Shanghai Port container terminal for foreign trade is busy with operations on August 12, 2025. Photo: VCG

US businesses continue to view the Chinese market as a strategic priority, as China's supply chains, pace of innovation and talent pool help boost US firms' global competitiveness, the head of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China (AmCham South China) told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

According to the 2026 Special Report on the State of Business in South China released by AmCham South China, 45 percent of surveyed companies ranked China as their top global investment priority, while 75 percent planned to reinvest in China in 2026.

"These findings match what our members tell us consistently. China is too large, too dynamic and too integrated into global operations to be treated as anything other than a strategic priority," said Harley Seyedin, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China (AmCham South China).

Companies that have operated here for years have established teams, loyal customers and deep supplier relationships, according to Seyedin. "Reinvestment is a vote of confidence in the returns they have seen," he said.

Many American businesses are hoping for broader China-US cooperation.

Guo Wei, vice president of Kimberly-Clark and managing director in charge of the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, told the Global Times that "as a multinational company with longstanding operations in China, we have consistently followed communication and cooperation between China and the US in trade, industry and people-to-people exchanges."

"China and the US are both major global economies. The stable development of bilateral relations benefits businesses and consumers in both countries and helps keep global industrial and supply chains running smoothly," Guo said.

Recent developments involving US companies also point to the continued importance of the Chinese market and its manufacturing ecosystem.

The Coca-Cola Co recently released its second-quarter earnings for 2026. During the quarter, the company's global unit case volume grew 5 percent, led by markets including China, India, the US and Brazil, the company told the Global Times.

Meanwhile, US battery start-up EnerVenue, which had scrapped plans to build its first factory in the US state of Kentucky, has instead opened a factory in China, Reuters reported.

EnerVenue Chief Executive Henning Rath told Reuters that China is the "factory of factories" and "an important stepping stone" toward global production.

Seyedin identified three major reasons US companies continue to regard China as a vital market: the scale of the market, the capabilities companies develop by competing in China, and the competitive consequences of stepping back.

"It offers scale that few markets can match. Competing here sharpens their capabilities worldwide, and stepping back would simply cede ground to competitors," he said.

Beyond market size, China's supply chains, pace of innovation and talent pool also contribute to the global competitiveness of American companies operating in the country, Seyedin noted.

"Each of these strengths makes American companies more competitive globally," he said.

China's green transition and rapidly developing emerging industries are creating additional opportunities for US companies.

"China's green transition is a large opportunity. Demand is growing in renewable energy, energy storage, electric vehicles, energy efficiency, and carbon management and reporting," Seyedin said.

American companies bring technology, engineering expertise, financing and services that complement local strengths, with many AmCham South China members already helping customers reduce emissions across their supply chains, he noted.

Seyedin also pointed to opportunities in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, digital services and biopharmaceuticals, as well as practical applications in areas including manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and financial services that are expanding rapidly.