Amid rising tensions, ‘friendshoring’ might keep global trade alive

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · May 01, 2026 · 949 words · By Carlo Pietrobelli; Michele Delera; Nicolò Geri

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What to know about Amid rising tensions, ‘friendshoring’ might keep global trade alive

The article discusses the reconfiguration of global value chains, specifically the shift away from US-China trade toward 'reshoring' and 'friendshoring'. It analyzes the potential economic risks and opportunities this transition presents for developing nations and global consumers.

Propaganda risk 10%

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center86%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

International trade is slowing, economic uncertainty is rising, and trade between the US and China – the world’s two largest economies – risks pulling apart.

Why it matters

And it is not just trade: the two countries also invest less in each other than they did just a few years ago.

Common ground

What is driving this reconfiguration of trade?

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Amid rising tensions, ‘friendshoring’ might keep global trade alive?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Between 2017 and 2023, American imports fell most sharply in the very products where the US had been most reliant on China – including industrial machinery, computers and computer parts, and other electronic equipment such as monitors?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/amid-rising-tensions-friendshoring-might-keep-global…

analyticsAnalysis

10%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

info Single Source 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

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Claim 1: “Between 2017 and 2023, American imports fell most sharply in the very products where the US had been most reliant on China – including industrial machinery, computers and computer parts, and other electronic equipment such as monitors.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that US imports of IT hardware and consumer electronics from China have slumped significantly (62%) since the start of the trade war in 2018, aligning with the claim's focus on computers and electronic equipment.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the second-most populous country after India, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, representing 17% of the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The People's Republic of China (PRC) and the State of Israel formally established diplomatic relations in 1992. While the Republic of China had de jure recognized Israeli sovereignty in 1949, it event…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China–Israel_relations

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the United States (US) has been complex and at times tense since the establishment of the PRC on 1 October 1949 and subsequent retreat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China–United_States_relations

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 2: “Their exports to China have also risen”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the evidence confirms Vietnam is a leading exporter and attractive for investment, it does not provide specific data confirming that exports from these specific four countries to China have risen.

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web search NEUTRAL — Almost all Vietnamese enterprises are small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Vietnam has become a leading agricultural exporter and served as an attractive destination for foreign investment in Southeas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Vietnam

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web search NEUTRAL — Find the latest trade statistics and economic complexity data for Vietnam.
https://oec.world/en/profile/country/vnm

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web search NEUTRAL — Free and open access to global development data.
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.EXP.GNFS.ZS

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Claim 3: “the world’s two largest economies [are the US and China]”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results explicitly state that the US and China are the two largest national economies globally in both nominal and PPP terms.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An economic conflict between China and the United States has been ongoing since January 2018, when U.S. president Donald Trump began imposing tariffs and other trade barriers on China with the aim of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China–United_States_trade_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States has often accused the People's Republic of China (PRC) of unlawfully acquiring US military technology, classified information, personnel data, and trade secrets of US companies in or…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_espionage_in_the_Unite…

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 4: “the two countries also invest less in each other than they did just a few years ago”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence discusses general US-China relations, trade wars, and sovereign wealth funds, but does not provide specific data or statements confirming a decrease in mutual investment compared to a few years ago.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund (ICF; Chinese: 国家集成电路产业投资基金; pinyin: Guójiā Jíchéng Diànlù Chǎnyè Tóuzī Jījīn), also known as the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Integrated_Circuit_Indus…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — China Investment Corporation (CIC) is a sovereign wealth fund that manages part of China's foreign exchange reserves. China's largest sovereign fund, CIC was established in 2007 with about US$200 bill…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Investment_Corporation

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been an important part of the economy of the People's Republic of China since the 1980s. During the Mao period, most foreign companies halted their operations in Ch…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_direct_investment_in_C…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “Other beneficiaries could include Latin America and Caribbean nations, led by Mexico. Here, the automotive sector dominates export growth.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found for this claim.

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Claim 6: “east and south-eastern Asia – including Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia – have captured the largest share of these friendshoring opportunities, particularly in high-tech sectors like computers.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia are key players in friendshoring, with specific mention of Malaysia's proficiency in electronics and Vietnam/Indonesia seeing the largest gains.

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web search NEUTRAL — Malaysia’s highly skilled and educated workforce is a critical asset. The nation’s labor force is proficient in various industries, from electronics and automotive to aerospace and medical devices, en…
https://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/exploring-friendshoring-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — Thailand’s challenge is not ambition but execution. Unlike Malaysia and Vietnam, it does not yet have a well-established semiconductor supply chain. The country will need substantial infrastructure in…
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/friendshoring-future-chips-ky…

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web search NEUTRAL — Vietnam and Indonesia are set to become the key players in global supply chains as these countries will reap the largest gains in friendshoring, an emerging trend in the property market.And that's a g…
https://realestateasia.com/videos/vietnam-and-indonesia-see-…

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Claim 7: “South Asia could also benefit, with India expanding in both high- and low-tech products, and Bangladesh at the lower-tech end.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found for this claim.

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Claim 8: “Semiconductors, for instance, are already the focus of major US reshoring efforts.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results explicitly mention US semiconductor reshoring efforts, specifically citing the Biden-Harris administration's focus and the construction of new plants in Arizona.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. Under the U.S. Constitution, the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_Unit…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of 50 states, a federal district (Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States), five major territories, and minor islands. Bot…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_and_territories…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “Mexico and Vietnam – which have recently seen an increase in investment and factory expansions from multinational firms”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that multinational corporations continue to invest in Vietnam and that it is becoming a global production hub.

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web search NEUTRAL — Multinational corporations have fundamentally restructured the global economy by linking national markets into a single, interdependent production and trading system. Value chains coordinated by these…
https://legalclarity.org/how-have-multinational-corporations…

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web search NEUTRAL — Foreign investment into Vietnamese startups is predicted to increase although the COVID-19 pandemic has left negative impacts on the economy, according to experts.
https://vietnamnews.vn/economy/1035409/foreign-investment-in…

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web search NEUTRAL — The quality of foreign investment in Vietnam has also witnessed remarkable improvements. Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung noted that numerous multinational corporations and major in…
https://vietnaminsiders.com/foreign-investment-boom-turns-vi…

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Claim 10: “This group [where the US is diversifying but not competitive enough to bring production home] accounted for just over 6% of finished products that the US imported in 2023 – roughly US$181 billion (£134 billion).”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of generic Forex Factory links and trading guides, which do not contain the specific economic figures or percentages mentioned in the claim.

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web search NEUTRAL — Forex News - the fastest breaking news, useful Forex analysis, and Forex industry news, submitted from quality Forex news sources around the world.
https://www.forexfactory.com/news

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web search NEUTRAL — Anticipate market-moving events long before they happen with the internet's most forex-focused economic calendar.
https://www.forexfactory.com/calendar

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web search NEUTRAL — Why this book ? My goal with this book is to allow traders to have only one book containing detailed information for smart money concept strategy. The chapters are created in order to enlighten the im…
https://www.forexfactory.com/attachment/file/4597486?d=17007…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.