JPMorgan Chase & Co., a leading multinational financial services firm based in New York City, has provided insights into the ongoing diversification of supply chains and its implications for global trade resilience. The firm points out that a gradual shift away from an over-reliance on China is fostering economic growth in various countries and enhancing the robustness of the global trading system against future economic shocks. In a recent analysis, JPMorgan Chase observed that, contrary to some expectations, global economies have not been rapidly deglobalizing.
Economic integration remains strong, contributing positively to corporate profit margins. Despite predictions of a decline in China’s share of global trade, this share has actually increased. The firm also noted an uptick in the ratio of global trade in goods to global industrial production. The analysis highlighted shifts in the sources of U.S. imports. While China’s share in U.S. imports has decreased from 2016 to 2023, this decline has been compensated by increased imports from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, India, and Latin American countries. Mexico and Vietnam, in particular, have emerged as the most significant beneficiaries of this realignment.
India and Thailand have also made notable advancements. JPMorgan Chase’s data revealed a substantial drop in U.S. imports of tariffed items from China, amounting to around $70 billion. Concurrently, Vietnam experienced the largest percentage increase in exports of these items to the U.S., a 170 percent rise. Mexico, however, saw the most substantial gains in absolute U.S. dollar terms, exceeding $153 billion. The firm acknowledges that some trade migration from China might have occurred independently of the trade war, attributing changes in trade patterns to various factors, including the offshoring of low-end manufacturing and geopolitical events such as the war in Ukraine.
The analysis suggests that trade rerouting has been more significant for Vietnam than for Mexico, with Mexico’s export gains likely driven more by value-added domestic production. Notably, reshoring activities in Mexico have not significantly boosted employment in manufacturing, likely due to increased industrial automation. Despite expectations, trade diversification has not led to marked gains in U.S. export shares for South American countries. JPMorgan Chase attributes this to factors such as low manufacturing complexity and inadequate trade infrastructure in the region.