How Economic Pressure Is Affecting Building Products Prices in Egypt Over the past three years, Egypt’s building-products industry has been affected by a weakening currency, followed by a gradual stabilisation. This has resulted in a continuous recalculation of costs for both manufacturers and consumers in the bathroom, kitchen, and HVAC categories, from imported compressors and copper to industrial gas used in ceramic firing. The products that rely most largely on imported p

China Announces USD 54 Billion Capital Injection to Strengthen Financial Sector China: China's finance ministry is leading a CNY 360 billion (USD 54 billion) capital injection into state-owned insurers and banks to strengthen the country's financial system and support long-term economic growth. China Life Insurance will receive CNY 35 billion (USD 5.2 billion), China Taiping Insurance CNY 7 billion (USD 1.0 billion), People's Insurance Company of China plans to raise up to CN

South African Economy Contracts 0.2% In Second Quarter South Africa: South Africa’s economy contracted by 0.2% on a seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis in the second quarter of 2026, ending six consecutive quarters of growth, according to Statistics South Africa. Mining output declined by 3.0%, manufacturing fell by 1.8% and trade contracted by 1.9%. Higher imports and lower investment also constrained economic activity during the quarter. The economic slowdown follo

Distribution Do it Best Group has continued to make progress in integrating True Value, which it acquired in late 2024, with initiatives focused on product alignment, procurement efficiencies and optimisation of its distribution network. As part of the integration, the company has achieved 92% SKU alignment between the Do it Best and True Value businesses following a review of more than 50,000 products across both operations. The company has also completed more than 100 produ

UK Energy Costs Rise as US–Iran Conflict Drives Fuel Prices Higher UK: The ongoing US–Iran conflict is expected to add an estimated US$11.4 billion (£9.8 billion) to UK energy and road transport costs, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). Higher wholesale gas and oil prices could add more than £5bn to energy bills and US$ 5.5 billion (£4.7 billion) to road fuel costs. Energy users face around US$ 220.6 million (£190 million) in additional costs each w

South Korea’s Exports Surpass Annual Record, Reach US$709.4 Billion SOUTH KOREA: South Korea’s exports have reached US$709.4 billion so far this year, surpassing the country’s full-year record of US$709.3 billion set in 2025, according to the Korea Customs Service. Driven by surging global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips, South Korea is on track to achieve US$1 trillion in annual exports by early December, potentially becoming the fourth country after the United

GDP India’s economy recorded robust year-on-year GDP growth of 7.8% in the April-June quarter, outperforming the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) 7% forecast. Growth remained resilient despite external headwinds, including the West Asia conflict, elevated energy prices, and supply-chain disruptions. The expansion was supported by strong performance in both manufacturing and services, which recorded near double-digit growth during the quarter. Manufacturing grew 9.2%, acceleratin

Iran Faces Growing Economic Strain as U.S. Sanctions and War Hit Trade Iran: Iranian leaders acknowledged the economic toll of the war with the U.S., with the government prioritising inflation, employment, market management, domestic production and reducing dollar dependence, while President Masoud Pezeshkian said foreign trade had fallen nearly 35% due to U.S. sanctions and a naval blockade. Annual inflation reached 66%, although Iran sold about 90 million barrels of oil dur

Tariffs USA: The United States has imposed 50 percent tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade negotiations between the two countries failed to produce an agreement following three days of talks in Washington, DC. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney outlined measures to shield Canadian workers and businesses from the impact of the escalating trade tensions, including additional support for affected industries. Canada is also prepar

Thailand Economy Grows 1.9% in Q2 2026 Thailand: Thailand’s economy grew 1.9% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, exceeding the 1.7% median forecast, according to the National Economic and Social Development Council. On a seasonally adjusted quarterly basis, GDP contracted 0.2%, compared with a forecast 0.6% decline. Growth in the first quarter was revised to 2.8% year-on-year and 0.6% quarter-on-quarter. The agency raised its full-year 2026 growth forecast to 2.0–2.5

Thailand’s economy grew 1.9% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, exceeding analysts’ median forecast of 1.7%. However, on a seasonally adjusted quarterly basis, GDP contracted by 0.2%, reflecting weak domestic consumption amid high household debt and rising living costs.

Philippine Economy Grows 2.3% in Q2 Amid Slower Economic Activity Philippine: The Philippine economy grew 2.3% year-on-year in the second quarter, below the 2.8% growth expected by economists in a Reuters poll and unchanged from the first-quarter pace. On a seasonally adjusted basis, GDP increased 0.6% quarter-on-quarter, down from 0.9% in the previous quarter. Annual inflation slowed for a third consecutive month to 6.2% in July from 6.4% in June, driven by slower transport

Japan’s Economy Expands 1.1% in Q2 2026, Below Expectations Japan: Japan’s economy expanded at an annualised rate of 1.1% in Q2 2026, easing from a marginally revised 1.9% growth in Q1 and below market expectations of 2.0%. Private consumption made no contribution to GDP amid elevated cost pressures, while government spending increased due to economic support measures. Capital spending declined further amid mounting geopolitical tensions, while net trade contributed positivel

Singapore Economy Expands 6.1% in H1 2026 Amid Strong AI Investment Singapore: Singapore’s economy expanded 6.1% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, supported by an accelerating global boom in artificial intelligence investment. In Q2, GDP grew 5.9% year-on-year, easing from 6.3% in Q1, while on a seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis, the economy expanded 1.4%, following 1.2% growth in Q1. The final Q2 growth figure was revised up from the advance estimate of 5.7%

German DIY and Garden Retailers See Adjusted Growth Despite Fragile Economic Conditions Germany: The DIY and garden retail sector recorded mixed performance in H1 2026 amid subdued consumer sentiment, rising inflation, and energy prices. Germany’s sales declined 0.4% YoY to EUR 10.99 billion (USD 12.73 billion), while Austria remained stable at EUR 1.63 billion (USD 1.89 billion; 0.0%) and Switzerland declined 1.4% to CHF 1.78 billion (USD 2.19 billion). Source: BHB Associati

House renovation USA: The NAHB State Projections of Remodeling (SPR) indicates continued momentum in U.S. remodeling activity, with California, Texas and Florida emerging as the largest state markets by remodeling expenditure, followed by New York and North Carolina. Meanwhile, Michigan recorded the strongest increase in remodeling spending, with notable gains also reported in Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama and Washington. The trend highlights sustained remodeling activity

Strait of Hormuz Disruption Reduces Energy and Industrial Trade Global: Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have reduced global trade in energy, fertilisers and industrial products, according to an update from the International Trade Centre (ITC). The strait accounts for around one-quarter of global seaborne oil trade and a significant share of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fertiliser shipments, including approximately one-third of globally traded urea. Sin

Indonesia's Economy Grows 5.29% in Second Quarter Indonesia: Indonesia's economy expanded by 5.29% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, according to Statistics Indonesia, exceeding the 5.1% median forecast in a Reuters survey despite slowing from 5.61% growth recorded in the first quarter. Household and government spending eased compared with the previous quarter, although government expenditure increased by 15.97% year-on-year, supported by spending on civil servants

New Zealand Unemployment Reaches Highest Level Since 2015 New Zealand: New Zealand's unemployment rate increased to 5.6% in the second quarter of 2026, the highest level since late 2015, according to Statistics New Zealand. The figure rose from a revised 5.4% in the previous quarter and exceeded the market forecast of 5.4%. The increase was driven by a rise in the number of people seeking employment, which outpaced growth in employment. The data indicates continued labour mar

EU Retail Turnover Growth Slows to 2.1% in 2025 Europe: Retail turnover in the European Union increased by 2.1% in 2025, marking a further slowdown compared with the previous year. Northern and Eastern European countries recorded the highest growth rates, led by Norway at 13.1%, followed by Lithuania (10.0%), Sweden (8.9%), Bulgaria (8.2%) and Slovakia (8.0%). The findings highlight differing retail performance across European markets. Among the 31 countries analysed, several