USA – KCS Group Asia Ltd

Supply Chains and Sovereignty: the rising trend of localisation vs globalisation

Articles / Asia Pacific, China, Due Diligence, European Union, Geopolitics, Global trade, manufacturing, risks, supply chains, USA / 10/2025

In the past, the logic behind global supply chains was deceptively simple: source components where they were cheapest, assemble products where production was most efficient/ economical, and sell where demand was strongest. This model, refined over decades, essentially prioritised cost and scale above nearly all other considerations. Yet, in recent years, geopolitical pressures, technological competition [...]

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Scandium Stockpiling: the new minerals arms race

Articles / Canada, China, Due Diligence, exports, minerals, risks, Russia, scandium, supply chains, USA / 10/2025

Scandium has quietly shifted from an obscure industrial input to a geopolitical bargaining tool. In mid-2025, Beijing brought it under its export licensing system, meaning buyers now wait longer and face tougher approvals. The EU reacted in July with a formal resolution criticising the move, underlining how even minor minerals are being pulled into bigger

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Laos, China and the Corridor

Articles / Australia, China, Due Diligence, European Union, Foreign investment, Global trade, Japan, Laos, risks, Southeast Asia, trade corridor, United Kingdom, USA / 09/2025

Since the China Laos Railway (CLR) began service in December 2021, Laos has shifted from a land-locked cul-de-sac to a viable overland bridge into China and, by extension, East Asia and Europe. Throughput is climbing with the line moving close to 3 million tonnes in the first half of 2025, up 8.8% year-on-year, indicating deeper

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Building Blocks – Suriname’s Emerging Offshore Oil Sector

Articles / China, Due Diligence, Europe, Geopolitics, GranMorgu, Guyana, Malaysia, offshore, Oil, Staatsolie, Suriname, TotalEnergies, USA / 09/2025

Suriname is moving from frontier to pre-producer. TotalEnergies and APA’s October 2024 Final Investment Decision (FID) on Block 58 means it planned to start producing first oil in 2028, shifting attention from exploration to execution risk and market access. Staatsolie’s role and consolidation, reinforced by TotalEnergies’ entry into Block 53 in mid-2025, provide scale and

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A Geothermal Gold Rush – how East Africa converts heat into industry

Articles / China, East Africa, energy supply, Ethiopia, European Union, Foreign investment, geothermal, green hydrogen, Kenya, USA / 09/2025

East Africa’s Rift Valley holds high-enthalpy geothermal resources that provide steady, 24/7 power. This reliable output can support energy-intensive uses such as industrial parks, data centres, desalination and, in time, green hydrogen. Kenya has converted its geology into grid strength. About 80% of its electricity now comes from renewables, with geothermal supplying around 45%, the

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Energy, Politics and Power: Guyana’s High-Stakes Ascent

Articles / China, Due Diligence, economic growth, energy markets, energy supply, Foreign investment, Guyana, Oil, risks, supply chains, USA / 08/2025

ExxonMobil’s deepwater discoveries in Guyana’s Stabroek Block have transformed the country from a marginal player to one of the most promising oil frontiers globally. The block holds over 11 billion barrels of recoverable reserves, placing Guyana among the largest new offshore producers. Since 2022, Guyana’s GDP growth has been the fastest in the world, averaging

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From Conflict Zone to Energy Hub: Mozambique’s LNG Gamble

Articles / China, Due Diligence, energy markets, European Union, Geopolitics, Global trade, Mozambique, natural gas, Russia, security risks, supply chains, USA / 07/2025

In northern Mozambique, lies one of the world’s richest undeveloped gas basins, just offshore in a province still scarred by jihadist violence. Since 2017, the Cabo Delgado insurgency has claimed at least 4,600 lives and uprooted about a million residents, forcing TotalEnergies to suspend work on its flagship LNG complex in 2021. Fast‑forward to July 2025: Rwandan and

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On Top of the World: Brazil’s business boom amid green horizons

Articles / AI, Brazil, China, Due Diligence, economic growth, European Union, Geopolitics, Hydrogen, minerals, renewables, trade relations, USA / 07/2025

After two years of turbulence, Brazil enters mid-2025 on firmer economic footing. Real GDP expanded 3.4 percent in 2024 - its best since the pandemic - driven by household spending and a rebound in capital formation. Momentum is moderating as tighter policy grinds, yet consensus still pegs 2025 growth above two percent and expects inflation

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Vietnam’s quiet rise amid global realignment

Articles / China, Due Diligence, economic growth, Geopolitics, Southeast Asia, tariffs, USA, Vietnam, world trade / 07/2025

Since 2007 when Vietnam joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO), this Southeast Asian nation has produced seven-fold straight growth up to 2022 in imports and exports combined. There was a drop of 6.6% in 2023 due to lower demand in exports from the US and EU, but that demand quickly recovered by 2024. That Vietnam

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Kazakhstan: The Eurasian Trade Pivot

Articles / Asia, China, Due Diligence, economic growth, energy markets, Europe, Foreign investment, Geopolitics, Industrial, Kazakhstan, risks, Sanctions, Turkey, USA / 06/2025

Kazakhstan enters mid-2025 in a somewhat different position from previous years. The economy is showing signs of stable growth, with the World Bank projecting GDP expansion driven by non-oil sectors, and revived investor interest. Inflation has eased, and fiscal buffers have been replenished following earlier shocks from the pandemic and energy price volatility. While hydrocarbons

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