Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia benefited from US President Donald Trump's first administration, as Chinese companies re-routed shipments to these regions to avoid US tariffs. In his current term, President Trump's reciprocal tariffs aim to eliminate this arbitrage, but the significant tariff rate differentials between countries are creating an even greater incentive for Chinese companies to use transshipments.

US efforts to enforce tariffs have become a game of whack-a-mole, according to Ebehi Iyoha, a trade economist and an assistant professor at Harvard Business School. Iyoha also highlights how small US businesses are disproportionately affected by tariffs compared with large corporations. She joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva on the Asia Centric podcast.

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Hong Kong is starting to look up. The Hang Seng Index has rebounded from last year’s lows and tourists are flocking to major musical and sporting events in the city's new stadium. Even expats – many of whom left for Singapore, London and elsewhere during the pandemic – appear to be returning.

But structural challenges remain. The commercial property market is beset by record-high vacancy rates while retailers are reeling as residents find significant cost savings over the border in cities such as Shenzhen. And now we have the onset of US tariffs. What will it take for Hong Kong to recapture its reputation as Asia's vibrant, international city?

Benjamin Quinlan, CEO of Quinlan & Associates and conference ambassador at the Hong Kong Tourism Board, says the city needs to double down on mega events. He joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva on the Asia Centric podcast.

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The world's top economic and financial authorities descend on Washington this week for the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings. The focus this year is overwhelmingly on trade, as US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs hang over the event. And nowhere are levies more painful than in China, where the highest rates threaten economic growth.

Arthur Kroeber, founding partner of research consultancy Gavekal Dragonomics and author of China's Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know, joins Katia Dmitrieva in Washington for a discussion about the new trade era, China's economic travails and how the trade stalemate with the US could end.

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It's been a wild few weeks in trade and markets. After unleashing reciprocal tariffs on the world, US President Donald Trump then walked them back, pausing the additional levies for every nation except China. Some exemptions were also carved out, including for iPhones. Negotiations have since ramped up with countries including Vietnam, which hope to scale down or remove the threat of tariffs altogether.

Asia is perhaps the hardest hit region, given the scope of tariffs on China and how dependent the region is on trade. Economic growth, company profits and labor markets will take a hit – even without the tariffs in place, uncertainty alone is curbing investment. But there is a longer-term silver lining: the protectionist policies have pushed officials to consider a world in which they rely less on the US and more on domestic growth drivers.

HSBC chief Asia economist Frederic Neumann sits down with Katia Dmitrieva to discuss tariffs, the countries that may be hit hardest and what this new world of trade looks like.

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Global supply chains have reconfigured since the 2018-19 trade war, leading to a surge in renewable-energy demand in countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia as Nike and Samsung set up operations. This trend, coupled with population growth and the proliferation of AI-driven data centers, is projected to triple the demand for power in the next five years, according to Gavin Adda, CEO of Peak Energy.

The subsidiary of Stonepeak, an infrastructure investment firm which manages more than $70 billion in assets, expects a big chunk of this energy demand will be met with renewable sources. Adda also sees Asian countries deregulating energy markets, opening up avenues for investments in solar and wind. He joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva on the Asia Centric podcast.

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A duct-taped banana, a glass-encased tiger shark, a three-meter balloon dog – all selling for millions of dollars. For centuries, people have invested in art and their creators, with modern investors adding these “alternative assets” to portfolios.

But global art auction turnover fell by about a third to $9.9 billion last year, according to Artmarket. It's also an increasingly tricky industry to navigate, with many sales private and some high risk, and scams not uncommon. So what are the wealthy buying these days, how safe are these investments, and what should they expect in terms of return?

John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva sit down with Betsy Bickar, senior art adviser at Citi Wealth’s art advisory unit. The episode was recorded on March 25, prior to Art Basel Hong Kong, part of the city’s Art Week.

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After underperforming for years, Chinese stocks are on a tear, rising more than 16% so far this year and outpacing many regional and global markets. The advance is led by growing optimism that technological breakthroughs like DeepSeek and a sustained pivot to consumption by Chinese officials will help boost demand.

But there are questions about the sustainability of the rally. Have fundamentals for China really improved? And are investors ready to ditch US exceptionalism and Europe's revival to invest in China equities? If the 2015 market rally and pullback is any guide, investors should brace for a near-term correction, according to Winnie Wu, chief China strategist and co-head of China equity research at Bank of America Securities. She joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva on the Asia Centric podcast.

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Looming US auto tariffs are forcing tough decisions for the world’s biggest automakers, with firms already reeling from high borrowing costs and slower sales. Tesla’s been rocked by a political backlash and plunging sales, while Chinese EV manufacturers gain global market share and make big strides in autonomous driving.

The levies – which could raise costs for companies and customers – present an existential threat to the industry, according to Steve Man, global autos and industrials research manager at Bloomberg Intelligence. He joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva to discuss the game-changing impact.

Read Bloomberg News on how auto tariffs could shake up the industry (https://blinks.bloomberg.com/news/stories/ST2QSBT0G1KW) and Steve's full research (https://blinks.bloomberg.com/news/stories/SSJQKHDWRGG0) on the Bloomberg Terminal.

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