Asia-Pacific Economic Tracker—Insights and Trends, H2 2019

The economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region experienced a slowdown due to increasing global trade tensions in the second quarter of 2019. Key economies in the region such as China, India, and Thailand have experienced slower than anticipated growth rates, in line with global economic slowdown. In H2 2019, inflationary pressure in the region remains subdued with historically low policy rates.

The effects of the tensions in the US-China trade relations are being felt in most of the APAC countries. Vietnam is expected to have benefitted from relocation activities of hordes of companies that are trying to evade high tariffs on goods produced in China, moving to Vietnam on account of cheap labor.
Loose monetary policy approach is being taken up by countries like India, Thailand, and Indonesia to boost consumer demand and investment in the light of global economic slowdown. Inflationary pressure was felt in Vietnam, India, China and other economies. However, in light of stable commodity prices, inflation is anticipated to remain subdued at 2.5% in both 2019 and 2020.

In light of the economic slowdown and the deteriorating trade tensions between US and China, appreciation of Thai Baht is a source of major concern for Thailand as the country’s exports decline.

Country Coverage: APAC
·     China
·     India
·     Indonesia
·     Malaysia
·     Thailand
·     Vietnam

Sector Coverage: economic indicators, demographics, energy, manufacturing, food and beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, mining, electricity, construction, agriculture, healthcare, information and communication technologies.

Indicator coverage: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and its components, GDP growth, export and import, foreign direct investment, inflation, business confidence, population and demographics, index of industrial production (IIP), value-add by industry, trade by industry, IIP by industry, production of important commodities, oil production and consumption, oil export and import, renewable energy, emissions, coal production and consumption, healthcare spending, Internet and mobile subscription, and regional GDP growth calculation

Year, Quarter, and Month Coverage:
·     Yearly data: 2015–2023
·     Quarterly data: Q1 2015–Q4 2020 (select indicators)
·     Monthly data: January 2015–March 2019 (select indicators)