Asia Economics Update How bad were the Q1 data for emerging Asia? Most of Asia reported weak GDP growth in the first quarter of this year, due mainly to weak export demand. The crisis in the euro-zone is likely to weigh heavily on Asia this year. However, the... 23rd May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update What would a rebalancing of China’s economy mean for Asia? A rebalancing of China’s economy away from investment and towards consumption would be bad for the region’s capital goods and commodities exporters, with Korea, Indonesia and Australia likely to be... 18th May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Strong GDP growth in Indonesia, but will it last? Indonesia recorded another quarter of strong economic growth in Q1, with the economy slowing only slightly compared with the previous quarter. Even after allowing for the likelihood of weak global... 7th May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Is expropriation a risk in Asia? Recent developments in Latin America have raised concerns in some quarters that the region could be set for another wave of nationalisations. The level of protection offered to foreign investors is... 7th May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update April PMIs suggest Asia’s industrial recovery is losing steam April PMIs for Asia were generally disappointing, and in Australia in particular the index was outright alarming. The weak numbers reinforce our belief that the region’s industrial sector is set for a... 2nd May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Export improvement brings fragile recovery Emerging Asia’s economies fared better in Q1 than Q4. Both Singapore and Taiwan returned to quarterly growth, while Korea’s economy grew at a faster q/q rate. Business and consumer surveys show an... 30th April 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Asia well placed to withstand weaker global growth Asia is well placed to withstand the impact of any major shocks to the global economy. The health of economic fundamentals and policymakers’ room for stimulus should enable the region to grow by just... 19th April 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia set to keep rates at record low Having cut rates by a cumulative 100bp since October, Bank Indonesia (BI) left its main policy rate on hold at a record low level for the second consecutive month today, as widely expected. Although... 12th April 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Asia’s costly fuel subsidies to remain in place The recent increase in oil prices is putting the budgets of countries that operate fuel subsidy regimes under strain. Nevertheless, any meaningful reform of subsidy programmes across Asia looks... 9th April 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Indonesia - losing its shine? Indonesia’s stock market and currency have been among the worst performing assets in Asia so far this year. The poor performance reflects worries over proposed cuts to fuel subsidies, which will... 2nd April 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Is China's move up the value chain a threat to Asian economies? As China develops, its manufacturing firms are moving into higher-value sectors. While this is a boon for low-wage Asian economies that represent a good alternative for low-end producers... 29th March 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly High oil prices will not lift inflation The pick-up in oil prices in recent weeks has caused some to fear that inflation in Asia will soon rise sharply. These fears are over-blown. Even if oil prices stayed at current levels, inflation... 26th March 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack A promising start to 2012, but will it last? Growth in emerging Asia looks to have picked up in Q1. Strength in the US is helping to offset weakness in Europe for Asia’s exporters. There are encouraging signs of domestic demand improving early... 20th March 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Does the US still matter to Asia? The recent run of improved data from the US has led us to raise our US GDP growth forecasts for 2012 and 2013. But we believe that improved prospects for the US will make little difference to emerging... 19th March 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update How have last year's natural disasters affected Asia? Asia was hit by several natural disasters in 2011, most notably the tsunami that struck Japan in mid- March. These events were foremost human tragedies, but they also had an economic impact. While... 12th March 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Cuts to fuel subsidies mean no more rate cuts in Indonesia Having cut interest rates by a cumulative 100bp over the past six months, Bank Indonesia (BI) left rates on hold today, as expected. With upcoming cuts to fuel price subsidies likely to push inflation... 8th March 2012 · 1 min read
