Our Insights

Donald Trump's promised tariffs on steel and aluminum took effect in early June, imposing a levy of 50% on imports of both metals. The administration argued that that tariffs in the president's first term successfully supported domestic producers against unfair foreign competition as imports decreased.

Analyzing the US and Japanese government bond yield curves over the years shows that when it comes to steepness, the two nations have "swapped places" several times over the past decade. We show this by charting the spread between 5- and 30-year bond yields for both nations.

While China's goods exports are often in the headlines, its international services trade has steadily increased as well -- surpassing USD 1 trillion for the first time in 2024. Since 2001, services' share of China's total trade mix (including imports and exports) has fluctuated between about 10% and a peak of 17%; as our chart shows, a sharp decline during the pandemic was followed by a steady rebound.

Amid varied data on the health of the US economy, the recently released April JOLTS (Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey) painted a relatively positive picture on employment. However, high-frequency data tracked by CEIC suggests the gradual cooling trend of the past two years is likely to resume.

Our latest on-demand video – “Thailand and ASEAN Economic Resilience Amid US Tariffs” – unpacks the implications of rising tariffs on commodities, currency and investment in ASEAN and the Thailand market with an compelling insights.

Brazil is the dominant player in the global soybean trade after a surge in production in recent decades. It's the world's largest producer and exporter of this crop, and has become China's key supplier.