US Economic Outlook Recovery now being held back by fiscal tightening The US recovery has, up to now, remained lacklustre, but there are signs that this extended malaise could finally give way to a period of more vigorous growth. We expect GDP growth to accelerate from... 28th May 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Mexican current account deficit not a concern... yet The fact that the Mexican current account deficit has doubled over the past year is not as alarming as it appears. The deficit remains small and there are no signs of a consumer import binge... 28th May 2013 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Bank of Japan sticks to its guns The Bank of Japan’s inaction today was no surprise, nor was Governor Kuroda’s relatively sanguine attitude to the jump in JGB yields. However, the April external trade data were disappointing and the... 22nd May 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Current account data not as encouraging as it seems At face value, the ongoing improvement in the euro-zone’s current account position, which has been to a large part down to developments in the peripheral economies, is a sign that the structural... 22nd May 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Trade (Mar.) & Final CPI (Apr.) While March’s euro-zone trade data are certainly encouraging, we remain sceptical that the sector can single-handedly drag the euro-zone and, in particular, the peripheral economies out of recession. 16th May 2013 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Rise in dollar against the yen to hit automakers most The recent strengthening of the dollar against the Japanese yen is unlikely to put a major dent in US inflation or activity. What’s more, the competitiveness of US manufacturers may not be eroded too... 15th May 2013 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Does Egypt need an IMF deal? Egypt has muddled through without an IMF deal for over two years, as bilateral aid has staved off a full-blown balance of payments crisis. But this cannot go on forever. The longer Egypt goes without... 13th May 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Trade (Mar.) Following last week’s decent business survey results, March’s trade data provided more good news, with net trade likely to have added modestly to GDP growth in the first quarter. But while key export... 10th May 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Trade Monitor Exporters starting to struggle The latest trade data provide further evidence that Emerging Market exporters are starting to struggle. But while exports from Emerging Asia have continued to grow (albeit at a slower rate), exports... 10th May 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update China’s commodity imports remain weak We estimate that the volume of China’s commodity imports rose y/y for the first time this year in April. But looking beyond the positive headlines, the figures were artificially boosted by calendar... 8th May 2013 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Calendar effects inflate trade data The acceleration in both export and import growth last month was simply the result of there being more working days in April this year than last. It does not point to strengthening demand either at... 8th May 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response French Industrial Production & Trade (Mar.) March’s French industrial production and trade data suggest that the economic situation is not quite as bad as the surveys might have you believe. Nonetheless, it seems very likely that France... 7th May 2013 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response International Merchandise Trade (Mar. 13) Canada posted it's first monthly trade surplus in a year in March. Unfortunately, we expect the improvement to be fleeting. The March figures were flattered by a big weather-related jump in natural... 2nd May 2013 · 1 min read
US Data Response International Trade (Mar. 13) The sharp decline in the monthly trade deficit to $38.8bn in March, from $43.6bn the month before, is largely due to a distortion caused by the timing of the Lunar New Year Holiday in China. There is... 2nd May 2013 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Improving sentiment still not matched in hard data Despite the widespread optimism about the benefits that “Abenomics” may eventually bring to Japanese businesses and households, the hard data continue to disappoint. In particular, industrial... 30th April 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Effects of a Chinese slowdown to vary across the region An economic slowdown in China is likely to drag on growth in sub-Saharan Africa, but the more important point is that the effects will vary from country-to-country. Zambia is probably the most... 22nd April 2013 · 1 min read
