Cartoon, US International Trade, India, Redbook Retail Sales, China Comments, Consumer Confidence

As previously discussed, trade deficit increasing:

United States : International trade in goods

Definition The Census Bureau is now publishing an advance report on U.S. international trade in goods. The BEA will incorporate these data into its estimates of exports and imports for the advance GDP estimates. This is expected to reduce the size of revisions to GDP growth in the second estimates.

Just maybe the higher rates have been supporting the higher inflation? And supporting growth?

India cuts policy rate by bigger-than-expected 50 bps

Sept 29 (Reuters) — The Reserve Bank of India cut its policy interest rate to a 4-1/2 year low of 6.75 percent on Tuesday, in a bigger-than-expected move that, with inflation running at record lows, could help an economy in danger of slowing down. A Reuters poll last week showed only one out of 51 economists had expected a 50 basis points cut in the repo rate , while 45 had expected a 25 bps cut. The RBI had previously cut interest rates three times this year, lowering it by 25 basis points each time. The RBI justified the bigger reduction, saying consumer inflation was likely be running at 5.8 percent, below the 6 percent target for January, thanks partly to the government’s efforts to contain food prices.

Redbook retail sales dismal and dragging along the lows:

Barclays analysts visited China and came back saying it was one of the most bearish trips they’ve ever taken

Good number here but not confirmed by sales reports, at least not yet:

Consumer Confidence

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