Asia Economics Update About those Indonesian GDP figures… The acceleration in Indonesian GDP growth in Q4 is hard to square with some other activity data, which suggests that the economy softened at the end of last year. Given the government’s push to get... 18th February 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan: is stability here to stay? Pakistan has pulled itself back from the edge of economic collapse: foreign exchange reserves have been rebuilt, inflation has stabilised, the current account is broadly balanced and the fiscal... 17th February 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Thailand votes for stability, but growth to stay weak Thailand’s election result should help reduce political risk in the near term but does little to change the challenging economic outlook. The real test for the next government will be whether it can... 8th February 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Why this election matters for Bangladesh The upcoming election on 12th February will be pivotal for Bangladesh as the country seeks to restore stability following the 2024 political crisis and place the economy on a more sustainable footing... 5th February 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Taiwan leaving Korea in the slow lane Taiwan’s economy for a long time grew at the same pace as Korea, but is now surging ahead. Taiwan’s central role in AI-related electronics supply chains has driven a powerful post-pandemic expansion... 4th February 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Korea: will the equity boom lift the economy? Korea’s equity boom is unlikely to deliver a major boost to Korean consumers or the broader economy. But it is sending a clear signal about the external outlook. The rally reflects Korea’s central... 3rd February 2026 · 3 mins read
India Economics Update India-US trade deal: economic and geopolitical ramifications The 18% tariff that President Trump has announced will be applied to imports from India – down from 50% – would significantly boost India’s attractiveness as an alternative manufacturing hub to China... 2nd February 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Asia Manufacturing PMIs, Korea Trade (January) The January manufacturing PMI readings for Asian economies remain consistent with generally steady growth in manufacturing. However, the PMIs have recently been a poor guide to the hard activity data... 2nd February 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update MAS to stay on hold despite hawkish tilt Singapore’s central bank kept monetary policy settings unchanged today but adopted a slightly more hawkish tone. While risks to the policy outlook are now skewed modestly towards tighter policy later... 29th January 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update MSCI threat adds to Indonesia’s woes The slump in Indonesia’s stock market today in the wake of a threat by MSCI to downgrade the country to “frontier market” status is the latest in a long list of issues that investors are grappling... 28th January 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Korea – domestic weakness to offset export strength We expect Korea to record another year of subdued growth in 2026, as relatively strong exports are likely to be offset by soft domestic demand. Trump’s latest threat to impose 25% tariffs poses a... 27th January 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Indonesia’s policymaking concerns back in the spotlight The credibility of policymaking in Indonesia has been dealt a fresh blow at the start of 2026. It will take time for the more pernicious effects of populist and interventionist policies under... 20th January 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Vietnam Party Congress: balancing stability and reform Vietnam’s Party Congress, beginning Monday, comes at a critical juncture. Following a period of political turbulence, To Lam looks set to be confirmed as both general secretary and state president... 15th January 2026 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Update Hawkish BoK rules out near-term interest rate cuts The Bank of Korea today left interest rates unchanged as expected, but the central bank’s accompanying statement and the commentary from Governor Rhee were much more hawkish than anticipated. This... 15th January 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Will Taiwan deploy its “chips weapon”? Taiwan last year briefly flirted with imposing restrictions on its exports of semiconductors as part of an effort to assert its foreign policy interests. But there are strong reasons for officials to... 14th January 2026 · 7 mins read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia: Anwar failing to make progress on reform Anwar Ibrahim is now just over three years into his first term as prime minister of Malaysia. The restoration of political stability under his premiership is welcome, and he also deserves credit for... 13th January 2026 · 4 mins read
