Taiwan's export order growth moderated in April after rebounding sharply in the previous month. Export orders grew 48.1 percent year-over-year in April, slower than the 65.9 percent surge in March. Orders for information and communication products grew 89.7 percent from last year. On a monthly basis, export orders dropped 0.4 percent.
Bank Indonesia raised its benchmark interest rates by a larger-than-expected half percentage points on Wednesday, as it struggles to stabilize the rupiah exchange rate amid geopolitical tensions. The board of governors, governed by Perry Warjiyo, decided to hike the BI rate by 50 basis points to 5.25 percent.
The Malaysian foreign trade surplus increased sharply in April from a year ago as exports grew faster than imports. The trade surplus rose to MYR 28.8 billion in April from MYR 5.1 billion in the same month last year. The surplus also rose from MYR 24.5 billion in March. Exports surged 36.9 percent year-on-year in April, and imports were 20.0 percent higher.
China maintained its loan prime rates unchanged for the twelfth straight month, as widely expected, on Wednesday. The People's Bank of China maintained its one-year loan prime rate at 3.0 percent. Similarly, the five-year LPR, the benchmark for mortgage rates, was retained at 3.50 percent.
The central bank in Indonesia will wrap up its monetary policy meeting and then announce its decision on interest rates, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. The benchmark lending rate (4.75 percent), deposit facility rate (3.75 percent) and lending facility rate (5.50 percent)...
Hong Kong's unemployment rate held steady in the three months ending in April. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate came in at 3.7 percent in February to April, the same as in the January to March period. Without adjustment, the unemployment rate edged higher to 3.7 percent from 3.6 percent. The number of unemployed people was 139,200 compared to 136,600 in the January to March period.
Malaysia's consumer price inflation rose further in April to the highest level in one-and-half years. The consumer price index posted an annual increase of 1.9 percent after rising 1.7 percent in March. That was in line with expectations. Inflation based on transportation quickened to 4.1 percent from 1.6 percent, and that on information and communication rose to 2.0 percent from 1.4 percent.
Japan's industrial output decreased slightly less than initially estimated at the end of the first quarter. Industrial production dropped 0.4 percent monthly in March, slower than the 2.0 percent fall in February. In the flash estimate, the rate of decrease was 0.5 percent. Shipments fell 0.9 percent, and inventories and inventory ratios declined by 1.8 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively.
Japan's gross domestic product expanded a seasonally adjusted 0.5 percent on quarter in the first quarter of 2026, the Cabinet Office said in Tuesday's preliminary reading. That beat expectations for a gain of 0.4 percent and was up from the downwardly revised 0.2 percent increase in the three months...
Japan will on Tuesday release preliminary Q1 figures for gross domestic product, highlighting a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. GDP is expected to add 0.4 percent on quarter and 1.7 percent on year, up from 0.3 percent on quarter and 1.3 percent on year in the three months prior. New...
China's industrial production and retail sales logged weaker-than-expected growth in April, and investment shrunk signaling an economic slowdown in the second quarter as the ongoing Middle East conflict strain supply chains and push energy prices higher, official data revealed Monday. Industrial production rose 4.1 percent year-on-year in April, the National Bureau of Statistics reported.
Thailand's economy grew more than expected in the first quarter, underpinned by resilient domestic demand and strong exports, while regional peers reported weaker growth due to the impact of the war in the Middle East. Gross domestic product logged an annual growth of 2.8 percent in the first quarter, the National Economic and Social Development Council said Monday.
China's industrial production and retail sales logged weaker-than-expected growth in April, official data revealed Monday. Industrial production rose 4.1 percent in April from the last year, the National Bureau of Statistics reported. The growth fell short of the expected rise of 6.0 percent and remained...
The services sector in New Zealand continued to contract in April, albeit at a slower pace, the latest survey from BusinessNZ revealed on Monday with a Performance of Services Index score of 48.9. That's up from the upwardly revised 46.2 (originally 46.0), although it remains beneath the boom-or-bust...
China is scheduled to release a raft of data on Monday, headlining a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic news. On tap are April figures for industrial production, retail sales, fixed asset investment and unemployment. Industrial production is expected to rise 5.9 percent on year, up from 5.7 percent...
May 15, 2026 15:25 ET Apart from the confirmation of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair, the main news on the economics front this week included key price data from the U.S. and the first quarter economic growth figures from major economies. Both consumer prices and producer costs have started to reflect the effect of supply shocks due to the Middle East conflict. In Europe, GDP data was in focus, while inflation data from China dominated the news flow in Asia.