Brexit & ASEAN | Region faces growing external headwinds
The surprising result of United Kingdom’s referendum on 23 June sent shockwaves across the globe, rattling financial markets and casting a shadow on the outlook for the global economy. Reverberations from the historic vote were felt in the economies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a knee jerk reaction by financial markets caused stock markets to plummet and investors to flock into risk-averse assets. While it is difficult to anticipate the full effects that Brexit will have on the ASEAN region—the outcome of negotiations between the EU and the UK are critical—waves of contagion from Brexit decision are expected to hit the region through trade, financial and investment channels. In addition, an increase in external headwinds to the region’s growth outlook will increase pressure on policy makers to mitigate the adverse effects and could pave the way for additional fiscal or monetary stimulus. Malaysia’s Central Bank was the first in the region to react following the Brexit vote when it delivered a surprise cut to the policy rate on 13 July.
The ASEAN region is heavily reliant on the external sector as a growth driver and reduced demand from important trading partners as a result of Brexit is a key risk to the region’s outlook. That said, direct trade linkages between the region and the United Kingdom are small, with just over 1.0% of the region’s exports destined for the UK. The region is more vulnerable to reduced demand from the European Union, which is the destination of nearly 10% of ASEAN exports and is expected to be hard hit by Brexit. In addition, any further slowdown in global trade due to heightened global uncertainty could have a further impact on the region’s external sector. On a positive note, some countries could benefit from better trade deals with the UK as the British government seeks to diversify markets.
On top of trade, spillover effects from heightened volatility in global financial markets will likely impact the region. Investors flocking to safe-haven assets following the vote has increased demand for the United States dollar and put a number of the region’s currencies under pressure. In addition, high global uncertainty could damper on confidence levels and investment in the region. However, the ASEAN economy has become more resilient to macroeconomic shocks in recent years thanks to larger foreign exchange reserves and stronger financial systems. On the upside, the uncertain economic outlook will likely force the United States’ Federal Reserve to postpone its tightening cycle, thereby taking some pressure off the ASEAN’s financial markets and allowing central banks in the region to adopt a more accommodative monetary policy.
Looking at the countries within the region, Singapore and Malaysia are likely to be most affected by Brexit given the open nature of their economies and financial linkages to the UK. Brexit will add to the economic challenges Singapore is already facing, as the UK is one of the main sources of FDI into the country. However, the effects of Brexit on Indonesia, the region’s largest economy, are expected to be contained, as growth is largely driven by domestic demand. Our panel sees the ASEAN region growing by 4.5% this year, which is down 0.1 percentage points, and analysts foresee 4.8% growth in 2017.
Growth wanes slightly in Q2
A preliminary set of data suggest that growth in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) inched down in the second quarter of 2016. GDP expanded 4.5% annually in Q2, which was just below Q1’s 4.6% expansion. While GDP data are not yet available for all economies, external headwinds—largely due to tepid global demand—likely continued to weigh on growth in many of the region’s largest economies. In addition, a significant drought hit some countries in the region, including Vietnam. Although economic activity in Vietnam inched up slightly in the second quarter, falling agricultural output hampered growth in the first half of the year.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s GDP growth picked up slightly in the second quarter, although the economy’s momentum remained weak. The reading was due to a rebound in the services sector, while momentum continued to fade in the manufacturing sector.
On a positive note, Indonesia’s government approved a much-delayed tax amnesty bill on 28 June, offering a nine-month window for citizens to declare previously unreported assets. The bill should provide a boost to government revenues, which have been shrinking amidst slow growth and low commodities prices. In addition, the bill could bring added gains from repatriated assets, as repatriated funds pay a reduced penalty rate, although the take-up rate remains highly uncertain.
See the full FocusEconomics Consensus Forecast ASEAN report
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