East Asia Econ

Taiwan – into unchartered waters

Taiwan's macro story is fascinating. Rarely has growth in such a rich economy accelerated so much, with reindustrialisation and huge external surpluses, at the same time as rates and the currency barely move. I'd think that something has to give. Will 2026 finally be the year that it does?

Paul Cavey

Feb 24, 2026 • 1 min read

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Korea – consumer confidence and PPI

The continued strength of consumer confidence in today's February survey might be hinting at a broader cyclical upturn. At the same time, house price expectations eased. CPI expectations were stable at 2.6%, and likewise, today's PPI for January doesn't point to a big near-term change in inflation.

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East Asia Today

Because of the new year holiday, the trade data across the region for the first couple of months are a bit suspect. That's particularly true when the data don't even cover the full month. Still, in the first 20 days of February, Korean chip exports, and shipments to China, look strong.

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Last week, next week

I spent time last week delving into export prices and terms of trade, dynamics that should be offering support for currencies. The data flow was all about Japan, and painted the picture of an economy in good shape. That could yet be undermined by policy choices, either at home, or in the US.