US Inflation Held at 2.7% in Jul-25

MACROECONOMY 
US-China Extended Tariff Truce 90 Days 

US and China extended their tariff truce for 90 days until 10 Nov, avoiding planned triple-digit duties and keeping current rates at 30% on Chinese goods and 10% on US goods, giving both sides time to negotiate ahead of the holiday import season. Trump sought further concessions, including increased soybean purchases, though analysts doubt feasibility. Trade data shows the US deficit with China at a 21-year low, with Chinese exports to the US falling as they shift to other markets, and analysts expect a broader deal to be pursued in the fall. (Reuters) 

US CPI Rose in July as Core Inflation Reaches 5-Month High 

US CPI rose to 323.05 in July from 322.56 in June, with shelter costs up 0.2% as the main driver. Monthly CPI rose 0.2%, just below June’s 0.3% gain, the strongest since January and in line with expectations. Meanwhile, core inflation hit a 5-month high of 3.1% YoY, up from 2.9% in June, while monthly core CPI rose 0.3%, its sharpest increase in 6 months.(Trading Economics) 

US Inflation Held at 2.7% in Jul-25 

US annual inflation stayed at 2.7% in Jul-25, below forecasts of 2.8%. Prices rose faster for used cars (4.8% vs 2.8% in June), transportation services (3.5%), and new vehicles (0.4%), while food inflation was steady at 2.9% and shelter eased to 3.7%. Energy costs fell further (- 1.6%), with gasoline down (-9.5%) and fuel oil down (-2.9%), while natural gas rose (+13.8%). (Trading Economics)

INDUSTRY 

Indonesia’s Energy Ministry Reported Strong 1H25 Performance 

Indonesia’s Energy Ministry recorded strong results in 1H25, with oil output reaching 608,100 bpd (100.5% of target) and gas production at 1.20 MBOEPD (119% of target), 69% for domestic use. Coal output hit 357.6 mn tons (48.3% of target), with 104.6 mn tons for the domestic market. Power capacity grew by 4.4 GW, including 876.5 MW from renewables, while per capita electricity use reached 1,448 kWh (98.9% of target). Biodiesel use of 6.8 mn kL saved USD 3.68 bn in imports and boosted CPO value by IDR 9.51 tn. (Emitennews)

 

COMPANY

XLSMART Telecom Sejahtera (EXCL) Appointed New Director 

EXCL held an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (EGMS) on 12 Aug-25, approving the appointment of Sanjay K. G. A. Vaghasia as Director until the 2029 AGM. With over 30 years in global telco and prior roles at Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, Ooredoo Maldives, Banglalink, and Ooredoo Myanmar, Sanjay has been serving as XLSMART’s Chief Integration Officer since 01 Jul-25. CEO Rajeev Sethi said the move is part of a strategy to ensure effective integration and maximize synergies following the co’s Apr-25 merger. (Emitennews) 

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (ISAT)’s AI Center in Papua Sparked Hope and Skepticism 

ISAT’s new AI Experience Center in Jayapura aims to boost digital skills and showcase AI for education and healthcare, part of a broader push with partners like NVIDIA. Internet access has risen to 63%, but censorship, infrastructure woes, and corruption scandals persist, fueling concerns the project could become political “techwashing” without deeper reforms. (Nikkei Asia)