China's consumer inflation rose to a 29-month high in September, driven mainly by pork prices, but price pressures remain largely benign in an economy hobbled by strict COVID-19 curbs and a property crisis.

U.S. import prices dropped for a third straight month in September, pulled down by falling costs for petroleum products and a strong dollar, suggesting that imported inflation pressures were subsiding as global supply chains improve.

 U.S. retail sales were flat in nominal terms in September, below expectations and again highlighting the pressure on consumer spending power from high inflation.

The euro zone posted in August its largest trade deficit since it expanded to 19 countries in 2015, as high energy prices boosted its import bill, official estimates released on Friday showed.

Natural rubber production decreased by 3.8 per cent in August 2022 (36,411 tonnes) as compared to July 2022 (37,843 tonnes). Year-on-year comparison also showed that the production of natural rubber decreased by 15.2 per cent (July 2021: 42,942 tonnes). Production of natural rubber in August 2022 for Malaysia was mainly contributed by smallholders sector (87.5%) as compared to estates sector (12.5%).

The dollar slipped on Friday as risk appetite returned to global stock markets and investors appeared to shift their focus away from U.S. interest rate considerations, even as red-hot inflation data suggested more policy tightening was likely.