Chief Economist's Note The Iran rift and the Atlantic reality – why its allies remain tied to the US One certainty of the Iran war is that its consequences will reverberate far beyond the regional conflict. A question that repeatedly comes up in conversations with clients surrounds the geopolitical... 16th April 2026
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update US blockade will cut off Iran’s financial lifeline The war hasn’t caused the severe balance of payments strains in Iran that might have been expected, reflecting Iran’s continued ability to export hydrocarbons, the sharp rise in global energy prices... 15th April 2026 · 3 mins read
Global Economics Update Initial war hit to world trade appears small After a strong start to the year, the early signs are that disruptions from the Iran war did not deal a heavy blow to world trade in March. In other trade developments, China continues to gain global... 15th April 2026 · 5 mins read
China Rapid Response China Merchandise Trade (Mar. 2026) Exports slowed last month and fell short of expectations, but this reflects seasonal distortions. For Q1 as a whole, export growth rose to its highest level in four years. Despite the energy price... 14th April 2026 · 3 mins read
Latin America Economics Update High energy prices a double-edged sword Latin America as a whole is a net beneficiary from higher energy prices, but the terms of trade boost is limited (or in Mexico’s case more than offset) by a lack of domestic refining capacity. The... 13th April 2026 · 5 mins read
Canada Economics Weekly USTR’s CUSMA guarantee will do little to settle nerves US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer's comments this week confirm that the Trump administration will not elect to renew CUSMA on July 1st, raising uncertainty over when a new trade framework will be... 10th April 2026 · 5 mins read
Latin America Economics Weekly Strong trade data, inflation jump, Peru votes The early trade data for March suggests that Brazil's economy is, on net, benefitting from the energy price shock and that Chile's rising energy import bill is being offset by strong exports... 10th April 2026 · 7 mins read
China Economics Update AI-led chip price surge to lift exports Soaring memory chip prices are boosting the value of China’s semiconductor and downstream electronics exports. With growing AI-related chip demand likely to continue to outstrip supply, prices look... 10th April 2026 · 5 mins read
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
Canada Economics Weekly Bank still calm about second-round inflation effects The Summary of Deliberations from the Bank of Canada’s March policy meetings gave no indication that policymakers are overly concerned about second‑round inflationary pressures stemming from the... 2nd April 2026 · 5 mins read
US Economics Weekly Iran war hits home at gasoline price surpasses $4 The consequences of the Iran war became even more conspicuous for consumers this week, with the national average gasoline price rising above $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022. Thankfully, the... 2nd April 2026 · 8 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Manufacturers hit, Korean outflows, BOK and RBI meetings The March PMIs show that the energy shock appears to be hitting manufacturers in Asia, though it is more evident in higher input prices than in falling activity. Meanwhile, foreign outflows from Korea... 2nd April 2026 · 7 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Spillovers from war could tip Tunisia towards crisis Spillovers from the Iran war threaten to exacerbate existing strains in Tunisia’s economy. If officials continue to maintain a tight grip on the dinar, macroeconomic imbalances are likely to build... 2nd April 2026 · 4 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly SA trade & budget data, SSA activity holds up Trade and budget data released this week suggest that South Africa headed into the energy price shock in decent shape. But we are concerned about the risks that a longer war could pose to the fiscal... 2nd April 2026 · 7 mins read
Canada Rapid Response Canada International Trade (Feb. 2026) February’s further widening in the goods trade deficit is not quite as bad as it first appears, with a surge in volatile gold and other precious metal imports accounting for most of the move, while... 2nd April 2026 · 2 mins read
US Rapid Response US International Trade (Feb. 2026) Large gold outflows were once again met by sizeable computer imports to keep the trade deficit largely unchanged in February and our first-quarter GDP growth estimate near to 3%. 2nd April 2026 · 2 mins read
