Global Economics Update The economic consequences of a tax on Hormuz trade A tax on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would be unlikely to have major near-term implications for global energy markets, trade or wider economic activity. But depending on how it is structured... 9th April 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Surge in EV sales won’t help Japan’s carmakers much The sales of electric vehicles by Japanese carmakers have skyrocketed in recent months but this offers little protection against the mounting competitive threat from Chinese firms. 7th April 2026 · 4 mins read
Global Economics Update What are the potential implications of Houthi Attacks? While the direct effect of renewed strikes on shipping in the Red Sea on aggregate world trade is likely to be limited, the impact on Asian economies that rely more heavily on oil imports from Saudi... 31st March 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Strong Shunto results will prompt more BoJ rate hikes This year’s spring wage negotiations (Shunto) delivered strong pay hikes for the third consecutive year, which will convince the Bank of Japan to tighten policy further this year. And while softer... 23rd March 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update BoJ signals willingness to hike rates again soon A slim majority of BoJ Board members believe that the conflict in the Middle East will on balance strengthen inflationary pressures in Japan. Accordingly, we’re sticking to our forecast that the Bank... 19th March 2026 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update Net government debt will fall to 80% of GDP by 2028 Japan’s public finances are improving at an even faster pace than we had anticipated, supporting our long-held view that the country won’t experience a fiscal crisis anytime soon. 18th March 2026 · 3 mins read
Commodities Update Strategic reserves are no substitute for an open Strait A record-breaking release of emergency oil reserves could cushion a lack of supply from the Middle East and provide some relief to oil prices. However, this would prove temporary with prices likely to... 11th March 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Energy shock in Asia: policy choices ahead High energy prices and growing concerns over energy security have already prompted significant policy responses across Asia. Some governments are looking to introduce inflation-suppressing measures... 10th March 2026 · 4 mins read
Global Economics Update Scenarios for the Iran war & the macro impact This note assesses the macro and commodity‑market implications of three potential scenarios for the Iran war. In the most benign – a severe but short‑lived conflict – the effects on GDP, inflation and... 10th March 2026 · 7 mins read
Asia Economics Update Is Asia running on empty with LNG? Asian economies vary in how dependent they are on LNG from the Gulf – for China and Japan, dependence is low, while Pakistan, Taiwan and Korea have much higher exposure. Low domestic inventories leave... 10th March 2026 · 4 mins read
Commodities Update Modelling the scale of the energy market disruption This Update introduces our framework for estimating the scale of disruption to energy flows from events in the Middle East as well as three scenarios about how the conflict could play out from here... 9th March 2026 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Update The fiscal cost from a resumption of energy subsidies Should the price of Brent crude oil spike to $90-100pb in the wake of the Iran war, the government could plausibly lift its energy subsidies by as much as 0.7% of GDP. While that would contribute to a... 3rd March 2026 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Update The Iran shock and Asia As net energy importers, most economies in Asia are worse off and facing higher inflation as a result of the attacks on Iran. But oil prices would have to rise much further than they have so far – to... 2nd March 2026 · 5 mins read
Global Economics Update The consequences of the Middle East conflict The global economic impact of conflict in the Middle East will hinge on its effect on energy markets. If oil stays near $70-$80 per barrel, DM inflation will be only about 0.2-0.3 percentage points... 2nd March 2026 · 8 mins read
Japan Economics Update Japan has got 99 problems but investment isn’t one PM Takaichi is misdiagnosing what’s holding back Japan’s economy. This means that rather than boosting Japan’s long-term growth potential, her policies may instead unleash a wave of wasteful public... 24th February 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update New US tariff regime will rejig Asian electronics trade Trump’s new 15% global tariff rate reduces the tariff burden on most Asian countries, but the biggest winner is China. It still faces a higher tariff than countries elsewhere in the region, but the... 23rd February 2026 · 4 mins read
