The IIF has submitted the response letter to the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) Consultation Paper - Enhancing banks’ and insurers’ approaches to managing the financial risks from climate change.

US imports from China continue to grow despite tariffs. We examine whether this means tariffs are ineffective, creating value, volume, and price series by tariff group.

A soft exit out of the debt overhang is possible and the authorities now recognize the urgency of committing to meaningful and widespread reforms to improve long-term fiscal sustainability and rebuild confidence. However, the scope of credible reforms for 2019 remains unclear.

Portfolio inflows to EMs were $51.1 billion in January, the highest in 12 months. Equity and debt inflows increased to $33 billion and $18 billion, respectively. Net capital flows improved but remained in negative territory in December.

Fed flexibility on balance sheet normalization could have far-reaching consequences; Tech stock valuations suggest fears that trade war is morphing into tech war; A more dovish Fed spells respite for highly indebted EM borrowers; Unprecedented growth in green syndicated lending; Sharply higher debt in vulnerable low-income countries puts sustainable development goals at risk 

Our high frequency trackers show a substantial pick-up in flows, though the underlying picture is weaker than headline numbers suggest. The rebound is concentrated in China, with Mexico and Indonesia also up, while the flow picture to India, South Africa, Turkey and Thailand is weak, even after large outflows during the emerging markets sell-off last year.

Sanctions lowered capital flows to Russia permanently but robust oil exports cushioned their economic impact. Our BoP Nowcast suggests a still manageable situation, despite a falling current account surplus due to lower oil.