Timely analysis on U.S.-Asia economics, investment, trade, manufacturing, and energy from our policy team.
The views and opinions expressed in blog posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the America First Asia Institute.
ManufacturingJakarta is considering a moratorium on semi-finished nickel smelters to stabilize global prices and force foreign investors further downstream into battery production.
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America First Asia Institute
InvestmentTokyo is mobilizing trillions of yen into India and Bangladesh, targeting semiconductor supply chains and advanced manufacturing to counter regional competitors.
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America First Asia Institute
ManufacturingNippon Steel's $3 billion investment in the Mon Valley Works demonstrates how allied foreign capital can rebuild America's industrial base and secure domestic supply chains.
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America First Asia Institute
InvestmentRecent U.S.-Japan investments in deep-sea critical mineral extraction offer a strategic pathway to break China's rare earth monopoly and secure American industrial dominance.
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TradeA surge in maritime confrontations, militarized reefs, and coercive coast guard actions is reshaping the strategic balance in one of the world's most critical waterways. We examine the latest incidents and what they mean for trade, security, and U.S.-Asia relations.
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America First Asia Institute
EconomicsA year into the second-term tariff regime, Pacific Rim exporters are re-engineering supply chains at unprecedented speed. The data now shows where the costs, and the opportunities, are landing.
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America First Asia Institute
InvestmentWith more than $90 billion in fab construction underway across Arizona, Texas, and Ohio, the center of gravity in advanced chipmaking is moving. The question for 2026 is whether the talent and the ecosystem can keep up.
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America First Asia Institute
BusinessOf all the economies absorbing redirected Pacific trade, Vietnam has pulled ahead decisively. But the boom is testing the country's infrastructure, labor market, and political balancing act in equal measure.
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America First Asia Institute
ManufacturingConstruction spending on U.S. manufacturing facilities hit a new high in 2026, but turning plants into output is proving harder than breaking ground. The bottleneck is no longer capital; it is capability.
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America First Asia Institute
EnergyWith new Gulf Coast terminals ramping up and Asian buyers signing long-term contracts, American energy is reshaping Pacific fuel markets. The strategic upside is real, but the margin between boom and glut is thin.
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America First Asia Institute
