Asia Economics Weekly Policymaking takes turn for the worse as elections approach Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan all face crucial elections over the next few months, and in each country, policymaking has recently taken a turn for the worse. In Malaysia and Indonesia we see little... 20th April 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Myanmar: still falling short of potential Myanmar’s civilian government has made progress in addressing some of the country’s problems since it came to power two years ago. However, major challenges remain. The Rohingya refugee crisis is... 13th April 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Singapore is not a bellwether for the global economy As a small, open economy that releases GDP data much earlier than most other countries, Singapore is often billed as a bellwether for the global economy. In reality, Singapore’s GDP figures are far... 6th April 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Are Asian countries manipulating their currencies? The US Treasury is due to report next month which of its major trading partners, if any, have been manipulating their currencies for unfair advantage. Currently, Thailand is the only country in... 29th March 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly What impact will tariffs on China have on the rest of Asia? Donald Trump’s plans for a 25% tariff on up to $60bn of Chinese imports are unlikely to have much impact on the rest of Asia. However, as the market reaction today highlights, the threat of a further... 23rd March 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Which central banks are most likely to deliver surprises? Central banks across Emerging Asia typically do a poor job at flagging up their decisions in advance, which often leads to investors being wrong-footed. Since the start of 2010, under half of interest... 16th March 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly What would a trade war mean for Asia? Developments in the past couple of weeks point to the risk of trade policy in the US becoming much more protectionist. Given its huge bilateral trade surplus with the US, China is likely to be the... 9th March 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Gradual slowdown ahead GDP growth across Emerging Asia edged down in the final quarter of last year and is likely to ease further over the coming year. While in most cases the slowdown should be relatively gradual, Hong... 2nd March 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Philippines: Time to worry about the weak peso? A low level of foreign currency debt in the Philippines means the recent weakness of the peso is not a major concern. In fact, despite the current worries about rising inflation, policymakers appear... 23rd February 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Singapore Budget: Preparing for old age Singapore’s government looks likely to raise taxes in its Budget next week to help fund the costs of its rapidly ageing population. But the country’s strong fiscal position leaves it much better... 14th February 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Philippines: Will manufacturing continue to outperform? The manufacturing industry in the Philippines has been a key driver of economic growth in recent years. Although the sector should continue to grow strongly in the near term, the medium-term outlook... 9th February 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Credit worries starting to recede in places, but risks remain Credit growth has continued to slow in some of the countries, namely Thailand and Malaysia, we had previously identified as being at risk from a rapid build-up of private sector debt. However, risks... 2nd February 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly What will Thailand do about the “strong” baht? The Thai authorities are becoming increasingly concerned by the strength of the baht, which has been one of the best performing emerging market currencies over the past year. The most likely policy... 26th January 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Korea set for strong 2018, but not because of the Olympics The 2018 Winter Olympics, which get under way in South Korea next month, will not provide much of a boost to the country’s economy. But this will not stop South Korea from recording another year of... 19th January 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly The export rebound is unsustainable Despite the decent outlook for global growth over the next year, we doubt the recent rebound in Asian export volumes will be sustained. If we are right, then regional growth is likely to slow, with... 12th January 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly A guide to elections in 2018 In this first Weekly of 2018, we take our usual look at the important elections that are set to take place in Asia over the coming year, assessing the implications for policymaking and economic growth... 5th January 2018 · 1 min read
