Asia Economics Update Manufacturing PMIs & Korea Trade (April) The PMIs from Emerging Asia remained weak in April. We think manufacturing activity across most of Asia will remain subdued in the near term but output in Taiwan and Korea is likely to hold up better... 2nd May 2024 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Indonesia: surprise hike, but no further tightening likely In a surprise move, Bank Indonesia (BI) today hiked its main policy rate by 25bps (to 6.25%) and made clear that supporting the currency would remain its key priority over the coming months. But there... 24th April 2024 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Another tough year ahead for Korean consumers A weak labour market and high interest rates will continue to weigh heavily on Korea’s consumer sector this year. The poor prospects for consumer spending is one of the main reasons we think overall... 22nd April 2024 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Time to worry about inflation (again)? Recent currency falls and higher oil prices are unlikely to put significant upward pressure on consumer prices across Asia. We continue to expect inflation in the region to remain low over the coming... 22nd April 2024 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update What if the Fed doesn’t cut? Local factors will determine the next moves by most of Asia’s central banks, not the actions of the US Fed. We expect policymakers in Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Korea to lower interest... 16th April 2024 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Korea keeps open the possibility of rate cuts The Bank of Korea left its policy rate on hold today (at 3.5%), but kept open the possibility of rate cuts later this year. However, with inflation concerns continuing to linger, we are pushing back... 12th April 2024 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Vietnam: Central bank to cut rates further to boost growth Vietnam’s banks are likely to remain cautious this year and both credit and GDP growth are likely to come in below trend. The central bank will have to cut rates further to stimulate demand. 4th April 2024 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update The earthquake threat to Taiwan’s chip supply Taiwan’s chip industry has invested heavily in making its facilities resilient to earthquakes. Disruption to production is unavoidable when a large earthquake strikes, but firms are usually able to... 3rd April 2024 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Manufacturing PMIs & Korea Trade (Mar.) The PMIs from Emerging Asia remained weak in March. We think manufacturing sectors across most of Asia will struggle in the near term but activity in Korea and Taiwan is likely to remain strong. 1st April 2024 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Sri Lanka: easing cycle has further to go The Central Bank of Sri Lanka today cut interest rates by a further 50bps and hinted at further rate cuts to come. With inflationary pressures under control and the economic recovery struggling, more... 26th March 2024 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Taiwan: surprise hike unlikely to be followed by further tightening Despite the booming economy, inflationary pressures in Taiwan are likely to remain subdued. Accordingly, we think today’s unexpected rate hike by the central bank (CBC) will prove to be a case of one... 21st March 2024 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Would Vietnam win a second trade war? Donald Trump’s threat to impose a blanket 10% tariff on all US imports would hit Vietnam hard. But provided they were accompanied by a 60% tariff on all imports from China (as Trump has also threated)... 18th March 2024 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Manufacturing PMIs & Korean trade The February PMIs for economies in Emerging Asia edged down last month and were mostly inside contractionary territory. The outlook for manufacturing in the region remains poor in the near term, with... 1st March 2024 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Korea to cut rates in May The Bank of Korea left its policy rate on hold today (at 3.5%) and attempted to push back against expectations for an early rate cut. However, with inflation likely to be back to target soon and... 22nd February 2024 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Korea: property downturn at an end After a couple of years in the doldrums, property construction in Korea is rebounding. The recovery in the sector should provide an important prop to economic growth this year. 20th February 2024 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan: election result bad news for the economy Pakistan’s general election has thrown the country’s political scene into turmoil, with no party emerging with a majority from Thursday’s poll. A hung parliament may complicate the country’s upcoming... 9th February 2024 · 3 mins read
