FX.co ★ Japan Rate Decision On Tap For Thursday

The Bank of Japan will wrap up its monetary policy meeting on Thursday and then release its quarterly report and its decision on interest rates, highlighting a busy day in Asia-Pacific economic activity. The BoJ is widely expected to keep its benchmark lending rate steady at -0.10 percent.

Japan also will provide March numbers for industrial production, retail sales and housing starts. In February, industrial output was up 2.0 percent on month and 0.5 percent on year, while retail sales slipped 0.8 percent both on month and on year and housing starts jumped an annual 6.3 percent.

Singapore will see preliminary Q1 figures for unemployment; in the three months prior, the jobless rate was 2.4 percent.

New Zealand will release March figures for imports, exports and trade balance. In February, Imports were worth NZ$5.88 billion and exports were at NZ$5.49 billion for a trade deficit of NZ$385 million.

Thailand will provide March numbers for industrial production, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 2.15 percent - slowing from 2.75 percent in February.

Hong Kong will see March data for imports, exports and trade balance. In February, imports were up 6.2 percent on year and exports rose an annual 0.9 percent for a trade deficit of HKD32.1 billion.

Taiwan will release an advance estimate for Q1 gross domestic product, with forecasts calling for an annual expansion of 2.9 percent - slowing from 4.86 percent in the three months prior.