US API refined product imports for week to Oct. 16: 329,000 b/d, versus 30,000 b/d previously.

UK payrolls rose 13k in September, official data showed, versus market consensus for an 8k drop; August payrolls were revised from a 26k fall to a 1k rise. The three‑month unemployment rate to August unexpectedly fell to 4.7%, the lowest since July 2025. The ONS warned estimates remain affected by data‑collection quality issues. The surprise strengthens Chancellor John Healey’s position ahead of a key budget next week.

APEC finance ministers met in Hong Kong on Oct. 20-21, 2026 and issued a policy statement encouraging members to develop reliable, accessible, scalable, trustworthy, secure and resilient digital infrastructure. The statement calls for improving digital literacy and skills, enhancing interoperability and strengthening cross-border digital connectivity to accelerate Asia‑Pacific digitalisation. It endorses voluntary, non‑binding cooperation under APEC finance and fiscal mechanisms to advance digital infrastructure financing. The statement urges the private sector to deploy catalytic financing tools — including financing leases and asset securitisation — to unlock investment and lower financing barriers, and to scale up capital mobilisation by integrating pension funds, insurers and sovereign wealth funds.