Asia Economics Update Korea: on hold, but more easing to come The Bank of Korea left interest rates unchanged at its meeting today (at 2.50%), but gave strong hints that the easing cycle still had further to run. With growth set to struggle and inflation... 10th July 2025 · 3 mins read
US Rapid Response Trump threatens to resurrect 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea President Donald Trump has released the first of his “letters” threatening to impose country-specific tariffs of 25% on both Japan and South Korea from August 1 st, if those countries can’t reach a... 7th July 2025 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Demographic decline: what Taiwan can learn from Korea Taiwan and Korea face some of the world’s worst demographic headwinds with working-age populations set to shrink by 1% a year over the next decade. Efforts to boost fertility have largely failed, and... 7th July 2025 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Asia Weekly: Vietnam trade agreement eases worst-case fears The newly agreed US–Vietnam trade agreement should help preserve Vietnam’s competitive edge in the region, but the overall impact will also depend on how other countries in Asia are treated. Meanwhile... 4th July 2025 · 7 mins read
Asia Economics Update Korea: economy still struggling, more easing likely The latest batch of monthly activity and inflation data for Korea support the case for further monetary policy easing by the central bank. We are expecting another 50bps of cuts before the end of the... 2nd July 2025 · 3 mins read
India Economics Update Asia Manufacturing PMIs (June) The June PMI readings for most countries in Asia were subdued. With worries about growth having taken precedence over those about inflation, we think most central banks in the region will continue to... 1st July 2025 · 2 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Emerging Markets Capital Flows Monitor (Jun. 2025) Capital inflows into EMs held up well in June despite the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Were higher US tariffs to come into force after President Trump’s 90-day reciprocal tariff reprieve... 30th June 2025 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Asia Weekly: Korean consumer boost, political trouble in Thailand While retail sales in Korea remain just over 2% below pre-pandemic levels, there are growing signs the worst is behind us. Consumer sentiment has rebounded sharply following the recent presidential... 27th June 2025 · 6 mins read
APAC Commercial Property Outlook APAC Commercial Property Outlook: Values to fall as region’s markets struggle to recover The outlook for the Asia-Pacific markets is relatively poor. We think higher-for-longer bond yields will limit the pace of recovery in this cycle globally, but this will be compounded by a weak... 27th June 2025 · 20 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Asia Weekly: More policy support coming in Korea More policy support in Korea looks to be on its way soon. The minutes from the Bank of Korea’s May meeting, point to more rate cuts over the coming months. Meanwhile, the new government has announced... 20th June 2025 · 6 mins read
Equities Update Korean equities may not outperform Taiwan much longer Taiwan’s stock market has been a key beneficiary of the AI boom and was one of the top performers in the world in 2024. This year though, equities in fellow Asian tech heavyweight Korea have taken... 20th June 2025 · 4 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Reflections on recent elections Recent presidential elections in Poland, Romania and Korea have led to significant moves in their financial markets. But from a macro perspective, what also matters is the composition of the... 10th June 2025 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Asia Weekly: Korea’s struggling economy, Indonesia’s fiscal stimulus Korea’s new president Lee Jae-myung faces an uphill battle to revive the flagging economy. GDP shrank in Q1 and early Q2 data suggest the economy may already be in recession. The stage is set for a... 6th June 2025 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Update Can Korea afford post-election stimulus? President Lee’s pledge to provide fiscal stimulus would, if implemented, provide a much-needed lift to Korea’s economy. The country’s public finances could easily accommodate a temporary rise in... 5th June 2025 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update What to expect from Korea’s new president Victory for Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party (DP) in today’s presidential election in Korea should help bring to an end six months of political turmoil. Boosting the economy and agreeing a trade... 3rd June 2025 · 3 mins read
