Month: February 2013

German Trade Surplus Hits Five-Year High; Rebalancing the Wrong Way
February 9, 2013 0

German Trade Surplus Hits Five-Year High; Rebalancing the Wrong Way

By News Desk

Looking for evidence of rebalancing in Europe? Don’t look here: German 2012 trade surplus soars despite weak December reports Germany’s trade surplus was the second highest in more than 60 years in 2012, pointing to an underlying resilience in Europe’s largest economy, although both imports and exports disappointed in the last month of the year

Japan Posts Second Consecutive Current Account Deficit; 2012 Account Surplus Lowest on Record
February 8, 2013 0

Japan Posts Second Consecutive Current Account Deficit; 2012 Account Surplus Lowest on Record

By News Desk

Reuters reports Record low current account surplus shows Japan’s challenges Japan posted its smallest annual current account surplus on record in 2012 as exports weakened and energy imports grew, a signal to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that economic revival needs more than just a weaker yen and extra spending. The current account surplus is likely to continue shrinking as energy imports rise due to the closure of nuclear power plants and as Japanese exporters lose out to more competitive Asian rivals, economists say. Japan’s current account surplus was 4.7 trillion yen ($50.4 billion) in 2012, Ministry of Finance data showed, a figure that seems impressive.

Illusions of Stabilization
February 7, 2013 0

Illusions of Stabilization

By News Desk

December 20, 2012 : France Faces Growing Pension Deficit; French Youth Lose Hope; Politicians in Denial; Bond Market Patience Can’t Last Illusion of Eurozone Stabilization There is no real stabilization and there is no healing.