US Data Response International Trade (Jan. 13) The rebound in the trade deficit to $44.4bn in January, from $38.1bn in December of last year, was a bit bigger than expected (consensus forecast was $42.6bn) and suggests that net external trade will... 7th March 2013 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt: the pound's stabilisation comes at a price The Egyptian pound has stabilised since the beginning of February. But this doesn’t reflect an improvement in Egypt’s economic fundamentals. Rather it is the result of tighter capital controls. 7th March 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Matolcsy could turn his attention to Hungary's FX debt burden Events during the first few days of Gyorgy Matolcsy’s Governorship of Hungary’s central bank reinforce concerns about the Bank’s independence. At the very least, we are likely to see further interest... 5th March 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Focus Russia, Gazprom and the shale revolution The development of shale gas in Europe is unlikely to have a significant impact on Russia’s energy exports over the next couple of years. But in time, it could prove to be the final nail in the coffin... 4th March 2013 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update External fragilities remain high in the non-Gulf economies Political unrest is increasing balance of payments strains across the region’s resource-poor economies. Egypt has grabbed the headlines, but there are also external financing concerns in Jordan and... 27th February 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update A different take on "currency wars" The “Swan Diagram” – developed by the Australian academic Trevor Swan in the 1950s – offers a fresh perspective on global “currency wars”. It suggests that macro imbalances in those EMs that have been... 25th February 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Exporters to the rescue? Last week’s data brought some encouraging signs that the euro-zone’s export sector is holding up surprisingly well in the face of the strong euro. Nonetheless, a major export revival appears unlikely... 25th February 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Overall EM inflows not at danger levels but country risks remain Capital flows to emerging economies are not yet running at a rate that should be a major cause for concern. But estimates of flows in aggregate miss some of the key risks facing individual economies. 21st February 2013 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Morocco: bright outlook, twin deficits pose downside risks Morocco is set to be the best performer among the resource-poor Arab economies this year, supported by a comparatively stable political and macroeconomic environment and a rebound in the agricultural... 20th February 2013 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Global demand, not yen, behind export recovery While the headlines have focussed on the size of Japan’s merchandise trade deficit last month, the more important development in the latest trade data was the strength of exports. We suspect that a... 20th February 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Focus The "two-speed" continent The scope for rapid “catch-up” growth, allied with improving levels of governance, point to a relatively upbeat outlook for most of sub-Saharan Africa over the next decade or so. By contrast, a lack... 19th February 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update German exports to outperform despite stronger euro The recent rise in the euro exchange rate is likely to hit Germany and Finland hardest given their strong trade links with non-euro-zone countries. But with exports from the south and periphery set to... 18th February 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Trade Monitor Export split reinforces concerns of “currency wars” The continued weakness of exports from commodity producers in the emerging world will add further fuel to the debate over “currency wars”. By contrast, exports from manufacturing-focused economies in... 15th February 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update EMs right to be wary of rapid capital inflows Behind the rhetoric of global currency wars lies a more fundamental concern that loose monetary policy in the developed economies will lead to rapid and destabilising capital inflows to the emerging... 14th February 2013 · 1 min read
China Chart Pack Current account bottoming out China’s current account surplus edged up last year both in dollar terms and relative to the size of the global economy. We suspect that further increases lie ahead as China’s investment spending slows... 14th February 2013 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update More rate cuts to come from the Swedish Riksbank The Swedish Riksbank’s decision to leave interest rates on hold reflects concerns that further rate cuts may prompt household debt to rise further with potentially damaging longer-term consequences... 13th February 2013 · 1 min read
