Our Insights

Curated news and insights covering emerging and developed markets directly from CEIC's analysts worldwide.  

Weekly China LNG and oil inventory drawdowns send a bullish signal
Reports

Weekly China LNG and oil inventory drawdowns send a bullish signal

One way to measure the vigor of an economy is whether inventories are piling up or being drawn down; these supply and demand signals apply to energy as much as any other good.
How China dominates resilient steel and aluminum production
Reports

How China dominates resilient steel and aluminum production

As Donald Trump's attempts to get other nations to the tariff bargaining table continue, we analyze the global picture for steel and aluminum production. The US president is reportedly exempting American automakers from his 25% duty on imports of these two crucial metals.
Platinum market tightens even as discount to gold persists
Reports

Platinum market tightens even as discount to gold persists

The platinum market is facing a significant supply shortage that commodity traders should watch closely. According to the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC), the structural deficit for the precious metal was estimated at 995,000 ounces in 2024; that is projected to shrink only slightly to 850,000 ounces in 2025.
China's decade of gold purchases as bullion keeps breaking records
Reports

China's decade of gold purchases as bullion keeps breaking records

Gold continues to hit records, smashing through USD 3,400 per ounce this week. Expanding on our previous exploration of central banks' bullion purchases and their role in this price run-up, we're taking a closer look at China's moves in the gold market - and the long-term correlations that tend to drive gold prices more broadly.
Dollar Index slides to 3-year low on trade war uncertainties
Reports

Dollar Index slides to 3-year low on trade war uncertainties

Has Donald Trump killed "King Dollar?" Just months ago, the "Trump trade" reflected conventional wisdom that tariffs would drive the greenback higher. (Eastern European currencies, for example, were getting crushed.)
India and US talk trade amid energy-security potential of LNG
Reports

India and US talk trade amid energy-security potential of LNG

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi are pursuing trade talks. The US administration is seeking increased Indian imports of American liquefied natural gas (LNG), which would reduce the trade surplus that has vexed the Trump team.
Japan navigates US pressure and auto export dependence amid trade talks
Reports

Japan navigates US pressure and auto export dependence amid trade talks

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has labeled Donald Trump's tariffs a "national crisis." While the first round of bilateral trade talks concluded without a clear breakthrough, press reports suggest Japan and the US are reportedly close to signing a deal.
A key use case for Point-in-Time data nonfarm payroll revisions (and surprises)
Reports

A key use case for Point-in-Time data nonfarm payroll revisions (and surprises)

We're revisiting controversies surrounding market-moving revisions of non-farm payrolls (NFP) - and a powerful use case for CEIC's Point-in-Time (PiT) data to track how these revisions moved the market.
Malaysia electronics exports to US avoid tariffs for now
Reports

Malaysia electronics exports to US avoid tariffs for now

ASEAN nations like Malaysia have been observing Donald Trump's tariff rhetoric with alarm. Policymakers in Kuala Lumpur and the Penang semiconductor cluster will have breathed a sigh of relief when he temporarily exempted electronics from his tariff plans.
UK credit-card spending defies job-market weakness
Reports

UK credit-card spending defies job-market weakness

Despite the weak global economy and a shaky UK job market, Britons show no signs of paring their credit card spending, according to one of CEIC's most recently added high-frequency datasets, sourced by Fable. This reinforces a relatively positive narrative for the British economy after economic growth was surprisingly strong in February.
Nowcasting Trump's first quarter of GDP no recession is in the cards yet
Reports

Nowcasting Trump's first quarter of GDP no recession is in the cards yet

The Trump administration's trade policies have had many analysts calling for a recession. However, according to CEIC's nowcast, the US economy slowed slightly, but isn't close to a contraction yet.
German business is confident about Merz debt bazooka; consumers, not so much
Reports

German business is confident about Merz debt bazooka; consumers, not so much

German business has high hopes for incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his plan to unleash government spending on defense and infrastructure. Loosening the historically borrowing-averse nation's "debt brake" to enable massive government bond issuance is seen as reviving the eurozone's largest economy after years of stagnation.