2012–2013 China Business Report

AmCham Shanghai is pleased to present the 2012–2013 China Business Report. The report compiles the results of AmCham Shanghai's annual China Business Climate Survey. First launched in 1999, this year’s report includes responses from a record 420 member companies. The report tracks responses on a wide range of topics including top line business performance, growth expectations, top challenges and trends to watch in 2013.

This year’s report found that year-on-year U.S. company performance dipped in 2012 for the second year in a row. Challenges like rising costs, domestic competition and a lack of transparency are intensifying. Yet U.S. companies continue to perform strongly and remain committed to the transitioning China market with nearly two-thirds of those surveyed focused on the growing domestic China market.

Other highlights include:

The China market is in transition, moving from export and investment led growth to one focused on services and consumption. U.S. companies have largely moved away from the low-cost export model that once drove U.S. business strategies in China. Nearly two-thirds of companies surveyed said they were “in China for China” – there to compete in the growing domestic market.

China remains a top investment destination – more than half of U.S. companies surveyed identify China as a top three priority for investment and 21 percent state China is their No. 1 priority. Two-thirds report their 2012 revenue growth in China exceeded that of their operations worldwide.

As more and more U.S. companies in China target the Chinese domestic market, 59 percent of survey respondents indicate that they export finished goods or components to China from the U.S. to support their operations in China. This “pulling” of U.S. exports to China by American businesses in China supports production and jobs at home – a trend that has increased over the past three years.