Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Monday the central bank will continue to raise interest rates if economic and price developments move in line with its forecasts, Reuters reported. Japan's economy sustained a moderate recovery last year despite the hit to corporate profits from higher U.S. tariffs, Ueda said in a speech delivered to the country's banking sector lobby. "Wages and prices are highly likely to rise together moderately," Ueda said, adding that adjusting the degree of monetary support will help the economy achieve sustained growth.

Japan's manufacturing activity stalled in December as demand declined at a slower pace from the previous month, a private-sector survey showed, ending a five-month streak of deterioration, Reuters reported. The S&P Global Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was flat at 50.0 in December, improving from 48.7 in November and hitting the break-even point separating expansion from contraction. The decline in new orders in December was the softest since May 2024, the survey showed.

As of December 2025, new laws came into effect making Hainan a separate customs zone and consolidating a favorable regulatory environment in the southernmost province of China, EuroNews.com reported. The move contrasts with the current global trend of protectionism, as many countries move to tighten trade rules and investment controls. Hainan is now effectively the world's largest free trade port by area. Encompassing over 35,000 square kilometers, it is roughly fifty times bigger than Singapore and even slightly bigger than Belgium.

Despite the festive atmosphere of the holiday season, suppliers and creditors of US fashion accessories chain Claire’s – including about 70 from Hong Kong, mainland China and across Asia – face financial anxieties as they grapple with the uncertain prospects of recovering debts following the retailer’s recent bankruptcy filing, the South China Morning Post reported. Some have already taken legal action, though the outcome of their claims remains unclear.

German exporters should prepare for continued weakness in 2026 in their two largest markets, the United States and China, with little prospect of recovery, the BGA trade association said on Friday, Reuters reported. "We do not see a turnaround, but at best a brief respite," said BGA president Dirk Jandura. Exports to the U.S. are projected to have fallen more than 7% to just under 150 billion euros ($156 billion) in 2025, while exports to China have contracted even more sharply, dropping 10% to 81 billion euros, GTAI figures show. U.S.

South Korea's factory activity expanded in December, after two months of contraction, on a rebound in export demand, a private-sector survey showed on Friday, with manufacturers' optimism surging to a 3-1/2-year high, Reuters reported. The purchasing managers index (PMI) for manufacturers in Asia's fourth-largest economy, published by S&P Global, stood at 50.1 in December, just above the 50-mark separating expansion from contraction, after two consecutive months at 49.4.

Turkmenistan officially put into effect the Law on Virtual Assets legalizing cryptocurrency mining and crypto exchanges as it looks to boost economic development and attract foreign investment, CoinDesk.com reported. The new rules, which President Serdar Berdimuhamedov signed into law on Nov. 28, provide a framework for the use, creation and exchange of virtual assets in the country. A 2025 study on Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, which include Turkmenistan, concluded that allowing crypto is good for the economy.

India’s Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) framework in 2025 was marked by mounting stress on timelines and capacity, with resolution processes stretching far beyond the statutory limits, despite efforts by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to cope with its limited capacity, The Week reported.

Creditors have realised Rs 4 lakh crore under the resolution plans initiated under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code through September 30, 2025, according to a Reserve Bank report on Wednesday, the Economic Times of India reported. Since the provisions relating to the corporate insolvency resolution process came into force in December 2016, a total of 8,659 CIRPs have been initiated until September 30, 2025, of which 6,761, or 78.1 percent, have been closed. The primary objective of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code is rescuing corporate debtors (CDs) in distress.