logo
Asian equities, currencies have weathered US tariffs well: BMI

Asian equities, currencies have weathered US tariffs well: BMI

KUALA LUMPUR: BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions, said Asian equities and currencies have weathered the United States (US) tariffs well so far, rising 18 per cent and three per cent respectively since the start of the year, shaking off the initial tariff shock.
"Thailand stands out as an exception, with both its equities and the baht missing the rally since April.
"In our view, that is largely due to domestic political instability and the ongoing border conflict with Cambodia," it said in its Outlook Questions and Answers for Asia today.
BMI said it has lowered growth forecasts by only 0.2-0.3 percentage points for most other major economies due to US tariffs.
"We recently made a series of revisions to our 2026 GDP forecasts in response tothe tariff deals reached in July and early-August.
"Of these, the steepest downward revision we made was to Cambodia, on account of its relativelyhigh dependence on the US as an export market," it said.
BMI opined that there are no specific policy measures rolled out to cushion the expected impact of the tariffs as of the time of writing on Aug 15.
BMI said that for exports, available data show that Asian exports to markets outside of the US have mostly stayed on trend.
"This does not rule out future adjustments in trade with the rest of the world.
"The tariffs, in all likelihood, have yet to meaningfully feed through and we suspect deviations from the pre-Donald Trump trend will begin to show in the coming months.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

African Energy Chamber opens int'l office in China's Shanghai
African Energy Chamber opens int'l office in China's Shanghai

The Star

timean hour ago

  • The Star

African Energy Chamber opens int'l office in China's Shanghai

CAPE TOWN, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The African Energy Chamber (AEC) has officially opened an international office in Shanghai, China, aimed at strengthening cooperation between African governments, energy companies, and their counterparts in the Asian country. According to a statement issued by the AEC on Thursday, the Shanghai office will be led by Bieni Da, chief representative of the AEC in China, who is tasked with ensuring that the chamber plays a pivotal role in connecting Chinese businesses and government entities with African stakeholders. "The objective is clear: to drive impactful, long-term collaboration across strategic sectors of the economy, enabling investments that are mutually beneficial and aligned with both continents' development goals," it said. The AEC, an energy advocacy group based in South Africa, was founded in 2018 with the mandate to promote sustainable investment and best practices within the energy sector in Africa. In the statement, the AEC noted that despite the continent's high energy demand, many African energy firms struggle to access the capital needed to scale operations and boost production. The chamber added that its Shanghai office will play an instrumental part in connecting Chinese companies with African projects, facilitating partnerships, and bringing African opportunities to the Chinese market. "The AEC wants to see greater Chinese investment across the entire African oil and gas value chain -- from upstream projects to downstream infrastructure to manufacturing, power, and technology. China offers significant expertise in these areas, and the Shanghai office will unlock new collaborative opportunities in artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, renewable energy, and more," NJ Ayuk, executive chairman of the AEC, said in the statement. The AEC will also organize high-level investment forums in Shanghai to foster continued dialogue and engagement. "Africa and China have a common goal: to eradicate energy poverty. It is time to walk the walk and bring Chinese expertise and capital to African projects... This office is a testament to making sure we leave our footprint," Ayuk added.

Bursa Malaysia maintains uptrend, ends on positive note
Bursa Malaysia maintains uptrend, ends on positive note

New Straits Times

time7 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Bursa Malaysia maintains uptrend, ends on positive note

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia reversed yesterday's losses to continue its upward momentum to close higher, driven by persistent buying in selected heavyweights, amid mixed sentiment in regional markets, a dealer said. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 4.66 points, or 0.29 per cent, to settle at 1,592.87 from Wednesday's close of 1,588.21. The benchmark index opened 3.71 points firmer at 1,591.92, and moved between 1,589.88 and 1,596.02 throughout the day. However, the broader market was slightly negative with decliners beating advancers 522 to 513, while 491 counters were unchanged, 1,068 untraded and 17 suspended. Turnover widened to 2.67 billion units worth RM2.87 billion from 2.55 billion units worth RM2.50 billion on Wednesday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said major Asian indices also closed higher despite broadly negative cues from Wall Street overnight, which saw strong selling in technology stocks. "On the local bourse, the benchmark index continues to display encouraging momentum, reflecting improving sentiment and renewed investor confidence. Optimism is building as the index edges closer to the key 1,600 psychological level, opening the door for further gains. "Overall, the outlook remains constructive, with opportunities for growth as confidence builds across regional markets. As such, we anticipate the FBM KLCI to move within the 1,580–1,600 range towards the weekend," he told Bernama today. Among the heavyweights, Maybank and Tenaga Nasional slipped 2.0 sen each to RM9.78 and RM13.64, respectively, Public Bank trimmed 1.0 sen to RM4.45, IHH Healthcare declined 7.0 sen to RM6.81, while CIMB jumped 9.0 sen to RM7.45. Of the most active counters, Tanco added 1.0 sen to 74 sen, Petronas Chemicals soared 58 sen to RM4.76, NexG went up 6.0 sen to 45 sen, and Lotte Chemical advanced 2.5 sen to 59 sen.

Austrian postal group joins European peers in halting parcel shipments to US
Austrian postal group joins European peers in halting parcel shipments to US

The Star

time8 hours ago

  • The Star

Austrian postal group joins European peers in halting parcel shipments to US

FILE PHOTO: A self-driving mail truck is seen during its presentation at the Austrian Post logistics centre in Vienna, Austria March 26, 2019. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo FRANKURT (Reuters) -Austrian Post on Thursday joined other European postal services groups in stopping standard parcel shipments to the United States as U.S. customs services are set to charge duties for low-value packages. The Austrian state-controlled group said in a statement it would no longer take consignments for U.S.-bound standard parcels from next Tuesday. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration said last month it would suspend the global "de minimis" exemption, which also allows minimal paperwork, for international shipments under $800, effective August 29. Earlier this week, several postal groups in Scandinavia and Belgium paused parcel shipments to the United States. Austrian Post cited both the scrapping of the "de minimis" exemption as well as uncertainty over future U.S. postal customs clearance as reasons for its move. "This tightening poses major challenges for all postal companies worldwide when sending goods to the USA," it said. The company added that it would continue to send gifts worth less than $100 to the United States via standard parcel and that the suspension would also not apply to its premium service Post Express International. (Reporting by Ludwig Burger)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store