Global outlook darkens

Kia ora. Welcome to Monday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news the US President has made ever more threats against Iran, now saying the US will blockade the Straits of Hormuz against friend and foe. The main losers will be the Gulf States that supported him. Iran probably foresees another TACO playing out. It is all very juvenile. But it does mean disruption will continue. And that inflation will stay higher for longer. But first, here in New Zealand in the week ahead, we will get updated data about migration, retail (electronic cards) and CPI data about food and other selected items. We will also get the PSI (today), and the March REINZ data later in the week In Australia, the week will be about business confidence (NAB survey) and consumer confidence Westpac survey) as well as the March labour market results, with the economy expected to have added around 20,000 jobs in March, while the jobless rate is seen holding steady at 4.3%. The development in the Middle East will remain the driver of global financial market movements, with current agreements proving fragile and energy exports from the region not yet restarted. The impacts on producer prices in the US are expected to show up in their PPI data. In China, a heavy data calendar will provide investors with fresh insight into their economy’s performance. GDP growth for Q1 is expected to accelerate to 5.0% from 4.5% in Q4 2025. The country’s trade surplus is also projected to widen slightly to US$112 bln in March, up from US$102 bln a year earlier. Meanwhile, industrial production and retail sales are likely to have slowed in March. New yuan loans are expected to rise to ¥3.4 tln. In Japan, it will be about machinery orders. In India, about a rising inflation rate. On Friday in the US, their CPI inflation rate jumped to 3.3% in March, about the expected rise. This was all due to fuel prices, especially petrol and diesel. Core inflation, which excludes this and food also moved up but more modestly, to a 2.7% rate. The Fed will be watching to see if this is transitory, or building in. Still, US oil rig counts are not rising in response to these higher prices. Actually, they fell slightly. With US crude prices higher than Middle East prices, those producers have decided the best strategy is 'do nothing' and milk the benefits. So it will be no surprise to know that the University of Michigan sentiment index plummeted in their latest survey to a historic low in early April, far below both market expectations and last year’s low level. Sentiment declined across all demographics, as well as every index component, emphasising the broad-based drop. (But it is also worth noting that this survey was taken before the 'ceasefire' claims.) Also, there was no growth in US factory orders in February from January, well before the Iran conflict. From a year ago they were up +4.0%, most of that coming earlier in the year. Take a look at this: it is the share price history for FirstCash, an American pawn shop operator. Set the chart to 'MAX'. They have more than 3,000 pawn stores in 29 US states, and business is booming. In Canada, their March labour market report showed little-change, with overall employment rising a minor +14,000 holding at just over 21 mln. There were also few changes in either full-time or part-time employment, and the jobless rate stayed unchanged at 6.7% In Korea, their central bank kept its policy interest rate unchanged at 2.25%. They have an inflation date of 2.2% but expect this to rise in the current environment. China said its CPI inflation rate was +1.0% in March from a year ago, a smaller rise than expected and lower than the February +1.3% rate (which was a three year high). Food prices only rose +0.3% year-on-year, restrained by pork and fresh vegetables. Beef prices were up +7.8% from a year ago, lamb prices up +6.8%. Dairy product prices fell -0.7% on the same basis. China also released its producer price data today which shows them suddenly out of deflation, with PPI up +0.5% from a year ago in March, the first time since September 2022, and prior to the pandemic distortion, the first time since early 2019. There was a sharp drop in vehicle sales in China in March (down -8.8%) after Beijing cut subsidies. That has turned their automakers to chasing export orders, and their appetite is desperate, and a threat to most of the world's other carmakers. In Taiwan, their export machine delivered another spectacular result in March, after the easing in February. Their exports were up to yet another record high of US$80 bln, a gain of +62% from the same month a year ago. Imports were up +59% on that same basis. German inflation was confirmed at 2.7% in March, the same as their preliminary estimate, and back up to levels last seen in January 2024. In Hungary, early results seem to favour the Tisza opposition and against Victor Orban's Fidesz. But Orban controls much of the election apparatus so it will need to be an overwhelming result to defeat him. Turnout was reported to be high. In Australia, the recent Albanese trip to Singapore to source fuel, especially diesel, caps an effective open-chequebook campaign to acquire what they need, with a virtual armada of ships to arrive in Australia over the next few weeks. The list here is interesting. We count 56 ships in that wave, some even from the US. It is also probably worth noting that China said it will ban exports of sulphuric acid, a move that will handicap copper mining, among other industries including the fertiliser industries. The copper price rose. And of course the sulphur price was already at a record high before that move. The urea price rose, back to the pandemic extremes. To be clear, there is no formal Chinese announcement of this latest curb, only producers there telling clients that they have had instructions from Beijing to block suppling them from May. And the IMF said the war on Iran will mean slower growth this year because of the destruction of energy infrastructure and supply chain disruptions. Not really 'news' but their analysis is compelling, and 2026 could be a write-off for any 'recovery'. The UST 10yr yield is now just on 4.32%, up +1 bp from this time Saturday but down -3 bps from this time last week.  The price of gold will start today down -US$21 at US$4747/oz, but up +US$71 for the week. Silver is down -US$1 at US$75.50/oz. American oil prices are holding at just on US$96.50/bbl, while the international Brent price is still at just on US$95/bbl. A week ago these prices were US$110.50 and US$109/bbl respectively. The Kiwi dollar is down -10 bps from Saturday at this time at 58.4 USc. But that is a +150 bps appreciation (+2.8%) from this time last week. Against the Aussie we are up +10 bps to 82.7 AUc. Against the euro we are little-changed at just on 49.8 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today down -10 bps from Saturday at just on 61.9, or up +110 bps (+2.0%) for the week The bitcoin price starts today at US$71,192 and down -2.4% from this time Saturday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been moderate at just on +/- 2.3%. You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz. Kia ora. I'm David Chaston and we’ll do this again tomorrow. Audio soundtrack opening is licensed from Shutterstock, Track 1219389 Monetization ID TFGEPGEI0LHEIJAI