Services

COUNTRY INSIGHTS

With geopolitical risks elevated and inflation set to accelerate, monetary loosening will be postponed
ISRAEL · In Brief · 19 May 2024

Geopolitics: Military operations escalated both in Gaza and in the Northern border. Israel has returned to several areas in Gaza, in addition to pushing into Rafah. The missile barrage from Lebanon has become more intense. Gantz (from the opposition, who joined the military cabinet) demanded a pl...

Georgian President vetoes Foreign Agent Bill
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 19 May 2024

On May 18 Salome Zurabashvili said she was vetoing the bill because of its unconstitutionality.  The Georgian Dream Party has a super majority in parliament and so could override the presidential veto. They have offered to negotiate with the president and remove the more objectionable clauses in ...

Abinader’s first-round reelection prospects strengthen
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · Report · 17 May 2024

The latest polls in the runup to the May 19th national elections indicate that President Luis Abinader will be reelected in the first round, with at least 60% of voters polled saying they planned to vote for him. After the overwhelming victory of the official PRM party in the February 18th munic...

GULF WEEKLY: Kuwait suspends parliament, Emirates makes record profit, Moody’s hikes Bahrain deficit, UAE sends $14bn to Egypt
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 17 May 2024 · 1 response

A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * OPEC has shifted its core unit of analysis in its oil market reports to OPEC+ for the first time. * Half of Rafah’s population has been displaced, and Israel’s cabinet argued over postwar planning. * UK-GCC free trade tal...

US sanctions on Russia for buying arms from North Korea
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 17 May 2024

On May 16 the announcement was made in relation to two Russian men and three companies. The United States said these entities have purchased ballistic missiles, shells and other items for use in Ukraine. Almost all of North Korea's military hardware is of Soviet design, so it is compatible with R...

An agreement has been reached on municipalities' payroll tax exemption, the Working Group on Tax Reform regulation may be installed next week, and the STF should discuss the ADI on unjustified labor dismissals
BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 17 May 2024

After a meeting with Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), Minister of Finance Fernando Haddad and Minister of Institutional Relations Alexandre Padilha announced an agreement on the payroll tax exemption for municipalities. It was agreed that the exemption for municipalities will be applie...

Slide Presentation: Colombia - A turbulent year
COLOMBIA · Report · 17 May 2024 · 3 responses

Gain insight into the current challenges facing Colombia as we discuss the prospects for rate cuts, health care and pension reform, and the fiscal situation in our slide presentation "Colombia - A turbulent year".

Balance of payments remained stable in 4M24
RUSSIA ECONOMICS · In Brief · 17 May 2024

The CBR reported that the 4M24 current account surplus climbed to $31.7 bln after it reached $6.6 bln in April alone. As the statistical data for the previous month, published earlier, were revised upward, the surplus appeared a bit wider than expected. Overall, the 4M24 current account surplus e...

Kazakh economy slows in April
KAZAKHSTAN · In Brief · 17 May 2024

The Bureau of National Statistics reported that the short-term indicator that measures monthly economic activity and aggregates monthly trends in the industry, agriculture, construction, transportation, trade, and IT/communications was up by 3.9% y-o-y in 4M24. As in January, 2M24, and 1Q24, it g...

Putin in China
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 16 May 2024

On May 16 he landed in Beijing and met his Chinese opposite number. This is a state visit: the supreme expression of cordial relations between sovereign states. It is Putin's first trip abroad since his re-election in March 2024. It signifies the importance he attaches to relations with China. Th...

Brief 3: Mulino´s economic team is taking shape with today´s announcement.
PANAMA · In Brief · 16 May 2024

The Minister of Environment (Medio Ambiente) is Juan Carlos Navarro. Although under a different scenario this Ministry would be operating outside the traditional realm of the economic team, the current circumstance is unique due to the issue of Minera Panama (First Quantum). Mulino's position on ...

Bi-Weekly Economic News Summary
KAZAKHSTAN · In Brief · 16 May 2024

May 2 Parliament: The Senate has ratified the protocol on amendments to the agreement (signed in 2013) between the governments of Kazakhstan and Russia on the transit of Russian oil to China via Kazakhstan. Amendments assumed the extension of the agreement for another ten years with a ten-percent...

The Senate approved the bill that suspends Rio Grande do Sul’s federal debt payment plan, the text on municipalities' payroll tax exemption is ready, and the Joint Budget Committee intends to vote on the LDO by July 9
BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 16 May 2024

Yesterday, May 15, the Senate plenary approved PLP 85/2024, which authorizes the suspension of Rio Grande do Sul's debt for three years. The bill was presented on Monday, May 13, by the federal government. According to Senator Efraim Filho (União Brasil/PB), the text on municipalities' payroll ta...

US speeding up military aid to Ukraine as Russia approaches Kharkiv
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 15 May 2024

On May 15 the US Secretary of State Blinken made the announcement in Kyiv. The aid is part of the USD 61 billion aid package voted through in April 2024. The fast-tracked aid includes air defense, which is Ukraine's top priority. Blinken met ordinary Ukrainians as well as the president in Kyiv. T...

Rate stability expected due to high inflation
ISRAEL · In Brief · 15 May 2024

April’s CPI surprises on the upside Inflation in April was up 0.8% (consensus and my forecast were at 0.6%) and accelerated to 2.8% y/y from 2.7% last month. Core inflation accelerated to 2.4% y/y from 2.3%, but excluding government measures (cigarette tax hike), core inflation was up only 2.1%. ...

Copyright 2025 GlobalSource Partners. All rights reserved.