Regional and domestic trade growth prompted by more than protectionism

The HSBC Navigator: Now, Next and How for Business report surveyed more than 6,000 companies internationally on the trade environment.

Asked for their views on the state of the current market, 61% of respondents thought countries were becoming more protectionist. Companies are looking towards their close neighbours to forge trade partnerships, with 74% of trade in Asia-Pacific and Europe being conducted within the region.

However, the view that protectionism might be disastrous for trade seems to be overstated.