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Economic Outlook
Global economic outlook: Known unknown
President Trump’s policy actions have caused a lot of volatility in the financial markets and the economic outlook since our previous forecast. Uncertainty is high, and, given Trump’s tendency to cause chaos, this is expected to continue.
The cautious growth seen in the Finnish economy is at risk of hitting a tariff wall. Lower inflation and interest rates are boosting purchasing power, but increased uncertainty threatens to put private consumption and investment on hold for a little longer. Housing market activity has increased, but prices are not rising yet. The oversupply in the rental market is still discouraging new construction.
Norwegian economic outlook: Growth accelerates despite tariff war
Economic growth in Norway is picking up, driven by increased consumer spending and housing construction. The tariff war and the global situation will, on balance, have little impact on the Norwegian economy.
Housing investment has declined sharply in recent years, which continued towards end-2024, according to Statistics Norway. However, other indicators suggest housing construction has picked up. We question whether the official figures accurately reflect recent developments. Going forward, we expect increased housing investment will help boost economic growth in Norway.
Nordea Economic Outlook webinar: Navigating global trade turbulence
Join us for the release of the Nordea Economic Outlook on 21 May. Register for the webinar with our chief economist for an inside look at Nordea’s latest forecasts.
Chief Economist's Corner: Car industry at the epicentre of escalating trade war
Donald Trump started his trade war against the rest of the world at a press conference in the White House Rose Garden. The vision of bringing the car industry back to the US will one day go down in history as a nostalgic mirage.
As part of its mid-term budget proposal for 2025, the Finnish government has decided on reductions of EUR 2 billion in earned income and corporate tax. About half of the tax cuts will be covered by increases in other taxes and spending cuts. Nordea Chief Analyst Juho Kostiainen takes a look at the reforms and the expected economic impact.
China started the year 2025 with robust GDP growth. Nordea Chief Economist Tuuli Koivu also observed slightly better sentiment during her trip to the country in March. However, the intensified trade war between the US and China is going to hurt the growth and CNY outlook in the coming months.
During market turbulence, US government bonds tend to be a “safe haven.” But the past week showed something completely different. On 9 April, when Trump’s new tariffs were to take effect, investors sold off US government bonds. Nordea Senior Strategist Sara Midtgaard takes a closer look.
Tariff uncertainty poses growing downside risk to the economy
Trump’s newest round of tariffs hit financial markets and added to downside risks to the economy. Plenty of uncertainties remain, and the USD sentiment has taken a beating. The ECB will likely cut again, while the Fed may find the outlook trickier, writes Nordea Chief Analyst Jan von Gerich.
‘Mar-a-Lago Accord’ explained: A new era for the dollar?
There has been much focus on whether Trump could force the US trading partners into a so-called “Mar-a-Lago Accord” to weaken the dollar. Chief Strategist Lars Mouland reflects on what such a deal could entail.