Car production in Thailand fell a surprisingly large 24.63% in January from a year earlier to 107,103 units due to weak domestic sales and exports, the Federation of Thai Industries said on Monday.
Most Asian currencies strengthened on Monday led by a jump in the South Korean won as the U.S. dollar retreated following weaker-than-expected economic data, while attention turned to the Bank of Korea’s interest rate decision later this week.
Oil prices slipped in Asia on Monday, extending losses from last week, on the prospect of a resumption of exports from Kurdistan's oilfields, while investors awaited clarity on talks to resolve Russia's war on Ukraine.
The Bank of Japan may raise interest rates in March if U.S. President Donald Trump pushes through on his tariff threats and adds to already mounting domestic inflationary pressures, former central bank board member Sayuri Shirai said on Friday.
The yen retreated on Friday from a 2-1/2 month high hit on a jump in Japanese inflation, while the dollar was set for its third weekly drop in a row as traders calculated the start of Donald Trump's second term has been mostly bluster on the tariff front.
Most Asian stocks moved in a tight range on Friday amid persistent concerns over U.S. trade tariffs and high for longer interest rates, while strong earnings from e-commerce giant Alibaba sparked a renewed rally in Hong Kong.