Economics

Until its 2012 APEC chairmanship and APEC Summit in Vladivostok, Russia was not a proactive participant in East Asia. Rather, it was still striving for comprehensive involvement in the network of regional institutions such as APEC, ASEAN dialogue partnership, the...

Clouded by controversy even before it began, the recently concluded 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) in Vientiane, Laos was conspicuous for two things: who was and was not present; and, perhaps more importantly, what was and was not discussed....

The US dollar is enjoying a mid-week bounce against all the major currencies.  It appears that participants in Asia and Europe are giving more credence to NY Fed Dudley's comments yesterday. Although many in the market have given up on...

  On September 18 2016, Glenn Stevens will end his ten-year mandate as governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). His experience in the top job provides a wealth of lessons for the next generation of policymakers; that’s arguably...

The US dollar is being sold across the board today.  The US Dollar Index is off 0.65% late in the European morning, which, if sustained, would make it the largest drop in two weeks.  The proximate cause being cited by...

The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is widely considered a game changer not only for Pakistan, but also for the Asian region. CPEC is a major stimulus for Pakistan, ensuring rapid economic growth with massive infrastructure development and flows of foreign...

Australia and China, though they are two vastly different nations, already have a huge and joint political, economic and social investment in the success of their bilateral relationship. Australia and China, though they are two vastly different nations, already have...

On 12 July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration rendered its decision on the Philippines v. China case over disputes in the South China Sea. Capturing worldwide attention, the ruling was made largely in Manila’s favour. Yet overshadowed by this...

Japan's Q2 GDP:  The week begins off with the first estimate of Japan's Q2 GDP.  Growth is expected to slow from 0.6% in Q1 to 0.2%-0.3% in Q2. Consumption likely slowed more than investment increased.  The GDP deflator, another measure of...

The dollar's push lower that we anticipate until later in the month gained momentum following the disappointing US retail sales report before the weekend.  The dollar's technical tone has deteriorated, while the economic data is unlikely to be sufficient to...

South Africa has toppled Nigeria and reclaimed its status as the largest economy in Africa. This comes two years after Nigeria rebased its GDP calculation and advanced to the top spot. South Africa was also temporarily relegated to the third position...

The number of vehicles is growing worldwide and as a result the number of tyres is increasing too. Hundreds of millions of tyres are discarded each year. The number of vehicles is growing worldwide and as a result the number of tyres is increasing too. Hundreds of...

There is a general consolidative tone in the capital markets as the week draws to a close.  The US retail sales report may offer a brief distraction, but it is unlikely to significantly shift expectations about the trajectory of Fed...

US LIBOR continues to rise.  LIBOR may not be what it was before the Great Financial Crisis, or before the scandalous revelations.  However, it remains an important benchmark.  Three-month LIBOR rose from around 25 bp before last December's Fed hike...

As the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, China is under the spotlight in the global climate regime. In recent years, the country has become increasingly active in international climate negotiations, announcing ambitious mitigation goals. However, with its slowing economic...