Know What's Happening in Emerging Markets
Know What's Happening in Emerging Markets
Taiwan Secures Major LNG Supply Backing Amid Middle‑East Tensions
Taiwan’s economy minister announced that a leading LNG‑producing nation has pledged to meet the island’s natural‑gas needs, offering extra cargoes on request. The move follows concerns that the Iran‑Russia war could disrupt Middle‑East supplies. A separate agreement with the United States will provide 1.2 million tonnes of LNG each year.
Ghana plans to replace its fixed 5% gold royalty with a sliding scale of 5‑12% tied to bullion prices, aiming to capture more revenue as gold hits record highs. A coordinated diplomatic push from the US, China, the UK, Canada, Australia and South Africa urges Accra to halt the hike, warning it could make the country one of Africa’s costliest mining jurisdictions. Ghana has trimmed an existing levy but miners argue the new rates remain aggressive and have submitted lower counter‑rates. Industry leaders from Newmont, Gold Fields and others have privately lobbied the lands minister.
North Korea’s Ninth Party Congress unveiled a five‑year plan focused on stabilization, consolidation and modest qualitative development rather than rapid growth. The agenda places the power sector at the core, linking factory construction, hospital building and agricultural mechanisation to reliable...
Fitch Solutions warns that a broader US‑Iran conflict could trigger a sharp currency shock across sub‑Saharan Africa. In a prolonged escalation, Brent crude is projected to trade between $110 and $130 per barrel, raising energy costs and disrupting shipping routes....
The 2026 Global Insurance Law Connect (GILC) report shows a sharp acceleration in captive insurance formations worldwide, driven by rising premiums and tightening capacity in the broader market. Growth is especially pronounced in New Zealand and across South American jurisdictions, where...
McKinsey’s latest report finds India’s direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) market, now worth $10‑11 billion, is set to explode to $55‑60 billion by 2030, growing at a 38% CAGR. This outpaces traditional e‑commerce marketplaces, whose sales are expected to reach only $100 billion with a 10‑12%...
In 2025 the United States recorded a negative net migration rate as legal immigration was sharply curtailed, a trend that economists warn will dampen economic growth. President Donald Trump has framed this demographic shift as part of a broader “Golden...
China’s property market deepened its slump in February as new‑home prices in the 100 largest cities slipped 0.04%, the sharpest monthly decline since late 2022. Sales by the top 100 developers are down about 27% year‑over‑year, prompting firms to halt...
A U.S. nuclear submarine torpedoed the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in international waters off Sri Lanka, killing dozens of sailors. The vessel had been a guest of the Indian Navy after participating in a fleet review in Visakhapatnam, yet New Delhi issued...
Mission 300, a partnership led by the World Bank and African Development Bank, targets 300 million electricity connections in Africa by 2030. Since July 2023 the initiative has added about 44 million new connections, leaving a shortfall that requires roughly 50 million people to...
Premier Li Qiang presented China’s 2026 government work report, targeting 4.5‑5% GDP growth, a 4% fiscal deficit and a 7% defence budget rise while emphasizing high‑tech self‑reliance. The report highlighted open‑source AI adoption, with firms like DeepSeek leading, as a...
The European Investment Bank (EIB) held its annual meetings in Luxembourg, where President Nadia Calviño announced a $1 billion pledge for electrification projects across Africa and introduced a third Gender Action Plan, underscoring a renewed focus on health and gender equity....
The war in the Middle East has tightened oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz, creating a temporary vacuum that Russia hopes to exploit. While the conflict restricts exports from Saudi Arabia, Iran and other regional producers, Russia’s...
Goldman Sachs warns that a temporary spike in crude to $100 a barrel could shave 0.4 percentage points off global GDP growth and lift headline inflation by up to 0.7 points. The firm’s baseline scenario still sees oil easing to...
RBI monetary‑policy committee member Nagesh Kumar warned that the West Asia conflict creates near‑term headwinds for India, notably higher oil prices, export disruptions and reduced remittances. He stressed that inflation remains benign, with headline CPI at 1.3% in December 2025...
DoubleLine Capital sees a "virtuous feedback loop" in emerging markets as a weakening U.S. dollar and ongoing central‑bank rate cuts create attractive local‑currency fixed‑income opportunities. While recent U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran sparked a sharp sell‑off in EM currencies and equities,...
India’s strategic calculus is being reshaped as Bangladesh abandons Indian defence deals and pivots toward China and Pakistan, creating a potential three‑front dilemma for New Delhi. The shift follows the 2024 ouster of Bangladesh’s long‑time prime minister, sparking public anti‑India sentiment...
The Finance for Nature workshop in Hanoi gathered policymakers, economists and finance leaders to push natural‑capital accounting into Vietnam’s macroeconomic framework. Organisers unveiled a report that applies the Integrated Economic‑Environmental Modelling (IEEM) and GTAP‑InVEST tools to embed ecosystem services in...
Kenyan‑owned banks posted strong H1 2025 earnings, with I&M up 36%, Equity 17% and NCBA 12.6%, while foreign‑owned Standard Chartered and Stanbic saw profits fall 21% and 9% respectively. Moody’s kept a stable outlook for Kenya’s big three banks despite...
The United States is fighting an economic war while its intelligence and business sectors operate in silos. Adversaries exploit supply‑chain, capital‑flow, and technology dependencies, yet private‑sector leaders lack access to classified intelligence that could reshape risk assessments. The author argues...
Bac Ninh Province recorded over US$18.6 billion in registered foreign direct investment in 2025, placing it among Vietnam’s top two FDI destinations. Major infrastructure projects—including the accelerated Ring Road 4 corridor and a new National Highway 3 overpass—have dramatically improved connectivity to Hanoi,...
Venezuelan state miner Minerven has signed a deal with the Trump administration to supply between 650 and 1,000 kg of 98 % pure gold dore bars to commodities trader Trafigura for the U.S. market. The agreement follows President Donald Trump’s recent removal...
The Australian Government and industry groups launched the Trade Diversification Network (TDN) on 4 March as part of the $50 million Accessing New Markets Initiative. The network brings together 40 national peak bodies to provide coordinated market‑intelligence, trade services and sector‑specific support...
On February 28, President Donald Trump ordered a sweeping military strike against Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and decapitated the regime’s senior leadership. The campaign quickly expanded to hit the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s missile forces, navy and...
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a national emergency aimed at Cuba, accusing the island of hosting spies and terrorists and threatening tariffs on any nation supplying oil. Following the declaration, U.S. special forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, intensifying regional...
China announced a 300 billion yuan capital injection into state‑owned banks via a special treasury bond, coupled with deeper reforms of state financial firms. The move targets major lenders such as ICBC and Agricultural Bank of China to shore up capital...
India's auto industry recorded double‑digit wholesale growth in February 2026, driven by robust demand across all segments. Strong consumer sentiment after GST cuts and a wave of new model launches lifted volumes, especially in commercial‑vehicle and two‑wheeler categories. Tata Motors...
On @CNBC in an hour to discuss Asia (China and India). China growth target is soft but same as many expected which is 4.5% to 5%. Defence spending rises officially +7% but many say real spending increase higher. The headlines are really about...
September 2, 2025: Russia and China sign major new gas pipeline deal March 4, 2026: Putin says Russia may halt gas supplies to Europe https://t.co/kEjAnIqyrP
The United States convened a critical‑minerals summit to curb China’s overwhelming role in battery and electric‑vehicle supply chains, but China still controls over 80 percent of global lithium‑ion battery production and 90 percent of grid‑scale storage. Washington has taken minority stakes in...
China’s lithium supply dominance is hardly being “locked in.” Over the next decade their #1 position over demand will remain but their control over supply will diminish as assets in North America and non Chinese owned assets in South America...
One market that has shown a recent 5% canary signal with confirmation is Indonesia's Jakarta Stock Exchange. https://t.co/dls4RSmwO4
The escalating U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is spilling over into Africa, where Iran has cemented security ties with Sahelian juntas in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Western attention is being diverted, prompting the United States to scale back counter‑terrorism support while...
“This is the tightest range for this point of the year in the history of the S&P (going back to 1928), and tighter than any Dow range going back to 1896.” *Which way will it break? https://t.co/DQuNzpgPKG
The U.S. is pressuring Ukraine to avoid striking specific Russian energy infrastructure. As you could imagine, this all has to do with American economic interests. Full Newsletter: https://t.co/XGHjzTaHH8 #ukrainewar #militarystrike #geopolitics https://t.co/lB8qnpN0Kx
On the night of March 2, 2026, Ukrainian drones launched a strike on the Russian port of Novorossiysk in Krasnodar Krai, inflicting heavy damage on multiple Russian naval vessels. The attack ignited a fire that burned throughout the night, fueled...
FPIs bought 22,000 cr in equity in Feb. (And uhem, they sold 17K cr. on Monday + Wednesday) https://t.co/bmXFAXJ1aZ
This is a useful table, and shows the revealed preference by the govt for stability, and to keep the current policy structure essentially on track. I don’t think many or any thought different. That said, there are a few things...
Mark Temnycky argues that Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine has shattered the post‑Cold War security paradigm in Europe, forcing the United States and its allies to re‑arm and rethink deterrence strategies. He warns that the policy choices made by Washington,...
Have we discounted the IRAN war risk in markets? Using the India VIX to consider the idea that the worst of our fears may already be in the market https://t.co/LzpXAJuIYv https://t.co/H4WBbxWV2k
China Signals New Era of Slower Economic Growth—Beijing sets historically low growth target of 4.5% to 5% @hannahmiao_ @TByGraceZhu @ByXiaoXiao https://t.co/o4Z2iYoVdw https://t.co/o4Z2iYoVdw
On March 3, 2026, debris from a drone intercepted by UAE air‑defence systems ignited a fire at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone. Authorities quickly contained the blaze, reporting no injuries and resuming normal operations within hours. The incident occurred as...
Israel and the U.S. are steadily eliminating Iran’s top leadership, including figures capable of negotiating an end to the conflict... Join our Analyst Tier on Patreon to watch the full video ➡️ https://t.co/R47Ca3Pp6h #iranwar #military #geopolitics https://t.co/HS9nDRCPcB
The World Bank’s January 2026 Global Economic Prospects report finds that more than half of emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) now operate under at least one fiscal rule, up from roughly 15 % in 2000. Fiscal rules are linked to medium‑term...
That is an old saying I learned in Hong Kong that is meant to convey that any place can become unsafe and that having the ability to go to other places is invaluable. It is a lesson from history that...
Oil and gas price shocks hit emerging markets more than developed. Not to mention South Korea and Japan are major buyers (read: dependent). BOJ inflation-induced rate hike can be pulled forward from my Q3 projection to Q2. $USDJPY
In this episode Deepika Singh talks with Rajamani Krishnamurthy, President of the Indian Stainless Steel Development Association (ISDA), about the rapid expansion of India’s stainless‑steel sector and the structural challenges it faces. Krishnamurthy stresses that the biggest hurdle is the prevailing...
Mideastern commodity force majeures beginning to populate my X feed Western company evacuations of Mideastern countries beginning to populate my X feed Western investor consensus still heavily weighted to this being a short conflict. Yet 10y UST yields are only up to 4.08%?...
Right now, Europe is looking at an inflation shock roughly double that of the US ~ 2%pts
Kenneth Kazungu, the Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) secretary general and Ganze MP, defected to President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) during a Kilifi event attended by senior government allies. The move reflects President Ruto’s push to consolidate Kenya Kwanza...
The International Day for Disarmament and Non‑Proliferation Awareness coincides with a devastating Middle East conflict, highlighting that war leaves only survivors, not winners. Armed clashes destroy infrastructure, displace populations, and erode social trust, imposing costly reconstruction duties even on victors....
