United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News on Wednesday that they would need to “reexamine” the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance following the conclusion of the war in Iran.

In a telephonic interview with NBC News late Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said that he believes the war on Iran is “coming to an end”.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price edges lower after registering over 4% gains in the previous day, trading around $98.60 per barrel during the Asian hours on Wednesday.

China's RatingDog Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dropped to 50.8 in March from 52.1 in February, the latest data published by RatingDog showed on Wednesday.

China RatingDog Manufacturing PMI below expectations (51.6) in March: Actual (50.8)

Australia Building Permits (YoY): 14% (February) vs -15.7%

Australia Building Permits (MoM) came in at 29.7%, above expectations (6.5%) in February

South Korea S&P Global Manufacturing PMI increased to 52.6 in March from previous 51.1

Japan Jibun Bank Manufacturing PMI came in at 51.6, above forecasts (51.4) in March

Ireland AIB Manufacturing PMI climbed from previous 53.1 to 53.7 in March

Japan Tankan Non - Manufacturing Outlook came in at 29, above forecasts (28) in 1Q

Japan Tankan Non - Manufacturing Index above expectations (33) in 1Q: Actual (36)

Japan Tankan Large All Industry Capex fell from previous 12.6% to 3.3% in 1Q

Japan Tankan Large Manufacturing Outlook came in at 14, above forecasts (13) in 1Q

Japan Tankan Large Manufacturing Index registered at 17 above expectations (16) in 1Q

TD Securities’ Global Strategy Team reports that China’s March PMIs moved back into expansion, with Manufacturing and Non-manufacturing both beating expectations.

OCBC strategists Sim Moh Siong and Christopher Wong highlight USD/IDR grinding higher toward 17,000 on firm Dollar, risk-off sentiment and Oil-related terms-of-trade pressures.

UOB notes that the central bank of Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) is expected to keep the Overnight Policy Rate at 2.75% through early 2027.

Australia S&P Global Manufacturing PMI below expectations (50.1) in March: Actual (49.8)

OCBC strategists Sim Moh Siong and Christopher Wong note USD/TWD has risen nearly 2.5% this month but remains more contained than other Asian FX such as KRW, THB and MYR.

MUFG’s Senior Currency Analyst Michael Wan highlights that higher Oil prices and potential energy shortages are increasingly weighing on Asian FX.

UOB reports that the central bank of Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) expects 2026 headline inflation to average 1.5%-2.5%, with core inflation at 1.8%-2.3%.

The US Dollar Index (DXY) fell to near the 100.00 region on Tuesday, holding a weak tone as the US Dollar (USD) lost its safe-haven demand amid growing hopes of a de-escalation of the war in the Middle East.

Standard Chartered’s Senior Economist Tommy Wu revises Taiwan’s 2026 macro outlook as higher Oil and LNG prices from Middle East tensions lift import costs. The bank now sees CPI inflation at 2.1% instead of 1.5%, and trims GDP growth to 7.6% from 8.0%.

Commerzbank’s Dr. Henry Hao notes that China’s March PMIs show manufacturing back in expansion, supported by restocking, government spending and resilient exports, while non-manufacturing also edges above 50.

According to Societe Generale’s Dev Ashish, higher Oil prices improve Colombia’s outlook, with growth expected to move back toward potential in 2026–27. Inflation expectations are stabilizing, though Oil passthrough could generate temporary upside.

National Bank of Canada (NBC) economists Matthieu Arseneau and Alexandra Ducharme say Canada’s real GDP started 2026 on a firmer footing, with January growth beating expectations and preliminary data pointing to a solid Q1 gain.

Jeffrey Schmid, President of the Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of Kansas City, said that inflation is the more salient risk for the Fed. Adding that there is a real risk inflation will get stuck closer to 3% in remarks prepared for delivery to the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

ING economists Peter Virovacz and Zoltán Homolya note that Hungary’s January wage data are heavily distorted by a one-off bonus to military and law enforcement staff, leaving underlying wage growth much lower than the headline figure.

Commerzbank’s Senior Economist Dr. Vincent Stamer notes Euro area inflation rose to 2.5% in March, driven entirely by higher energy prices linked to the Iran War, while core inflation slipped to 2.3%.