Weeks of August 5 & 12, 2024 Newsletter

??THIS WEEK: AI, Healthcare, Climate Action, Supply Chains, Sustainability, Trade

?Get the inside scoop on what is going to happen this week locally, in the U.S. and on the international stage.

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Read this week’s FREE EXECUTIVE BRIEF on:

Business Impact: European Union AI Regulation Goes into Effect

The European Union AI Act, effective August 1, 2024, is the world's first comprehensive AI regulation. It categorizes AI systems by risk, requiring businesses to comply with specific regulations based on their AI's risk level. While aiming to foster innovation and ethical AI, the Act may increase compliance costs and create operational challenges.

Read Our 3 Recommendations:

1. Develop a Comprehensive AI Compliance Framework
2. Foster Cross-Functional Collaboration across various departments, including legal, technical, and ethical teams
3. Build Cross-Functional Teams: Assemble a team of experts from different disciplines to manage AI compliance efforts

DOWNLOAD this and past issues at: https://insights.governmentanalytica.com/executive-briefs

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Infographic of The Week

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK

Monday, 12 August

• United Nations: The Second Session of the Ad Hoc Committee to Draft Terms of Reference for a United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation will continue until 16 August. (New York, USA)

Tuesday, 13 August

• Canada: The IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition 2024 will be held from 11 to 15 August in Toronto, Ontario. (Toronto, Canada)
• United Nations: The Second Meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Benefit-sharing from the Use of Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources will continue until 16 August.
• Indonesia: President Joko Widodo will hold his first cabinet meeting in Nusantara, the country's planned new capital city. He is expected to fly back to Jakarta for an annual state of the union address and budget speech on Friday, before returning to Nusantara for Independence Day events. (Nusantara, Indonesia)

Wednesday, 14 August

• Slow day in politics.

Thursday, 15 August

• China: China will release monthly statistics, including home prices, industrial production, and retail sales, providing fresh insights into the state of the world's second-largest economy. (China)
• Japan: Japan will publish GDP figures for the April-June quarter, with the economy expected to expand by an annualized 2.3% from the previous quarter, according to a QUICK survey of economists. (Japan)

Friday, 16 August

• Malaysia: Malaysia will release GDP figures. (Malaysia)
• Philippines: The Philippines will announce monetary policy decisions. (Philippines)

Sunday, 18 August

• Singapore: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will deliver his first National Day Rally address, an event seen as the city-state's most important political speech of the year, outlining key economic and social policies. This year’s address carries particular weight as Singapore prepares for a potential general election. (Singapore)

GLOBAL ECONOMIC PULSE (and Weekly Trade Update)

USA

The United States is focusing on crucial economic indicators, especially the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which will be the highlight of the upcoming week. Market participants are keenly awaiting signals that might indicate a rate cut by the Federal Reserve toward the end of 2024. Additionally, other data releases such as retail sales and industrial production will be critical, particularly if CPI surprises the market. There is also a heightened interest in the August S&P Global Investment Manager Index (IMI), which will provide insights into market sentiment, sector preferences, and expectations for US equity returns following the second-quarter earnings reports. Amid growing recession concerns, the upcoming second-quarter GDP figures will be scrutinized to assess the economic growth trajectory.

Europe

In Europe, significant economic releases are expected from the United Kingdom (UK), Eurozone, and Japan. UK jobs data, inflation, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reports are due, with anticipated improvements in GDP for both the UK and Eurozone based on Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data. Meanwhile, Japan's second-quarter GDP is forecasted to show recovery, albeit insufficient to counterbalance the first quarter's contraction.

Asia

China is set to release a slew of economic data, including the Medium-Term Lending Facility (MLF) rate, which is expected to remain unchanged. The focus will also be on the 70-city housing price index, retail sales, industrial production, and Fixed Asset Investment (FAI), with expectations of stabilization in these sectors. The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) might adjust its monetary policy by tweaking the 7-day reverse repo rate rather than the MLF rate. India is poised to report a significant drop in inflation, potentially sparking talks of a rate cut, as well as its trade balance figures, which are not expected to deviate much from the previous month's deficit. Additionally, New Zealand's Reserve Bank is scheduled to meet amid growing speculations of a rate cut, although previous stances were not dovish.

Latin America

In Latin America, Argentina's inflation data and Colombia's second-quarter GDP release will be of lesser focus but remain important within the regional context. Emerging Market (EM) interest rate decisions will be limited, with Philippines expected to hold at 6.5% following China’s 2.3% decision.

Africa

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has been actively supporting various developmental projects across Africa. In Tunisia, the AfDB approved a financing package of 92.3 million euros for the government’s program to boost business competitiveness and job creation. The Bank also held a webinar on water and sanitation financing with the Eastern and Southern Africa Water and Sanitation Regulators Association (ESAWAS). In Ethiopia, the AfDB approved a $40 million transaction guarantee facility to support Dashen Bank in trade finance, particularly aiding SMEs and intra-Africa trade. Additionally, the Bank has focused on clean cooking initiatives in Kenya and improving water access in Zambia through a $13.2 million loan. The Union of the Comoros received $135 million for port development, while Madagascar is forecasted to grow economically by 4.5% in 2024. Further loans were granted to Burkina Faso, Togo, and Benin for youth resilience, agricultural sector development, and economic governance, respectively. The Bank also invested $20 million in an infrastructure fund to boost continental development and reaffirmed support for Liberia under its new government. The Bank continues to push for structural transformation and private sector engagement across the continent.

Weekly Trade Update

In July and August 2024, various countries and the European Union implemented significant economic policies and initiatives. Brazil launched a BRL 182.5 million project under the Mover Program to support its automotive sector. Meanwhile, the European Union adopted a regulation on the tariff classification of a liquid mixture of chemicals.

In Austria, the European Commission approved a EUR 50 million grant scheme to support agricultural businesses. Nigeria announced a 150-day temporary tax waiver on certain grains to curb inflation. Poland secured EUR 194 million in state aid from the European Commission for constructing a terminal at the Gdańsk seaport.

South Korea enhanced trade finance for power equipment companies through the "K-Grid Export Support MOU," involving K-Sure and two state-owned policy institutions. Lastly, Thailand reduced excise duties on certain hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) for manufacturers investing at least THB 3 billion (USD 1.4 billion) between 2024 and 2027, as part of its National Electric Vehicle Policy.

WEEKLY EXECUTIVE BRIEF

Business Impact: European Union AI Regulation Goes into Effect

The European Union AI Act, effective August 1, 2024, is the world's first comprehensive AI regulation. It categorizes AI systems by risk, requiring businesses to comply with specific regulations based on their AI's risk level. While aiming to foster innovation and ethical AI, the Act may increase compliance costs and create operational challenges.

Read Our 3 Recommendations:

1. Develop a Comprehensive AI Compliance Framework
2. Foster Cross-Functional Collaboration across various departments, including legal, technical, and ethical teams
3. Build Cross-Functional Teams: Assemble a team of experts from different disciplines to manage AI compliance efforts

DOWNLOAD this and past EXECUTIVE BRIEFS free:

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