Understand the cultural and socioeconomic influences that shape i...
Understand the cultural and socioeconomic influences that shape industry demand throughout Asia-Pacific, with local insight, market statistics and analysis ranging from strategic regional overview to in-depth coverage by country or city.
The US’s large military presence on Guam makes the territory a target for attacks by nations looking to lower US power in Asia Pacific. Guam is highly reliant on US federal funding, exposing the territory to changes in US military spending. Tourism…
As charge cards caters to higher-income earners, it is still only small in the Philippines in 2022. Credit cards have low penetration in the country and it is thus to be expected that more premium card products will have an even smaller market. Even…
Store cards are not available in Taiwan. Hypermarket chain Carrefour was the last retailer to offer such cards and it ceased its operations in 2005. A trend towards alternative payment options such as digital wallets and the widespread popularity of…
American Express signed a partnership with Vietnam JSC Bank for Industry & Trade (Vietinbank) in 2021 to increase acceptance of its cards in Vietnam. However, charge cards are not issued in Vietnam and there is unlikely to be any significant demand…
Store cards have a negligible presence in Vietnam with there being little interest or awareness of these card products. Furthermore, the government strictly controls the supply of credit in Vietnam which makes it a complicated and lengthy process to…
Nauru’s political landscape is stable, but is sometimes autocratic in nature. The country’s biggest challenge is to diversify the economy away from phosphate production. Nevertheless, planned infrastructure projects could enhance Nauru’s appeal. Its…
Political upheaval has been caused by transitioning to a new constitution, whilst economic freedom is suppressed, given ineffective observance of the rule of law. The economy could outperform peers, owing to strength in agriculture and greater…
Significant divisions exist between New Caledonia’s indigenous population and its European counterparts, creating political instability. Substantial reliance on nickel is a risk for the economy, which was in recession in 2020. The prospect of…
Authoritarian rule has created political stability in Tajikistan, but economic freedom has suffered as a result. The economy is expected to outperform peers in the short term, but a narrow export base creates risks for the external sector. Tajikistan…
There were no self-service cafeterias operating in the Philippines at the end of the review period and in 2021.