“The globe is currently saddled with an unprecedented amount of debt, and this is expected to rise further as fiscal spending to boost economies takes place. Central to this trend – and related risks – is the global economic engine, China.
Currently, debt-ridden governments remain calm as they consider debt to be manageable and some experts believe that controlability is more important than debt size. Yet, history provides plenty of warnings.”
https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/03/article/china-weak-link-in-brewing-global-debt-crisis/
“South Korea’s exports contracted for a fourth month in March but at a slower rate in a sign of continued strain on the trade reliant economy, putting pressure on policymakers to shift to an easing stance to ward off growing external risks.
“Overseas sales slid 8.2 percent in annual terms…”
“Sentiment among Japan’s large manufacturers tumbled by the most in six years, adding to signs that weakening overseas demand is hitting an already sputtering domestic economy.
“Sentiment dropped to 12 in March from 19 in December, according to a quarterly Tankan survey released by the Bank of Japan, an indication of dented confidence among Japan’s biggest exporters.”
“In a public statement on 27 March, the RBNZ [New Zealand] nstated that the Official Cash Rate (OCR) would stay at 1.75% for now. But they followed up with a warning:
“‘Given the weaker global economic outlook and reduced momentum in domestic spending, the more likely direction of our next OCR move is down.’
“That’s about as close to ‘batten down the hatches’ as you’ll ever hear from a central banker.”
https://www.moneymorning.co.nz/hang-on-tight-our-economy-heading-for-a-plunge-in-2019/2019/04/01/
“After 27 years, the Australian economy is finally facing a recession.
“…low interest rates since the global financial crisis have led households’ debt-to-income ratio to an all-time high of 189%.”
“…flooding could delay or reduce corn plantings for some in 2019 — leading to more soybean acres than initially projected… Farmers could loss money on each acre they plant…
“While farmers seem to be rotating some acreage from soybeans to corn, 2019 could be a very tough year no matter what crop they plant.”
“The U.S.-Mexico border is a key artery in the global economy, with more than $611 billion in cross-border trade last year…”
“I’ve been catching up with some of the most prominent players in [Ireland’s] property industry collapse to find out whether another one could happen.
“The answer is yes. What’s more, the culprit is soaring residential land prices, which were a cause the last time around, leaving half-completed housing developments dotted across the country like tombstones.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-04-01/ireland-property-rush-risks-repeat-of-crisis
“Everyone is lining up to attack Sweden’s currency, from investors to the country’s leaders.
“The krona’s four-year slump has led to soul-searching in the Scandinavian nation about whether the policies pursued in the wake of the financial crisis have backfired. Banks are slashing their outlook for the krona…”
“A contraction in German manufacturing that has sent investors fleeing for safe-haven assets is proving deeper than initially anticipated.
“IHS Markit’s Purchasing Managers’ Index for the sector slipped to 44.1 in March, worse than a flash reading of 44.7 that was already well below economist estimates.”
“French banks called Saturday for an end to violence against branches, cash machines and personnel as the country braced for a 20th day of “yellow vest” protests.
“Since the “yellow vest” anti-government protests began in November, more than 760 banks have suffered damage. “It is time for all to condemn acts committed against banks,” the French banking federation’s executive committee said in comments published in the daily Le Monde.”
https://www.france24.com/en/20190330-french-banks-call-end-yellow-vest-violence
“”We face a widespread slowdown in growth across Europe, and in Italy we are headed for zero” growth, Tria told an economic forum in Florence on Sunday…
“In the fourth quarter of 2018, the Italian economy contracted owing to a slowdown in exports, plunging it into a technical recession and worsening the government’s budget problems.”
https://www.thelocal.it/20190401/zero-growth-for-italy-this-year-economy-minister
“The sheer scale of the task was laid bare in a report compiled by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the World Economic Forum predicting that by 2050 there’ll be more plastic than fish in the sea. Oceans, it projected, will by then have at least 937m tons of plastic compared with 895m tons of fish.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/30/plastics-waste-sea-greek-fishermen-recycling
“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan prides himself as a builder and manager of cities. For the first time since 1994, many of them turned against him on Sunday.
“The capital, Ankara, and cities along the Mediterranean coast slipped from the grasp of Erdogan’s nationalist alliance in a municipal election upended by a raging recession and a recent run on the currency… Erdogan’s ruling bloc largely stood its ground across much of the country’s rural interior.”
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