Chief Economist's Note How will the Iran war affect the global economy? A version of this note was originally published by Chatham House on Friday, 6th March. With the war with Iran in its second week, the most immediate and tragic costs are measured in lives lost. Yet... 10th March 2026
China Economics Update China well placed to weather energy price shock Events in the Middle East mean that China will have to stomach a higher import bill. But China’s economy is not especially dependent on oil and natural gas. And the country has large reserves that it... 10th March 2026 · 4 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
China Rapid Response China Merchandise Trade (Jan. & Feb. 2026) Both exports and imports started the year much stronger than expected. While the recent pace of gains is unlikely to be sustained, exports are likely to remain robust given the recent decline in US... 10th March 2026 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan will have to hike rates if Iran crisis continues Pakistan is one of the countries most threatened by the global energy shock because of its dependence on LNG from the Gulf, a recent history of very high inflation and balance of payments weaknesses... 9th March 2026 · 3 mins read
Capital Daily Escalation and asset markets With the war continuing to escalate, this edition of the Capital Daily takes stock of how markets have fared so far and provides some thoughts on what might – and might not – continue to fare the best... 9th March 2026 · 4 mins read
China Rapid Response China Consumer & Producer Prices (Feb. 2026) CPI inflation recovered last month, thanks to temporary factors such as an easing of oil price deflation and volatility in food and tourism prices around Lunar New Year. Tensions in the Middle East... 9th March 2026 · 2 mins read
Japan Rapid Response Japan Labour Cash Earnings (Jan. 26) The strength in wage growth at the start of the year, combined with promising signs for upcoming spring wage negotiations, should put the Bank of Japan in a good position to resume its tightening... 8th March 2026 · 2 mins read
China Economics Weekly NPC Press Conference: a little domestic rebalancing… Today's press conference for the heads of senior economic and financial ministries made clear that, while the leadership is looking to drive some degree of domestic rebalancing towards consumption... 6th March 2026 · 7 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly A stagflationary shock for Asia Higher oil prices from the Middle East conflict would act as a terms-of-trade shock for Asia’s largely energy-importing economies, squeezing households and firms and slowing growth. Inflation would... 6th March 2026 · 5 mins read
India Economics Weekly Russian oil reprieve, but other risks from Iran conflict mount One of India's key exposures to the Middle East conflict is higher oil prices, so news that the US has temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil purchases will have brought some relief in New Delhi... 6th March 2026 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Update Korea: what higher energy prices mean for inflation Inflation in Korea was muted again last month, but it would rise sharply in the event of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East that led to a sustained increase in global energy prices. Against such... 6th March 2026 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Middle East conflict lowers odds of near-term rate hike Japan looks better placed than most Asian economies to weather the disruption to energy supply caused by the conflict in the Middle East. However, a slowdown in economic activity in other countries in... 6th March 2026 · 5 mins read
China Economics Focus China's economic roadmap for 2026 China’s government has set some low-key targets for 2026 at the National People’s Congress. The official growth target has been reduced, fiscal policy will be looser, but only a touch, and monetary... 5th March 2026 · 31 mins read
Global Markets Update EM assets have further to fall if Iran conflict intensifies While EM financial markets have started to stabilise following the recent selloff, they are vulnerable to a further deterioration in risk sentiment. Markets in EMEA appear most exposed due to... 5th March 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Rapid Response RENGO 2026 Shunto Pay Request The wage requests unveiled by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO) today suggest that this year’s spring wage negotiations will result in a pay hike of similar magnitude as last year. 5th March 2026 · 2 mins read
