The 2023 Trade Finance Gaps, Growth, and Jobs Survey indicates that the global trade finance gap reached $2.5 trillion in 2022, impacting economic growth and development.

This edition shows how a modest improvement in economic fundamentals has buoyed East Asia’s local currency bond (LCY) markets, but potential renewed increases in inflation and further interest rate hikes could pose risks for the region’s borrowers.

This edition presents recent developments in emerging East Asian local currency bond markets and features a special section about how increased climate risk awareness can influence investors’ trading decisions.

This edition notes slowing growth in the last quarter of 2022 in emerging East Asia’s local currency (LCY) bond market, though aggregate issuance of LCY bonds by these economies reached a record high in 2022.

This report summarizes insights on transparency and integrity in sustainable finance markets shared at a series of webinars hosted by the Asian Development Bank and State Street Global Advisors.