Economy

U.S. House Passes First Major Crypto Industry Regulation Bills
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Genius Act on July 17, sending it to President Trump for signature. This marks the first U.S. regulatory framework for dollar-backed crypto stablecoins. The House also approved two other crypto bills the same day.
Economic News
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BOJ Warns of Food Price-Driven Inflation; U.S. Tariffs Could Severely Hurt Japan's GDP
Bank of Japan board member Junko Kotani warned on July 9 that surging prices of rice and other foodstuffs are intensifying inflationary pressures, urging vigilance against "second-round effects" that might lift household inflation expectations. Japan’s consumer inflation remains around 3%, but the BOJ’s weighted median inflation gauge—closely watched by policymakers—still lags below the 2% target. Kotani noted economic uncertainty makes it premature to pinpoint the next rate hike, with food prices a critical variable.
Economic News
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Japan's Corporate Bankruptcies Hit 11-Year Half-Year High, Pressures Mount
Japan saw 4,990 corporate bankruptcies in H1 2025, up 1.19% year-on-year and the highest H1 tally since 2014. Small businesses bore the brunt: 172 firms collapsed directly due to labor shortages—a record—with 89.8% of failed companies employing fewer than 10 people. They faced a vicious cycle: forced to raise wages but unable to absorb costs, widening the "pay gap" with large corporations.
Economic News
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Australian Shares Edge Up in Narrow Range; RBA Rate Decision Sparks Volatility
Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 inched up 0.02% to 8,590.7 on Tuesday, oscillating narrowly after the Reserve Bank’s surprise decision to hold rates steady triggered intraday dips. The index briefly turned negative in early trading but recovered modestly by close.
Economic News
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Canada's June Ivey PMI Rises to 4-Month High; Rental Market Cools Unevenly
Canada’s Ivey PMI climbed to 53.3 in June, a four-month high, signaling accelerating economic activity. However, underlying concerns emerged: the employment sub-index dipped below 50 (49.5), while the price index surged to 70.2, highlighting mounting inflation pressures.
Economic News
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UK Stocks Trade Sideways; Energy Sector Under Pressure
London’s stock markets saw mixed trading on July 7, with the FTSE 100 flat and the FTSE 250 mid-cap index edging up 0.2%, as focus remained on the U.S. delaying tariff implementation to August 1 and progress in trade talks.
Economic News
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Japan's Real Wages See Steepest Drop in 20 Months, Straining Consumption Recovery
A core contradiction has emerged in Japan’s economy: inflation-adjusted real wages plummeted 2.9% year-on-year in May (following a -2.0% decline in April), marking the sharpest drop in 20 months and extending a five-month streak of contraction. This was driven by persistent inflation—running at 4% when excluding fresh food but including rent costs—outpacing nominal wage growth, which slowed drastically to 1.0% (to ¥300,000) from 2.0% in April, hitting a 14-month low.
Economic News
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RBNZ Likely to Pause Rate Cuts This Week; Economic Outlook Faces Pressures
New Zealand’s Reserve Bank (RBNZ) is expected to keep the Official Cash Rate (OCR) unchanged at 3.25% on July 10, pausing its streak of six consecutive rate cuts since August 2024. Market expectations for a cut this week stand at just 15%, though most forecasts anticipate 25–50 basis points of easing by November. ANZ Bank holds a differing view, assigning a 40% probability of a cut and projecting cumulative 75 basis points of reductions by February 2025, bringing the OCR to 2.5%.
Economic News
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One in Four French Households Live in Severely Under-Occupied Homes: Insee Study
A study released by France’s National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (l'Insee) on Tuesday, July 8, reveals that a quarter of French households reside in severely under-occupied homes—defined as having at least three more rooms than actually needed. This phenomenon affects 7.6 million primary residences, 93% of which are single-family houses, with three-quarters of these under-occupied homes exceeding 100 square meters in size.
Economic News
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