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☆ Top economists unanimous on 'higher for longer' rates as inflation threats linger
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Pedestrians walk past a billboard announcing the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund annual meetings, on the side of the International Monetary Fund headquarters in Washington DC on October 5, 2023. Mandel Ngan | Afp | Getty ImagesTop economists and central bankers appear to be in agreement on one thing: interest rates will stay higher for longer, clouding the outlook for global markets. Despite the pause, Fed officials have signaled that rates may have to remain higher for longer than markets had initially expected if inflation is to sustainably return to the central bank's 2% target. The European Central Bank last month issued a 10th consecutive interest rate hike to take its main deposit facility to a record 4% despite signs of a weakening euro zone economy. "We may have more shocks that may drive inflation up, and that's why of course we have to remain very cautious about inflation developments."

Persons: Mandel Ngan, Ajay Banga, Greg Guyett, Guyett, Boris Vujčić, Vujčić, Mārtiņš Kazāks, CNBC's Joumanna Bercetche, Silvia Amaro, Austrian National Bank Governor Robert Holzmann Organizations: World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, Washington DC, Afp, Getty, U.S . Federal Reserve, World Bank, IMF, Bank, Labor Department, U.S ., HSBC, CNBC, European Central Bank, Council, Croatian National Bank, U.S, Bank of Latvia, ECB, Governing Council, Austrian National Bank Governor Locations: Washington, Central, U.S, Marrakech, Morocco, ECB's, Europe, Marrakech ., Israel

☆ Canada targets Airbnb, others to ease rental shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Susana Vera/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Canada will take steps in the coming weeks to ease a rental-unit shortage exacerbated by Airbnb (ABNB.O) and other short-term rental platforms, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Tuesday. Freeland said the government is examining options to ensure more short-term rentals become available as long-term rentals. Cities around the United States are more closely regulating short-term rentals, including by requiring hosts to obtain licenses and pay registration fees. In that province, there are 28,000 daily active short-term rental listings, up 20% from a year ago. Freeland's comments come a day after the banking regulator Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions shelved some planned mortgage rules related to tighter regulatory limits on debt-service coverage.

Persons: Finance Chrystia Freeland, Susana Vera, Chrystia Freeland, Freeland, Airbnb, David Ljunggren, Nivedita Balu, Alistair Bell, Rod Nickel Organizations: Finance, IMF, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, British Columbia, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Canada, United States, Florence, Italy, Byron, British, Freeland, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa

Japan's vice minister of finance for international affairs, Masato Kanda, poses for a photograph during an interview with Reuters at the Finance Ministry in Tokyo, Japan January 31, 2022. Masato Kanda, vice finance minister for international affairs at Japan's Ministry of Finance (MOF), also said that if excessive moves occurred in the currency market, the government would take steps such as raising interest rates or intervening in the market. "We will firmly take appropriate steps when necessary," Kanda told reporters during an ad hoc news conference. Various factors determine currency rates and long-term interest rates are "only one factor", Kanda said. "Relatively speaking, global funds are still flowing into the dollar, yen and Swiss franc and pound, with many people describing the moves as 'textbook-style' moves," he said, referring to safe-haven flows.

Persons: Masato Kanda, Issei Kato, Kanda, Tetsushi, Toby Chopra, Mark Potter Organizations: Reuters, Finance Ministry, REUTERS, Rights, Swiss, Japan's Ministry of Finance, International Monetary Fund, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Israel, Palestinian

High funding needs and central banks removing support are increasing pricing uncertainty for investors, Sophia Drossos, hedge fund Point72 Asset Management's chief economist, said. Spending plans lacking credibility were seen as most likely to spark market turmoil. I suspect not by default, but when markets start reflecting their worries in Treasury prices, by a political crisis and a potentially ugly adjustment," the former IMF chief economist said. Italy's 2.4 trillion-euro debt pile is the focus in Europe, where the IMF has said high debt leaves governments vulnerable to crisis. "We need more investment, not less," said King's College London professor Jonathan Portes, Britain's cabinet office chief economist during the financial crisis.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Peter Praet, Praet, Sophia Drossos, Daniel Ivascyn, Claudio Borio, Olivier Blanchard, Ray Dalio, Janet Yellen's, Yellen, Jim Leaviss, Giancarlo Giorgetti, Daleep Singh, Joe Biden, Britain's, Yellen's, Jonathan Portes, Clare Lombardelli, Moritz Kraemer, Yoruk Bahceli, Maria Martinez, Leigh Thomas, Giuseppe Fonte, Nell Mackenzie, Naomi Rovnick, William Schomberg, Jan Strupczewski, Dan Burns, Elisa Martinuzzi, Riddhima Talwani, Jayaram, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Financial, of, REUTERS, Institute of International Finance, Reuters, European Central Bank, ECB, Bank for International, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Associates, U.S . Treasury, Wall, Economy, Britain's Treasury, Congressional, Britain's, Institution, Reuters Graphics ACT, King's College London, Labour Party, OECD, Graphics, Thomson Locations: of Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Italy, Britain, United States, Europe, Ukraine, Berlin, Paris, Rome, London, Brussels, Washington, Marrakech

High funding needs and central banks removing support are increasing pricing uncertainty for investors, Sophia Drossos, hedge fund Point72 Asset Management's chief economist, said. Spending plans lacking credibility were seen as most likely to spark market turmoil. I suspect not by default, but when markets start reflecting their worries in Treasury prices, by a political crisis and a potentially ugly adjustment," the former IMF chief economist said. "We need more investment, not less," said King's College London professor Jonathan Portes, Britain's cabinet office chief economist during the financial crisis. Not enough reforms are being implemented, OECD chief economist Clare Lombardelli warned.

☆ IMF warning on China puts 'Japanization' risk in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Under the Xi administration, China probably shifted its attention away from economics," he told Reuters. "What's fast emerging is the risk of China slipping into deflation, or the 'Japanization' of its economy," Bank of Japan (BOJ) board member Asahi Noguchi said on Thursday. In its World Economic Outlook, the IMF cut China's growth forecast for this year to 5.0% from 5.2% in April, and warned that its property sector crisis could deepen with global spillovers. To be sure, there are differences between what is happening in China and the experience of Japan. "Overall, we believe that China can avoid a prolonged period of sub-par growth with the right policies," Srinivasan said, when asked about the chance of "Japanization" in China.

Persons: Aly, Hiroshi Watanabe's, Hiroshi Watanabe, Japan's, Watanabe, Xi, Asahi Noguchi, Krishna Srinivasan, Srinivasan, doesn't, Leika Kihara, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Chizu Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, Japan, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Bank of Japan, Economic, Pacific Department, Thomson Locations: Danzhou, Hainan province, China, Japan, MARRAKECH, Morocco, Marrakech, Asia, Beijing, Tokyo

☆ African ambassador criticizes IMF, World Bank for not giving enough loans
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

John Wessels | Afp | Getty ImagesBEIJING — An ambassador of an African country to China has criticized the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for restrictive lending policies. "The problem is that the ratings we are making for the African [countries] should be different," Ibrahima Sory Sylla, ambassador for the West African country of Senegal, said Thursday at an event at Peking University. The research claimed every 1% increase in Chinese loans resulted in an increase of 0.176% in African economic growth. Allan Joseph Chintedza, ambassador of Malawi to China, said the report should look also at the repayment period for Chinese loans. The East African country needs to provide a "sustainability letter" from the Chinese government in order to borrow more from the IMF, Chintedza added.

Persons: John Wessels, Sylla, Poor's, Senegal's Sylla, Fitch, Wu Peng, Jang Ping Thia, Thia, Vladimir Putin, Allan Joseph Chintedza, Chintedza Organizations: Afp, Getty, BEIJING —, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, West, Peking University, Fitch, IMF, Bank, United, Loans, Boston, Global, Policy Center, CNBC, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Initiative, Peking University's Institute, New Locations: Senegal's, Dakar, BEIJING, China, Senegal, West Africa, Africa, Beijing, Malawi

World Bank project documents will make it clear that LGBTQ Ugandans should not face discrimination and that staff will not be arrested for including them, Victoria Kwakwa, the bank's head for eastern and southern Africa, told Reuters. She declined to give a timeline for assessing the measures' efficacy and moving to a decision on whether to resume new funding for Uganda. When the World Bank suspended new funding, Ugandan officials accused the development finance institution of hypocrisy, saying it was lending to countries in the Middle East and Asia that have the same or harsher laws targeting LGBTQ people. The World Bank's portfolio of projects in the East African country was $5.2 billion at the end of 2022. Reporting by Rachel Savage and Jorgelina do Rosario, Editing by Andrew CawthorneOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ashley Karungi, Victoria Kwakwa, Kwakwa, Rachel Savage, Jorgelina, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Bank, Reuters, Rights, World Bank, International Monetary, Uganda, Government, Thomson Locations: Kulambiro suburb, Kampala, Uganda, MARRAKECH, Morocco, Africa, Marrakech, East, Asia, Rosario

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva did not mention the new conflict at opening events. The inability to respond extended to chair's statements issued by the Group of 20 major economies and the IMF and World Bank steering committees, which failed to mention the conflict. "You know, without peace, it's hard for people to get stability, growth, look after their children, get jobs," he said. But conflicts remain the biggest challenge to the global economy, said Josh Lipsky, a former IMF official who directs the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center. "Geopolitical shocks are economic shocks now and economic shocks are geopolitical shocks - and they're trying to detach the two."

Persons: Kristalina Georgieva, that's, Rachel Nadelman, Joe Biden, China's Xi, Ajay Banga, Josh Lipsky, Andrea Shalal, David Lawder, Giles Elgood Organizations: Global, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, IMF, West Bank, Reuters, Research Center, Group, GeoEconomics, Thomson Locations: MARRAKECH, Morocco, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, United States, China, Bali, Africa

The Group of 20 major economies did reach consensus on an official communique but omitted any mention of the Israel-Hamas war. Senior World Bank Group officials were more pointed in a statement to staff, saying they were "shocked and appalled by the unprecedented escalation of violence in Israel and Gaza." "We condemn terrorism in all forms, including the abhorrent targeting of innocent civilians and kidnapping," the leaders of the World Bank, the International Finance Corp and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, said in an internal statement seen by Reuters. "Geopolitical shocks are economic shocks now and economic shocks are geopolitical shocks - and they're trying to detach the two." Reporting by Andrea Shalal and David Lawder; Editing by Giles Elgood and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kristalina Georgieva, that's, Rachel Nadelman, Joe Biden, China's Xi, Ajay Banga, Josh Lipsky, Andrea Shalal, David Lawder, Giles Elgood, Stephen Coates Organizations: Global, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, IMF, West Bank, Reuters, Research Center, U.S, Treasury, Bank Group, International Finance Corp, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, GeoEconomics, Thomson Locations: MARRAKECH, Morocco, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, United States, China, Africa

☆ IMF steering committee calls for new funds, share plan by June 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) chair Nadia Calvino leaves after a press conference during the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, following last month's deadly earthquake, in Marrakech, Morocco, October 14, 2023. A statement issued by the Fund's steering committee chair, Spanish economy minister Nadia Calvino, also called for proposals to change the Fund's shareholding formula by June 2025. The statement did not specify any funding amounts but left the door open to a potential near-term funding increase without changes in near-term shareholding. "In order to maintain the Fund’s current resource envelope until a quota increase becomes effective, we call on the Executive Board to propose transitional arrangements," the statement said. Reporting by David Lawder; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nadia Calvino, Susana Vera, David Lawder, Diane Craft Organizations: Monetary, Financial, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Rights MARRAKECH

☆ Key takeaways from the IMF/World Bank meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Global inflation is seen dropping from 6.9% this year to a still-high 5.8% next. Italian central bank governor Ignazio Visco said there was an impression markets were "reevaluating the term premium" as investors become more nervous about holding longer term debt. One debt restructuring deal emerged: Zambia finally agreed a debt rework memorandum of understanding with creditors including China and France. Sri Lanka said on Thursday it reached an agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China covering about $4.2 billion of debt, while talks with other official creditors are stalling. There was much talk ahead of Marrakech on revamping the IMF and World Bank to better reflect the emergence of economies like China and Brazil.

Persons: Ajay Banga, Mercy Tembon, Finance Serhiy Marchenko, Ceda Ogada, Kristalina Georgieva, Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, Ignazio Visco, Joyce Chang, Vitor Gaspar, Mehmet Simsek, Murat Ulgen, Kate Donald, Ahmed El Jechtimi, Andrea Shalal, David Lawder, Leika Kihara, Elisa Martinuzzi, Rachel Savage, Jorgelina, Rosario, Balazs Koranyi, Mark John, Christina Fincher Organizations: Bank, Finance, International Monetary Fund, Emerging, Research, HSBC, Reuters, Export, Import Bank of, World Bank, Oxfam International's Washington DC Office, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, MARRAKECH, Morocco, Moroccan, Marrakech, Israel, Central, United States, China, Italy, Italian, Turkey, Kenya, Zambia, France, Sri Lanka, Import Bank of China, Brazil, U.S

☆ IMF sees recent yen falls as reflecting fundamentals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Banknotes of Japanese yen are seen in this illustration picture taken September 23, 2022. "On the yen, our sense is that the exchange rate is driven pretty much by fundamentals. As long as interest rate differentials remain, the yen will continue to face pressure," Sanjaya Panth, deputy director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department, told reporters. Authorities in Japan are facing renewed pressure to combat a sustained depreciation in the yen , as investors bet on higher-for-longer U.S. interest rates while the Bank of Japan remains wedded to its super low interest rate policy. "I don't think any of the three considerations are existing right now," he said, when asked whether recent yen falls call for authorities to intervene in the currency market.

Persons: Florence Lo, Panth, Leika Kihara, Emelia Sithole, Mike Harrison Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Monetary Fund, Pacific Department, Authorities, Bank of Japan, IMF, Thomson Locations: Rights MARRAKECH, Morocco, Asia, Japan

☆ IMF Has Reached Goal to Add $3 Billion to Trust Fund for Poorest Countries-Georgieva
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MARRAKECH, Morocco (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund has met its fundraising target to increase concessional trust fund resources for the world's poorest countries by $3 billion, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Saturday. She said that PRGT lending has increased five-fold to $30 billion since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with about 30 countries still with loan programs. Demand for the trust's resources is expected to reach $40 billion through 2024, about five times the historical average. The IMF had urged member countries to fill a $1.2 billion gap in the $3 billion subsidy account endorsed by the membership in 2021. Georgieva said 40 countries had stepped up to contribute, and one-third were emerging-market economies.

Persons: Kristalina Georgieva, Georgieva, David Lawder, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Monetary Fund, IMF, World Bank Locations: MARRAKECH, Morocco

REUTERS/Susana Vera Acquire Licensing RightsMARRAKECH, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Ukraine is finding it harder to secure financial support as the attention of officials in key donor countries shifts to upcoming elections and geopolitical tensions heighten, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko told Reuters on Saturday. As the war with Russia rages on, Ukraine needs to secure Western financial support to cover a $43 billion budget gap in 2024. Marchenko said "a geopolitical shift and internal political context in different countries" was dampening governments' appetite to support Ukraine, mentioning elections scheduled in the U.S. and the European Union next year. Marchenko said Ukraine is seeking 18 billion euros of that in 2024, matching the package received for this year. Ukraine's economy is set to grow 5% in 2024, Marchenko told the meetings earlier this week, and sufficient gas storage for the winter should buttress the economy from a potential rise in prices, he told Reuters.

Persons: Finance Serhiy Marchenko, Susana Vera, Serhiy Marchenko, Marchenko, Jorgelina, Rosario, Elisa Martinuzzi, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Finance, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Bank, European Union, IMF, EU, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Rights MARRAKECH, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, U.S, Japan, United Kingdom, United States

China, whose economy is now three times the size it was in 2010, continued to push for more IMF shares. IMFC members agreed to add a third IMF Executive Board chair to represent African countries, a key sweetener for the U.S. "equi-proportional quota plan. Pan said China supported this move but it was a separate issue from the shareholding formula. It also called for the IMF's Executive Board to propose options for changes to the shareholding formula by June 2025. This would accelerate the next five-year review of quotas and meet IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva's call for a deadline on adjusting its shareholding to preserve its credibility.

Persons: Nadia Calvino, Kristalina Georgieva, Pan Gongsheng, Pan, Kristalina, Georgieva, David Lawder, Andrea Shalal, Sharon Singleton, Christina Fincher, Franklin Paul, Diane Craft Organizations: Monetary, Financial, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Monetary Fund, IMF, Fund, The U.S . Treasury, People's Bank of China, Beijing, IMF's, U.S . Treasury, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, MARRAKECH, U.S, China, CHINA, The U.S, India, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, United Arab Emirates

Zambia will pay about $750 million in the next decade compared to almost $6 billion that was due to official creditors before the debt restructuring. "The next step is to secure a comparable agreement with our private creditors," Zambia's finance minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, said. Zambia is committed to remaining in arrears to its commercial external creditors, the ministry said, until it secures a debt deal with comparable terms to the official creditor agreement. It is unclear how long the signing of the agreements between Zambia and each bilateral creditor is going to take. On Thursday, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Zambia had signed the MoU with official creditors, which was later walked back by Zambia's finance minister and the IMF.

Persons: Situmbeko Musokotwane, Susana Vera, Musokotwane, Kristalina Georgieva, Rachel Savage, Jorgelina, Giles Elgood Organizations: Zambia's, IMF, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Paris Club, OCC, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Rights MARRAKECH, Zambia, China, France, Africa, Rosario

A child collecting chunks of coal looks on at a colliery while smoke rises from the Duvha coal-based power station owned by state power utility Eskom, in Emalahleni, in Mpumalanga province, South Africa, June 2, 2021. South Africa is facing its worst power crisis, with Eskom's ageing, coal-fired plants often breaking down. "It's a policy development loan which supports critical reforms," Marie-Nelly said of the potential World Bank funding. The World Bank loan would also support South Africa to make a "just transition" away from coal, to ensure vulnerable people do not suffer as a result, Marie-Nelly said. In November 2022, the World Bank approved $497 million in financing to decommission and repurpose one of Eskom's coal-fired power plants.

Persons: Siphiwe, Marie Francoise Marie, Nelly, Marie, Eskom, Rachel Savage, Jorgelina, Kopano Gumbi, Mark Potter, Mike Harrison Organizations: REUTERS, World, Reuters, Bank, South, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Emalahleni, Mpumalanga province, South Africa, MARRAKECH, Morocco, Marrakech, Africa, Rosario

☆ Colombia eyes two rate cuts before year-end, finance minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | Thomson Reuters | Jorgelina Do Rosario Is Emerging Markets Correspondent At Reuters Based In London | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The expectation is for another cut in December," Bonilla told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings in Marrakech. "The message of reducing the key rate is for all the banks, because today the rate is an obstacle for economic recovery," he added. The central bank held the key rate steady at 13.25% in September for the third time in a row, citing stubborn inflation. That was down from highs in 2022, but still more than double the central bank's long-term target of 3%. The central bank's technical team expects Colombia's economy to grow 0.9% this year, compared with an expansion of 7.3% in 2022.

Persons: Ricardo Bonilla, Susana Vera, Bonilla, Gustavo Petro, Jorgelina, Julia Symmes Cobb, Mark Potter, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Colombia's, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Colombian Finance, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Rights MARRAKECH, Israel, Hamas, Rosario

☆ Key takeaways from the IMF-World Bank meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen arrives for a bilateral meeting on the third day of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meeting, in Marrakech, Morocco, October 11, 2023. Susana Vera | ReutersOvershadowed by fresh Middle East violence and hosted by a country still recovering from an earthquake, the week-long annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank wrapped up on Saturday. Global inflation is seen dropping from 6.9% this year to a still-high 5.8% next. Italian central bank governor Ignazio Visco said there was an impression markets were "reevaluating the term premium" as investors become more nervous about holding longer-term debt. One debt restructuring deal emerged: Zambia finally agreed a debt rework memorandum of understanding with creditors including China and France.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Susana Vera, Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, Italy —, Ignazio Visco, Joyce Chang, Vitor Gaspar, Mehmet Simsek, Murat Ulgen Organizations: International Monetary Fund, Bank, Reuters, Emerging, Research, HSBC, Export, Import Bank of Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Moroccan, Israel, Central, United States, China, Italy, Italian, Turkey, Kenya, Zambia, France, Sri Lanka, Import Bank of China

☆ IMF says Asian economies under cosh as China's property woes bite
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China's post-lockdown economic boost lost momentum earlier than expected, the IMF said. "On the downside, a more protracted real estate crisis and limited policy response in China would deepen the regional slowdown." A sudden tightening of global financial conditions could lead to capital outflows and weaken exchange rates in Asia, the blog added. "While Asia is still set to contribute about two-thirds of all global growth this year, it is important to note that growth is significantly lower than what was projected before the pandemic," the IMF said. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) had maintained a cap on the country's 10-year bond yield at around zero, to support a fragile economy.

Persons: Aly, Leika, John Stonestreet Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, China, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Danzhou, Hainan province, China, Asia, MARRAKECH, Morroco, U.S, outflows, Marrakech, Japan

☆ Euro industrial output up in August, but sharply down year-on-year
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Phil Noble/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Euro zone industrial production rose by more than expected in August, data showed on Friday, as factories made more consumer goods although overall output was down by more than 5% from a year earlier. The European Union's statistics office Eurostat said industrial production in the 20 countries sharing the euro rose by 0.6% month-on-month in August for a 5.1% year-on-year decline. Output of non-durable consumer goods, such as food or clothing, rose by 0.5% for a second consecutive month. Compared with a year earlier, all types of production were some 5-7% lower, except for non-durable consumer goods, whose decline was 1.4%. The IMF cut its estimates for euro zone growth earlier this week to 0.7% in 2023 and 1.2% in 2024, from July forecasts of 0.9% and 1.5%.

Persons: Phil Noble, Philip Blenkinsop Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, IMF, Eurostat, Thomson Locations: Chesterfield, Britain, Rights BRUSSELS

☆ Multilateralism is not dead, says EU's Mairead McGuiness
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMultilateralism is not dead, says EU's Mairead McGuiness"Even in the darkest of moments we have to remember that people can come together," said EU Commissioner for Financial Services Mariead McGuinness at the IMF meeting, discussing the importance of such conferences during geopolitical turmoil.

Persons: EU's Mairead McGuiness, Financial Services Mariead McGuinness Organizations: Financial Services, IMF

REUTERS/Susana Vera Acquire Licensing RightsMARRAKECH, Morocco, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund's engagement with El Salvador has been "very productive" following a recent visit from a negotiating team, but an agreement is "not there yet" for a new financing program, an IMF official said on Friday. "The engagement with El Salvador has been very productive," Rodrigo Valdes, director of the IMF's Western Hemisphere Department, told Reuters. "We just had a mission there, a negotiating mission, but we knew that it would be a first step," he said. The IMF said in late September that it was working with El Salvador on "technical issues" and on minimizing the risks from the country's adoption of bitcoin as legal tender. "In other countries fragmentation, low popularity, are constraints for policy actions and here they have a very valuable opportunity," the IMF official said.

Persons: Western Hemisphere Department Rodrigo Valdes, Susana Vera, El Salvador, Rodrigo Valdes, Valdes, we're, Nayib Bukele, El, Bukele, Jorgelina, Rodrigo Campos, Nelson Renteria, Paul Simao Organizations: International Monetary Fund, Western Hemisphere Department, Reuters, IMF, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Monetary, El, Salvadoran, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Rights MARRAKECH, El Salvador, Salvadoran, Rosario, New York, San Salvador

☆ Bank of Canada says economy is not heading for a 'serious recession'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Governor of the Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem walks outside the Bank of Canada building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem on Friday said the economy is not heading for a "serious recession" and that he is looking for a clear sign underlying inflation is easing ahead of a rate decision on Oct 25. "We're not going to be forecasting a serious recession," Macklem told reporters in a call from Marrakech, Morocco, where he was attending an IMF meeting. Macklem said the bank would be weighing whether to let previous rate hikes work through the economy or raise rates again to counter sticky inflation. "What we're looking for are clear signs that core inflation, underlying inflation, those pressures are easing and inflation is going to be coming down," Macklem said.

Persons: Blair Gable, We're, Macklem, Steve Scherer, David Ljunggren Organizations: Bank of Canada, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Marrakech, Morocco, Reuters Ottawa

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