Japan rising from negative interest rates
Japan made history for implementing negative interest rates as a long-term intervention to prop up its aging economy. It recorded another milestone when the Bank of Japan (BOJ) raised interest rates from -0.1 per cent to a 0-0.1 per cent... Read More →
China confronts a new tariff war
China’s duel with some of its biggest trading partners has intensified anew as they unleash fresh tit-for-tat tariffs on exports, a repeat of heightened trade tensions that began in 2018 with the US. The renewed trade war in 2024 now... Read More →
Will Trump’s tax cuts fix the US’ middle-income squeeze?
Former US President Donald Trump’s impending return to the White House has created a sense of familiarity and heightened volatility for the global financial markets. Trump is set to return as the 47th US president on 20 January 2025. His... Read More →
Malaysia invests in developing GVCs for future growth
For the past few decades, Malaysia’s cross-border trade has been supported by the migration of technological know-how, high-skilled physical labour, capital investment, as well as raw materials and goods. These had positive spillover effects on international trade that strengthened the... Read More →
Navigating Uncertainty: The US Presidential Race and Its Impact on Brazil-US Relations
If anything, the 10 September US presidential debate has only revealed how the race is more uncertain than ever. Some polls point to a win of Vice President Kamala Harris, with around 48 per cent chance of winning according to... Read More →
Re-assessing the US Budget Deficit
The first US presidential debate for the November 2024 polls shed little light on the elephant in the room: the federal budget deficit. If further tax cuts are to be on the economic agenda, the US shall run annual fiscal... Read More →
US faces historic shake-up in 2024 presidential polls
What’s shaping up like a déjà vu moment quickly shifted into a history-making election season in the US. It will be a thrilling next few weeks as the US heads into another presidential election. What would have been a repeat... Read More →
Brazil’s quest for a balanced budget
Even with a steady increase in revenues, Brazil’s federal government accounts closed the first half of 2024 with a deficit of BRL 70.6 billion (USD 12.7 billion), a 66 per cent increase compared to last year’s first semester, as shown... Read More →
Propping up Malaysia’s economy amid weaker ringgit, unyielding interest rates
Malaysia experienced slowdowns in global trade, elevated tensions due to geopolitics, and tighter monetary policies that led to a slower-than-expected 3.7 per cent expansion in 2023, missing the expected pace of 3.8 per cent. Still, the International Monetary Fund (IMF)... Read More →
Thriving Brazilian agriculture builds new pathways through capital markets
According to the Production, Supply and Demand reports by the US Department of Agriculture, Brazil is responsible for more than a quarter of the world’s production of key agricultural goods like fresh oranges, soybean oilseed, and coffee, along with a... Read More →