Shanghai is the industrial,
financial, and commercial center of China. It hosts a concentration
of manufacturing activity in such key industries as automotive,
electronics, telecommunications, machinery, textiles, iron and
steel, and petrochemicals. Shanghai has a population of some 17.5
million, not including up to three million visitors who are in
the city on any given day.
In 2005, exports from
Shanghai to other parts of the world were US$ 90.7 billion, an
increase of 23% over 2004, and constituting about 16% of China's
total. About 25 percent of China's total exports pass through
Shanghai's ports. Two-way trade between Shanghai and the U.S.
was more than US$ 31 billion in 2005, a 19% increase over 2004.
Foreign direct investment
(FDI) in East China has been increasing steadily for several years.
In Shanghai, contracted FDI in 2005 was US$ 14 billion, and actual
realized investment was US$ 6.9 billion.
The U.S. is one of
the top investors in Shanghai. The U.S. share of Shanghai’s cumulative
FDI, at approx. US$ 9.5 billion, is roughly 10% of Shanghai's
total. There are some 4,700 U.S.-invested projects in Shanghai.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai is the largest in
Asia, with over 3,000 members, and some 80 new members per month.
Some 15,000 Americans are long-term residents of Shanghai, and
many more work on short-term visas. The City of Shanghai has the
status of a province and receives preferential treatment from
the central government, particularly as an incubator for reforms
and pilot projects. Costs tend to be somewhat higher in Shanghai
than in nearby cities, but the business environment is generally
more transparent.
Source: US
Commercial Service
Shanghai
Government Official Website
Conde
Naste Traveller: Shanghai
Lonely
Planet World Guide, Destination Shanghai
Shanghai
Travel Guide |
