East Asia Econ

East Asia Today

Exports and the BOJ's senior loan officer survey in Japan; lending standards and Q4 GDP in Korea; and Taiwan's labour market data for December.

Paul Cavey

Jan 22, 2026 • 3 min read

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Korea – economy weak but housing firm

Today's Q4 GDP data show the economy contracted again late last year, and grew just 1% in 2025 as a whole. That partly reflects weak construction, but facilities capex is also weak. And yet, this week's Loan Officer Survey warns of no lasting slowdown in housing.

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East Asia Today

Three updates today: details of the surge in China's auto exports at end-2025; further signs of improvement in Japan's government finances (at least that's true before the election pledges); and strengthening Korean export data.

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East Asia Today

Detailed Q4 GDP data for China show construction (especially) and manufacturing falling further as a proportion of output, but services rising. In Korea, PPI inflation in December remained at 1.9% YoY. Taiwan export orders crept up in last month, another sign that activity remains resilient.