Global Scans · Economy · Weekly Summary

DRIVER: The global economy still faces serious headwinds and political uncertainty potentially balanced by the enormous promise of technological advancements in many fields. Read on to get a solid handle on the opportunities and risks you and your organization may likely face and set your sails accordingly.

• [New] US Chip Revolution - NVIDIA and TSMC introduce the first U.S.-made Blackwell chip wafer at TSMC's Arizona facility, marking a pivotal step in boosting domestic semiconductor production and reducing geopolitical risks. The Tech Buzz
• [New] China's real GDP is forecast to expand 5% in 2026, helped by front-loaded government policy support, followed by 4.5% in 2027 as the effect of fiscal stimulus wanes. Morgan Stanley
• [New] Global gross domestic product is likely to moderate to an estimated 3% in 2025 and 3.2% in both 2026 and 2027, while inflation cools across different regions, allowing policymakers to reduce interest rates further. Morgan Stanley
• [New] The economic benefits of VR are expected to be felt worldwide, growing considerably as use cases widen and develop. Statista
• [New] United States leadership in Artificial Intelligence will promote United States national and economic security and dominance across many domains. Technocracy News
• [New] We forecast total AI chip revenue to far more than double in fiscal 2026, and see significant momentum continuing into 2027. Morningstar, Inc.
• [New] Growth in the euro area is likely to remain moderate at 1.1% in 2026 and 1.3% in 2027 as German fiscal support is partially offset by consolidation in France and Italy. Morgan Stanley
• [New] In the U.S., the core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index, which the Federal Reserve watches closely, is forecast to rise in the first quarter of 2026 because of tariffs and immigration restrictions before resuming its gradual descent. Morgan Stanley
• [New] In Japan, headline and core inflation have been above target for the past couple of quarters, but the underlying trend has been weaker, prompting a forecast for inflation to edge below 2% in late 2026 and then rise back to policymakers' 2% target in 2027. Morgan Stanley
• [New] The outlook for 2026 markets still looks strong, but prices will likely face as much or more volatility, which puts added pressure on managing financial risk. FlippingBook
• [New] With the federal tax credit for solar battery storage ending after 2025, many homeowners assume interest in batteries will slow down. EDGE Energy
• [New] Economists expect policy discussions in 2026 to center on strengthening refundable tax credits rather than introducing fresh stimulus checks. News
• [New] Sovereign debt levels had reached post-war highs in many advanced economies and were projected to rise even further to around 120% of GDP in advanced economies by 2030. World Socialist Web Site
• [New] Japan will be pushed to align its defence-industrial standards more closely with the US to enable seamless joint production, sustainment, and long-term defence industrial and technology cooperation with the US, particularly in semiconductors and critical minerals. OBSERVER RESEARCH FOUNDATION ( ORF )
• [New] Through the immersive Taiwan cultural experience event at Union Station, it is hoped that tourism promotion will deepen Taiwan-U.S. economic, cultural, and people-to-people connections. Cision PR Newswire
• [New] Data center electricity use could double by 2030, driven largely by AI training and inference tasks that require immense computational resources. WebProNews
• [New] Critical minerals are becoming increasingly vital - growing demand for green energy technologies could scale production by nearly 500% by 2050. Insurance Journal
• [New] Ontario's agri-food sector is large, increasingly productive and generally recession resilient but faces risks that include increasing volatile worldwide commodity supplies and potential U.S. tariffs. Ontario.ca
• [New] Global economic uncertainty had made it more urgent for West African states to boost intra-regional trade and reduce structural vulnerabilities. APAnews - African Press Agency
• [New] Through the India Semiconductor Mission, the PLI (Performance Linked Incentive) schemes, and capital investment in the development of ATMP facilities, India hopes to emerge as a major force in global semiconductor material production. Bisinfotech
• [New] As China pivots toward Russia and the risk of a Taiwan contingency becomes increasingly real, a reassessment of economic ties with China is underway. RIPS - Research Institute for Peace and Security -

Last updated: 16 December 2025