US Economics Weekly Trump tariffs on thin ice The Supreme Court justices appeared sceptical this week that President Donald Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose sweeping reciprocal tariffs was legal. If the Court rules against Trump invoking... 7th November 2025 · 4 mins read
Commodities Weekly A false dawn for copper? Soybeans deal not a gamechanger The positive mood music surrounding cooling US-China trade tensions has supported a handful of commodity prices, including copper and soybeans. Although copper prices reached an all-time high this... 31st October 2025 · 3 mins read
China Economics Weekly Tariff cut isn’t the biggest trade truce win for China The halving of fentanyl tariffs won’t have much of an impact on China's economy. More consequential for China is the suspension of the Entity List Affiliates Rule, which buys thousands of firms time... 31st October 2025 · 6 mins read
China Economics Update Is China immune to US tariffs? China’s exports have been far more resilient in the face of US tariffs than many had expected. But some damage has still been done – our calculations point to a 0.3% of GDP hit as of September. And... 22nd October 2025 · 5 mins read
Commodities Update Commodities & the tariff shock six months on Six months on from the unveiling of President Trump’s tariff agenda, the direct effects on commodity markets have been contained to higher US price premiums for steel and aluminium. That said... 22nd October 2025 · 4 mins read
China Economics Weekly Trade war flashpoints, PBOC holds renminbi steady The recent escalation in US-China trade tensions seems to have resulted in an impasse, with both sides looking to the other to initiate deescalation. For now, the Xi-Trump meeting at the APEC summit... 17th October 2025 · 7 mins read
China Economics Update US may revive plans to curb financial ties with China While talk of US retaliation against China’s new export controls has mostly focused on tariffs and other barriers to goods trade, investment restrictions are another weapon in Washington’s arsenal. If... 15th October 2025 · 6 mins read
China Economics Update Another look at China’s new export controls A closer inspection suggests that the scope of China’s new controls on rare earths is narrower than many, including us, had initially feared. But they still give officials plenty of leverage over... 14th October 2025 · 3 mins read
China Economics Update China tightens its grip on rare earths (again) China has substantially expanded its rare earth export controls – these now apply not only to a wider range of elements and magnets but, on paper least, any goods that contain them in meaningful... 9th October 2025 · 4 mins read
US Economic Outlook AI boom to offset drag from immigration curbs We now expect tariffs to have only a very limited impact on both prices and activity, with the AI investment boom and the immigration crackdown proving to be the bigger economic drivers. With the AI... 29th September 2025 · 16 mins read
China Economics Weekly Ceding developing country perks is a geopolitical play China's decision this week to forgo its developing country benefits at the WTO won't have significant economic implications, not least because the WTO has little power these days to compel members to... 26th September 2025 · 6 mins read
China Economics Update China's Nvidia ban signals strong push for chip self-sufficiency The immediate consequence for China’s economy of banning the import of Nvidia chips will be limited. But the move signals a strong commitment by China’s leadership to developing cutting-edge chip... 17th September 2025 · 4 mins read
China Economics Update Rerouting providing less of an offset Our updated estimates suggest that trade rerouting is so far doing less to insulate Chinese exports from US tariffs than in the past. That’s largely because rerouting via Mexico hasn’t picked up since... 16th September 2025 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly Government bond yields rising, tariff barriers climbing We're sceptical that the government's supply-side reform will succeed in pulling the economy out of deflation, suggesting the recent rise in government bond yields won't be sustained. And, while... 12th September 2025 · 6 mins read
India Economics Update Is Trump pushing India into China’s arms? The deterioration in Indo-US relations appears to have expedited New Delhi’s efforts to strengthen ties with Beijing, as highlighted by Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to China in seven years last... 11th September 2025 · 4 mins read
