Reuters

U.S. job growth surged in February, recording its biggest increase in more than 1-1/2 years, but a slowdown in wage gains pointed to only a gradual increase in inflation this year.

Japan’s central bank chief on Friday signaled his readiness to ramp up stimulus if the economic recovery lost steam, in an emphatic pushback against creeping speculation it could tighten the money spigot as other economies dial back crisis-mode policies.

China is moving beyond its traditional dependence on rapid credit growth and investment and will rely less on stimulus to boost its economy in future, People’s Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan said on Friday.

Asian shares pared sharp early gains on Friday ahead of U.S. payrolls data which could hasten Federal Reserve rate hikes, and as some caution set in about the new entente between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump.

U.S. plans for steel and aluminum tariffs amid rising protectionist rhetoric carry potentially serious consequences and will dampen business investment, but it is too early to know how monetary policy should react, the Bank of Canada said on Thursday.

President Donald Trump promised on Thursday to show great flexibility and cooperation towards the United States’ “real friends” as he prepared to impose import tariffs that have provoked warnings of a trade war from Europe and China.

The euro fell and bond yields in southern Europe hit multi-week lows on Thursday, after the ECB dropped a pledge to boost bond buying if needed but suggested subdued inflation would ensure a slow route back to policy normalization.

European shares edged higher on Thursday, as dealmaking gathered pace and fears of a trade war eased, though some disappointing earnings updates weighed.

U.S. President Donald Trump plans to offer Canada and Mexico a 30-day exemption from planned tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, which could be extended based on progress in NAFTA talks, a White House official said on Wednesday night.

Japan’s economy expanded more than initially estimated in the last quarter of 2017, thanks to an upward revision of capital expenditure and inventory data, confirming an eighth consecutive quarter of growth.