NEWS, PUBLICATIONS & EVENTS
03/29/2017
Country risk and economic studies

Country and sector risks worldwide - Business confidence is picking up again, despite persistent political risk

Country and sector risks worldwide - Business confidence is picking up again, despite persistent political risk

Main economic surprise of early 2017:
 the rise in business confidence is perceptible, but is not yet generating a positive widespread upturn in country and risk assessments.

 

 

 

 

Global scenario: slight acceleration in GDP growth, trade and the price of oil

 

The PMI company confidence indices are up considerably, despite a context of persistently high political risks in the USA (the commercial and foreign policies of the new Government) and in Europe (several elections with uncertain outcomes). At this stage, the financial markets, one of the traditional channels of transmission of political risk, and business confidence are buoyant. Households and companies are not delaying their investment and consumption decisions. Behind this phenomenon can also be seen the lessening of the risk of deflation in the advanced economies and in China and the highly favourable financing conditions in the Eurozone (except for Portugal and Greece).

 

This marked upturn in business confidence in the advanced economies, and economic recovery in the emerging countries (forecasts: Russia +1, Brazil +0.4%) have led Coface to upgrade the global growth forecast to +2.8% and that of global trade to +2.4% (after +1% in 2016).

 

Effects still hard to detect

 

These signs of improvement are still too tentative to take shape in a generalised improvement of country and sector assessments. The activities of businesses will remain constrained by high and increasing debt in the emerging economies, along with the threat of protectionist, political and social risks in the advanced and emerging countries.

 

Czech Republic(newly upgraded to A2) andLatvia(newly upgraded to A3), which are increasingly well integrated in the European chain of production, will continue to display fairly sustained growth this year and will benefit from an upturn in public investment. Czech Republic benefits from solid car sales dynamics in the EU.Israel(newly upgraded to A2) combines solid growth with low levels of unemployment and inflation, thereby improving the prospects for the sectors oriented toward the domestic market.

After undergoing an initial downgrade last June,Mozambiqueis further downgraded to E, "extreme risk", on account of serious threats to its political stability and the payment default situation.

 

Good news for metals in China and Brazil, and for construction in France and Brazil

 

In terms of sector risk,the metals sectorhas for the last three years been the most at-risk sector, whatever the region of the world, but improvements in the situation are beginning to be make themselves felt. The growth in metals production is slowing down considerably in China, while the prices of increasing, sustained by a high level of activity in construction and automotive in the USA and improvement of these sectors  in Western Europe. The imposition of customs tariffs on Chinese steelmaking products has also given respite to steelmakers in Europe and Latin America. In this context, Coface is updating the assessments of the sector from "very high risk" to"high risk" in Latin America, driven by Brazil, and in emerging Asia, thanks in particular to the rise in domestic demandin China.

 

Still inLatin America, and particularly inBrazil, there is a positive trend inconstruction, thanks to a rapid fall in the interest rates of the central bank, andenergy, despite uncertainties concerning investment projects. Theriskfor these sectors has improved to"high"level.

 

Lastly, in Western Europe, two sectors stand out. InFrance,constructionis now "medium risk", benefiting from an upturn in the building of new housing, thanks to low interest rates and tax incentive mechanisms. TheUnited Kingdomis facing stagnation in the purchasing power of households, affected by inflation, which explains the downgrading of the risk for theretailsector of the country to"high".

 

Country risk assessment map - 1st quarter 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Infographics: Sector risk assessments - 1st quarter 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COFACE ECONOMIC PUBLICATIONS

 

 

 

 

 

BAROMETER COUNTRY AND SECTOR RISK BAROMETER Q1 2017 :

"Recovery in global growth: more than a flash in the pan?"

 

 

 

 

 

Download this press release : Country and sector risks worldwide - Business confidence is picking up... (85.12 kB)

Contact


HONG KONG S.A.R.

Leo CHAK
T. +852 2585 9188
leo.chak@coface.com
 
CHINA
 
Chloe CHENG
T. +86 21 6171 8100
chloe.cheng@coface.com
 
TAIWAN
 
Grazia LI
T. +886 2 8182 1015
grazia.li@coface.com 

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