Asia Economics Update Australia on course for a budget surplus in 2012-13 Australia’s government retained its target of returning to a small budget surplus in 2012-13 in today’s federal budget. Solid economic growth and public spending restraint should help the government... 8th 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 Economics Update More policy loosening to come in Australia The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut its cash rate by a larger-than-expected 50bp to 3.75% today. We continue to expect conditions outside of the resources sector to be sluggish, as the currency... 1st 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 Economics Weekly Chinese tourism bonanza for Asia The past 15 years has seen a surge in the number of mainland Chinese travelling overseas. Although Chinese tourists are becoming increasingly adventurous and travelling further afield, the vast... 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 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 Focus How would a hard landing in China affect Australia? In the event of a hard landing in China, Australia would suffer a sharp fall in exports to its biggest trading partner. Global commodity prices would tumble given China’s importance for commodity... 3rd April 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update March PMIs point to continued manufacturing recovery March PMIs for Asia suggested that a pick-up in trade is giving a boost to the region’s manufacturers. However, problems in the euro zone mean that the improvement could be short-lived. 3rd 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 Focus Are Australian banks vulnerable to a global financial crisis? Australia stands out as one of the economies in Asia that might be most vulnerable to a renewed global banking crisis. Its high external debt and current account deficit make it reliant on foreign... 26th 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
