Economy

China's exports accelerated to 25% year-on-year growth in August 2026, lifting the global trade surplus to $119.09 billion, with autos up 43% and semiconductor exports up 129.8% driving the gains. Exports have become the primary engine of China's economy as domestic demand remains subdued, a reliance that drew a joint rebuke from G20 finance ministers. The data landed two weeks before a scheduled Xi-Trump meeting in Washington, with a 12.5% U.S. tariff on Chinese goods already in effect.

Japan's Cabinet Office revised its Q2 2026 GDP estimate to 1.4% annualized growth, up from an initial 1.1%, driven by a narrowed decline in business investment alongside small improvements across several components. Separately, preliminary Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare data show July real wages rose 2.4% year-on-year, extending a streak of positive real wage growth to seven consecutive months. Together, the releases add to the evidence base the Bank of Japan's Policy Board will weigh at its September 17–18 meeting, though neither figure confirms a rate hike decision.

The Census Bureau's Q2 2026 Quarterly Financial Report was scheduled for September 8, 2026, but had not been published at the time of research, meaning no Q2 corporate profit, debt, or liquidity figures are yet available. The release is notable because it marks the first QFR subject to a new Commerce Department disclosure avoidance policy, DAO 216-26, which takes effect June 4, 2026, replacing noise infusion with coarsening as the preferred method and permitting suppression only as a last resort. The QFR serves as a primary data source for BEA corporate profit estimates in Gross Domestic Income accounts and for the Federal Reserve's nonfinancial corporate business financial tables.