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Fed's Inflation, Aussie Stimulus, Trump Girds for China: Eco Day

Australia’s currency is delivering the interest-rate cut for the economy that the central bank has proven unwilling to provide.

Fed's Inflation, Aussie Stimulus, Trump Girds for China: Eco Day
The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve building stands in Washington, D.C., U.S. (Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Welcome to Wednesday, Asia. Here’s the latest news from Bloomberg Economics:

  • Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell welcomed recent increases in wages while expressing confidence that low unemployment won’t spur a takeoff in prices that would force him to hike interest rates aggressively
  • Australia’s currency is delivering the interest-rate cut for the economy that the central bank has proven unwilling to provide
  • President Trump looks to be preparing for a potentially protracted economic war with China by clearing the decks of disputes with America’s other trading competitors
  • Indonesia is weighing proposals to cut the levy on gains from its sovereign bonds and extend tax breaks to exporters to help shore up its weakening currency
  • Chinese tourist arrivals in Thailand are tumbling after a tour boat accident and, most recently, a video of an airport guard apparently punching a Chinese tourist
  • Abhishek Gupta predicts India will stand pat at this week’s policy meeting, warning a hawkish move would send a bearish signal on the economy

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Heath in Sydney at mheath1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nasreen Seria at nseria@bloomberg.net, Chris Bourke

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