This year’s commodity market outlook remains highly uncertain. As consumers and businesses continue to grapple with lingering cost pressures and high interest rates, subdued global economic activity is set to translate into softer commodity demand.
Amid the global economic slowdown, weaker private consumption, business spending and capital investment are expected to weigh on commodity demand and curb price growth. However, the outlook remains highly uncertain due to elevated geopolitical risks, which could lead to supply disruptions and intensify price volatility, especially in energy markets.
Historically known for their robust economic growth, many Asian economies are grappling with a complex combination of energy vulnerabilities and aspirations for a sustainable energy future amidst a rapidly evolving global energy landscape. This article delves into the energy vulnerability of select Asian countries, offering insights into the challenges they face and the opportunities they can seize to enhance their energy security.
Global inflationary pressures are predicted to moderate further over 2023 and 2024. Slower economic growth, stricter monetary policies of the central banks and supply chain improvements contribute to the price stabilisation. However, there are divergent inflation trends in the largest economies due to differences in the economic performance, labour and energy markets.
Supply chain optimisation is one of the key trends in the manufacturing sector that will shape the global manufacturing landscape over the next decade. Increased economic uncertainty, rising geopolitical tensions, the need to improve operational efficiency and still prevalent transportation bottlenecks drive the need to improve supply chain resilience to better withstand future shocks.
In 2023, global economies will continue to face multiple macroeconomic headwinds, including geopolitical uncertainties, inflation and tightened financial conditions. Global economic growth is expected to further slow, while cities will witness subdued consumer spending growth.
Trade tensions and major disruptions in global supply chains have pushed investors to look for alternative business locations. The regional bloc of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is increasingly viewed as a prospective option for new investments thanks to trade liberalisation, rapid digital advancement and cost advantages.
We have identified key factors that will continue to shape food commodity markets, including commodity price volatility, uneven development in food demand, shifts in global supply chains, climate change and sustainability pressures.
Food crisis is brewing in 2022, with wheat supply and pricing playing a major role in it. Soaring agricultural input prices, increasingly unpredictable weather conditions during harvests and the war in Ukraine are all pushing up the key commodity price and in turn leading to inflation across most staple foods.