April 21, 2020

Disclaimer: This paper is the product of professional research performed by staff of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review 

Commission, and was prepared at the request of the Commission to support its deliberations. Posting of the report to the Commission’s 

website is intended to promote greater public understanding of the issues addressed by the Commission in its ongoing assessment of U.S.-

China economic relations and their implications for U.S. security, as mandated by Public Law 106-398 and Public Law 113-291. However, 

the public release of this document does not necessarily imply an endorsement by the Commission, any individual Commissioner, or the 

Commission’s other professional staff, of the views or conclusions expressed in this staff research report.

Kaj Malden, Policy Analyst, Economics and Trade

Suzanna Stephens, Policy Analyst, Economics and Trade

Cascading Economic Impacts of the 

COVID-19 Outbreak in China
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 

Table of Contents

Key Findings ..............................................................................................................................................................3

Overview: COVID-19 Response and Impact .............................................................................................................4

Chinese Consumer Demand Plummets......................................................................................................................5

U.S. Sales of Goods and Services Falling ..............................................................................................................6

Consumption Remains Sluggish Amid Uncertainty and Threatened Incomes.......................................................6

Cascading Effect of Lockdowns in China Upends Global Economic Flows.............................................................7

Transportation Stoppage and Restrictions on Movement.......................................................................................7

Production Downturn in China...............................................................................................................................9

Turmoil in Energy Markets..................................................................................................................................11

Global Shipping Flows in Disarray, Disrupting U.S. Trade.................................................................................12

Production Breaks in China Choke Supply Chains for U.S. Companies .............................................................13

Dual Supply and Demand Shocks Shake Market Sentiment................................................................................15

China’s Policy Response ..........................................................................................................................................15

Considerations for Congress.....................................................................................................................................16
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 3

Key Findings

• Halt in economic activity: In addition to COVID-19’s extensive human toll, the outbreak and response to it 

in China brought economic activity to a standstill. As a result, China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported 

a 6.8 percent contraction in first quarter GDP growth in 2020.

1 For the year, China’s 2020 GDP is expected 

to grow at its slowest rate since 1976, 2 with forecasts ranging from 3 percent (Goldman Sachs, March 17)3

to 1.2 percent (International Monetary Fund, April 14)4 to 1 percent (Nomura, March 31)5

.

*

o Demand arrested: Retail sales in January and February fell by 20.5 percent over the same period 

in 2019 according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics. This drop affected U.S. corporate

revenues in China: half of 119 companies surveyed by American Chamber of Commerce 

(AmCham) in China in late March reported revenue declines of 10 percent or greater in their 

operations in China.

o Workers’ return to cities blocked: Movement restrictions to contain the spread of illness slowed the 

flow of workers returning to cities for work after the Lunar New Year. Post-holiday data from the 

China Ministry of Transport show a 70 percent drop in passenger traffic.

o Production and export flows stalled: Labor shortages caused a significant decline in production and 

export shipments. Industrial output plummeted, and recent data indicate a manufacturing 

contraction in February 2020 below the lowest figure seen in the 2008 financial crisis. 

o Energy demand plummets: Given China’s position as the largest global oil importer, 6 OPEC 

members expressed concern at the sudden stop in oil demand, “particularly in China” but also “in 

the Asian region and gradually in the world.”7

o U.S. supply chains disrupted: The halt in production in China upended global transportation and 

shipping, and snarled global supply chains. The break in these flows affects U.S. companies: survey 

data suggest about 75 percent of U.S. companies experienced some COVID-19-related supply 

chain disruption, and over 80 percent said they may experience a negative impact beyond the first 

quarter. 

• Policy response: China’s policymakers froze economic activity in implementing stringent control measures 

to curtail COVID-19’s spread. Preliminary policy responses have focused on supply-side measures to shore 

up businesses and prevent their failure, as well as mitigate risks of unemployment. The effectiveness of 

these measures is being challenged by mounting prospects of reduced external demand. As Beijing’s 

financial system is impaired following years of credit-fueled stimulus, authorities are leaning more on 

targeted fiscal support that may reinforce state-led management of the economy.

• Looking ahead: The shutdown in China’s economic activity has now been followed by halting economic 

activity internationally as other countries respond to the pandemic. On April 14, the International Monetary 

Fund forecasted a global GDP contraction of 3 percent in 2020, assuming the pandemic subsides in most 

countries in the second quarter of 2020.

8 International Monetary Fund Chief Economist Gita Gopinath 

emphasized the forecast assumed the resumption of economic activity in the second half of 2020.

9

Scope Note

This paper addresses the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as it occurred in China and traces how 

subsequent disruptions have radiated across the world economy and impacted the United States. This assessment is 

preliminary, and new and updated data published subsequently will bring greater clarity and definition to trends 

discussed in this paper. 

 * Given great uncertainty regarding how quickly the global pandemic can be contained, these forecasts are highly variable. As of mid-April 

2020, many forecasts are being revised every two to three weeks. 
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 4

Overview: COVID-19 Response and Impact

In the wake of a deadly COVID-19 outbreak that started in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, the Chinese 

government imposed quarantines and other restrictions on movement to prevent the spread of illness in China.

Concerns about a new respiratory virus were evident prior to December 31, 2019, when Beijing first notified the 

World Health Organization (WHO) of the outbreak.

10 Chinese officials did not take decisive action to contain its 

spread until late January. On January 23, transport linkages from Wuhan were suspended, followed by the lockdown 

of 12 other cities in Hubei on January 24 (see Figure 1).11 Beyond Hubei, provinces including Zhejiang, Liaoning, 

and Jiangxi also placed official lockdowns on residential areas as localities across China implemented formal and 

informal restrictions on movement. 12 These restrictions quickly and dramatically shut off the flow of people 

returning from their hometowns to their places of work after the Lunar New Year, China’s largest annual holiday. 

Store closures, authorities’ restrictions on movement, and public fears of contagion drastically reduced in-person 

transactions in routine and holiday spending, resulting in retail sales plummeting by 20.5 percent year-on-year

according to official statistics.

Though these containment measures’ immediate economic impact fell on consumer demand, as more data are 

released, major disruptions in supply chains are becoming clearer. The slow trickle of migrant workers returning 

from their hometowns back to work sites after the Lunar New Year led to large manufacturing and logistics labor 

shortages that arrested the production and flows of goods within China and between China and other countries. 

With some notable exceptions, China’s economic activity came to a standstill. China’s National Bureau of Statistics 

reported a 6.8 percent contraction in first quarter GDP growth in 2020.

13 China’s annual 2020 GDP growth forecasts 

range from 3 percent (Goldman Sachs, March 17)14 to 1.2 percent (International Monetary Fund, April 14)15 to 1 

percent (Nomura, March 31)16. Shocks to both supply (e.g., manufacturing output) and demand (e.g., consumer 

spending) have been felt outside of China, even before the virus spread internationally. 

Figure 1: Coronavirus Outbreak and Official Action Taken 

Note: The precise date of first infection is unknown, but medical research has posited early December. Qun Li et. al., “Early Transmission 

Dynamics in Wuhan, China, of Novel Coronavirus-Infected Pneumonia,” New England Journal of Medicine, January 29, 2020. 

Source: Created by Commission staff.17

U.S. officials offered assistance to China on several occasions. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, on January 6, HHS offered to send a team from the U.S. Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC).18 This offer was reiterated on January 27, on January 28 via the WHO,19 and on 

February 3, when U.S. CDC National Center for Respiratory Diseases Director Nancy Messioner stated: “As soon 

as [the CDC is] allowed to go, we will be there ... we are still waiting for that invitation.”20 On January 28, following 

high-level discussions with the WHO in Beijing,21 China agreed it would accept an international team of experts 

from the WHO, including two experts sent from the United States, which began its mission in China on February 

16.22 Meanwhile, the United States moved to restrict travel from China on January 31.

23 On February 4, WHO 
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 5

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said widespread travel bans and restrictions “could have the effect 

of increasing fear and stigma with little public health benefits.”24

Chinese Consumer Demand Plummets

The COVID-19 outbreak started at the beginning of the Lunar New Year cutting deeply into spending on services 

and goods that typically occurs around the holiday period. Affected consumer areas included services like domestic 

and outbound tourism, restaurants, and entertainment. U.S. restaurant chains including McDonald’s and KFC 

announced partial closures and reduced operating hours, while Starbucks closed more than half of its 4,292 cafes.25

Nearly all movie theaters in China closed and movie releases were postponed.26 Box-office data company Comscore

reported that China’s box office sales in January and February totaled $238 million, compared to $2.15 billion for 

the same two months in 2019.27 

The outbreak also affected purchases of consumer goods which typically increase in January and February around

the Lunar New Year holiday. Monthly retail sales in January and February plunged 20.5 percent compared to the 

same two months in 2019, when they had grown by 8 percent (see Figure 2).28 Struggling retail sales will have a 

greater impact on China’s current economy than previously. Chinese consumer spending accounted for about 60 

percent of China’s GDP growth in recent years according to management consulting group McKinsey.29

Figure 2: Change in Monthly Retail Sales, February 2019—February 2020

Note: The National Bureau of Statistics does not release separate January retail sales figures. February retail sales figures combine January 

and February data to accommodate the Lunar New Year. Monthly retail sales were calculated from year-to-date sales by subtracting the 

prior month’s year-to-date figure from current month’s year-to-date figure within a given year.

Source: China National Bureau of Statistics via CEIC; staff calculations.

Specific retail categories provide more detail. Total mobile phones sales dropped from 14 million devices sold in 

February 2019 to 6.34 million devices sold in February 2020, a decline of 55 percent and the lowest amount for 

February since 2012 when data publication began.30 Total sales of motor vehicles, which had been slowly declining 

as of mid-2018, fell from 1,481,602 cars in February 2019 to 309,942 cars in February 2020, a drop of 79.1 

percent.31 

While most industries in China experienced major disruptions, niche markets supporting communication online saw

an uptick in usage from time spent indoors. As students moved to online classes, Chinese online education providers 

like VIPKID and Alibaba’s DingTalk began offering free classes and services.32 Free usage could help Chinese 

online education providers edge in on a valuable industry: in 2018, China’s online education market increased 25.7 

percent to $35.9 billion (renminbi [RMB] 251.7 billion) over 2017.33 Similarly, technologies to support working 

from home also accelerated. Mobile market intelligence firm Sensor Tower tracked growth in remote work 

application downloads between January 22 and February 20, including DingTalk (a 1,446 percent increase), 

WeChat Work (a 572 percent increase), and ByteDance’s Lark (a 6,085 percent increase).34

-21.1%

-25%

-20%

-15%

-10%

-5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

F M A M J J A S O N D F

2019 2020

year-on-year

Retail
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 6

U.S. Sales of Goods and Services Falling

With consumption in decline, the commercial performance of U.S. multinational enterprises (MNEs) that rely on 

China as a source of demand has been affected. A mid-February survey conducted by AmCham China* found that 

48 percent of U.S. companies surveyed expected 2020 revenues to fall if they cannot resume normal operations by 

the end of April.35 This number jumped to 57 percent just one month later as China’s policymakers struggled to 

restore economic activity and the virus’ global spread expanded, further dimming business sentiment.36 As of March 

25, half of 119 companies surveyed by AmCham China reported revenue declines of 10 percent or higher.37

U.S. firms across a range of industries have warned investors of the risks to healthy sales growth. In a rare advisory 

released on February 17, leading U.S. consumer electronics firm Apple said it did not expect to reach revenue 

targets in the first quarter of 2020 due to closures of some stores in China as well as reduced operating hours and 

low levels of customer traffic in others.38 Separately, in its 10-K filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission 

in early February, U.S. auto manufacturer General Motors anticipated lower 2020 sales in China as a result of 

COVID-19.

39

The COVID-19 outbreak also upended U.S. trade in services with China as travel restrictions and reduced 

commercial air service shrank Chinese tourism to the United States, a top U.S. services export.† According to the 

National Travel and Tourism Office at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 366,396 tourists from China traveled to 

the United States in the January-February 2020 period, a steep 34.6 percent decline from 560,581 tourists in the 

same period last year.40 The Trump Administration’s decision to limit travel to and from China on January 31,

41

and U.S. carriers’ subsequent moves to suspend or cancel routes from mainland China in February contributed to 

the decline.42 U.S. tourism exports to China are unlikely to stabilize in the short-term as global airlines slash routes 

and Chinese citizens avoid or are restricted from travel. Analysts estimate that $10 billion in spending by Chinese 

visitors in the U.S. economy could be lost as a result.43

The U.S. higher education sector will also be hard hit, with U.S. universities increasingly dependent on tuition from 

Chinese students.‡ According to the Institute of International Education, China has remained the largest source of 

international students for ten years running,44 with 369,548 Chinese students enrolled in U.S. higher education 

programs in 2018 and contributing $15 billion in tuition payments.45 The postponement or cancellation of U.S. 

college entrance examinations in China, indefinite travel restrictions, and continued uncertainty surrounding when 

U.S. college campuses will reopen are expected to reduce Chinese demand for U.S. higher education in the 2020-

2021 academic year.46 University administrators report that cancelled recruitment events in China and inability to 

work with local recruitment agencies could further depress Chinese student enrollment in U.S. university 

programs.47

Consumption Remains Sluggish Amid Uncertainty and Threatened Incomes

Although the number of new COVID-19 infections is waning in China and Beijing is gradually easing movement 

restrictions, consumption activity remains subdued due to higher unemployment and underemployment and 

continuing public concerns about infection. Businesses have moved to offer discounts to Chinese shoppers to boost 

sales,48 but anxiety about the possibility of contracting new infections is keeping citizens at home.49 Homebound 

 * The survey was conducted among 169 member companies distributed evenly between industries (e.g., technology, resources and industrials, 

consumer goods, and services) from February 17-20, 2020. American Chamber of Commerce in China, “AmCham China Flash Survey 

Report on the Impact of COVID-19,” February 27, 2020. https://www.amchamchina.org/news/US-companies-significant-negativebusiness-impact-from-covid-19-revealed-survey-results. † Chinese tourism to the United States, which includes travel conducted for business, leisure, and study in the United States, accounted for 

56.2 percent of ($32.1 billion) of total U.S. services exports to China in 2018. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic 

Analysis, Table 2.2 U.S. Trade in Services, by Type of Service and by Country or Affiliation, October 15, 2019. 

‡ International students typically pay full tuition when enrolling at U.S. universities, with only 17 percent of international students funding 

their education at U.S. universities with resources granted by their institution, such as scholarships, grants, and assistantships. According 

to one study, nearly a third of all tuition payments received by U.S. public universities comes from international students. This has led U.S. 

institutions of higher education to rely on international students to fund broader operations. See Makala Skinner, “The Financial Risk of 

Overreliance on Chinese Student Enrollment,” World Education News and Reviews, December 17, 2019. 

https://wenr.wes.org/2019/12/the-financial-risk-of-overreliance-on-chinese-student-enrollment; BBC, “Trade War: How Reliant Are U.S. 

Colleges on Chinese Students?,” June 12, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48542913.
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 7

consumers have instead turned to online shopping, focusing their purchases on essential products. Online sales of 

food and consumer goods, for example, increased 26.4 percent year-on-year in January-February 2020, while 

purchases of clothing fell 18.1 percent in the same period.50 Reduced spending on discretionary goods like clothing 

contributed to modest growth of just 3 percent year-on-year in total online retail sales.51

A recovery in consumer demand is further challenged by the growing numbers of layoffs and pay cuts, as global 

buyers—now also affected by the outbreak—delay or cancel orders from Chinese manufacturers.52 Though China’s 

reported unemployment rate is viewed as inaccurate given its political sensitivity,* even the China National Bureau 

of Statistics’ official rate rose to 6.2 percent in January-February,53 a record high and above the 5.5 percent target 

set at the 2019 National People’s Congress. A separate joint survey by Chinese recruitment website Zhaopin and 

Peking University provides further indication of stress in China’s labor market, finding that job openings dropped 

by more than 30 percent in the same period.54

To address these challenges, policymakers are taking an array of steps to spur consumption and safeguard incomes. 

Local government officials in Nanjing, for example, handed out $44.9 million worth of shopping coupons to drive 

traffic at retail stores in late March55 following guidance by the National Development and Reform Commission 

and 22 other government departments urging localities to increase consumer spending.56 The central government 

has also promised fiscal support to companies which maintain or increase employment, such as subsidies to firms 

which hire recent college graduates and refunds of 2019 unemployment insurance premiums.57 However, such 

measures may prove unsustainable as fiscal resources tighten: central and local government revenues fell 9.9 percent 

year-on-year in January-February, the steepest decline since February 2009.58 Additionally, the narrow, targeted 

nature of such measures may prove ineffective if broader economic activity in China remains subdued. 

Cascading Effect of Lockdowns in China Upends Global 

Economic Flows

Transportation Stoppage and Restrictions on Movement

On January 23, Wuhan officials imposed a city-wide quarantine on its nearly 11 million residents, freezing all rail 

and bus connections in one of China’s largest transportation hubs.59 The China Ministry of Commerce calls Wuhan 

the largest hub for land, air, and water connections, as well as a major nexus for rail freight and high-speed rail.60

Its importance to the automotive and logistics sectors has earned it the nickname of China’s “thoroughfare” and 

“motor city.”61 Hubei Province more broadly is a pivotal auto manufacturing base in China. In 2018, it produced 

2.42 million vehicles, accounting for about 10 percent of China’s total auto output.62 In addition to heavy industry, 

economist Barry Naughton has pointed out the central and local government have also invested in building Wuhan’s

optoelectronics and semiconductors industries, drawing on strong local universities.63

After the 11-week lockdown, Wuhan was officially reopened on April 8. Complete reopening is still tentative, 

however, as communities where asymptomatic COVID-19 cases are found are still barred from leaving by local 

authorities fearing a second outbreak.

64 After Wuhan’s lockdown another 12 cities in Hubei Province soon followed 

with quarantines, which were not lifted until March 25, when most of Hubei’s 60 million residents were allowed to 

travel, though COVID-19 testing requirements and imposed isolation upon arrival hinder this process.

65

While the city of Wuhan and Hubei Province received the strictest quarantine measures, intercity travel, 

transportation, and logistics across China were affected by a variety of formal and informal restrictions on 

movement. In mid-February, international news outlets reported that local governments enlisted a diverse array of

mobile tracking and neighborhood committee actions to reinforce community-level quarantines in cities across 

China, instituting measures like temperature checks, mobile phone “health” code scans, checkpoints at building 

 * Many of China’s official statistics are viewed with suspicion, but the unemployment rate is understood to be the least informative of all 

key economic indicators for which Beijing publishes data. One 2017 study found that China’s official unemployment rate fluctuated in a 

narrow range between 4 and 4.3 percent from 2002-2010 and stayed fixed at 4.1 percent since the third quarter of 2010. The official rate’s 

apparent imperviousness to major fluctuations in China’s economy—such as the global financial crisis—suggest it is tightly controlled by 

the government. See Shuaizhang Feng, Yingyao Hu, and Robert Moffitt, “Long Run Trends in Unemployment and Labor Force 

Participation in Urban China,” Journal of Comparative Economics 45 (2017) 304-324. 
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 8

entrances barring nonresidents, drones that scold non-mask wearers, and “hall passes” issued by some housing 

complexes to limit the movement of people.

66 Local tracking was sometimes accompanied by local barriers: villages 

near cities sealed themselves off by closing highways, stopping bus traffic, and setting up barricades to prevent 

outsiders from entering.67 These restrictions were not only implemented near the outbreak epicenter of Wuhan but 

also elsewhere around the country by local authorities.

68

China’s Internal Labor Migration: The Flow of Workers in Factory Production

The Wuhan quarantine order was issued a day before Lunar New Year’s Eve. Around the 16-day Lunar New Year 

festival period, the Chinese government reports nearly 3 billion trips are made69 as people journey back to their 

hometowns from the urban metropolises where they work.

* This is commonly described as the largest annual 

migration of people in the world.

70 Many of these travelers are officially designated as rural migrant laborers, a

“floating population” † estimated at 288 million (more than one third of the total labor force) in 2018.

71

In recent decades, China’s factories have depended on an “epic-scale” flow of rural migrants for labor.72 As the 

Chinese economy developed and factories rose in China’s coastal cities, government restrictions placed on labor 

mobility began to allow workers to leave rural areas in search of higher wages.73 In 2018, 46 percent of these 

workers were employed in construction and manufacturing, 7 percent in transport and logistics services, and 

remaining workers elsewhere in the service sector.74 Yet these workers hold residency permits known as “hukou”

identifying them as rural residents—which typically remains their permanent official status—and their urban 

presence is treated as transitory, regardless of how long they spend in their new city.

75 Their jobs are insecure and 

low-paid, and as non-residents, they and their children are typically ineligible for healthcare, public education, and

other government services in the cities where they live. When parents migrate, an estimated two-thirds of their 

children are “left behind” in hometowns to attend school.76 These challenging circumstances make travel over the 

Lunar New Year imperative for many families.

Consequently, during the Lunar New Year period, migrant workers use their annual two weeks of vacation to travel 

back home to see their families. The distance depends: according to advocacy organization China Labor Bulletin, 

in 2018 about 40 percent of migrant workers worked within the same county, 34 percent left their county to find 

work in their province, and 26 percent left their province for work.77 Workers willing to travel outside their county

earned an average monthly salary of $597 (RMB 4,107) relative to $486 (RMB 3,340) for short-distance migrants.

‡

Stopping this flow almost precisely on the date of the New Year has prevented workers who had returned home for 

the Lunar New Year from traveling back to their places of work, leading to a halt in production and shipping.

The substantial worker flow disruptions have led to large labor shortages, with workers stranded inside their homes 

for weeks.78 The rate of return to work has varied by locality, as local government officials balance economic 

imperatives against the risk of contagion. Data from the Baidu Migration Index tracking domestic migrant flows 

suggested only 38 percent of workers had returned from rural hometowns to urban work sites as late as February 

29, five weeks after quarantines were first imposed.79 Total passenger traffic fell by more than 70 percent in the 

three weeks following the Lunar New Year over the same period in 2019 (see Figure 3).80

 * For the sake of comparison, about 116 million U.S. residents traveled during the Christmas and New Year holidays in December 2019. 

Bloomberg News, “China Will Rack Up Three Billion Trips During World’s Biggest Human Migration,” January 20, 2020. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-20/china-readies-for-world-s-biggest-human-migration-quicktake?sref=FlHD1WjR; 

U.S. Census Bureau, “2019 U.S. Population Estimates Continue to Show the Nation’s Growth Is Slowing,” December 30, 2019. 

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2019/popest-nation.html. † The pool of rural migrant labor is referred to as the “floating population” (流动人口) in Chinese discourse. For more information on 

China’s rural labor migration, see University of Washington geography professor and long-time observer Kam Wing Chan, “Migration 

and Development in China: Trends, Geography and Current Issues,” Migration and Development 1:2 (2012): 190-191. 

http://faculty.washington.edu/kwchan/Chan-migration-China-MD.pdf. Also see preeminent labor economist Cai Fang et. al., “Migration 

and Labor Mobility in China,” UN Development Programme, April 2009. http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdrp_2009_09.pdf. ‡ Amounts converted from RMB to dollars using the December 2018 exchange rate of 6.876. China Labour Bulletin, “Migrant Workers and 

Their Children,” May 15, 2019. https://clb.org.hk/content/migrant-workers-and-their-children; U.S. Department of the Treasury, 

“Treasury Reporting Rates of Exchange as of December 31, 2018.” https://fiscal.treasury.gov/files/reports-statements/treasury-reportingrates-exchange/itin-12-31-2018.pdf. 
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 9

Figure 3: Total Daily Passenger Trips 2019 vs. 2020, January 28—February 18

Note: Passenger trips includes all rail, ferry, and highway trips. Data for 2019 were estimated using year-on-year percentage change values 

provided by the Ministry of Transport. 

Source: China Ministry of Transport via CEIC; staff calculations. 

Even after returning from rural hometowns to the cities in which they work, employees must remain in quarantine 

for 14 days before reentering a worksite.81 In a mid-February member survey by AmCham China, respondents 

stated that global and local travel restrictions and lower labor productivity were the most significant disruptions 

resulting from the outbreak.82 Of more than 150 companies surveyed, about 45 percent said they had been impacted 

by labor disruptions.83 

Production Downturn in China

The rate of return to work varies greatly across China due to stymied transportation, in addition to workers’ concerns 

about being quarantined upon arrival in a new city, and local authorities’ concerns about another outbreak if 

restrictions on movement are lifted too soon or too quickly. This caution from fearful local authorities and workers

has slowed the pace of return to work, though central government authorities called for a return to work in low-risk 

regions in late February.

84 Reflecting this uneven restart, manufacturing business owners interviewed by Caijing in 

early February did not anticipate reaching prior output levels until April.85 On March 13, the China Ministry of 

Industry and Information Technology claimed state-owned enterprises and large industrial companies had resumed 

work at about a 90 percent rate, while small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) outside of Hubei Province had 

resumed work at a 60 percent rate.86 SMEs—which employ 80 percent of workers in China87—face particular 

challenges. A February 2020 Peking University-Tsinghua University survey of 995 coronavirus-impacted small and 

medium enterprises showed that 85 percent did not have enough cash on hand to survive a three-month shutdown.88 

Official data released as of mid-March show a severe decline in output. Industrial output* dropped 13.5 percent in 

January and February of 2020—the largest contraction on record.89 The manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index 

(PMI)† dropped to an historic low of 35.7 in February, lower than the 38.8 level recorded during the 2008 Financial 

 * Tom Orlik, senior economist at Bloomberg, argued industrial output is the most valuable and closely-watched official economic statistic 

released on a monthly basis. Though Chinese economic policymakers seek to diversify the economy away from industry, the share of 

manufacturing and industry in China’s economy is still high. Industry (including mining, manufacturing, construction, electricity, water, 

and gas) still accounted for about 41 percent of GDP in 2018. World Bank, “Industry (including construction) value-added (% of GDP) –

China.” https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.IND.TOTL.ZS?locations=CN; World Bank, “Metadata Glossary: Industry, value-added 

(% of GDP.” https://databank.worldbank.org/metadataglossary/all/series?search=industry%20value%20added; Tom Orlik, 

Understanding China’s Economic Indicators, FT Press Science, 2012, 24.

† The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is a month-on-month indicator showing trends in the manufacturing sector, compiled from a 

monthly survey of enterprise purchasing managers. Above 50 indicates an expansion, normally with higher volumes of new orders and 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

January February

Daily Trips (millions)

2020 2019
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 10

Crisis (see Figure 4).90 Though it rose to 52.0 in March, China’s National Bureau of Statistics cautioned this 

expansionary figure “more reflects that more than half of the surveyed enterprises had returned to work and 

production,” an improvement over last month, and “did not mean that China’s economic operation had returned to 

normal.”91 The National Development and Reform Commission reported that China’s electricity consumption fell 

by 7.8 percent in January and February 2020 relative to the year prior—the largest drop in five years.92 Published 

electricity consumption figures likely overestimate actual usage, as business news outlet Caixin reported some local 

officials and companies created the appearance of consumption to meet assigned back-to-work production targets 

by leaving lights on and air conditioners and factory equipment running.93 For instance, on February 24, the city of 

Hangzhou encouraged businesses to use at least 75 percent of the electricity used in January, as January usage rates 

were viewed as a return to full production.94 An unnamed civil servant estimated the real resumption rate for a 

Hangzhou industrial park at 40 percent.95

A similar plunge in the imports index and new export orders index points to a deep decline in trade due to disruptions 

and order cancellations caused by the COVID-19 outbreak (see Figure 4).96 Chris Rogers, research analyst at trade 

data provider Panjiva, stated: “Trade just stopped. There were no shipments going out of ports, either the inland 

ports or the outbound ports.”97 The collapse in industrial output and trade activity has prompted Chinese companies 

to seek legal protection. The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade stated that it had issued 3,325 

force majeure* certificates covering $38.5 billion in the first three weeks of February, exempting exporters from 

contractual obligations in the wake of the outbreak.†98

 output. Below 50 indicates a contraction. According to Tom Orlik, senior economist at Bloomberg, the China Federation of Logistics and 

Purchasing’s PMI is the largest sample and most comprehensively available public data. Tom Orlik, Understanding China’s Economic 

Indicators, FT Press Science, 2012, 41-42. * Force majeure is a provision commonly found in commercial contracts that frees both parties from responsibility if an extraordinary event 

prevents one or both parties from fulfilling contractual obligations. These events must be unforeseeable and unavoidable—often referred 

to as “an act of God”—and not the result of the invoking party’s actions. Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, “Force Majeure.” 

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/force_majeure. † Chinese firms’ increased invocation of force majeure provisions heightens the risk that implementation of the U.S.-China Phase One Trade 

Agreement signed in January 2020 could become derailed. Though the agreement’s text does not include force majeure provisions

specifically, it does allow for consultations in the event of an unforeseeable circumstance. Beijing could leverage such provisions to delay 

its compliance with the agreement. For further discussion of the Phase One Agreement and prospects for disrupted implementation as a 

result of the COVID-19 outbreak, see U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, March 2020 Trade Bulletin, March 9, 

2020, 10. https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/March%202020%20Trade%20Bulletin.pdf and U.S.-China Economic and 

Security Review Commission, The U.S.-China “Phase One” Deal: A Backgrounder, February 4, 2020, 1, 3. 

https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-02/U.S.-China%20Trade%20Deal%20Issue%20Brief.pdf.
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 11

Figure 4: Manufacturing PMI and Export and Import Indices

January 2008—July 2010 September 2017—March 2020

 

 

Note: Above 50 indicates an expansion, normally with higher volumes of new orders and output; below 50 indicates a contraction.

Source: China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and National Bureau of Statistics via CEIC. 

Turmoil in Energy Markets

The standstill in Chinese production and halt in flows of goods and people has drastically depressed Chinese demand 

for energy products such as crude oil and liquified natural gas (LNG), adding pressure to an oil supply glut that had 

materialized at the end of 2019.

99 In December of 2019, Institute of International Finance economist Garbis Iradian

had forecasted a supply glut, pointing to high output from Brazil, Canada, and the United States.

100 The COVID-19 

outbreak exacerbated this challenging outlook. As the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) 

reported in April 2020: “The largest ever monthly decline in petroleum demand in China occurred in February 

2020.”101 Chinese oil demand “shrank by a massive 3.2 million barrels per day” over the prior year.102 Research by 

OPEC forecasted China’s 2020 demand for oil will decrease by 0.83 million barrels per day over 2019.

103 As the 

largest oil importer, 104 Chinese oil consumption has a significant impact on global demand. In 2019, China 

accounted for 14 percent of global oil demand and more than 80 percent of growth in oil demand.105 Following the 

outbreak in China, the OPEC Joint Technical Committee held a meeting on February 8 to recommend new and 

continued oil production adjustments in light of “the negative impact on oil demand” due to depressed economic 

activity, “particularly in the transportation, tourism, and industry sectors, particularly in China.”106 In LNG markets, 

on February 10, Caixin reported Chinese state-owned oil giant China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) 

requested a reduction of an unknown quantity in LNG shipments, invoking a “force majeure” clause due to COVID19.107 S&P Global Platts, an energy and commodities analysis group, stated China’s LNG imports in January and 

February fell more than 6 percent over the same period in 2019.108

38.80

32.20

29.00

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

01/200804/200807/200810/200801/200904/200907/200910/200901/201004/201007/2010

Manufacturing PMI

Imports Index

New Export Orders Index

35.70

31.90

28.70

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

09/201712/201703/201806/201809/201812/201803/201906/201909/201912/201903/2020

Manufacturing PMI

Imports Index

New Export Orders Index
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 12

Prices have also dropped in this period. OPEC’s reference price index fell from $66.48 per barrel in December 2019 

to $55.49 per barrel in February 2020, a drop of 19.8 percent.

109 These price cuts are causing financially strapped*

U.S. energy producers to cut back investment in oil and gas projects as profits erode. The U.S. Energy Information 

Administration forecasts that the current drop in oil prices will lead to lower U.S. crude oil production beginning in 

the third quarter of 2020.110

Global Shipping Flows in Disarray, Disrupting U.S. Trade

COVID-19-related disruption in China has upended logistics flows of maritime and air freight shipping, severely 

affecting U.S. supply chains and U.S. business’ ability to meet demand for goods ranging from mobile phones to 

medical supplies. On February 11, maritime freight industry organization Baltic Exchange’s main ocean freight 

index, which tracks maritime shipment price changes, nearly fell to a four-year low, pulled down by a drop in 

demand for capesize vessels used to carry commodities.†111 Basil Karatzas, the CEO of shipping finance company 

Karatzas Marine Advisors and Co., said the fall in demand for commodities had lowered freight rates for 

commodity-carrying dry bulk and tanker vessels.112 Container shipping has also suffered. Chinese ports processed 

about 715,000 containers a day in 2019, about 30 percent of global traffic.113

On the U.S. side, container volume from China stood at 9.9 million twenty-foot container equivalents in 2019, about 

40 percent of all container volume imported into the United States.114 For major U.S. ports, Chinese import volumes 

ranged from “the high 20 percent range” of container volume in the northeast to about 59 percent of all containers 

shipped to Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.115 Due to disruptions, in the first quarter of 2020, container 

ship operators cut capacity by cancelling sailings.116 Operators cancelled 26 sailings to the ports of Seattle and 

Tacoma,117 60 sailings to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, 118 and a total of more than 110 sailings to all 

ports in North America.119 Marine data company Alphaliner estimated that a record 2 million containers of shipping 

capacity were idled in late February, greater than the 1.5 million estimated to be idled at the height of the 2008-

2009 financial crisis.120 Beyond cancelled sailings, ocean freight shipping lines also reported in mid-February that 

some countries had imposed 15-day quarantine measures on ships that had visited China, causing further delays.121

Delays and cancelled sailings have upset shipping patterns on both sides of the Pacific, creating challenges for U.S. 

importers and exporters. Lacking the personnel to unload, wait times in the southern port of Zhoushan—the third 

largest global container port by loading capacity—rose nearly 20 hours to more than 60 hours in mid-February.122

Between slowdowns and cancellations, many refrigerated ships that transport food and other perishable items 

remain docked in Chinese ports, with few left to carry U.S. agriculture and forestry exports east.123 For instance, 

due to the drop in Chinese exports to the United States, U.S. exporters of grains used as animal feed lacked the 

empty containers to send product back to China.124 These conditions have created a bottleneck. On February 14, 

FedEx warned customers that ocean freight price rates would increase if demand from U.S.-based exporters and 

producers rose while shipping capacity remained limited.125 As of March 2, DHL Global Forwarding’s ocean freight 

segment reported moderate declines in volume capacity and moderate to strong price increases.126

As maritime shipping was disrupted and air freight capacity was cut due to passenger flight cancellations, air freight 

has simultaneously experienced both a rapid hike in demand for expedited shipping and diminished capacity in 

supply.

‡ This sudden bottleneck led to an increase in prices while air freight is “severely constricted,” according 

to Phil Levy, chief economist at logistics provider Flexport.127 For instance, DHL Global Forwarding stated on 

February 14 that “because of the force majeure situation,” the company was “not in a position to honor agreed 

 * According to law firm Hayes and Boone, 42 U.S. oil and gas producers with $25.8 billion in debt, nearly double the $13.1 billion incurred 

in the prior year, filed for bankruptcy in 2019. Hayes and Boone, “Oil Patch Bankruptcy Monitor,” January 17, 2020, 2, 11-12. 

† This index tracks price rates for capesize, panamax, and supramax vessels that transport bulk dry commodities. The largest, capesize 

vessels, derive their name from their sailing route: because they are too large to pass through the Panama Canal, capesize vessels must sail 

via the Cape Horn on the tip of Chile to cross from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The panamax is smaller and capable of passing through the 

Panama Canal. Reuters, “Baltic Index near 4-Year Low as Virus Mutes Shipping Activity,” February 11, 2020. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/baltic-index/baltic-index-near-4-year-low-as-virus-mutes-shipping-activity-idUSL4N2AB2YB; Maritime 

Connector, “Capesize.” http://maritime-connector.com/wiki/capesize/; Maritime Connector, “Panamax.” http://maritimeconnector.com/wiki/capesize/. ‡ Passenger airlines also carry air freight cargo in the hold. In Asia, passenger airlines transport about 45 percent of all air freight cargo 

according to Neil Jones Shah of Flexport. Alex Davies, “Airlines Use Empty Passenger Jets to Ease the Cargo Crunch,” Wired, March 17, 

2020. https://www.wired.com/story/airlines-use-empty-passenger-jets-ease-cargo-crunch/. 
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 13

contractual rates and transit times” but would find alternatives such as charter flights to move cargo.128 As the virus 

spread internationally and flight cancellations continued, on March 24, air cargo data provider TAC Index reported 

air freight shipping rates had spiked to their highest price level in 16 months.129 By late March, air freight rates had 

risen to the point that—in the absence of demand for air travel—passenger carriers such as Delta Air Lines and 

United Airlines began to charter jets to carry air freight.130

Production Breaks in China Choke Supply Chains for U.S. Companies

Because China is a global manufacturing hub, domestic supply chain disruptions sparked by COVID-19 have 

triggered shocks across the global economy and brought into sharp relief the risk of reliance on China as a source 

of intermediate and finished goods. According to a survey conducted by the Institute for Supply Management,*

nearly 75 percent of U.S. companies report supply chain disruptions in some capacity due to COVID-19-related 

transportation restrictions, and more than 80 percent believe their business will experience negative impact beyond 

the first quarter of 2020.131 A separate survey conducted by AmCham South China in mid-March† indicated that 32 

percent of firms operating in southern China—a nexus of Chinese manufacturing activity—are facing supply 

shortages.132

With thinner inventories, less cash on hand, and narrower supply networks, U.S. small businesses are particularly 

poorly insulated from supply shortfalls in China. A March 20 survey‡ by the National Federation of Independent 

Business, for example, found that 76 percent of U.S. small businesses are being negatively impacted by COVID19, citing supply chain disruptions and squeezed sales as top reasons for concern.133

Parts and inputs shortages and increased production costs arising from rerouted logistics and scrambled supply 

networks are causing output delays for manufacturers outside of China. Though few sectors are left unaffected, 

China’s prominent role in the production of computer and electronics products, pharmaceuticals, and automotive 

parts leaves those sectors particularly exposed. 

• Computer and electronics products: The computer and electronic products industry is at particular risk of 

disruption due to thin supply inventories and lack of alternative sources beyond China§ for parts and 

assembly.

134 Many U.S. electronics firms rely on components provided by Chinese suppliers. In a midFebruary survey administered by U.S. electronics equipment trade organization IPC, 84 percent of U.S. 

electronics firms surveyed expressed concern about the impact of COVID-19 on their business operations, 

with 65 percent anticipating delays in shipments from China.

135 Microsoft announced in late February its

projected earnings for the third quarter of 2020 would be revised downward, as its supply chain in China 

was returning to normal operations at a “slower pace than anticipated.”136 As firms scramble to reroute 

production and assembly outside of China, they are incurring increased costs for logistics. For example, 

South Korean consumer electronics firm Samsung has been forced to fly electronic components for its 

 * The Institute for Supply Management is a non-profit professional supply management organization representing 47,000 companies in more 

than 90 countries. The survey was completed by 628 member U.S. companies with manufacturing (52 percent) and non-manufacturing (48 

percent) operations from February 22 to March 5. Institute for Supply Management, “COVID-19 Survey: Impacts on Global Supply 

Chains,” March 11, 2020. http://ism.files.cms-plus.com/ISMReport/ISM_Coronavirus%20Survey%20Release_3.11.20_FINAL.pdf. † The survey was conducted among 237 random companies operating in Southern China from March 9-14, 2020, with U.S. multinationals 

accounting for 57 percent of companies surveyed. Multinational enterprises from other countries as well as small and medium-sized 

Chinese enterprises also participated in the survey. Most firms (76 percent) work in the manufacturing sector, followed by wholesale and 

retail (20 percent) and logistics (4 percent). American Chamber of Commerce in South China, “Special Report on the Impact of COVID19 on Supply Chains,” March 18, 2020, 4-5. http://www.amcham-southchina.org/amcham/static/publications/specialreport.jsp. ‡ The survey was conducted with a random sample of about 300,000 small business owners on March 20, 2020. NFIB collected 700 usable 

responses from small employers with 1-360 employees. The National Federation of Independent Business, “NFIB Study: COVID-19 

Impact on Small Business: Part 2,” March 23, 2020. https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/economy/nfib-study-covid-19-impact-onsmall-business-part-2/. § According to the McKinsey Global Institute, China accounts for nearly half of global production of computers and electronic products. 

Jonathan Woetzel et al, “China and the World: Inside the Changing Dynamics of a Changing Relationship,” McKinsey Global Institute, 

July 2019, 57. 

https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Featured%20Insights/China/China%20and%20the%20world%20Inside%20the%20dyna

mics%20of%20a%20changing%20relationship/MGI-China-and-the-world-Full-Report-Feb-2020-EN.ashx.
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 14

Galaxy line of smartphones to Vietnam for finished production, an activity that otherwise would have been 

completed on factory floors in China.137

• Pharmaceuticals: Mark Abdoo, Associate Commissioner for Global Policy and Strategy at the U.S. Food 

and Drug Administration (FDA), testified that in 2018, nearly 15 percent of all U.S. drug imports, by import 

line, * originated from China. 138 Experts estimate a much higher percentage of active pharmaceutical 

ingredients (APIs) from China—key inputs into finished drugs—are further upstream in the U.S. 

pharmaceutical supply chain. † Though the FDA states it is unable to determine the volume of APIs 

manufactured in China given supply chain complexities and gaps in what pharmaceutical companies are 

required to disclose about their inputs,139 the FDA currently reports shortages of at least 17 antibiotics and 

13 anesthetics which are globally sourced.‡140 For example, antiviral therapies such as hydroxychloroquine 

and azithromycin, which are being trialed as potential COVID-19 treatments,141 are in shortage.142 As cases 

of COVID-19 mount in the United States, there is also concern that supplies of sedatives and anesthetics 

essential to ventilator use are becoming strained internationally. According to a survey of 3,000 U.S. 

hospitals, U.S. demand for sedatives and anesthetics jumped 51 percent in March from a January 2020 

baseline.

143 Only 63 percent of those U.S. orders were filled.144 Separately, according to the FDA, sedatives 

such as fentanyl and propofol, whose ingredients are reportedly sourced chiefly from China,145 are in 

shortage as of April 2020.146 

• Automotive: COVID-19 has hit the automotive sector particularly hard because Wuhan serves as a hub§ for 

the production of cars and automotive parts.147 In February, global vehicle sales were estimated to slump 

2.5 percent in 2020 from 90.3 million vehicles sold to 88 million.148 U.S. auto manufacturers reported that 

same month that the final assembly of vehicles was being curtailed by stalled flows of auto parts from 

China,149 with U.S. imports of Chinese automobile parts falling 19.1 percent year-on-year in January and 

February.

150 Prospects for auto sales have since dimmed further as factories worldwide close due to policies 

to protect workers from the spread of the virus and consumers delay vehicle purchases amid heightened 

economic uncertainty. On March 23, S&P Global estimated global sales could fall by almost 15 percent in 

2020 to less than 80 million units.151

Reports suggest MNEs were unprepared for COVID-19’s upheaval of production networks. In interviews with 

corporate executives, Economist China editor Simon Rabinovitch found that business leaders had only just begun

to consider comprehensive supply chain reviews to reduce reliance on China following months of U.S.-China trade 

tensions. 152 A mid-February AmCham Shanghai survey found that 61 percent of U.S. companies with 

manufacturing operations in the Yangtze River Delta area reported not having any contingency plans in place to 

 * Import lines are products listed as separate items on entry documentation that an importer submits to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 

The FDA cautioned that it references import line items because is unable to calculate the total volume of APIs China manufactures due to 

complex supply chains and data reporting gaps. U.S. Customs and Border Protection transmits this information to the FDA for those 

products that are FDA regulated. In testimony before the Commission, Mark Abdoo, Associate Commissioner for Global Policy and

Strategy at the FDA, stated that approximately 83 percent of Chinese import lines for drugs and biologics were finished drugs, 7.5 percent 

were APIs, and the remaining 10 percent were animal drugs and medicated animal feed. U.S.-China Economic and Security Review 

Commission, Hearing on Exploring the Growing Risks of U.S. Reliance on Chinas Biotech and Pharmaceutical Products, written 

testimony of Mark Abdoo, July 31, 2019, 1; Federal Register, Submission of Food and Drug Administration Import Data in the Automated 

Commercial Environment, July 1, 2016. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/07/01/2016-15684/submission-offood-anddrug-administration-import-data-in-the-automated-commercial-environment. † In testimony before the Commission, Christopher Priest, Chief of Staff at the Defense Health Agency Operations Directorate, stated that 

the U.S. Department of Defense believes 80 percent of APIs used by pharmaceutical manufacturers to produce finished products come 

from China. U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Hearing on Exploring the Growing U.S. Reliance on China’s Biotech 

and Pharmaceutical Products, written testimony of Christopher Priest, July 31, 2019, 7. 

‡ The majority of the reported manufacturers of these drugs are based in India. Analysts assess that Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers 

source 70 percent of their APIs from China, a leading supplier of APIs in global supply chains for a range of generic drugs, antibiotics, 

and other pharmaceutical products. Stephanie Findlay, Hannah Kuchler, and Sarah Neville, “Drugmakers Braced for Coronavirus 

Disruption to China Supplies,” Financial Times, February 12, 2020. https://www.ft.com/content/8630c51c-4cc0-11ea-95a0-43d18ec715f5. § Analysts estimate that Wuhan accounts for roughly 10 percent of China’s automotive production capacity, with two of China’s four stateowned car manufacturers (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation and Dongfeng) operating vehicle production facilities in the city. 

This has in turn given rise to networks of specialized producers of intermediate inputs into car production, cementing Wuhan’s status as a 

central automotive production hub. See Philippe Jacque, “Wuhan’s Drive to Become China’s Car City,” Guardian, April 6, 2015. 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/06/wuhan-china-car-automobile-industry.
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 15

respond to the scale of the COVID-19 disruption.153 At the global level, a separate 2019 report from the Business 

Continuity Institute indicated that nearly a quarter of MNEs do not consistently record, measure, and report on 

supply chain disruptions given the complexity of intricate, multi-level, cross-border manufacturing and assembly 

networks, and only 27.5 percent identified human illness as a cause for concern in the coming year.154

Dual Supply and Demand Shocks Shake Market Sentiment

Initial industry impacts sparked by disarray in global supply chains anchored in China are being compounded by 

reduced demand across global economies. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 

notes that the automotive, airlines, and hotels, restaurants, and leisure industries are most negatively affected. 155 

On average, the top 5,000 MNEs have reported downward revisions of earnings estimates of 9 percent as of March 

8, 2020 (see Table 1).156

Table 1: Earnings Revisions Reported by UNCTAD Global Top 5,000 MNEs

Sector/Industry

Number of 

companies with 

earnings revisions

Average earnings 

revision (%)

Automobiles and auto parts 142 -44

Airlines 45 -42

Hotels, restaurants, and leisure 111 -21

Consumer cyclicals 671 -16

Basic materials 389 -13

Energy 243 -13

Industrials 739 -9

Utilities 175 -5

Consumer non-cyclicals 351 -4

Technology 358 -3

Healthcare 195 0

Telecommunications services 105 1

Total 3,226 -9

Source: UNCTAD, based on data from Refinitiv SA. UNCTAD, “Investment Trends Monitor,” March 8, 2020, 3. 

https://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/diae_gitm34_coronavirus_8march2020.pdf. 

China’s Policy Response

China’s policymakers made a trade-off in their preliminary response to COVID-19, shelving economic activity in 

exchange for stringent control measures to curtail the virus’ spread. Subsequent policy responses have been 

carefully sequenced and highly targeted to attempt to mitigate the disruptive effects such measures exerted on 

businesses. Authorities first moved to provide support to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) most 

vulnerable to shutdowns as well as those involved in epidemic control efforts. The People’s Bank of China launched 

a special-purpose relending program that by late February provided $114.8 billion in discounted financing to 

designated banks, which they could then relend to eligible companies of their choice.157 Financial authorities also 

encouraged banks to tolerate late payments from companies affected by the virus,158 and pumped more money into 

the banking system in March through reduced reserve requirement ratios* and medium-term lending facility† rate 

 * The reserve requirement ratio is the minimum amount of capital banks must hold against outstanding loans. 

† The medium-term lending facility is a monetary policy tool used by the PBOC to increase liquidity in the banking system by providing 

funds with longer maturities (between three months and one year). Bloomberg, “China’s Evolving Toolkit to Manage Monetary Policy,” 

June 14, 2018. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-14/china-s-evolving-toolkit-to-manage-monetary-policyquicktake?sref=FlHD1WjR.
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 16

cuts.159 Authorities have sought to extend the mileage of these targeted monetary policy maneuvers with additional 

fiscal support, such as temporary cuts to companies’ contributions to social security programs and reduced 

electricity fees.160

Though these policy responses are beginning to enable a modest recovery in China’s economy, Beijing faces new 

challenges in reduced external demand as COVID-19’s global spread deepens, hitting China’s export markets. 

Prospects of continued strain for Chinese firms and corresponding risks of job losses are sparking speculation that 

Beijing may enact broader stimulus measures to maintain momentum in its economic recovery and lift global 

growth, as it did in the wake of the global financial crisis. However, Beijing has limited ability to do so without 

adding to the debt it rapidly accumulated after 2009. According to the Bank for International Settlements, total bank 

credit surged 229.7 percent from $6.4 trillion in 2009 to $21.1 trillion in 2018, about 158.1 percent of GDP.161 This 

credit was created faster than it could be productively deployed, leading to high levels of debt in China’s financial 

system that became challenging for regulators to control.

162 Analysts estimate that more than half of new credit 

extended each year is absorbed just by interest payment obligations on existing debt.163 These high levels of debt 

and systemic stress in China’s banking sector limit authorities’ ability to fall back on monetary stimulus. Credit-led 

stimulus would also reverse years of slow but steady progress in a campaign to clean up China’s fragile financial 

sector.164

Instead, Beijing is signaling that future policy responses will remain targeted and err on the side of fiscal support. 

Though central and local government revenues fell 21.4 percent year-on-year in February,165 a Politburo meeting 

chaired by General Secretary Xi Jinping in late March announced plans for raising the fiscal deficit and further 

expanding the use of local government special purpose bonds.

166 While official readouts on the meeting do not 

provide granular detail on the scope of these measures, a higher fiscal deficit could ease local governments’ revenue 

stress and provide space to enact more tax cuts, while special purpose bond issuance could enable targeted 

infrastructure investment. In leaning on such fiscal measures, however, policymakers may redouble state-led 

economic development approaches and fortify the use of unfair corporate subsidies and other forms of economic 

malpractice which have long distorted global markets. For example, Executive Vice Premier Han Zheng stated on 

March 26 that the construction of “new infrastructure” projects such as 5G networks should be accelerated to spur 

China’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery.167 The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology also signaled 

in early April that further subsidies supporting the production of electric vehicles may be forthcoming. 168 In 

targeting next-generation infrastructure investment and providing support for prioritized industries, Beijing is able 

to advance national development objectives while simultaneously maintaining a limited fiscal response to COVID19’s economic disruptions. 

Considerations for Congress

Continuing uncertainties about the severity and duration of COVID-19’s global spread and economic disruptions 

mean any accounting of the impacts to the U.S., Chinese, and world economies will continue to evolve. Regardless, 

several dynamics warrant early Congressional attention: 

• Global Growth Uncertainty: Global growth prospects are highly uncertain. On April 14, the International 

Monetary Fund forecast a global GDP contraction of 3 percent in 2020 (assuming the pandemic subsides 

in most countries in the second quarter of 2020).

169 Ambiguity in the global economic outlook could lead 

U.S. firms to delay investment, business expansion, and hiring, while households, fearing continued 

infection, cut back spending on goods and services. Low business and consumer activity will stall U.S. 

economic growth.

• Beijing’s Policy Responses to Weakened External Demand: Chinese policymakers are grappling with how 

to restore economic activity while avoiding another outbreak. Beijing also contends with a third risk: 

reduced external demand for Chinese exports. While low global demand may push China’s policymakers 

to resort to broader stimulus measures to forestall further economic weakness—as was done in the global 

financial crisis—Beijing is limited by already high levels of indebtedness and a stressed financial system. 

To protect its position, Beijing is falling back on state intervention in its economy to spur growth in 

prioritized industries, reinforcing the use of distortive economic practices. 
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 17

• Continuing Impact of China Supply Shock on U.S. Production: Slow and uneven resumption of industrial 

activity in China will continue to create supply bottlenecks for U.S. producers. Only one-fifth of U.S. firms 

operating in China reported resumption of normal operations in mid-March, while another fifth anticipates 

continued delays through April.170 Disruptions to global shipping and strained air freight capacity will 

compound these bottlenecks as the transport of intermediate and finished goods out of China to the United 

States becomes more expensive, elevating production costs. Analysts estimate air freight prices to transport 

goods out of China to Europe or North America quadrupled in March while the cost of ocean freight rose 

20 percent month-on-month.

171

• Continuing Weakness in Chinese Demand for U.S. Services: Chinese tourism and spending on U.S. higher 

education, top U.S. services exports to China, are plummeting as airlines limit service to and from China 

and university terms are disrupted. Reduced Chinese demand for U.S. tourism will affect U.S. education, 

hospitality, restaurant, and other leisure industries as travel from China to the United States and spending 

in the U.S. economy comes to a standstill. Diminished Chinese enrollment in U.S. degree-granting 

programs, which generated $15 billion in U.S. services exports to China in 2018,172 will narrow the U.S. 

services trade surplus with China, the growth of which was already decelerating in 2018. 

• Impact of Depressed Oil Prices: U.S. oil and gas producers will suffer from the downward pressure on 

global energy prices exacerbated by weakened demand in China. As oil prices fall, U.S. energy producers 

may hold back on investment in oil and gas projects, leading to reduced production and employment in the 

sector. Industry consolidation may compound these trends. Separately, investment in renewable energy may 

also decline, as energy provided by fossil fuels becomes more price competitive. 

• Disrupted Implementation of Phase One Trade Agreement: Officials in Washington and Beijing indicate 

implementation of the Phase One trade agreement will continue as scheduled. However, COVID-19’s 

impact on U.S. exporters and Chinese consumer demand raises the possibility that implementation could 

be disrupted. While the text of the Phase One agreement makes no specific reference to force majeure 

exemptions, it includes a clause allowing for consultations “in the event that a natural disaster or other 

unforeseeable event” delays compliance, potentially providing Beijing the option to stall its purchase 

commitments.173
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 18

Endnotes

1 China National Bureau of Statistics, “National Bureau of Statistics Spokesperson Holds 2020 Press Conference Regarding First Quarter 

National Economic Growth Performance (国家统计局新闻发言人就 2020 年一季度国民经济运行情况答记者问),” April 17, 2020. 

http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/sjjd/202004/t20200417_1739461.html. 2 Bloomberg, “China’s Economy to Grow the Slowest since 1976 This Year,” February 4, 2020, updated March 23, 2020. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-04/economists-cut-china-s-growth-forecast-on-coronavirusimpact?sref=FlHD1WjR. 3 Reuters, “Goldman Cuts First Quarter GDP Estimate for China, Sees 9% Contraction vs +2.5% Earlier,” March 17, 2020. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-goldman/goldman-cuts-first-quarter-gdp-estimate-for-china-sees-9-contraction-vs-2-

5-earlier-idUSKBN2140PL. 4 International Monetary Fund, “World Economic Outlook,” April 14, 2020. 

https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2020/04/14/weo-april-2020. 5 Laura He, “China’s Economy May Not Grow at All in 2020. That Hasn’t Happened in 44 Years,” CNN, April 1, 2020. 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/economy/china-economy-stimulus-coronavirus/index.html. 6 U.S. Energy Information Administration, “China surpassed the United States as the world’s largest crude oil importer in 2017,” February 

5, 2018. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=34812. 7 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, “Coronavirus: JTC Recommends Extending Production Adjustments to End 2020,” 

February 8, 2020. https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/press_room/5838.htm. 8 International Monetary Fund, “World Economic Outlook,” April 14, 2020. 

https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2020/04/14/weo-april-2020. 9 International Monetary Fund, “Live: Press Conference April 2020 World Economic Outlook,” April 14, 2020. 

https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2020/04/14/weo-april-2020. 10 World Health Organization, “Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Situation Report -1,” January 21, 2020. https://www.who.int/docs/defaultsource/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200121-sitrep-1-2019-ncov.pdf?sfvrsn=20a99c10_4. 11 Deutsche Welle, “China Extends Lockdown on Millions in Coronavirus Outbreak,” January 24, 2020. https://www.dw.com/en/chinaextends-lockdown-on-millions-in-coronavirus-outbreak/a-52131828. 12 Raymond Zhong and Paul Mozur, “To Tame Coronavirus, Mao-Style Social Control Blankets China,” New York Times, February 15, 

2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/15/business/china-coronavirus-lockdown.html; Bloomberg, “China’s Cities Lock Up Residents 

to Prevent Spread of Virus,” February 11, 2020. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-11/china-s-cities-lock-up-residentsto-prevent-spread-of-virus; Anna Fifield, “Hundreds of Miles from Hubei, Additional 30 Million Chinese Are in Coronavirus 

Lockdown,” Washington Post, February 7, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/hundreds-of-miles-from-hubeianother-30-million-chinese-are-in-coronavirus-lockdown/2020/02/07/03a08282-48b9-11ea-8a1f-de1597be6cbc_story.html. 13 China National Bureau of Statistics, “National Bureau of Statistics Spokesperson Holds 2020 Press Conference Regarding First Quarter 

National Economic Growth Performance (国家统计局新闻发言人就 2020 年一季度国民经济运行情况答记者问),” April 17, 2020. 

http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/sjjd/202004/t20200417_1739461.html. 14 Reuters, “Goldman Cuts First Quarter GDP Estimate for China, Sees 9% Contraction vs +2.5% Earlier,” March 17, 2020. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-goldman/goldman-cuts-first-quarter-gdp-estimate-for-china-sees-9-contraction-vs-2-

5-earlier-idUSKBN2140PL. 15 Asian Development Bank, “Asian Development Outlook 2020,” April 2020. xxi. 

https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/575626/ado2020.pdf. 16 Laura He, “China’s Economy May Not Grow at All in 2020. That Hasn’t Happened in 44 Years,” CNN, April 1, 2020. 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/economy/china-economy-stimulus-coronavirus/index.html. 17 Betsy McKay, Jennifer Calfas, and Tala Ansari, “Coronavirus Declared Pandemic by World Health Organization,” March 11, 2020. 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-coronavirus-cases-top-1-000-11583917794; Chun Han Wong and Jonathan Cheng, “China’s Xi Visits 

Wuhan, City at Center of Coronavirus Epidemic,” Wall Street Journal, March 10, 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-presidentxi-jinping-arrives-in-wuhan-chinese-state-broadcaster-11583811578; Lily Kuo, Martin Farrer, and Sarah Boseley, “Coronavirus: China 

Purges Regional Leaders Hours after Spike in Deaths and Cases,” Guardian, February 13, 2020. 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/13/coronavirus-china-purges-regional-leaders-hours-after-spike-in-deaths-and-newcases; New York Times, “Deaths in China Surpass Toll from SARS,” February 9, 2020. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/09/world/asia/coronavirus-china.html#link-28cece0e; Alice Miranda Ollstein, “Coronavirus 

Quarantine, Travel Ban Could Backfire, Experts Fear,” Politico, February 4, 2020. 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/04/coronavirus-quaratine-travel-110750; World Health Organization, “Novel Coronavirus 

(2019-nCoV) Situation Report-11,” January 31, 2020. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situationreports/20200131-sitrep-11-ncov.pdf?sfvrsn=de7c0f7_4; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Remarks at Coronavirus 

Press Briefing,” January 28, 2020. https://www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/secretary/speeches/2020-speeches/remarks-at-coronaviruspress-briefing.html; Lisette Voytko, “CDC Offers China Help as Coronavirus Outbreak Grows, According to Report,” Forbes, January 

28, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/01/28/cdc-offers-china-help-as-coronavirus-outbreak-grows-according-toreport/#b30bf944ee4e; James Griffiths and Amy Woodyatt, “China Goes into Emergency Mode as Number of Confirmed Cases Reaches 

2,700,” CNN, January 27, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/26/asia/wuhan-coronavirus-update-intl-hnk/index.html; Reuters, 

“China’s Cabinet to Extend Lunar New Year Holidays: State Broadcaster,” January 26, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chinahealth-holidays/chinas-cabinet-to-extend-lunar-new-year-holidays-state-broadcaster-idUSKBN1ZP0PQ; Deutsche Welle, “China 

 
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 19

 Extends Lockdown on Millions in Coronavirus Outbreak,” January 24, 2020. https://www.dw.com/en/china-extends-lockdown-onmillions-in-coronavirus-outbreak/a-52131828; Roni Caryn Rabin, “First Patient with Wuhan Coronavirus Is Identified in the U.S.,” New 

York Times, January 21, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/health/cdc-coronavirus.html; Amy Qin and Javier C. Hernandez, 

“China Reports First Death from New Virus,” New York Times, January 10, 2020. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/world/asia/china-virus-wuhan-death.html; World Health Organization, “Novel Coronavirus (2019-

nCoV) Situation Report -1,” January 21, 2020. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200121-sitrep1-2019-ncov.pdf?sfvrsn=20a99c10_4; Qun Li et. al., “Early Transmission Dynamics in Wuhan, China, of Novel Coronavirus-Infected 

Pneumonia,” New England Journal of Medicine, January 29, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/26/asia/wuhan-coronavirus-updateintl-hnk/index.html. 18 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Remarks at Coronavirus Press Briefing,” January 28, 2020. 

https://www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/secretary/speeches/2020-speeches/remarks-at-coronavirus-press-briefing.html. 19 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Remarks at Coronavirus Press Briefing,” January 28, 2020. 

https://www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/secretary/speeches/2020-speeches/remarks-at-coronavirus-press-briefing.html. 20 U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Transcript for CDC Telebriefing: CDC Update on Novel Coronavirus,” February 3, 

2020. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/t0203-coronavirus-update.html. 21 World Health Organization, “WHO, China Leaders Discuss Next Steps in Battle against Coronavirus Outbreak,” January 28, 2020. 

https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/28-01-2020-who-china-leaders-discuss-next-steps-in-battle-against-coronavirus-outbreak. 22 World Health Organization, “Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19),” February 16-24, 

2020. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/who-china-joint-mission-on-covid-19-final-report.pdf; Roni Caryn Rabin, 

“China Will Admit International Experts to Help Contain Coronavirus Outbreak,” New York Times, January 28, 2020. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/28/health/airports-screening-coronavirus.html. 23 Alice Miranda Ollstein, “Coronavirus Quarantine, Travel Ban Could Backfire, Experts Fear,” Politico, February 4, 2020. 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/04/coronavirus-quaratine-travel-110750. 24 Alice Miranda Ollstein, “Coronavirus Quarantine, Travel Ban Could Backfire, Experts Fear,” Politico, February 4, 2020. 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/04/coronavirus-quaratine-travel-110750. 25 Alexandra Stevenson, “Coronavirus Outbreak Tests World’s Dependence on China,” New York Times, January 29, 2020.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/29/business/china-coronavirus-economy.html. 26 Rebecca Davis and Patrick Frater, “China Debuts of ‘Dolittle,’ ‘1917,’ and ‘Jojo Rabbit’ Postponed as Virus Outbreak Hurts 

Entertainment,” Variety, February 3, 2020. https://variety.com/2020/film/asia/jojo-rabbit-cancels-china-debut-little-women-the-pixies1203490755/. 27 Vivienne Chow, “China’s Box Office Plummets $1.91 Billion in Two Months due to Coronavirus Crisis,” Variety, March 2, 2020. 28 China National Bureau of Statistics via CEIC. 29 Johnny Ho et. al., “China Consumer Retail Report 2020,” McKinsey and Co., December 2019, 4. 

https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Featured%20Insights/China/China%20consumer%20report%202020%20The%20many%

20faces%20of%20the%20Chinese%20consumer/China-consumer-report-2020-vF.ashx. 30 Reuters, “Apple Sells Fewer than 500,000 Smartphones in China in February amid Coronavirus,” March 9, 2020. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-apple-china/apple-sells-fewer-than-500000-smartphones-in-china-in-februaryamid-coronavirus-idUSKBN20W19H. 31 China Association of Automobile Manufacturers via CEIC; staff calculations. 32 Tracy Qu, “China’s Traditional Schools Embrace Online Learning as COVID-19 Forces Students to Stay at Home,” South China 

Morning Post, February 5, 2020. https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3048891/chinas-traditional-schools-embraceonlinelearning-COVID-19. 33 Tracy Qu, “China’s Traditional Schools Embrace Online Learning as COVID-19 Forces Students to Stay at Home,” South China 

Morning Post, February 5, 2020. https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3048891/chinas-traditional-schools-embraceonlinelearning-COVID-19. 34 Rita Liao, “China Roundup: Amid COVID-19, Tech Firms Offer Ways to Maintain China’s Lifeblood,” TechCrunch, February 23, 2020.

 https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/23/china-roundup-tech-companies-COVID-19/. 35 American Chamber of Commerce in China, “AmCham China Flash Survey Report on the Impact of COVID-19,” February 27, 2020. 

https://www.amchamchina.org/news/US-companies-significant-negative-business-impact-from-covid-19-revealed-survey-results. 36 American Chamber of Commerce in China, “COVID-19 Business Impact 60 Days in: Results from the March 2020 Flash Survey,” 

March 25, 2020, 10, 18. 

https://www.amchamchina.org/uploads/media/default/0001/12/345fc838ca7dcbc9a7fd9c4161caa494abc227de.pdf. 37 American Chamber of Commerce in China, “COVID-19 Business Impact 60 Days in: Results from the March 2020 Flash Survey,” 

March 25, 2020, 9. https://www.amchamchina.org/uploads/media/default/0001/12/345fc838ca7dcbc9a7fd9c4161caa494abc227de.pdf. 38 Apple, “Investor Update on Quarterly Guidance,” February 17, 2020. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/02/investor-update-onquarterly-guidance/?subId1=xid:fr1582147897260cia&subId3=xid:fr1585077410884bcf. 39 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Form 10-K Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange 

Act of 1934 for General Motors Company, February 5, 2020. 

https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1467858/000146785820000028/gm201910k.htm. 40 U.S. Department of Commerce, National Travel and Tourism Office, I-94 Arrivals: Non-Resident Arrivals to the United States, Arrivals 

Data- Country of Citizenship, March 2020. https://travel.trade.gov/view/m-2017-I-001/index.asp 41 Michael Corkery and Annie Karni, “Trump Administration Restricts Entry Into U.S. From China,” New York Times, January 31, 2020.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/business/china-travel-coronavirus.html.
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 20

 42 Reuters, “Airlines Suspend china Flights Due to Coronavirus Outbreak,” February 12, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chinahealth-airlines/airlines-suspend-china-flights-due-to-coronavirus-outbreak-idUSKBN2060H6. 43 Tourism Economics, “Potential Impact of the Coronavirus on Travel to the U.S.: China Travel Market Scenario Analysis,” January 31, 

2020, 8. https://s3.amazonaws.com/tourism-economics/craft/Latest-Research-Docs/Coronavirus-scenarios-TE-Oxford-1-31-2020.pdf. 44 Institute of International Education, “Number of International Students in the United States Hits All-Time High,” November 18, 2019. 

https://www.iie.org/Why-IIE/Announcements/2019/11/Number-of-International-Students-in-the-United-States-Hits-All-Time-High. 45 Institute of International Education, “Open Doors: Report on International Educational Exchange 2019 Fact Sheet: China,” 2019.

https://www.iie.org/-/media/Files/Corporate/Open-Doors/Fact-Sheets2019/Country/China.ashx?la=en&hash=105FBA7FAB23FED694F051945E16CB51064120DC. 46 Benjamin Mueller, “Western Universities Rely on China. After the Virus, That May Not Last,” New York Times, March 21, 2020. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/21/world/europe/coronavirus-chinese-students-uk.html. 47 Mirka Martel, “COVID-19 Effects on U.S. Higher Education Campuses,” Institute of International Education, March 2020, 5. 48 Reuters, “Chinese Consumers Urged to Splurge as Economy Begins Path to Normality,” March 25, 2020. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-retail/chinese-consumers-urged-to-splurge-as-economy-begins-path-tonormality-idUSKBN21C0KN. 49 Houze Song, “As Viral Outbreak Improves, Demand Holds the Key to Economic Recovery,” Macro Polo, February 20, 2020. 

https://macropolo.org/coronavirus-improves-demand-holds-key-economic-recovery/. 50 National Bureau of Statistics, “Sales of Consumer Goods Went Down by 20.5 Percent in the First Two Months of 2020,” March 17,

2020. http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202003/t20200317_1732694.html. 51 National Bureau of Statistics, “Sales of Consumer Goods Went Down by 20.5 Percent in the First Two Months of 2020,” March 17, 

2020. http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202003/t20200317_1732694.html. 52 Stella Qiu and Ryan Woo, “China’s Factories Reopen, Only to Fire Workers as Virus Shreds Global Trade,” Reuters, Mach 26, 2020. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-manufacturin/chinas-factories-reopen-only-to-fire-workers-as-virusshreds-global-trade-idUSKBN21D0IG; Lulu Yilun Chen and Jinshan Hong, “Coronavirus Hits China’s Workers as Businesses Say They 

Can’t Pay Wages Now,” Fortune, February 19, 2020. https://fortune.com/2020/02/19/coronavirus-china-workers-businesses-paywages/. 53 National Bureau of Statistics via CEIC database 54 Shen Xinyue and Mo Yelin, “Job Openings in China Fall Over 30 Percent Amid Coronavirus,” Caixin, March 26, 2020. 

https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-03-26/job-openings-in-china-fall-over-30-amid-coronavirus-101534459.html. 55 Reuters, “Chinese Consumers Urged to Splurge as Economy Begins Path to Normality,” March 25, 2020. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-retail/chinese-consumers-urged-to-splurge-as-economy-begins-path-tonormality-idUSKBN21C0KN.

56 State Council of the People’s Republic of China, “关于促进消费扩容提质加快形成强大国内市场的实施意见 (Guiding Opinions on 

Promoting the Expansion and Quality of Consumption to Form a Strong Domestic Market),” March 13, 2020. Translation. 

http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2020-03/13/content_5490797.htm

57 State Council of the People’s Republic of China, “国务院办公厅关于应对新冠肺炎疫情影响强化稳就业举措的实施意见 (Guiding 

Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Strengthening Employment Stability in Response to the Impact of the Novel 

Coronavirus Outbreak),”March 18, 2020. Translation. http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2020-03/20/content_5493574.htm. 58 Cheng Siwei and Han Wei, “Covid-19 Epidemic Slams China’s Government Revenues,” Caixin, March 25, 2020. 

https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-03-25/covid-19-epidemic-slams-chinas-government-revenues-101533497.html. 59 Don Weinland and Tom Hancock, “Alarm Spreads over Coronavirus as China Extends Travel Curbs,” Financial Times, January 24, 

2020. https://www.ft.com/content/1434a7ae-3d92-11ea-b232-000f4477fbca; Adam Taylor, “Wuhan: The Chinese Mega-City at the 

Center of the Coronavirus Outbreak,” January 23, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/01/23/wuhan-chinese-mega-citycenter-coronavirus-outbreak/. 60 Bloomberg News, “Wuhan Virus Lockdown Casts Cloud over Industry and Tech Hub,” January 23, 2020. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-24/wuhan-virus-lockdown-casts-economic-cloud-over-china-schicago?sref=FlHD1WjR; He Huifeng, “Why Wuhan Is So Important to China’s Economy and the Potential Impact of the 

Coronavirus,” South China Morning Post, January 24, 2020. https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3047426/explainedwhy-wuhan-so-important-chinas-economy-and-potential. 61 He Huifeng, “Why Wuhan Is So Important to China’s Economy and the Potential Impact of the Coronavirus,” South China Morning 

Post, January 24, 2020. https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3047426/explained-why-wuhan-so-important-chinaseconomy-and-potential. 62 Takashi Kawakami and Shunsuke Tabeta, "Wuhan lockdown strikes at heart of 'Made in China 2025," Nikkei Asian Review, February 3, 

2020. https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Wuhan-lockdown-strikes-at-heart-of-Made-in-China-2025. 63 Bloomberg News, “Wuhan Virus Lockdown Casts Cloud over Industry and Tech Hub,” January 23, 2020. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-24/wuhan-virus-lockdown-casts-economic-cloud-over-china-schicago?sref=FlHD1WjR. 64 Sun Yu and Don Weinland, “Wuhan’s Liberation Greeted with Anger and Anxiety,” Financial Times, April 8, 2020. 

https://www.ft.com/content/0d6f509b-966c-4909-9334-ff3f23c33484; Vivian Wang and Sui-Lee Wee, “China to Ease Coronavirus 

Lockdown on Hubei 2 Months after Imposing It,” New York Times, March 24, 2020. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/world/asia/china-coronavirus-lockdown-hubei.html. 65 Sun Yu and Don Weinland, “Wuhan’s Liberation Greeted with Anger and Anxiety,” Financial Times, April 8, 2020. 

https://www.ft.com/content/0d6f509b-966c-4909-9334-ff3f23c33484; Vivian Wang and Sui-Lee Wee, “China to Ease Coronavirus 
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 21

 Lockdown on Hubei 2 Months after Imposing It,” New York Times, March 24, 2020. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/world/asia/china-coronavirus-lockdown-hubei.html. 66 Brenda Goh, “China’s Wuhan, Where the Coronavirus Emerged, Begins to Lift Its Lockdown,” Reuters, March 28, 2020. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-wuhan/chinas-wuhan-where-the-coronavirus-emerged-begins-to-lift-itslockdown-idUSKBN21F0B9; Emma Graham-Harrison and Lily Kuo, “China’s Coronavirus Lockdown Strategy: Brutal but Effective,” 

Guardian, March 19, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/19/chinas-coronavirus-lockdown-strategy-brutal-buteffective; Raymond Zhong and Paul Mozur, “To Tame Coronavirus, Mao-Style Social Control Blankets China,” New York Times, 

February 15, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/15/business/china-coronavirus-lockdown.html. 67 Don Weinland and Sun Yu, “Chinese Villages Build Barricades to Keep Coronavirus at Bay,” Financial Times, February 7, 2020. 

https://www.ft.com/content/68792b9c-476e-11ea-aeb3-955839e06441. 68 Don Weinland and Sun Yu, “Chinese Villages Build Barricades to Keep Coronavirus at Bay,” Financial Times, February 7, 2020. 

https://www.ft.com/content/68792b9c-476e-11ea-aeb3-955839e06441; Paul Mozur, “China, Desperate to Stop Coronavirus, Turns 

Neighbor against Neighbor,” New York Times, February 3, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/03/business/china-coronaviruswuhan-surveillance.html; Cindy Chang and Alice Su, “Chinese Villagers Walled off against Outsiders as Coronavirus Toll Mounts,” Los 

Angeles Times, January 31, 2020. https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-01-31/chinese-villages-walled-off-againstoutsiders-as-coronavirus-toll-mounts. 69 China Daily, “Nearly 3 Billion Trips Forecast for Holiday Travel Rush,” January 19, 2019. 

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201901/19/WS5c4220afa3106c65c34e5567.html. 70 Julie Wernau, “Coronavirus Prompts Change of Plan for Chinese Holiday: Stay Home,” Wall Street Journal, January 20, 2020. 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-stick-closer-to-home-over-holiday-as-virus-spreads-11579535232; Bloomberg News, “China Will 

Rack Up Three Billion Trips During World’s Biggest Human Migration,” January 20, 2020. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-20/china-readies-for-world-s-biggest-human-migration-quicktake?sref=FlHD1WjR. 71 China Labour Bulletin, “Migrant Workers and Their Children,” May 15, 2019. https://clb.org.hk/content/migrant-workers-and-theirchildren. 72 Kam Wing Chan, “Migration and Development in China: Trends, Geography and Current Issues,” Migration and Development 1:2

(2012): 190-191. http://faculty.washington.edu/kwchan/Chan-migration-China-MD.pdf. 73 Kam Wing Chan, “Migration and Development in China: Trends, Geography and Current Issues,” Migration and Development 1:2

(2012): 190-191. http://faculty.washington.edu/kwchan/Chan-migration-China-MD.pdf; Cai Fang, Du Yang, and Wang Meiyan, 

“Migration and Labor Mobility in China,” UN Development Programme, April 2009, 2. 

http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdrp_2009_09.pdf. 74 China Labour Bulletin, “Migrant Workers and Their Children,” May 15, 2019. https://clb.org.hk/content/migrant-workers-and-theirchildren. 75 China Labour Bulletin, “Migrant Workers and Their Children,” May 15, 2019. https://clb.org.hk/content/migrant-workers-and-theirchildren. 76 China Labour Bulletin, “Migrant Workers and Their Children,” May 15, 2019. https://clb.org.hk/content/migrant-workers-and-theirchildren. 77 China Labour Bulletin, “Migrant Workers and Their Children,” May 15, 2019. https://clb.org.hk/content/migrant-workers-and-theirchildren. 78 Sun Yu, “China’s Stranded Workers Drag Down COVID-19 Stricken Economy,” Financial Times, March 3, 2020. 

https://www.ft.com/content/43d05790-5d10-11ea-b0ab-339c2307bcd4. 79 Eric Yep and Meghan Gordon, “Global Oil Demand Set to Shrink First Time in Decade as Coronavirus Spreads,” S&P Global Platts, 

March 4, 2020. https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/oil/030420-global-oil-demand-set-to-decline-in-2020-

as-covid-19-spreads-analysts. 80 China Ministry of Transport via CEIC; staff calculations. 81 Chen Ting-Fang and Lauly Li, “China Lets Wuhan Tech Plants Bypass Lockdown to Stay Open,” Nikkei Asian Review, March 4, 2020. 

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/COVID-19/China-lets-Wuhan-tech-plants-bypass-lockdown-to-stay-open. 82 American Chamber of Commerce in China, “AmCham China Flash Survey Report on the Impact of COVID-19,” February 27, 2020, 9. 83 American Chamber of Commerce in China, “AmCham China Flash Survey Report on the Impact of COVID-19,” February 27, 2020, 9. 84 Leslie Hook, “COVID-19 Leads to Sharp Fall in China’s Carbon Emissions,” Financial Times, March 4, 2020. 

https://www.ft.com/content/df3fb3b2-5def-11ea-8033-fa40a0d65a98; Stu Woo, “With Migrant Workers in Limbo, Part of China’s 

Economy Is Stalled” Wall Street Journal, February 24, 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/with-migrant-workers-in-limbo-part-ofchinas-economy-is-stalled-11582540203. 

85 Zhang Wei, “ Manufacturing Companies Plan for Resumption of Work (《制造企业谋划复工大计,期待 3 月开始安全自救》), 

Caijing, February 8, 2020. 86 Evelyn Cheng, “Coronavirus Batters China Restaurants and Eateries as Millions of Workers Struggle to Return to Work,” CNBC, March 

13, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/13/coronavirus-batters-china-restaurants-as-millions-struggle-to-return-to-work.html. 87 Gerry Shih, “With Chefs Idle and Vegetables Rotting, China’s Virus-Hit Restaurants Say Their Goose Is Cooked,” Washington Post, 

March 2, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/with-chefs-idle-and-vegetables-rotting-chinas-virus-hitrestaurants-say-their-goose-is-cooked/2020/03/02/07d781da-59e3-11ea-8efd-0f904bdd8057_story.html. 88 21st Century Business Herald, “Amid the Epidemic, Nucleic Acid Testing Helps Put Employees’ Safety First” (疫情下,核酸检测助力

把好复工潮下员工安全第一关), February 27, 2020. Translation. http://www.21jingji.com/2020/2-

27/zNMDE0MTBfMTUzNzkzNw.html. 89 Don Weinland and Xinning Liu, “Chinese Economy Suffers Record Blow from Coronavirus,” Financial Times, March 16, 2020. 

https://www.ft.com/content/318ae26c-6733-11ea-800d-da70cff6e4d3. 
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 22

 90 China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and National Bureau of Labor Statistics via CEIC. 91 National Bureau of Statistics, "Purchasing Managers Index for March 2020," April 1, 2020. 

http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202004/t20200401_1736207.html; Jamie Powell and Claire Jones, “China’s PMI Print 

Doesn’t Mean Much,” Financial Times, March 31, 2020. https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2020/03/31/1585657722000/China-s-PMI-printdoesn-t-mean-much/. 92 Chen Xuewan, Zhao Xuan, and Lu Yutong, “China’s Electricity Consumption Drops by Most in Five Years,” Caixin, March 18, 2020. 

https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-03-18/chinas-electricity-consumption-drops-by-most-in-five-years-101530659.html. 93 Yuan Ruiyang and Isabelle Li, “Lights Are On but No One’s Working: How Local Governments Are Faking Coronavirus Recovery,” 

Caixin, March 4, 2020. https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-03-04/lights-are-on-but-no-ones-working-how-local-governments-arefaking-coronavirus-recovery-101524058.html. 94 Yuan Ruiyang and Isabelle Li, “Lights Are On but No One’s Working: How Local Governments Are Faking Coronavirus Recovery,” 

Caixin, March 4, 2020. https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-03-04/lights-are-on-but-no-ones-working-how-local-governments-arefaking-coronavirus-recovery-101524058.html. 95 Yuan Ruiyang and Isabelle Li, “Lights Are On but No One’s Working: How Local Governments Are Faking Coronavirus Recovery,” 

Caixin, March 4, 2020. https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-03-04/lights-are-on-but-no-ones-working-how-local-governments-arefaking-coronavirus-recovery-101524058.html. 96 Tang Ziyi, “Chinese Manufacturers Haven’t Seen It This Bad in 16 Years, Caixin PMI Shows,” Caixin, March 2, 2020. 

https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-03-02/chinese-manufacturers-havent-seen-it-this-bad-in-16-years-caixin-pmi-shows101521789.html. 97 Soumaya Keynes and Chad Bown, “126: COVID-19 and Trade: Stories from the Data,” Trade Talks, March 27, 2020. 98 Sun Yu and Xinning Liu, “China Issues Record Number of Force Majeure Certificates,” Financial Times, February 27, 2020. 

https://www.ft.com/content/bca84ad8-5860-11ea-a528-dd0f971febbc. 99 Simon Constable, “Oil Prices Face Double Whammy In 2020,” Forbes, December 30, 2019. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonconstable/2020/12/30/oil-prices-face-double-whammy-in-2020/#75c7c80632fb. 100 Simon Constable, “Oil Prices Face Double Whammy In 2020,” Forbes, December 30, 2019. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonconstable/2020/12/30/oil-prices-face-double-whammy-in-2020/#75c7c80632fb. 101 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, “OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report,” April 16, 2020, 30. 

https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/publications/338.htm. 102 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, “OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report,” April 16, 2020, 30. 

https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/publications/338.htm. 103 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, “OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report,” April 16, 2020, 30. 

https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/publications/338.htm. 104 U.S. Energy Information Administration, “China surpassed the United States as the world’s largest crude oil importer in 2017,” 

February 5, 2018. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=34812. 105 Rabah Arezki and Rachel Yuting Fan, “Oil Price Wars in a Time of COVID-19,” VoxEU, March 10, 2020. https://voxeu.org/article/oilprice-wars-time-covid-19. 106 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, “Coronavirus: JTC Recommends Extending Production Adjustments to End 2020,” 

February 8, 2020. https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/press_room/5838.htm. 107 Zeng Lingke, Zhou Meilin, and Lu Yutong, “CNOOC Invokes Force Majeure to Reduce LNG Purchases,” Caixin, February 10, 2020. 

https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-02-10/cnooc-invokes-force-majeure-to-reduce-lng-purchases-101513826.html. 108 Eric Yep and Meghan Gordon, “Global Oil Demand Set to Shrink First Time in Decade as Coronavirus Spreads,” S&P Global Platts, 

March 4, 2020. https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/oil/030420-global-oil-demand-set-to-decline-in-2020-

as-covid-19-spreads-analysts. 109 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, “OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report,” March 11, 2020, 1. 

https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/publications/338.htm; Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, “OPEC Monthly Oil 

Market Report,” January 15, 2020, 1. https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/publications/338.htm. 110 U.S. Energy Information Administration, “Short-Term Energy Outlook,” March 2020, 6. 

https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/pdf/steo_text.pdf. 111 Reuters, “Baltic Index near 4-Year Low as Virus Mutes Shipping Activity,” February 11, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/balticindex/baltic-index-near-4-year-low-as-virus-mutes-shipping-activity-idUSL4N2AB2YB. 112 Mercy A. Kuo, “COVID-19: Impact on Global Shipping and China’s Economy,” Diplomat, March 17, 2020. 

https://thediplomat.com/2020/03/covid-19-impact-on-global-shipping-and-chinas-economy/. 113 Muyu Xu and Shivani Singh, “China’s Top Container Ports Unclog Backlog as Virus Curbs Ease,” Reuters, February 27, 2020. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-ports-graphic/chinas-top-container-ports-unclog-backlog-as-virus-curbs-easeidUSKCN20L0V5. 114 Lawrence Gross, “Coronavirus Serves Reminder to Risk of Single-Country Sourcing,” JOC, February 10, 2020. 

https://www.joc.com/international-logistics/global-sourcing/coronavirus-serves-reminder-risk-single-country-sourcing_20200210.html. 115 Lawrence Gross, “Coronavirus Serves Reminder to Risk of Single-Country Sourcing,” JOC, February 10, 2020. 

https://www.joc.com/international-logistics/global-sourcing/coronavirus-serves-reminder-risk-single-country-sourcing_20200210.html. 116 Soumaya Keynes and Chad Bown, “126: COVID-19 and Trade: Stories from the Data,” Trade Talks, March 27, 2020. 117 Anna King, “Some U.S. Farmers Boxed in by Coronavirus Outbreak,” National Public Radio, February 25, 2020. 

https://www.npr.org/2020/02/25/807422595/some-u-s-farmers-boxed-in-by-coronavirus-outbreak.
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 23

 118 Jesse Newman and Jennifer Smith, “Coronavirus Snarls Trans-Pacific Shipping and Ripples through U.S. Business,” Wall Street 

Journal, March 5, 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-snarls-trans-pacific-shipping-and-ripples-through-u-s-business11583432172. 119 Jesse Newman and Jennifer Smith, “Coronavirus Snarls Trans-Pacific Shipping and Ripples through U.S. Business,” Wall Street 

Journal, March 5, 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-snarls-trans-pacific-shipping-and-ripples-through-u-s-business11583432172. 120 Jesse Newman and Jennifer Smith, “Coronavirus Snarls Trans-Pacific Shipping and Ripples through U.S. Business,” Wall Street 

Journal, March 5, 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-snarls-trans-pacific-shipping-and-ripples-through-u-s-business11583432172. 121 DHL Global Forwarding, “Coronavirus Customer Advisory Flash – Update on DHL Global Forwarding’s Air Freight and Ocean 

Freight Operations,” February 14, 2020. https://www.logistics.dhl/content/dam/dhl/local/dk/dhl-global-forwarding/documents/pdf/dkdgf-loc-coronavirus-latest-update-afr-ofr-operations.pdf. 122 Muyu Xu and Shivani Singh, “China’s Top Container Ports Unclog Backlog as Virus Curbs Ease,” Reuters, February 27, 2020. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-ports-graphic/chinas-top-container-ports-unclog-backlog-as-virus-curbs-easeidUSKCN20L0V5. 123 Jesse Newman and Jennifer Smith, “Coronavirus Snarls Trans-Pacific Shipping and Ripples through U.S. Business,” Wall Street 

Journal, March 5, 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-snarls-trans-pacific-shipping-and-ripples-through-u-s-business11583432172; Anna King, “Some U.S. Farmers Boxed in by Coronavirus Outbreak,” National Public Radio, February 25, 2020. 

https://www.npr.org/2020/02/25/807422595/some-u-s-farmers-boxed-in-by-coronavirus-outbreak. 124 Soumaya Keynes and Chad Bown, “126: COVID-19 and Trade: Stories from the Data,” Trade Talks, March 27, 2020. 125 FedEx, “Service Impact of COVID-19 Containment Measures in China February 14,” February 14, 2020. 

http://ftn.fedex.com/news/NewsBulletinDisplay.jsp?url=021420&lang=en&frame=N. 126 Dominique von Orelli, “Ocean Freight Market Update,” DHL Global Forwarding, Freight, March 2, 2020. 5. 

https://www.logistics.dhl/content/dam/dhl/global/dhl-global-forwarding/documents/pdf/glo-dgf-ocean-market-update.pdf. 127 Brendan Murray, “The Cost of Air Freight Soars Even Higher,” Bloomberg, March 24, 2020. 

https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/supply-chains-latest-the-cost-of-air-freight-is-soaring. 128 DHL Global Forwarding, “Coronavirus Customer Advisory Flash – Update on DHL Global Forwarding’s Air Freight and Ocean 

Freight Operations,” February 14, 2020. https://www.logistics.dhl/content/dam/dhl/local/dk/dhl-global-forwarding/documents/pdf/dkdgf-loc-coronavirus-latest-update-afr-ofr-operations.pdf. 129 Brendan Murray, “The Cost of Air Freight Soars Even Higher,” Bloomberg, March 24, 2020. 

https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/supply-chains-latest-the-cost-of-air-freight-is-soaring. 130 Soumaya Keynes and Chad Bown, “126: COVID-19 and Trade: Stories from the Data,” Trade Talks, March 27, 2020. 131 Institute for Supply Management, “COVID-19 Survey: Impacts on Global Supply Chains,” March 11, 2020. http://ism.files.cmsplus.com/ISMReport/ISM_Coronavirus%20Survey%20Release_3.11.20_FINAL.pdf. 132 Amanda Lee, “Coronavirus: China’s Southern Manufacturing Hub Facing Supply Shortage as Global Fears Grow,” South China 

Morning Post, March 18, 2020. https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3075506/coronavirus-chinas-southernmanufacturing-hub-facing-supply. 133 National Federation of Independent Businesses, “NFIB Study: COVID-19 Impact on Small Business: Part 2,” March 23, 2020. 

https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/economy/nfib-study-covid-19-impact-on-small-business-part-2/. 134 Economist, “The New Coronavirus Could Have a Lasting Impact on Global Supply Chains,” February 15, 2020. 

https://www.economist.com/international/2020/02/15/the-new-coronavirus-could-have-a-lasting-impact-on-global-supply-chains. 135 IPC, “The Impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Epidemic on Electronics Manufacturers,” February 2020, 2. 

http://www.ipc.org/emails/2020/gr/corona-virus-report2020.pdf. 136 Microsoft Corporation, “Microsoft Update on Q3 FY20 Guidance,” February 26, 2020. 

https://news.microsoft.com/2020/02/26/microsoft-update-on-q3-fy20-guidance/. 137 John Reed and Song Jung-a, “Samsung Flies Phone Parts to Vietnam After Coronavirus Hits Supply Chain,” Financial Times, February 

17, 2020. https://www.ft.com/content/0dc1c598-4f06-11ea-95a0-43d18ec715f5. 138 U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Hearing on Exploring the Growing U.S. Reliance on China’s Biotech ad 

Pharmaceutical Products, written testimony of Mark Abdoo, July 31, 2019, 1. 139 Laura McGinley and Carolyn Y. Johnson, “Coronavirus Raises Fears of U.S. Drug Supply Disruptions,” Washington Post, February 26, 

2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/02/26/coronavirus-raises-fears-us-drug-supply-disruptions/. 140 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “FDA Drug Shortages,” https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/default.cfm. 141 Phillipe Gautret et al, “Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin as a Treatment of COVID-19: Results of an Open-Label NonRandomized Clinical Trial,” International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, March 20, 2020. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7102549/. 142 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “FDA Drug Shortages,” https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/default.cfm. 143 Vizient, “COVID-19 Impact on Drugs Essential for Ventilator Use,” March 30, 2020, 3. 

https://newsroom.vizientinc.com/sites/vha.newshq.businesswire.com/files/doc_library/file/COVID19_impact_on_essential_meds_for_ventilator_use_-_FINAL.pdf. 144 Vizient, “COVID-19 Impact on Drugs Essential for Ventilator Use,” March 30, 2020, 3. 

https://newsroom.vizientinc.com/sites/vha.newshq.businesswire.com/files/doc_library/file/COVID19_impact_on_essential_meds_for_ventilator_use_-_FINAL.pdf. 145 Rosemary Gibson, “All Our Drugs to Treat the Coronavirus Depend on Chinese Suppliers,” American Conservative, February 17, 2020. 

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/all-our-drugs-to-treat-the-coronavirus-depend-on-chinese-suppliers/.
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 24

 146 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “FDA Drug Shortages,” https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/default.cfm. 147 Chad Bown and Soumaya Keynes, “Trade Talks 123: Coronavirus: From Quarantine to Trade,” Trade Talks Podcast, February 28, 

2020. https://www.piie.com/experts/podcasts/trade-talks/episode-123-coronavirus-quarantine-trade. 148 Michael Wayland, “Coronavirus Causes Moody’s to Slash Global Vehicle Sales Forecast for 2020,” CNBC, February 26, 2020. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/26/coronavirus-causes-moodys-to-slash-global-vehicle-sales-forecast.html. 149 Ben Foldy, “Coronavirus Pinching Car-Industry Supply Chains,” MarketWatch, February 14, 2020. 

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/coronavirus-pinching-car-industry-supply-chains-2020-02-14. 150 U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online, April 2, 2020. https://usatrade.census.gov/. 151 S&P Global, “COVID-19 Will Batter Global Auto Sales and Credit Quality,” March 23, 2020. 

https://www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/research/articles/200323-covid-19-will-batter-global-auto-sales-and-credit-quality-11398939. 152 Chad Bown and Soumaya Keynes, “Trade Talks 123: Coronavirus: From Quarantine to Trade,” Trade Talks Podcast, February 28, 

2020. https://www.piie.com/experts/podcasts/trade-talks/episode-123-coronavirus-quarantine-trade. 153 AmCham Shanghai Insight Magazine, “Impact of the Coronavirus on Businesses,” March-April 2020, 8. https://www.amchamshanghai.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/Insight-March_April2020.pdf. 154 Business Continuity Institute, “Supply Chain Resilience Report 2019,” October 2019, 9, 27. 

https://insider.zurich.co.uk/app/uploads/2019/11/BCISupplyChainResilienceReportOctober2019SingleLow1.pdf. 155 United Nations Conference and Trade and Development, “Investment Trends Monitor: Impact of the Coronavirus Outbreak on Global 

FDI,” March 8, 2020, 3. https://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/diae_gitm34_coronavirus_8march2020.pdf. 156 United Nations Conference and Trade and Development, “Investment Trends Monitor: Impact of the Coronavirus Outbreak on Global

FDI,” March 8, 2020, 3. https://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/diae_gitm34_coronavirus_8march2020.pdf. 157 State Council of the People’s Republic of China, State Council: Increasing Financial Support for SMEs to Restart Work and Production 

(国务院:加大中小微企业 复工复产金融支持), February 26, 2020. Translation. http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2020-

02/26/content_5483881.htm; Hu Yue and Tang Ziyi, “China Steps Up Measures to Boost Medical Supplies as Epidemic Spreads,” 

Caixin, February 6, 2020. https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-02-06/china-steps-up-measures-to-boost-medical-supplies-as-epidemicspreads-101512431.html. 158 Don Weinland, “China Banks to Allow More Bad Debt as Coronavirus Hits Economy,” Financial Times, February 14, 2020. 

https://www.ft.com/content/ab61fd56-4f18-11ea-95a0-43d18ec715f5. 159 Yawen Chen and Kevin Yao, “China Pumps $79 Billion into Economy with Bank Cash Reserve Cut,” Reuters, March 13, 2020. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-rrr-cut/china-pumps-79-billion-into-economy-with-bank-cash-reserve-cutidUSKBN2101B3. 160 Eastmoney, “MOFCOM: The Epidemic Is a Large Shock to the Accommodations and Catering Industry, Related Companies Receive 

Tax and Fee Exemptions during the Period of Prevention and Control” (商务部:住 宿 餐 饮 受 疫 情 冲 击 大 防 控 期 间 对 相 关

企 业 免 收 增 值 税 ), February 26, 2020. Translation. http://finance.eastmoney.com/a/202002261397892662.html. 

161 Bank for International Settlements, “Credit to the Non-Financial Sector,” March 1, 2020. 162 Dinny McMahon, China’s Great Wall of Debt: Shadow Banks, Ghost Cities, Massive Loans, and the End of the Chinese Miracle, 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018, 31. 163 Logan Wright and Daniel Rosen, “Chinese Credit Stimulus: Yesterday’s Solution, Not Today’s,” Rhodium Group, March 23, 2020, 3. 164 Trivium China, “Trivium Macro Q1 Recap, Q2 Scenarios,” March 2020, 8-9. 165 Cheng Siwei and Han Wei, “COVID-19 Epidemic slams China’s Government Revenues,” Caixin, March 25, 2020. 

https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-03-25/covid-19-epidemic-slams-chinas-government-revenues-101533497.html.

166 Xinhua, “General Secretary Xi Jinping Chairs Meeting of the Politburo of the CCP (中共中央政治局召开会议 中共中央总书记习近

平主持会议),” March 27, 2020. Translation. http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/leaders/2020-03/27/c_1125778940.htm.

167 State Council of the People’s Republic of China, “Han Zheng Promotes Construction of Major Projects and Stabilization of Investment 

in Video Teleconference (韩正出席推进重大项目建设积极做好稳投资工作电视电话会议并讲话),” March 26, 2020. Translation. 

http://www.gov.cn/guowuyuan/2020-03/26/content_5496003.htm?mc_cid=1bdcd29ddd&mc_eid=8f4114a201. 168 China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, “Decision of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to Amend 

Draft Measures for the ‘Regulation of the Administration of New Energy Vehicle Manufacturing Enterprises and Product Access’ Issued 

for Public Comment (公开征求对《工业和信息化部关于修改<新能源汽车生产企业及产品准入管理规定>的决定(征求意见稿)

》的意见),” April 6, 2020. Translation. 

http://www.miit.gov.cn/n1278117/n1648113/c7855454/content.html?mc_cid=58f9270742&mc_eid=8f4114a201. 169 International Monetary Fund, “World Economic Outlook,” April 14, 2020. 

https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2020/04/14/weo-april-2020. 170 American Chamber of Commerce in China, “COVID-19 Business Impact 60 Days In: Results from the March 2020 Flash Survey,” 

March 25, 2020, 2. https://www.amchamchina.org/uploads/media/default/0001/12/345fc838ca7dcbc9a7fd9c4161caa494abc227de.pdf. 171 Sun Liangzi and Lu Yutong, “Air Freight Prices Skyrocket as Coronavirus Kills Capacity,” Caixin, March 26, 2020. 

https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-03-26/air-freight-prices-skyrocket-as-coronavirus-kills-capacity-101534045.html. 172 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Table 2.2 U.S. Trade in Services, by Type of Service and by Country or 

Affiliation, October 15, 2019. 173 Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, “Chapter 7, Article 7.6: Miscellaneous” in Economic and Trade Agreement between the 

Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People’s Republic of China, January 15, 2020.