Know What's Happening in Emerging Markets
Know What's Happening in Emerging Markets
Taiwan secures LNG supply assurances from a major producer
Taiwan’s economy minister announced that a major LNG‑producing nation will provide additional cargoes on request to meet the island’s gas needs amid concerns the Iran war could disrupt Middle‑East supplies. The pledge complements a new agreement with the United States that will deliver 1.2 million tonnes of LNG each year.
Analysts at Bank of America and S&P Global argue that accelerating AI and robotics adoption in China, South Korea and Japan can cushion the economic drag of rapidly ageing societies. These economies already boast robot densities far above the global average, enabling faster, cheaper automation. In South Korea, AI could reduce a projected 16.5% GDP contraction to about 5.9% by 2050. Nonetheless, experts warn that technology alone cannot fully offset demographic pressures on consumption, pensions and wage growth.
Thailand’s commerce ministry has created a high‑level task force to counter new USTR investigations under Section 301, which target excess capacity in autos, auto parts, machinery and rubber. The United States highlighted a $51 billion trade surplus in Thailand’s favour, up from...
"There is no reason, whether or not Trump declares that war is over, to think that Iran will not continue for some time to threaten to destroy the ships that try. Why should they stop?" --- Exactly, Trump cannot TACO. If he...
"I wouldn't say business is as usual, but the Israeli tech economy keeps on ticking." Here is half of my CNBC interview with Sara Eisen on Israeli resilience, Iran risk discount for Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and much more....
Bangladesh’s economic lifeline to the Gulf hinges on 3 million migrant workers and $24 billion in annual remittances. Recent Iranian missile and drone attacks across GCC airspace have heightened security risks for these expatriates. The government is weighing a neutral diplomatic stance...
China’s foreign ministry condemned the United States’ newly announced trade investigation into excess capacity as political manipulation, while the U.S. Trade Representative positioned the probe as a tool to protect American firms after a Supreme Court ruling nullified prior tariffs....
I kid you not... The same White House that forgot that didn't realize that Iran might close the Strait of Hormuz, is now arguing (through Ron Vara) that the war is a good idea because it'll prevent Iran from closing...
India has quietly revised Press Note 3, easing restrictions on Chinese capital in the country’s startup and technology sectors while keeping telecom and security‑sensitive areas closed. The amendment comes as foreign direct investment has plateaued and institutional investors have withdrawn billions,...
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a short‑term general licence that lets countries buy Russian crude already stranded at sea, aiming to ease the price surge triggered by the U.S.-Israel‑Iran conflict. The licence covers oil loaded onto vessels by March 12...
Russia's state‑linked power firms are hitting financing snags across Central Asia, prompting a rapid loss of lucrative contracts. Kazakhstan abandoned a Russian consortium for China’s Harbin Electric, slashing project costs by nearly $500 million. In 2025, Inter RAO forfeited three Kazakh power‑plant...
The International Energy Agency (IEA) just authorized a 400 million barrel reserve release to offset oil disruptions caused by the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz blockade. That stabilizes markets—for now. However, with global demand at around 100 million...
The February 28 Gulf War between the United States‑Israel coalition and Iran has quickly rippled to Mongolia, prompting its foreign ministry to alert the 281 Mongolian nationals living in the Middle East and arrange emergency repatriation flights. By March 11, 91 citizens...
U.S./Iran war is not (yet) an oil shock Oil futures prices have increased by more than a third since Israel and the United States attacked Iran and almost two-thirds since the start of the year but the increase is not yet...
Emerging‑market indices have outperformed both the MSCI World and the S&P 500 in early 2026, driven by easing inflation, a weaker dollar, and shifting investor sentiment. Forecasts show EM economies growing around 4 % this year, roughly three times the pace of...
Vietnam’s upgrade to a secondary emerging market is spurring a surge of high‑net‑worth individuals, intensifying demand for sophisticated wealth services. Techcombank Private, crowned Global Finance’s Best Private Bank in Vietnam for 2026, leverages this trend with VND 428 trillion in assets under...
Saudi Arabia’s banking sector, overseen by SAMA, has evolved into a $1.5 trillion‑plus powerhouse anchored by a mix of legacy institutions and fast‑growing digital challengers. Al Rajhi Bank remains the world’s largest Shariah‑compliant bank with nearly $300 billion in assets, while the Saudi...
China's government set a 2026 growth target of 4.5‑5% after meeting its 2025 goal of 5%. 2025 GDP reached CN¥140.19 trillion ($20.4 trillion), with consumption contributing 52%, investment 15.3%, and exports 32.7% of growth. The economy faces geopolitical tensions and a US‑led...
...and yet, the Strait of Hormuz is STILL closed, for the 13th day. Why? 🤔 At some point, investors are going to understand why this is; when they do, it is going to be very bad for both stocks AND...
VIDEO EXPLAINER: The most important map of the Third Gulf War — the oilfields, the Strait of Hormuz, and the bypass pipelines. Plus a look at how, two weeks into the war, Iran is still exporting lots of its oil,...
Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU‑PF party announced a strategic push to transform the country from a raw lithium exporter into a full‑stack battery manufacturing hub. The plan highlights the recent attraction of four of the world’s top six lithium firms and the...
Saudi Arabia is booking more and more super oil tankers at sky high rates (>$450,000 a day vs pre-war levels of $100,000 a day) to shift crude from the Red Sea into global markets.
The IEA says the war in turning into the biggest oil disruption in world history https://t.co/UJZqGyrhUP
China’s population contracted in 2022 for the first time since the 1960s, and its fertility rate remains among the world’s lowest. Projections show a loss of roughly 250 million people by 2050, turning the country’s age structure upside‑down. The working‑age cohort...
The article highlights that Africa’s intra‑regional trade finance market exceeds $60 bn but remains vastly under‑served, with only 7‑25% of demand met. Post‑2008 regulatory changes pushed global banks to partner with local institutions, making regional banks the primary conduit for cross‑border...
South Korean lawmakers approved a law establishing a public corporation to oversee a $350 billion pledge of U.S. investments, aimed at averting new U.S. tariffs. The agreement, struck in November, allocates $200 billion to semiconductor and high‑tech projects and $150 billion to shipbuilding,...
Asian Development Bank warns the Philippines could experience a serious GDP contraction as it pursues a 75% greenhouse‑gas emissions cut by 2030. The bank’s March 12 report cites high mitigation costs, price pressures and a lack of productivity measures, which...
Global PC manufacturers announced price increases of 5%‑10% as semiconductor shortages and higher freight costs persist. The hikes hit both consumer and enterprise segments, squeezing budgets for schools and businesses. Taiwan, home to major chip fabs and motherboard producers, faces...
China’s 15th five‑year plan sets a record grain‑production target of 725 million tonnes by 2030, up from the 650 million‑tonne floor in the previous plan. The goal is backed by accelerated mechanisation, AI‑driven equipment and advanced breeding to secure food supplies amid...
The India‑Middle East‑Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) was unveiled under India’s G20 presidency as a multi‑layered framework linking market access, digital connectivity and risk mitigation. Despite the shock of the October 7 Hamas attack and subsequent Iran‑Israel‑U.S. clashes, India has kept the...
NYT op-ed: “For years, Washington’s Latin America policy has oscillated between neglect and alarmism…The result is a region that has learned to nod to U.S. concerns while quietly cashing Chinese checks.” https://t.co/fuVrwW6AHG
China’s economy is largely insulated from the recent global energy price spikes triggered by Middle East tensions. Although oil and gas import bills will rise, long‑term contracts, domestic coal dominance, and sizable strategic reserves limit cost pass‑through. The country’s low...
Nigeria has unveiled the National Industrial Policy 2025‑2035 to revive manufacturing and capture its youthful labour force. The plan targets a rise in manufacturing’s share of GDP to 15% by 2030 and 25% by 2035, backed by up to 5%...
South America: A resource-rich and still largely unexplored region undergoing one of the most significant political and economic transformations in its history. https://t.co/jXGUJd5RMi https://t.co/uc8dlJv1f5
The piece argues that geopolitical shocks, while capable of causing short‑term commodity price spikes, do not alter the long‑run pricing trajectory, which is anchored in supply‑demand fundamentals, technological progress, and investment cycles. It cites historical data showing oil, copper and...
A pretty great conversation with @ed_elson_ and the FT's Katie Martin about what financial markets can tell us at critical moments, and what they're telling us about the war in Iran and America's place in the world. https://youtu.be/Jr7X0tlOl1k?si=9FjFHp0n13n6dPoL
The United States reaffirmed its commitment to the EU‑U.S. trade agreement in a call between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič. The deal, signed last summer at Turnberry, caps European export tariffs at 15 percent and...
India’s central bank faces mounting pressure to pause its rate‑cut cycle as West‑Asia oil price shocks reignite inflation concerns. A surge in Brent crude, coupled with fading food‑price base effects, threatens to push consumer inflation above the RBI’s 4% target....
India has postponed a full ban on fuel exports despite a supply squeeze triggered by the Iran‑related West Asia conflict. The delay stems from logistical bottlenecks, the risk of breaching existing export contracts, and the need for a tax waiver...
1/6 Ten seafarers have now been killed in 13 attacks on merchant vessels since the Iran conflict erupted on February 28 — more than the 7 U.S. servicemen killed in the war. The focal point is shifting: can the Strait of...
Today I learned that Iran's GDP growth rate pre-Islamic revolution was 5%-9% a year, and that's dropped to 2% year in the ensuing 40 years. Iran had been on pace to be a South Korean or Turkey-style developed country before...
The escalating war between Iran and the Taliban‑Pakistan front is jeopardizing Central Asia’s planned southbound trade routes. Ongoing fighting threatens the Uzbekistan‑Afghanistan‑Pakistan railway, the TAPI gas pipeline, and the CASA‑1000 power line, while U.S.–Israel attacks on Iran disrupt shipping and...
March 3, 2026 edition of FFTT: "Iran doesn't need to defeat the US military; just the UST market" March 11, 2026: "S&P has warned that the Middle East conflict is beginning to strain credit channels across multiple sectors" https://t.co/pnftNUeht5
President Donald Trump said he didn’t believe Iran was laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Asked Wednesday whether Iran had laid mines in the strait, Trump told reporters, “We don’t think so. Trump also urged oil companies to send their...
Analysts estimate a $2.9 trillion digital opportunity in Africa over the next five years, positioning the continent as the world’s fastest‑growing bandwidth market. Internet usage has climbed to roughly 40 % of the 1.5 billion population, though it remains well below the 66 %...
The International Energy Agency’s member states voted unanimously to release 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency strategic reserves, a move that more than doubles the 182 million‑barrel drawdown in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. The sizable release is intended to...
Clever marketing by Ireland. Most of this is private investment that would have happened anyway. And trivial compared to the tax gains Ireland is reaping from US firms -- Eli Lilly disclosed tax payments to Ireland of $6.6...
Ottawa has opened the Canadian market to Chinese electric‑vehicle imports, reviving a debate that first surfaced when Japanese automakers entered in the 1960s. At that time, unions feared job losses, but Japanese firms eventually built plants in Ontario, creating thousands...
Indian equities plunged nearly 2% on Wednesday, pushing the Nifty 50 and Sensex to 10‑month lows as fresh West Asia tensions revived market anxiety. The sell‑off erased about ₹5.48 trillion in BSE market capitalisation in a single session, while foreign institutional...
India has become the leading private‑markets destination in APAC, with 31% of surveyed limited partners (LPs) ranking it first and 76% placing it among their top three choices. Over half of the LPs plan to increase allocations, and private‑market funds...
U.S.–Turkey relations are moving toward greater cooperation as shared strategic interests outweigh public rhetoric. An analysis of sixteen regional and global issues finds eleven areas of full alignment, four with friction and one mixed, yielding a net positive score. The...
