publications. Dezan Shira & Associates is a specialist foreign direct investment practice providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in emerging Asia. Since its establishment in 1992, the award-winning firm has grown into one of Asia’s most versatile full-service consultancies with operational offices across China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Vietnam, in addition to partner alliances in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, as well as liaison offices in Italy, Germany and the United States.