Global Events this Week April 17 - 23, 2022:

This is Fulcrum Macro Advisors weekly calendar of key political and economic events we are watching in the coming week.  Please let us know if you have any questions.

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Sunday, April 17, 2022:

Political/Social Events:

• Easter Sunday observed by western Christian faith globally

• The US Navy’s Red Sea Task Force begins operation off the coast of Yemen aimed to patrolling against the threat of Houthi missile and drone attacks against maritime and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) targes.  They will also seek to counter growing drug smuggling and human trafficking.

• U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Affairs Sung Kim travels to South Korea for coordination meetings with South Korean Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs and other senior South Korean officials. 

• Mexico lower house of Congress to consider controversial electricity sector law.

Economic Reports/Events:

• Nothing significant to report.

Monday April 18, 2022:

Political/Social Events – 

• Watch for a “senior” delegation of US officials possibly traveling this week to Kyiv, Ukraine to meet with President Zelensky.

• US Congress out of session this week (they were also out last week for Easter/Passover holiday)

• “Tax Day” in the United States

• China’s Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress to meet to discuss new bills including women’s rights law.

• Global Centre for Traditional Medicine is opened by World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus in India.

• Sri Lankan delegation meets with International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington to discuss a possible economic support package to assist the country through the current crisis.

•  Zimbabwe celebrates its Independence Day.

Economic Reports/Events –

• Markets closed in most of Europe, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa for Easter holiday

• World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings commence (until April 23rd).

• US National Association of Home Builders April Index

• Russia expected to soften cash operations restrictions and allow banks to sell hard currency.

• China GDP for Q1, March growth data, retail sales, fixed assets, property investment, residential property sales

• Canada March housing starts

• Spain trade balance figures

• German Buba Monthly report

• Brazil inflation index

• Tesla plans to resume production at its Gigafactory in Shanghai after 3 weeks of COVID lockdown.

Tuesday April 19, 2022:

Political/Social Events – 

• Sri Lanka’s main opposition party is expected to submit a no-confidence motion again the government and impeachment motion against the President as a result of the ongoing economic crisis.

• NATO begins annual cybersecurity wargames – Operation Locked Shields – in Tallinn, Estonia

• Armenia’s President Nikol Pashinian to travel to Moscow.

• The UN Security Council holds consultations on its mission in Libya.

• African Union holds an expert session on migration, refugees, and internal displaced people.

•  Timor Leste holds second round of presidential elections.

Economic Reports/Events –

• IMF releases April 2022 World Economic Outlook

• US building permits (Mar.), housing starts

• China’s People’s Bank of China loan prime rate

• Japan exports/import figures, trade balances, industrial production, capacity utilization figures

• Canada existing home sales (Mar.)

Wednesday 20, 2022: 

Political/Social Events – 

• G-7 Finance Ministers meet in Washington DC to discuss global financial issues including a coordinated response to rising inflation (they are all in Washington for World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings).

• G-20 Finance Ministers meet in Washington DC to discuss global financial issues.

• China holds Boao Forum in Hainan, China.

• Honduras’s former President Juan Orlando Hernandez to be extradited to the US to face trial for drug trafficking charges.

• Democratic Republic of the Congo’s parliament debates proposed electoral reform law.

Economic Reports/Events –

• US March existing home sales, Fed’s Beige Book released, crude oil inventories, gasoline production, heating oil stockpiles

• Japan March trade balance

• Germany March PPI

• Italy February trade balance

•  Eurozone February industrial production, trade balance

•  Canada March CPI

• Russian government expected to submit proposals for raising wages, pensions, and minimum wage; PPIs scheduled to be reported

•  South Africa inflation (Mar)

• Ghana GDP (Q4 and all of 2021)

Thursday, April 21, 2022:

Political/Social Events – 

•  UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to visit India to discuss Ukraine and trade issues.

• World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Council for Trade in Goods meeting. 

Economic Reports/Events –

• US Federal Reserve Chair Pro Tempore Jay Powell speaks at the Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research

• European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, Fed Chair Powell, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva to speak at IMF Debate on the Global Economy panel

• US Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook (Apr.), initial jobless claims, leading index (Mar.)

• Russia scheduled to report Central Bank reserves

• Japan CPIs

• France business and manufacturing confidence (Mar.)

• Eurozone CPIs, consumer confidence (Apr.)

• Turkey’s Central Bank monetary policy meeting  

Friday, April 22, 2022:

Political/Social Events – 

• UK-Nigeria trade and Investment Mission Summit in London (Nigeria is seen as possible major supplier of oil/gas to supplement supply to be cut from Russia).

• Kenya’s political parties face deadline to conclude their primaries, present candidates to the Independent Electoral Board and Boundaries Commission for approval.

Economic Reports/Events –

•  Federal Reserve “Black-Out Period” begins in advance of next Open Meeting

• US PMIs, retail sales figures

•  France PMIs

• Germany PMIs

• Eurozone PMIs

• Hong Kong PMIs

•  Japan PMI (Mar.), Jibun Bank PMIs

• UK GfK Consumer Confidence (Apr.), retail sales (Mar.)

• Canada industrial production price (Mar.), retail sales (Feb.)

• Mozambique gets S&P Global Ratings assessment

Saturday, April 23, 2022: 

Political/Social Events – 

•  France holds second round of Presidential Elections

•  Slovenia holds National Assembly elections

Economic Reports/Events –

• World Bank/IMF Meetings conclude in Washington DC