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    <channel>
        <title>Weekly RSS</title>
       
        <link>https://www.bofit.fi/en/rss/weekly-rss/</link>
        <description><![CDATA[]]></description>
        <language>en</language>
                <item>
                    <title>Russian economy weakened sharply in first two months of the year; rising oil prices bring relief</title>
                    <link>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202619_1/</link>
                    <description><![CDATA[While Russian economic trends weakened dramatically in January and February, transient factors were responsible for some of the GDP contraction. Economic activity has since revived on higher oil prices. Even if it takes time for the impact of increased oil earnings to be reflected on government balance sheets, they are clearly a boon for Russian government finances. Higher oil prices alone, however, are insufficient to resolve the issues with which the government currently struggles. Low, if any, economic growth is expected for the rest of this year, and federal government finances are expected to remain in deficit. ]]></description>
                    <guid>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202619_1/</guid>
                    <pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2026 10:38:28 GMT</pubDate>
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                    <title>China increases oil imports from Southeast Asia and Russia to make up for lost Persian Gulf imports</title>
                    <link>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202618_1/</link>
                    <description><![CDATA[China Customs reports that nearly as much crude oil was imported into the country in March as in March 2025, and that oil imports on-year actually increased in the first quarter of this year. By some estimates, China’s domestic oil production and oil imports in March were still larger than the country’s own oil needs, so the country continued to stockpile oil in its strategic reserves. In recent months, the volume of oil purchased from countries in the Middle East has declined slightly. The contraction was expected to intensify in April as the flow tankers departing the Persian Gulf ended with closure of the Strait of Hormuz. China has made up for lost imports from the Middle East by increasing imports from Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia. Southeast Asian oil imports can originate from elsewhere as transfer of cargoes from one ship to another is common in the region to disguise a cargo’s true country of origin. China’s oil purchases from Russia have increased to record levels, while oil imports from the rest of the world have remained fairly stable. ]]></description>
                    <guid>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202618_1/</guid>
                    <pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:45:26 GMT</pubDate>
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                    <title>China eliminates remaining import tariffs on African nations</title>
                    <link>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202618_2/</link>
                    <description><![CDATA[At the beginning of the year, China announced it would get rid of all remaining tariffs on goods from Africa as of May 1. The lifting of tariffs applies to the 53 of Africa’s 54 nations with which China has diplomatic relations. The sole excluded country is Eswatini, which has officially recognised Taiwan. China had earlier introduced a zero-tariff policy for Africa's 33 least-developed countries, meaning that Africa's middle-income and largest economies benefit most from the May expansion. The tariffs exemption applies to all product groups. Prior to the tariff elimination, imports from Africa were subject to most-favoured-nation (MFN) tariff levels. China's average MFN import tariff is around 6 % for chemicals, minerals and metals, and between 10 % and 25 % for agricultural products. ]]></description>
                    <guid>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202618_2/</guid>
                    <pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:44:32 GMT</pubDate>
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                <item>
                    <title>Fixed investment growth in Russia came to a standstill last year</title>
                    <link>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202617_1/</link>
                    <description><![CDATA[Russian fixed investment experienced across-the-board weakening last year, with completion of budget-funded infrastructure projects in the Far East Federal District having an especially negative impact on investment activity. The structure of investment in the country has changed considerably in recent years. Companies must increasingly finance investment projects out-of-pocket, and government budget funding is more precisely targeted than previously. Foreign financing for investment has dried up almost completely. Investment focuses increasingly on construction activity, while the share of investment in machinery &amp; equipment has decreased. The most robust growth has been seen in manufacturing industries that support the war effort and in the chemicals industry. In addition, infrastructure projects have lifted investment numbers, especially in the Far East Federal District, but many are now completed or reaching completion. Investment trends have been particularly weak in sectors and regions where exports have been hit hardest by Western sanctions. ]]></description>
                    <guid>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202617_1/</guid>
                    <pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:39:42 GMT</pubDate>
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                    <title>China&#x2019;s official GDP statistics suggest the economy off to a decent start this year</title>
                    <link>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202616_1/</link>
                    <description><![CDATA[China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported on Thursday (April 16) that GDP growth accelerated to 5.0 % y-o-y in the first quarter of 2026, up from 4.5 % in 4Q25. According to the demand breakdown, the growth pickup was driven by rapid investment growth. It seems that in particular investment in production machinery and equipment grew very rapidly, likely related to the continued strong growth in industrial output and exports. Growth in retail sales was subdued in the early part of the year as the effects of government support programmes are fading. Contrary to the official data, BOFIT’s alternative GDP calculation suggests that GDP growth slightly slowed down in the first quarter. In conjunction with the release of our Forecast for China 2026–2028, BOFIT will hold a webinar briefing on Tuesday May 5 ( sign-up link here ). ]]></description>
                    <guid>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202616_1/</guid>
                    <pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:04:50 GMT</pubDate>
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                    <title>China&#x2019;s current account surplus hit an all-time high last year; net outflow of capital from China gathered strength</title>
                    <link>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202616_2/</link>
                    <description><![CDATA[Balance - of-payments figures from China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) show the country’s current account surplus in the fourth quarter of 2025 amounted to $244 billion (1,726 billion yuan). The goods trade surplus was $310 billion and the services trade deficit $49 billion. In addition, the net flow of factor income and current transfers included in the current account amounted to a deficit of $18 billion. The financial account deficit was $235 billion. For the year overall, the current account showed a strong surplus ($735 billion, 3.8 % of GDP) and the financial account a similar magnitude deficit ($774 billion). ]]></description>
                    <guid>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202616_2/</guid>
                    <pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:03:47 GMT</pubDate>
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                    <title>Conflicts in the Middle East cloud global economic outlook</title>
                    <link>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202616_3/</link>
                    <description><![CDATA[The International Monetary Fund (IMF) this week released its latest World Economic Outlook . In addition to a baseline forecast, the IMF included alternative “adverse” and “severe” scenarios, whereby trends remain weaker than in the baseline, reflecting uncertainty over the duration and scope of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The baseline scenario assumes that the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran ends in the coming weeks, and that commodity production in the Middle East, as well as exports, normalise by mid-2026. Under the adverse scenario, oil and natural gas prices significantly exceed the baseline this year, and also remain somewhat elevated next year. By contrast, in the severe scenario, commodity prices remain well above baseline this year and next year, and do not return to trend until 2028. The two downside scenarios include the assumption that inflation expectations rise over the short term in reaction to elevated energy prices, thereby requiring tighter monetary policy. The risk premia for firms also rises. ]]></description>
                    <guid>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202616_3/</guid>
                    <pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:01:52 GMT</pubDate>
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                    <title>Russian GDP growth to remain at last year&#x2019;s level boosted by higher commodity prices this year, growth will decelerate in 2027 and 2028</title>
                    <link>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202615_1/</link>
                    <description><![CDATA[Russia’s economic outlook, the costs facing Russia’s wartime economy and the implications of ending the Ukraine war were discussed on March 30 at BOFIT’s annual  Russia briefing . ]]></description>
                    <guid>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202615_1/</guid>
                    <pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:17:34 GMT</pubDate>
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                    <title>Profitability down for China&#x2019;s banking sector</title>
                    <link>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202614_1/</link>
                    <description><![CDATA[China’s National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) reports the aggregate total assets of China’s banking sector rose last year to around 480 trillion yuan (342 % of GDP), an increase of 8 % y-o-y. The total assets of the largest banks grew faster than other banks, collectively accounting for about 44 % of the banking sector’s total assets. The value of the loan stock climbed to 276 trillion yuan (197 % of GDP), an increase of over 6 % y-o-y. The combined profits of Chinese banks last year amounted to 2.4 trillion yuan, an increase of about 2 % from 2024 and approximately the same amount as in 2023. Profitability and earnings have stumbled on weakness in the domestic economy, the real estate sector’s woes, increased competition from non-bank actors operating in the sector, as well as falling interest rates. At the same time, the government has mandated that banks support the economy with inexpensive loans and flexible lending terms. ]]></description>
                    <guid>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202614_1/</guid>
                    <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:55:50 GMT</pubDate>
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                <item>
                    <title>Finland posted weak performances last year in goods and services trade with China</title>
                    <link>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202614_2/</link>
                    <description><![CDATA[The weak performance of Finnish goods exports to China continued last year. Finnish Customs reports that the value of Finnish exports amounted 3.4 billion euros, a decrease of 4 % from 2024. China’s share of the countries to which Finland exports also fell to 4.5 %, the smallest share since 2009. Finnish Customs figures show that 56.4 % of Finland’s goods exports last year went to other countries in the EU, 10.4 % to the United States 1.0 % to India, 0.4 % to Russia, 0.2 % to Ukraine and 0.2 % to Taiwan. ]]></description>
                    <guid>https://www.bofit.fi/en/monitoring/weekly/2026/vw202614_2/</guid>
                    <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:54:37 GMT</pubDate>
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