🎯Today's Global Economy Pulse
Updated 5h agoWhat's happening: US growth stalls to 1.4% annualized in Q4 2025 amid fiscal gridlock
The U.S. economy expanded at a 1.4% annualized rate in the fourth quarter of 2025, roughly half of analysts' expectations and the slowest pace since early 2024. The deceleration follows a 4.4% surge in the prior quarter and coincides with heightened legislative gridlock over fiscal policy and the debt ceiling.
News•Feb 13, 2026
Splash Wrap: The Week in Shipping in 233 Words
The Pentagon intercepted a tanker suspected of moving Venezuelan oil, underscoring Washington’s aggressive stance on illicit exports. Vanuatu warned users about a fake registry website, while Cameroon suspended new shadow‑fleet registrations and began deregistering existing vessels. In the tech arena, WiseTech Global teamed with Hapag‑Lloyd to pilot IoT integration across the carrier’s 2 million‑container smart fleet, aiming for real‑time visibility. Marcura’s CEO shared competitive insights for ship‑tech firms in a Maritime CEO interview, and the week’s Splash Wrap podcast reflected on these developments.
By Splash 247
News•Feb 13, 2026
Both the Number of New Workforce and Jobs Stagnant in Korea, Reports Indicate
South Korea faces a looming labor shortage as its economically active population is projected to grow only 0.46% by 2034, creating a gap of roughly 1.22 million workers. Despite the demand for an additional 54,000 workers per year through 2029 and...
By The Korea Herald – RSS hub (includes Business)
Social•Feb 13, 2026
ECB Still Assessing Full Effects of Euro Appreciation
ECB has yet to see full impact of euro appreciation, Kazaks says https://t.co/qqisWsfsJD via @aaroneglitis @Skolimowski https://t.co/TTDxRGmgMY
By Zöe Schneeweiss
News•Feb 13, 2026
Rates Spark: Dutch Pension Funds May Prepare Early for 2027 Transitions
Almost €1 trillion of Dutch pension assets are slated to transition by 2027, but early hedge rebalancing has already begun. Smaller funds moved interest‑rate hedges in December 2025, while larger players like PMT and PFZW are timing their flows for the first...
By ING — THINK Economics
News•Feb 13, 2026
China Merchants to Restart Wuhan Qingshan Shipyard
China Merchants Shipbuilding Industry Group announced the full restart of its long‑dormant Wuhan Qingshan shipyard in 2026, reviving a facility that ceased new‑building in 2018. The 113‑hectare river‑front yard, equipped with a 2,200‑metre wharf, will focus on small and medium‑sized...
By Splash 247
News•Feb 13, 2026
Maran Dry Returns to Newbuilds with Capesize Order at Hengli
Maran Dry, the bulk carrier arm of Angelicoussis Shipping, has placed an order for four new capesize vessels at Hengli Heavy Industry’s Dalian yard, with options that could expand the deal to six ships. This marks the company’s first new‑build...
By Splash 247
News•Feb 13, 2026
Singaporeans to Get Nearly $400 in Vouchers, up to $316 in Cash as Cost-of-Living Support
Singapore's 2026 budget introduces a Cost‑of‑Living Special Payment, granting eligible adults up to S$400 cash and providing every household with S$500 in Community Development Council vouchers. The cash payout targets citizens earning up to S$100,000 and owning no more than...
By VNExpress – Companies (subset)
News•Feb 13, 2026
Asia Week Ahead: Key Growth Data From Japan
Japan is set to publish key macro data next week, including Q4 2025 GDP, export figures, and inflation. Analysts forecast a modest 0.3% quarter‑on‑quarter GDP rebound after a 0.6% contraction, driven by recovering construction and strong semiconductor exports. Inflation is expected...
By ING — THINK Economics
News•Feb 13, 2026
Oceanbird Lands First Commercial Order
Oceanbird, the Alfa Laval–Wallenius joint venture, announced its first commercial sale, delivering two Wing 560 wing sails for retrofit in Europe slated for early 2027. The order fills the initial production slots, shifting Oceanbird from prototype demonstrations to a commercial rollout. The...
By Splash 247
Podcast•Feb 13, 2026•30 min
Weekend Edition: From Dairy to Data: Can NZ Outgrow Australia’s Shadow?
In this episode, Phil and NAB’s Ray Attrill dissect the widening gap between New Zealand and Australia as AI‑driven investment costs strain US markets and commodity prices slide, while the Aussie dollar weakens below 71 cents. They explore how rising AI spending,...
By NAB Morning Call
Social•Feb 13, 2026
US Must Secure Mineral Sources, Not Just Funding
You can’t stockpile what you don’t control. The easy part is $12 billion from the Trump Adminstration. The hard part is finding the mines, processing & pricing. Washington needs to build alliances instead of burning them. https://t.co/JfhrJs5VnH #CriticalMinerals #Geopolitics #China #SupplyChains #EnergyTransition #Mining #USPolicy
By Art Berman Blog
Social•Feb 13, 2026
Shipping Decarbonizes Regardless of U.S. Policy Shifts
Shipping is decarbonizing with or without Washington. Capital has already committed: dual-fuel vessels dominate orderbooks, and investment decisions are being driven by EU rules, port levies, and future-proofing U.S. politics comes & goes https://t.co/LBSLcVd8Xn #Shipping #IMO #Decarbonization #EnergyTransition #ESG #Maritime #ClimatePolicy
By Art Berman Blog
News•Feb 13, 2026
The Industry Blind Spot that Lets Crew Suffering Escalate
Shipping consultant Frank Coles warns that seafarers face systemic abuse hidden by the industry’s self‑regulation. Crew members endure long contracts, limited shore leave, and mental‑health strain while owners chase cheap labor across weak‑law jurisdictions. Regulatory bodies draft safety rules but...
By Splash 247
News•Feb 13, 2026
CNOOC Targets 40% Offshore Wind Capacity Ramp up in 2026
China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) announced a 40% increase in offshore wind capacity for 2026, targeting 3.5 GW of installed power. The expansion, executed with turbine maker Ming Yang Smart Energy, will roll out advanced turbines across southern provinces. Falling costs...
By Splash 247
News•Feb 13, 2026
Malaysia’s Population Growth Slows to 0.6% in Q4 2025
Malaysia’s fourth‑quarter 2025 demographic report shows population growth decelerating to 0.6%, reaching 34.3 million. Live births fell 5.4% while the elderly share rose to 8.0%, indicating an ageing trend. Labour demand grew 1.8% to 9.21 million jobs, the strongest since Q1 2024, with...
By Human Resources Online (Asia)
News•Feb 13, 2026
Appointment to the Monetary Policy Board
The Reserve Bank of Australia announced that Professor Bruce Preston has been appointed to the Monetary Policy Board, effective immediately. Preston brings a distinguished academic record and extensive experience in public‑policy economics. Governor Michele Bullock also thanked outgoing board member...
By Reserve Bank of Australia — Media Releases
Social•Feb 13, 2026
Photo Op Won’t Revive Venezuela’s Oil Without Real Investment Conditions
You don’t revive Venezuela’s oil sector by touring dilapidated fields @SecretaryWright This is a pointless photo op Tell us about restoring conditions in which companies would risk capital to revive oil production. Otherwise, keep the photos on your phone #EnergyPolicy #Venezuela #OilMarkets #Geopolitics...
By Art Berman Blog
Social•Feb 13, 2026
Inflation‑adjusted Dollar
A pet peeve. Talk about current dollar weakness. Numbers here are through December -- but in December the broad inflation adjusted dollar was stronger than in 01 or 02, the peak before 22-24 1/ https://t.co/c7KU9z1C6t
By Brad Setser
News•Feb 12, 2026
Release: Market Participants Survey
On November 9 2026 the Bank of Canada published its quarterly Market Participants Survey, a systematic outreach to a broad cross‑section of financial‑market actors. The survey solicits expectations on key macro‑economic indicators such as inflation, growth, and exchange rates, as well as...
By Bank of Canada — RSS (site hub)
Social•Feb 12, 2026
Call Centers Signal AI‑Driven Job Crisis Ahead
A good canary in the coal mine for AI-caused job loss will be call centers. We're currently projecting ~2.75M call center jobs in the US in 2026. In 2016 it was ~2.63M. The global call center market size has grown...
By François Chollet
Social•Feb 12, 2026
From Labor to Compute: Economy’s Next Quantum Leap
1900: Internal Combustion + Electricity = 5x GDP growth. 2026: AGI + Humanoid Robotics + Space-based Energy = 50x GDP growth. This is NOT a cycle; instead, we are in a phase change for the species. The transition from being...
By Peter H. Diamandis
News•Feb 12, 2026
Publication: Summary of Deliberations
The Bank of Canada released a detailed Summary of Deliberations outlining the Governing Council’s discussion of the monetary‑policy decision announced two weeks earlier. The document highlights the Council’s assessment of inflation trends, labour‑market tightness, and the domestic growth outlook. It...
By Bank of Canada — RSS (site hub)
Social•Feb 12, 2026
SOLS: Cheap US Uranium Conversion Monopoly Amid Global Shortage
Thread(1/2) 🧵 We put our SOLS long thesis above the paywall in our Atoms vs. Bits primer yesterday, so I’m also going to summarize for all you degenerates on X. The story is simple: the uranium trade has resulted in nearly every...
By Citrini7 (pseudonymous)
Social•Feb 12, 2026
Steepening Yield Curve Could Shift QE Benefits to Main Street
How might the Fed/Treasury do that? One possibility is to cut short rates to steepen the yield curve, and deregulate the banks into buying the long end so that the Fed’s balance sheet can be “privatized.” If those QE assets...
By Jurrien Timmer
News•Feb 12, 2026
Publication: Summary of Deliberations
The Bank of Canada’s Governing Council released a detailed summary of its monetary‑policy deliberations for the decision announced two weeks ago. The Council kept the policy interest rate steady at 4.75%, citing modest progress toward its 2% inflation target. Officials...
By Bank of Canada — RSS (site hub)
Social•Feb 12, 2026
Fed Treasury to Coordinate
Things have been quiet on the rate side, with the 10-year yield trading at around 4 ¼ percent and expectations for a few more rate cuts (down to 3.1%) holding firm. We will likely soon have a lot more coordination between...
By Jurrien Timmer
News•Feb 12, 2026
Interest Rate Announcement
On December 9, 2026 the Bank of Canada will release its next overnight rate target, one of eight scheduled policy announcements each year. The press release will outline the economic factors shaping the decision, including inflation trends, labour market conditions, and global...
By Bank of Canada — RSS (site hub)
Social•Feb 12, 2026
Price Controls Trigger Chaotic, Uneven Resource Allocation
I'm super excited for my new paper with @ATabarrok and Mark Whitmeyer: "Chaos and Misallocation under Price Controls" During the 1973-74 gasoline crisis, the U.S. had about a 9 percent national shortfall. But that was far from evenly spread out. Over...
By Brian Albrecht
News•Feb 12, 2026
Europe Debates Future Ties with US: Decouple or Double Down?
Europe is split on its future relationship with the United States under President Trump. Eastern European NATO members such as Romania and Lithuania argue for tighter security cooperation and participation in the critical‑minerals ministerial, citing Russian aggression. In contrast, France,...
By The Hill – Defense
News•Feb 12, 2026
Singapore Budget 2026: Key Highlights for HR Leaders, Employers, and Employees
Singapore’s 2026 Budget, delivered by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, projects growth slowing to 2‑4% and introduces a suite of measures to keep the city‑state competitive. For employers, the budget raises the minimum qualifying salary for new Employment Passes to $6,000...
By Human Resources Online (Asia)
News•Feb 12, 2026
Piero Cipollone: Europe and Monetary Sovereignty
In a February 2026 speech, ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone warned that Europe’s monetary sovereignty is threatened by growing dependencies on foreign payment systems and digital assets. He argued that control over the euro, both in cash and digital...
By European Central Bank — Press/Speeches
Social•Feb 12, 2026
BlockFills Freezes Withdrawals as Crypto Volatility Spikes
First, you lose in a matter of weeks 50%% to 99% - depending on which shitcoin you were duped to invest in - and then they don’t even allow you to withdraw the remaining crumbs of your investments. Standard operating...
By Nouriel Roubini
Social•Feb 12, 2026
Tight Credit Spreads, Fast‑Food Struggles, Tariff Burden Revealed
🆓 Thursday links: tight credit spreads, fast food woes, and who is paying the cost of tariffs. https://t.co/NOuKmm78S8 image: https://t.co/Lhs7cz5vWL https://t.co/nj3y6g7t8i
By Tadas Viskanta
News•Feb 12, 2026
Trump Calls India-US Trade Deal ‘Historic’ as Tariff Cuts and Coal Exports Take Centre Stage
President Donald Trump called the newly concluded India‑US trade deal historic, highlighting its potential to expand American energy exports, especially coal. The interim agreement slashes U.S. duties on Indian goods to a uniform 18% across textiles, apparel, chemicals and more,...
By ET EnergyWorld (The Economic Times)
Social•Feb 12, 2026
China’s Surplus Outpaces Europe, IMF View Outdated
The IMF's standard way of talking about global trade and payment imbalances tends to view Europe and China similarly -- but that is now out of date. China's reported surplus will top $700b in 2025, the euro area's surplus...
By Brad Setser
Social•Feb 12, 2026
Domestic Sales and Exports Aren't Comparable Economic Metrics
It is ignored because it is misleading to compare in country sales (generated by Chinese production for sale to Chinese buyers) to exports (goods produced in one country for sale in another). Firms and countries are different economic concepts
By Brad Setser
News•Feb 12, 2026
Fed Should ‘Aggressively’ Be Cutting Rates, Investor Says Amid Jobs Report Release
Anthony Pompliano, CEO of Professional Capital Management, argued on “Making Money” that the Federal Reserve should aggressively cut interest rates following the latest jobs report. He noted that the labor market remains solid but still offers room for monetary easing...
By Fox Business — Bonds (section)
Social•Feb 12, 2026
China Eases Capital Controls as Asset Buildup Accelerates
China usually liberalizes its financial account when the PBOC (now the state banks) are accumulating assets at too rapid a pace, and it wans the dollar risk to be taken by others ... 1/2
By Brad Setser
Social•Feb 12, 2026
East Asia Drives Surging Trade Surplus, Currencies Remain Cheap
Bingo And the global trade surplus (ex pharma) is now primarily in China, Taiwan and Korea ... Important qualification to the now standard argument the dollar has gotten weaker (which is true primarily if the clock starts at the end of 24,...
By Brad Setser
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News•Feb 11, 2026
What To Expect From Friday's Report On Inflation
Economists expect the January Consumer Price Index to rise 2.5% year‑over‑year, a dip from December’s 2.7% and the lowest headline inflation since May 2021. Core CPI, which strips out food and energy, is also projected at 2.5%, matching the lowest...
By Investopedia — Economics
Social•Feb 12, 2026
Excess Wealth vs Limited Cash Fuels Asset Bubbles
Wealth isn’t worth anything unless it can be converted into money to spend. And when there’s a lot of wealth relative to the amount of hard money available — like we’re seeing today — bubbles are created. @nikhilkamathcio https://t.co/iBiRkkv7Ok
By Ray Dalio
Social•Feb 12, 2026
Productivity Gains Are the Real Driver of Inflation
Posted this thread two years ago on the enigmatic relationship between inflation and productivity, and more relevant now than ever—
By Jeff Park
News•Feb 11, 2026
The UK Chagos Deal Is an 'Act of Great Stupidity'
The United Kingdom has announced a plan to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to an unrelated African nation, sparking alarm among security analysts. The islands host Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.–U.K. military base that underpins American power projection across...
By RealClearWorld – Security/Defense (alt aggregation)
Social•Feb 11, 2026
US Grads Face Higher Unemployment; Eurozone More Educated Workforce
Very striking data these a. on US graduate unemployment and b. higher share of tertiary education in Eurozone labor force than in the US. Explore these economic insights in today's Chartbook Top Links. https://t.co/xNeFQVgZKf
By Adam Tooze
News•Feb 11, 2026
Western Europe in a Multipolar World
The global order has moved from Cold‑War bipolarity to a multipolar system where the United States, Russia and a rising China dominate international affairs. Technological globalization and interdependence have intensified, reshaping how Western Europe engages with these powers. The article...
By RealClearWorld – Security/Defense (alt aggregation)
News•Feb 11, 2026
Ex-Prince Andrew Suggested Uranium Investments to Epstein: BBC
A confidential UK briefing on high‑value minerals in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, highlighting uranium among other resources, was forwarded by former trade envoy Prince Andrew to Jeffrey Epstein in 2010. The document, prepared during Andrew’s official visit, outlined potential low‑cost extraction...
By MINING.com
Social•Feb 11, 2026
Big Tech Buys Trump Tariff Exemptions, Small Firms Suffer
Big Tech and their lobbyist have bought exemptions from Trump’s tariffs. Meanwhile, the small fries are getting FRIED. TRUMP’S TARIFFS = THE BIG GUYS CAN ALWAYS BUY AN EXEMPTION. https://t.co/zlVn4ornDl
By Steve Hanke
Social•Feb 11, 2026
New Jobs Report: What It Means for You
Latest jobs report just dropped. Let's spend a few minutes talking about what's really going on, what it means for you, and what to keep your eye on. https://t.co/ptv6DbFqKM
By Justin Wolfers
News•Feb 11, 2026
Lloyds Banking Group to Close Another 95 Branches
Lloyds Banking Group announced it will shut 95 more branches – 53 Lloyds, 31 Halifax and 11 Bank of Scotland locations – between May 2024 and March 2027. The closures will leave the group with about 610 branches after the...
By BBC News – Business
Social•Feb 11, 2026
Argentina's 32% Inflation Signals Milei Must Dollarize
Argentina’s January inflation came in at a RED HOT 32.4%/yr. Pres. Milei’s monetary model is not working. MILEI MUST DOLLARIZE NOW. https://t.co/MLSKqYfys7
By Steve Hanke