Japan
Could Japan see a return to deflation?
After Japan's battle to emerge from deflation, this article from Bloomberg, published Monday 30 April, wonders if the country may be about to return to it.
BoJ Outlook for Economic Activity & Prices, Apr 07
The Bank of Japan published the English version of its April 2007 Outlook for economic activity and prices report on 1 May. In the report the BOJ said Japan's economy is likely to realise "sustainable growth under price stability."
Japan's FSA to monitor hedge funds
Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) said on Tuesday 1 May it will start to monitor hedge funds which operate in Japan.
Fukui says rates must adjust if necessary
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui said Friday 27 April after the policy board left rates unchanged, that the BOJ must raise interest rates once prices are clearly rising and secure growth is seem.
Trichet says FX rates should reflect fundamentals
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said Friday 20 April that too much volatility in foreign exchange rates is undesirable and exchange rates should mirror economic fundamentals.
Japan's Fukui reiterates that deflation is easing
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui told a quarterly meeting of BoJ branch managers Thursday 19 April that the Japanese economy is expanding moderately and deflationary pressure is easing.
BoJ report sees continued moderate expansion
The Bank of Japan said in a quarterly report published Thursday 19 April that Japan's regional economies are showing signs of continued moderate expansion.
BOJ's Mizuno on economic & financial globalization
In the speech 'Economic and Financial Globalization, and Challenges Facing the Central Bank' given on 28 February (published 16 April) Atsushi Mizuno of the Bank of Japan said it is desirable that the policy interest rate should gradually converge toward…
US's Paulson sees progress on trade imbalances
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said in a statement the Group of Seven (G7) nations have made progress but "more needs to be done" on trade imbalances.
Risk measurement and systemic risk
The European Central Bank on 11 April published proceedings from the Fourth Joint Central Bank Research Conference on Risk Measurement and Systemic Risk which took place at the ECB in Frankfurt on 8 and 9 November 2005.
BOJ's Fukui signals confidence in US economy
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui on Thursday 12 April repeated his optimism over the U.S. economy, saying it has a "high probability" of achieving a healthy slowdown despite signs of moderating business investment and high inflation rates.
IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2007
The International Monetary Fund published its World Economic Outlook April 2007 on 11 April. In the report the IMF said the European Central Bank should raise interest rates again this summer, and further tightening moves may also be necessary after that.
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, April 2007
The Bank of Japan published the English version of its April 2007 monthly report on Thursday 12 April. In the report the BOJ left its assessment of economic and financial developments unchanged in April, saying the economy will continue to expand…
BOJ's Muto on monetary policy
In a speech given on 4 April Toshiro Muto of the Bank of Japan said hinting at the actual timing of the policy change is generally inadvisable.
BOJ's Inaba warns on low short-term rates
Short-term interest rates left at too low levels for too long could ignite inflation concerns among investors, which in turn could push up long-term rates, a senior Bank of Japan official told lawmakers Wednesday 11 April.
BOJ new members see sustained, gradual recovery
Seiji Nakamura and Hidetoshi Kamezaki, who recently joined Bank of Japan's nine-member policy board, told a press conference on Wednesday 11 April they see a sustained but gradual expansion of the Japanese economy and a mild rise in inflation going…
BOJ's Fukui sees no resumption of yen-carry trade
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui said Tuesday 10 April he sees no sign of the resumption of the yen-carry trade, despite the recent weakening of the yen.
IMF report sees soft landing for world economy
The International Monetary Fund is forecasting a 'soft landing' for the world economy and 4.9-per-cent growth in 2007, German government officials said Tuesday 10 April, according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
BOJ's Iwata on the state of the Japanese economy
In the speech 'The current state of the Japanese economy and its outlook' given on 7 March Kazumasa Iwata of the Bank of Japan said Japan's economy has been experiencing a sustained period of moderate expansion.
Japan appoints new board members to BOJ
The Japanese government on Friday 5 April appointed a former top manager at Japan's largest trading company and a former shipping company executive to the Bank of Japan's monetary policy board.
BOJ's Hirano says euro strength not to be G7 topic
Finance ministers and central bankers from the world's richest countries are unlikely to focus on the euro's strength against the dollar and yen next week, former Bank of Japan executive director Eiji Hirano said Tuesday 4 April.
Asean looking at ways to use growing FX reserves
South-East Asian nations plan to jointly set up a fund to finance infrastructure by exploiting heavy capital inflows, a senior Thai finance ministry official told reporters Monday 2 April.
Paper: The Eurosystem, Fed and Bank of Japan
The ECB Working Paper "The Eurosystem, the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan: similarities and differences" provides a systematic comparison of the Eurosystem, the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan.
Fukui says natural unemployment rate unknown
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui said Tuesday 27 March that a natural rate of unemployment that would not trigger steep inflation in Japan has not yet been accurately estimated.