Blogs

Bank of Finland experts write blogs on topical issues in the economy.
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37 blogs

Chinese GDP in Wonderland

The real-world nature of China’s official gross domestic product reporting has been dubious for years. Although China has long engaged in the practice of setting economic growth targets, it was only in 2012 that hitting a specific number began to be carefully tracked.

Can large trade shocks cause crises? The case of the Finnish-Soviet trade collapse

Finnish exports to the USSR fell abruptly from 2.4 to 0.8 per cent of GDP in winter 1991. Could this trade collapse be the main culprit for the Finnish Great Depression in 1990s?

Clearer view of non-banking loans now available

As a result of digitalisation, the number of different companies providing consumer credit and corporate finance services in Finland has increased. This has aroused concerns about increasing indebtedness among households and companies.

International recommendations help in identifying investment risks and opportunities related to climate change

The goal of the Bank of Finland’s climate work is to spread knowledge and debate around sustainable finance and to enhance expertise in this area.

On fireside chats and optimal monetary policy

On 24 November, Bank of Finland hosted a webinar focusing on monetary policy challenges both in the euro area and in the United States.

The pandemic hits monetary policy in India

In the short term, the main uncertainty is how fast India recovers from the pandemic.

The resilience of Chinese exports during the COVID-19 crisis

China was at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis. As a consequence, the value of Chinese exports plummeted by 13% year-on-year at the first quarter of 2020.

The Bank of Finland has long traditions in payment and settlement system simulations – the 18th Simulator Seminar

For already 17 years, the Bank of Finland has invited the simulator community to a two-day seminar in Helsinki in late summer.

Will coronavirus affect Russia’s ’pivot to the East’?

China has become one of Russia’s main trading partners over the past ten years, leading to a significant diversification of Russia’s oil and gas export markets.

How about a comprehensive assessment of the European recovery fund?

The European Commission, on Wednesday, published its proposal for a European recovery fund to help restart the economic engines in a Europe shaken by the coronavirus.

China fails to meet its Phase One agreement commitments

China has had huge difficulties to come even close to fulfilling its import commitments, which were consider to be hard to meet even before the coronavirus crisis.

Russian economy hit by COVID-19 and oil market turmoil

Russia imposed strict lockdown measures similar to many countries, resulting in sharp reductions in demand and production.

India – At the precipice?

COVID-19 spreads in India.

The difficult path to recovery in China

After a sharp decline in January and even sharper decline in February, the Chinese economy started to recover in March.

Conditionality of IMF programs: an ‘afterthought’ that has taken center stage

Consider the task of lending to countries that are in severe payment difficulties, possibly involving significant danger of default.

Artificial intelligence and massive data are transforming financial markets

AI and massive data technologies are being deployed in all different stages of business ranging from risk management to portfolio optimization.

Sustainable finance: a road towards a climate neutral Europe

A key question in sustainable finance is finding ways for reorienting investments more rapidly and effectively, but at the same time in a balanced manner, towards supporting emission reduction targets.

Mitigation of climate risks calls for new perspectives and cooperation

Assessing the risks and costs arising from climate change – its effects, mitigation and, in the worst case, failure to mitigate – presents a major challenge for financial sector participants.

Discussing monetary policy frameworks in Helsinki

The Bank of Finland organized an international research conference to discuss two key topics in particular: the challenges of monetary policy and the future of European Monetary Union.

Economic info with a modern twist

The Bank of Finland’s revamped annual report was published in April for the first time as a website.

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