New research from Sandpiper reveals global business leaders blame the US more than China for trade war, and believe the US should make the first moves to de-escalate it 

New research from Sandpiper reveals global business leaders blame the US more than China for trade war, and believe the US should make the first moves to de-escalate it 

April 2025

The Sandpiper Group (“Sandpiper”), the largest independent communications, public affairs and research group headquartered in Asia Pacific, and operating across the Middle East, is publishing a detailed survey of 3,050 business leaders in 27 countries that shows:

– 73% believe a fundamental cause of the tariff and trade conflict is the policies of the current US administration, against 62% who say it is China’s trade policies

– 72% believe the US should make the first move to de-escalate the conflict, against 61% who say China should

– 70% believe the conflict will reduce the standing of the US in the world

– 56% believe the US economy will be “heavily impacted”, the worst affected of all countries

– 43% rate the level of risk to their business of this trade dispute as 8 or more out of 10

– More than half expect these risks to rise over the next 6, 12 and 24 months

Despite high levels of anxiety, 38% of business leaders in ASEAN countries and 21% in China say they are not well prepared to deal with these risks.

Although there is a clear sense of the tools required, more than a third of global business leaders say they are less than highly confident that they have these tools to hand. They include:

– A geopolitical risk assessment framework

– Realistic scenario plans to deal with crises

– Close monitoring of political developments that can forecast likely policy changes

– Strong relationships with key policy makers

– A strategy to align corporate messages with national government priorities

Commenting on the survey results, Simon Buckby, Managing Director of Sandpiper Government & Public Affairs, said:

“It is worrying that so many global business leaders are reeling from the recent geopolitical upheavals, and that they fear significant increased risks to their businesses in the short-, medium- and long-term. It is even more shocking that so many admit they do not feel highly confident they have the tools in place to manage their way through. This is a huge challenge for leaders, and especially corporate affairs teams, to step up and protect their firms.”

About the market research

In April 2025, Sandpiper Research & Insights conducted an online survey of 3,050 respondents in 27 markets across the globe. All respondents were surveyed are owners, board members, C-suite and director level executives for global business. The sample represented small, medium and large enterprises, covering multiple business functions and 17 sectors. Download the full report here. 

About Sandpiper

Sandpiper is a pioneering reputation management consultancy headquartered in Asia and operating globally, proudly elevating the region on the world stage. Sandpiper offers government relations and public affairs services to business and political leaders across Asia-Pacific.

As creators of business value, we are an independent, 100% employee-owned group comprising five specialist divisions: Sandpiper Communications, Sandpiper Financial, Sandpiper Public Affairs, Sandpiper Health, and Sandpiper Research & Insights.

Our core purpose is to help clients build, strengthen, and protect their reputations by directly contributing to their bottom-line business results. We are trusted advisors to industry leaders and market disruptors, combining deep regional market understanding with global perspectives and cutting-edge technology.

Our expertise spans seven specialist sectors characterized by complexity: Energy, Financial Services, Government, Health, Insurance, Professional Services, and Technology. We provide comprehensive end-to-end reputation management services that begin by uncovering critical insights to support global reputation strategies. We then leverage our global network of senior industry specialists to create tailored approaches, and finally implement integrated communications with precise channel expertise.

Operating with a single global P&L, we are nimble, innovative, and uniquely positioned to harness new technologies. Our technology-enabled services help clients future-proof their communications, leading industry transformation amid the rise of AI and emerging technologies.

Sandpiper’s team are based across 13 locations in Asia Pacific and the Middle East in Auckland, Bangkok, Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Perth, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, and Tokyo, and supported by affiliates across 27 markets globally.

In the past 24 months, Sandpiper has been recognised with multiple prestigious awards, including Global Corporate Agency of the Year from PRovoke, Asia Pacific Regional Network of the Year from Public Affairs Asia, Large Agency of the Year and ESG Specialist Agency from PRCA, and Asia Pacific Large Agency of the Year from PRWeek. We have also been ranked among the top 10 fastest-growing agencies in Asia Pacific, the top 15 fastest-growing globally, and one of the top five creative agencies in Asia Pacific.

We continue to set new standards in reputation management, delivering strategic insights that transform communications into a critical business asset.

www.sandpipercomms.com 

For more information, please contact:

Simon Buckby

MD, Government & Public Affairs

simon.buckby@sandpipercomms.com

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