China+ Publications
Below is a list of our China+ Publications for the last 5 months. If you are looking for reports older than 5 months please email info@pantheonmacro.com, or contact your account rep
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Duncan Wrigley
- The Bank of Japan left rates on hold yesterday to no-one’s surprise, but adopted a more bearish outlook.
- Governor Ueda denied that the prospect of delay in attaining the inflation goal means delayed rate hikes.
- It probably does for this year, but Ueda is maintaining room to shift policy in light of trade uncertainty.
Manufacturing activity bashed by tariff war
Manufacturing activity bashed by tariff war
Non-manufacturing activity slows
- China’s April PMIs reveal the initial hit from the tariff stand-off, with steep drops in new export orders.
- Neither the US nor China appears ready to relent at this stage, so further weakness lies ahead.
- China is rolling out an eclectic set of growth-support measures, but won’t go for mega-stimulus.
The BoJ won't be moved by the jump Tokyo headline inflation due to a statistical quirk
The BoJ won't be moved by the jump Tokyo headline inflation due to a statistical quirk
- China’s Politburo meeting on Friday focused on growth and consumption, rather than tariffs directly.
- US doves want China to rebalance in favour of consumption, but no sign of talks being in the offing.
- Tokyo inflation jumped in April, due to a statistical quirk; the BoJ should stand pat on Thursday.
Export orders plunge amid tariff chaos
Export orders plunge amid tariff chaos
- China’s Q1 GDP growth relied heavily on net exports, highlighting the need to boost domestic demand.
- But new residential-property sales have waned this year, notably in oversupplied markets.
- Policymakers will prioritise job creation by supporting consumer services and construction.
China’s Q1 GDP growth was boosted by demand stimulus and export front-loading pre-tariff turmoil
- China’s Q1 growth was already cooling from the Q4 high; hence March’s additional fiscal stimulus.
- Front-loading effects also boosted March exports and industrial output, but this should prove fleeting.
- China will need to stoke domestic demand further, as exports risk hitting a wall in the coming quarters.
- The March CKGSB index reports reviving Chinese business confidence, despite the imminent trade war.
- Funding conditions have improved thanks to policy support, though profits are under pressure.
- Robust government-bond issuance lifted broad credit growth in March; M1’s rise is somewhat encouraging.
Government bond issuance still taking centre stage, with modest uptick in household loans
- China acted as the adult in the room on Friday, saying it will not match any further US tariff hikes.
- This is hopefully the escalation off-ramp, paving the way for bilateral talks, probably in several months.
- Still, tariffs will likely remain high, hurting exports, worsening excess supply and so prolonging deflation.
- Both the US and China seem to have dug in, making a short-term cessation of trade-war hostilities unlikely.
- More escalation is likely on the cards, but this could be the crisis that prompts China to boost consumption.
- The PBoC has started allowing RMB depreciation as part of the response, but it must tread carefully.
- Both China and the US are posturing as the trade war escalates and markets plunge.
- China’s National Team appears to be intervening, with limited success, to soften the A-share market dive.
- The PBoC is likely to cut the RRR soon to boost confidence; government-bond issuance will speed up
China's foreign reserves excluding valuation effects fell
Japan's real wage decline hurts consumption
- China’s all-out response on Friday to US tariff hikes is likely intended to get US-China talks going soon.
- We have cut our 2025 Japan GDP forecast by 0.2pp to 0.8%, due to the US tariff hikes announced last week.
- The BoJ is even more likely to hold fast on May 1, waiting for clarity, as Japan presses for lower tariffs.
China likely to step up fiscal and monetary policy support, allow weaker RMB, in response to hefty US tariff hike;
Caixin services activity rises
