Cash & Liquidity

Malaysia's prime minister Anwar Ibrahim believes the country's initial GDP forecast for 2025 is unlikely to be met.

Trade uncertainty has been cited as a major risk that could slow economic growth, as currency volatility continues across Apac, with the Taiwanese dollar surging.

The ability to facilitate real-time payments, quicker cash forecasting, and interoperability are becoming key for liquidity, according to senior executives at HSBC and JP Morgan.

The so-called ‘BRICS Bridge’ project may have stalled, but efforts to undermine the primacy of the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency have received a boost from an unlikely source; although any path to a true alternative will be long and difficult.

The Hong Kong government is supporting exporters with insurance and cash flow needs, with Donald Trump now, temporarily, exempting electronics from tariffs imposed on China and Hong Kong.

Treasury leaders from Klook and Hysan Development shared their FX position and risk management strategies.

Retail sales and industrial output have beaten expectations for January and February, as China's leadership eyes 5% GDP growth again; meanwhile global suppliers are showing optimism for the year ahead, according to a survey.

US inflation was lower than expected in February; the 2.8% read came as the US introduced global 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports; and then the EU and Canada retaliated; in Apac, Australian and Korean steelmakers are most at risk.

US president Donald Trump appears to be moving ahead with tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, and additional tariffs on China. China has since placed retaliatory tariffs on many US products including soybeans, chicken and dairy products, of up to 15%.

The Singapore-headquartered loan platform Lendela, which works with multiple banks and uses a 'reverse auction model', sees growth in markets with a “high level of maturity".

The global fintech firm, which is bringing payments on-chain, has recently closed a $10m funding round as it looks to reduce remittance costs in Asia.

Maud Thuaudet will replace Sreedhar N. in the group CFO role on April 1; Saint-Gobain's chairman praised the outgoing CFO for strengthening the group's "cash culture".