USCBC 2024 Member Survey: Concerns About US-China Relations and China’s Macroeconomy Top List of Challenges for US Companies

WASHINGTON—September 6, 2024—The US-China Business Council (USCBC), a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization of more than 270 American companies that do business in China, today released the results of its annual Member Survey, which found that ongoing concerns with the US-China relationship and—for the first time—China’s macroeconomy top the list of challenges US companies face in China.

“This year’s survey points to a complex and ongoing challenging environment for US companies doing business in China, with geopolitics, overcapacity and lack of domestic demand in China dampening both profits and optimism,” USCBC President Craig Allen said. “How government policies evolve in both the US and China will have lasting implications—not only for business outcomes but also the overall US-China relationship and global stability, which is why USCBC continues to advocate for smart, fair and transparent trade policies that promote healthy commercial exchange.”

According to this year’s survey, the top 10 challenges facing USCBC member companies in China are:

  1. US-China relations: Geopolitics or domestic politics
  2. China’s macroeconomy
  3. Competition with Chinese companies (state-owned or private)
  4. Export controls, sanctions, and investment screenings
  5. Data, personal information, and cybersecurity rules
  6. Government and state-owned enterprise procurement policies in China
  7. Licenses and approvals
  8. Tariffs
  9. Industrial policy
  10. Intellectual property protection

Despite these challenges, nearly all respondents consider China a key element of their global footprint.

The annual USCBC member survey seeks to measure business sentiment and benchmark challenges and opportunities in the China market. Our survey is unique among trade associations, as it incorporates responses from US company representatives in both China and the United States. Most respondents represent large, US-headquartered multinational companies that have operated in China for decades. About 40 percent represent companies that generated $1 billion in revenue in China last year.

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Editor’s note on methodology: This year’s survey was conducted between June and July of 2024 and draws from a pool of 140 member companies. Respondents have significant experience and presence in the China market—three quarters operated in China for more than 20 years.

Respondents’ top 10 challenges were ranked using a weighted system to reflect the most significant issue they encounter while doing business in China. To ensure consistent analysis over time, the same methodology was used in previous years. Due to rounding, some chart totals may add up to slightly more or less than 100 percent.


美中贸易全国委员会发布2024年《中国商业环境调查》报告:对中美关系及中国宏观经济的担忧成为美国企业在华的首要挑战

华盛顿,2024年9月6日—美中贸易全国委员会(USCBC)是一家非政府、无党派、非营利的机构,拥有超过270家在华经营的美国会员企业。委员会最新发布的2024年度《中国商业环境调查》显示,对于中美关系和对中国宏观经济的担忧成为美国企业在华的首要挑战。其中,中国宏观经济首次进入前十大挑战前列。

“今年的调查表明,在华运营的美国企业面临复杂且持续充满挑战的环境,其中,地缘政治、中国的产能过剩和内需不足都在削弱企业的利润和信心。”美中贸易全国委员会会长克雷格·艾伦(Craig Allen)表示,“中美两国政府的政策走向不仅会影响企业业绩,还会对整体中美关系和全球的稳定产生持久的影响。这也是为什么USCBC坚持不断倡导两国政府应制定明智、公平和透明的贸易政策,以促进健康的经贸往来。”

调查结果显示,美中贸易全国委员会会员企业在华面临的前十大挑战为:

  1. 中美关系:地缘政治或国内政治
  2. 中国宏观经济
  3. 与中国企业(国有或民营)的竞争
  4. 出口管制、制裁和投资审查
  5. 数据、个人信息和网络安全规则
  6. 中国政府和国有企业采购政策
  7. 许可和审批
  8. 关税
  9. 产业政策
  10. 知识产权保护

即便存在这些挑战,几乎所有受访企业仍表示中国市场是其全球布局的关键一环。

美中贸易全国委员会一年一度的商业环境调查旨在评估美国在华企业的商业情绪,并以企业反馈为基准,分析中国市场的挑战与机遇。由于收集并综合来自中美两地的美国企业代表们的反馈,本调查在一众行业协会的报告中,具有其独特价值。大部分受访企业为在中国运营多年的美国大型跨国企业,其中近40%的受访企业去年在华营收超过10亿美元。

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关于调查方法的编者注:

本年度的调查于2024年6至7月之间开展,调查对象为140家会员企业。受访企业在中国市场业务经验丰富——其中四分之三的企业在华运营超过20年。

本调查将受访企业所面临的十大挑战采用加权排名,以反映各企业在华经营中遇到的最为显著的问题。该方法与往年调查采用的方法相同,以确保分析的一致性。由于对某些数据采用了四舍五入的计算方法,部分图表的百分比总和可能略高于或低于100%。