Trade data

       THERE will be a couple of economic data due including the external trade and producer price index (PPI) as the final week of the year closes.

       The Statistics Department is expected to release the November 2021 trade data tomorrow and PPI on Thursday.

       Analysts expect exports to expand 27% while PPI to grow 12%.

       The balance of trade is expected to be RM24.2bil by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts’ expectations.

       It also expects the PPI to be at 13% by the end of this quarter.

       Malaysia’s October 2021 export value rose 25.5% year-on-year to a record RM114.4bil as the global economy continues to see a gradual recovery.

       The trade surplus in October 2021, with a value of RM26.2bil, marked the 18th consecutive month of trade surplus since May 2020.

       Meanwhile, Bank Negara will release the detailed disclosure of international reserves as at end November on Friday.

       China manufacturing

       CHINA will release its December official manufacturing and non-manufacturing purchasing manager index (PMI) on Friday.

       It will also release its industrial profit today.

       China economy manufacturing

       Analysts expect the manufacturing PMI to expand to 50.5 in December while non-manufacturing to 52.

       China’s manufacturing PMI in November came in at 50.1 in November 2021, up from 49.2 in October.

       Vietnam GDP

       VIETNAM is expected to release figures on its fourth-quarter (Q4) gross domestic product (GDP), December trade data, inflation, industrial production and retail sales this week. UOB Global Economics & Markets Research estimates Vietnam’s Q4 GDP to expand 7% year-on-year from 6.17% in the third quarter.

       For the full year, UOB estimates an expansion of 3% from 2.9% in 2020.

       The GDP annual growth rate in Vietnam is expected to be 1% by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics forecast.