The FedEx Express / JA Asia Pacific International Trade Challenge Finals 2023

September 7, 2023

JA Asia Pacific and FedEx Express held the 17th-annual International Trade Challenge (ITC) Asia Pacific Finals last month. Since 2007, FedEx has collaborated with JA to inspire and foster international business acumen among high school student entrepreneurs. The ITC, unique to the Asia Pacific region, continues to serve as a promising training ground, where students get to experience close-to-real-life challenges that entrepreneurs face in a constantly changing business and trade environment.

The ITC begins as an eight-month program in school to develop the skills to create market entry strategies for a variety of products and services. Students then join the local trade challenges of which winners from each market become eligible to enter the Asia Pacific Finals. During this whole process, JA Members collaborate with schools, teachers, parents, alumni and volunteers to prepare students for the challenge ahead. The commitment in engaging and walking the journey with students, the mentorship, passion and hands-on engagement from all these various people enables a world of possibilities for the young people of Asia Pacific. 

The support of FedEx Express has been unwavering, and the immeasurable impact in empowering the region’s youth is a testimony to the long-standing investment in these future leaders. A sincere gratitude from JA Asia Pacific to FedEx Express, led by Kawal Preet, her team member, Julia Khong, and the entire regional team including Pooja Bahri, Josephine Wong and Athena Pui.

This year, 60 finalists represented 10 markets: Hong Kong SAR–China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. Organizers paired up finalists through a random draw to form 30 mixed teams just days before the event and presented with a curveball topic for a market outside of Asia Pacific. This year’s topic was: To create a market entry strategy or plan for a product to address sustainable Delivery Solutions in the target market of Poland. 

Learn more at jaasiapacific.org/2023-itc-ap-finals.