China Activity Monitor Economy was gaining momentum at end of Q2 Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that there was a strong rebound in economic growth at the end of Q2. The property sector remains a drag, but this was more than offset by relatively broad-based... 29th July 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Markets shrug off latest standoff with Russia The renewed violence in eastern Ukraine, the imposition of fresh sanctions by the US and the threat of further moves by the EU have weighed on Russian equities. But the recent falls haven’t been as... 28th July 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Are tensions with China hurting exports? Japan’s share of Chinese imports has fallen below that of the EU and South Korea recently. One reason is that large numbers of Japanese firms have shifted production facilities to China. This shouldn... 25th July 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update How competitive is Greece now? The sharp fall in wages and recent flurry of structural reforms in Greece has not yet fed intocompetitiveness gains. Greece is still not able to run the sustained external surpluses that it needs. 24th July 2014 · 1 min read
Global Trade Monitor Advanced economies a drag on global trade The latest data underline that global trade volumes remain very weak, even as worldGDP growth has accelerated. Indeed, the volume of world trade fell slightly in May,according to data released today... 24th July 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response External trade (Jun.) While the trade deficit widened last month, it remains much smaller than before the sales tax hike. This suggests that net trade finally ceased to be a drag on GDP growth last quarter. 24th July 2014 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Argentina debt crisis: no stay brings default closer Judge Griesa’s refusal today to grant the Argentine government a stay in the ongoing debt dispute meansthat it is increasingly likely that the authorities will default on 30th July. Default is another... 22nd July 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Focus How big are the risks from a deteriorating current account? Japan’s current account surplus has fallen sharply in recent years, as the trade balance has moved deeply into the red. The current account balance is more likely to rebound into surplus than slip... 22nd July 2014 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Business investment rebounds The weakness of business investment over the past couple of years has been disconcerting, but arange of indicators point to a much stronger showing in the second quarter while, more generally, rising... 21st July 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Ukraine’s rate hike highlights fragile external position The decision by the National Bank of Ukraine to raise its discount rate earlier today serves as a reminder that, in spite of some positive developments over the past couple of months, the country’s... 16th July 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Trade (May) May’s euro-zone trade data provided some tentative signs that exports may bebeginning to pick up. But the external sector remains too weak to offset fears that thedomestic recovery is faltering at an... 16th July 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Rising EM trade surplus a result of weaker growth The emerging market-wide trade surplus rose to a record high in US dollar terms in May. But while this would, at first sight, appear to be a positive development, much of the adjustment appears to be... 15th July 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Singapore manufacturing will continue to struggle Singapore’s manufacturing exports have been a consistent weak point in the economy over recent years. A recovery in global demand should help, but the problems are more than cyclical. In fact, the... 14th July 2014 · 1 min read
Global Economic Outlook Getting back to normal Global growth is likely to accelerate a bit during the coming two years while inflation and interest rates should generally remain very low. The US and UK are set for a period of fairly rapid growth... 11th July 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Trade Monitor EM export growth picks up, but reasons for caution Emerging Market export growth strengthened a little in May and may have accelerated further last month. Even so, the latest country-level trade figures have fallen short of expectations, and suggest... 10th July 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update China’s industrial metals imports likely to fall further China’s imports of key commodities were weak in June reflecting the slowdown in the property sector as well as lower import activity related to financing deals. In our view, these factors are likely... 10th July 2014 · 1 min read
