Asia is bracing for the latest U.S. Treasury report on foreign currency manipulators, set for release amid a trade war that shows no sign of ending.
The twice-yearly report is due in coming weeks and will likely see Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam on the watchlist. The three Southeast Asian nations were cited in the May report for the first time, and the Treasury says it keeps newcomers on the list for at least two straight reports. China — which was formally labeled a currency manipulator in August — Japan and South Korea were the other Asian economies cited at the time.
A country makes it onto the watchlist if it has met two of three criteria: a trade surplus with the U.S. of at least $20 billion; a current-account surplus of a minimum of 2 percent of gross domestic product; and persistent, one-sided intervention in the currency that equates to 2 percent of GDP within six months of a year.
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