East Asia Econ

East Asia Today

More details on the emerging second wave of Chinese auto exports; detailed volume data for Japan's exports in August, showing some change, but no real dislocation; a big slowdown in exports for the first 20 days of September in Korea; and a slight rise in unemployment in Taiwan in August.

Paul Cavey

Sep 22, 2025 • 3 min read

Public Post

East Asia Today

Japan CPI data showed headline near 3% and rising (inflation!), but core near 1% and falling (deflation!). Price data in China, by contrast, are stable, which is at odds with weak FAI. Finally, my updated trade mapper dashboard, which now covers autos and the battery and rare earth supply chains.

Subscribers Only

Japan – another noisy month for CPI

National inflation data for September was messy again. One reason was public service prices falling, a development that stands out when a theme of recent BOJ speeches has been pent-up inflation pressure in the public sector. Overall, the inflation picture still looks solid.

Subscribers Only

East Asia Today

China's detailed monetary data for September are important, showing three positive trends. Elsewhere, the BOK didn't change policy, with just hints of becoming more positive. In Taiwan, IP and retail sales data for September continue to show the desynchronisation of the export and domestic cycles.