GlobalSource Partners | Country Insights

A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * US-Iran indirect talks were held in New York, but it is unclear how much progress has been made. * Trump’s UN speech contemplated annihilating Iran but said he expects a deal after the midterms. * European countries offer...

The press is publishing a number of stories involving Flávio and Lula, President Lula should sign a provisional measure banning online sports betting, and next week is the final week of the election campaign

BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 25 Sep 2026

As the campaign enters its final stretch, the press is publishing a number of stories involving Flávio Bolsonaro and President Lula. The Federal Police extracted roughly three months of conversations between banker Daniel Vorcaro and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) from Vorcaro’s cellphone. Marc...

Political update – September 25, 2026: Eisenkot bloc stabilizes, Arab parties disqualified ahead of Supreme Court review, and do polls underestimate Likud?

ISRAEL · Report · 25 Sep 2026

Recent polls suggest that Eisenkot’s bloc is stabilizing, but the post-election arithmetic remains complicated, with several possible coalition scenarios discussed in this report. The disqualification of Ra’am and the Joint List now moves to the Supreme Court, which has overturned similar decisio...

TOPIC OF THE WEEK: Policy rates—higher for longer?

CAUCASUS / CENTRAL ASIA · Report · 25 Sep 2026

The unfolding of the Iran crisis and the attendant inflation shock has changed the way central banks in the region have been assessing risks and acting upon them. Kyrgyzstan was tightening even before the onset of the crisis, but Georgia (in May) and Armenia (last week) also raised policy rates, ...

Mexico at a crossroads: Growth, fiscal strains and trade uncertainties - Slide presentation and webinar replay

MEXICO · Presentation · 24 Sep 2026

With job creation and productive investment remaining weak, what will it take to reignite Mexico’s economic growth? How serious are the challenges facing Mexico’s public finances, and what are the implications for the country's economic outlook? How can inflation be put in check? What is the futu...

The use of litigation in the presidential campaign is increasing but the cases should have little impact on the electorate, and the latest poll continues to show a highly competitive race between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro

BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 24 Sep 2026

The use of litigation in the presidential campaign is increasing as the race enters its final stretch. The Workers’ Party (PT) has asked Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Flávio Dino to investigate possible U.S. interference in Brazil’s elections aimed at benefiting presidential candidate Flávi...

Renewed inflation pressures keep the SA Reserve Bank on the defensive

SOUTH AFRICA · Report · 24 Sep 2026

The South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) increased the policy rate by 25 basis points to 7.25% at its September meeting, effective from September 25, 2026. The decision, which was unanimous, follows the decision to leave rates unchanged in July and represents the se...

Holding pattern

BRAZIL ECONOMICS · Report · 23 Sep 2026

The Copom Minutes, in line with the statement released after last week's meeting, brought relatively few new elements to the monetary policy discussion. This reinforces our view of another 0.25 p.p. cut at the next meeting, conditional on the election outcome, given the likely behavior of the cur...

Bi-Weekly Economic News Summary

KAZAKHSTAN · In Brief · 23 Sep 2026

Sep 11 Ministry of Justice: Enforcement proceedings to recover KZT 2.3 trillion from the operator of the Kashagan field (North Caspian Operating Company) will resume once the court returns the materials. Energy Ministry: Kazakhstan and the US will continue dialogue within the framework of the str...

Lula spoke at the opening of the 81st UN General Assembly, the Shield of the Americas group classified the PCC and CV as terrorist groups, and the TCU will meet to review Petrobras’s fuel pricing policy

BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 23 Sep 2026

In his speech at the opening of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, President Lula (PT) adopted an ideological narrative that also focused on domestic politics. Lula defended national sovereignty and the principle of non-interference in countries’ internal affairs. The governments of 14 cou...

Dominican Republic Completes Bond Buyback

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · In Brief · 22 Sep 2026

The Dominican Republic completed a liability management operation involving the repurchase of US$1.385 billion of its 5.95% sovereign bonds due in January 2027, representing approximately 81.5% of the US$1.7 billion previously outstanding. In conjunction with the buyback, the government issued US...

Fujimori faces opposition in Congress; fiscal consolidation still uncertain; BCRP Board to deliver a 25 bp hike in October

PERU · Report · 22 Sep 2026

In this report we focus on three topics. First, we discuss the principal political challenges facing the Fujimori government; then we focus on fiscal sustainability; and finally, we substantiate our call that the Board of the Banco Central de Reserva del Perú (BCRP) will hike its main rate by 25 ...

Growth accelerates into Q3 as external risks rise; the policy agenda broadens

PANAMA · Report · 22 Sep 2026

Panama entered the second half of 2026 with considerably more strength than expected earlier in the year. Real GDP expanded 6.4% year on year in Q2, up from 4.8% in Q1, while the IMAE accelerated further, reaching 8.5% in July after expanding 8.2% in June. However, growth remains uneven across th...

MNB will indeed lower its inflation target, but only from January 2028

HUNGARY · In Brief · 22 Sep 2026

There has not been too much surprise heard from today's Monetary Council meeting. The base rate was indeed held at 5.5%, and the inflation target is indeed set to go lower, to 2.5%, just as Bloomberg predicted already a few weeks ago. Somewhat surprisingly though, Governor Varga said after the me...

Weekly Report - September 22, 2026: Benign inflation, resilient activity and a weaker external balance; a short week ahead with focus on labor-market data

ISRAEL · Report · 22 Sep 2026

The shortened week between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur was dominated by the August CPI and balance-of-payments data. Inflation remained relatively benign, while the current account moved into deficit for the second consecutive quarter despite a large goods and services surplus. Economic activity...