In an earlier blog "Iran: Assessing the Economic Fallout", I identified Asia as the most vulnerable region to the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Subsequently, financial markets have reflected these risks. Indeed, countries from Pakistan to the Philippines have taken recent measures to cope with the economic fallout. Now, [...]
Tag: korea
Emerging Markets: Coping with Trump 2.0
2 November 2025 Potus 47 now has returned from his Asian visit: unsurprisingly using superlatives to describe the trade agreements reached with Japan, Korea, and China. Upon taking office, Mr. Trump pledged to impose high tariffs against countries with large bilateral trade imbalances, espcially those conducting "unfair" trade practices with the USA. Potus 47 now [...]
Asia 2025: Top Trade War Target
29 April 2025 Despite expressing grievances with Canada, Mexico, and the European Union, Asia is likely to emerge as the top target of the Trump trade war. Indeed, on the "Liberation Day" list, 6 out of the 10 highest tariffs would be imposed on Asian nations. To a degree, this is understandable. Nine of 15 [...]
Asia: Are Countries Taking Sides?
18 April 2024 Since the Global Financial Crisis, globalisation appears to have slowed. Indeed, despite the enormous benefits experienced in the post-WWII era, international trade and financial flows may have gone into reverse (Chart above). In addition, following disruptions caused by the Covid pandemic, some manufacturers have shifted supply chains to domestic producers, or at [...]