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FOCUS: CAN CHINA SHIELD ITS ECONOMY FROM THE IMPACT OF COVID-19?

China will likely miss its 2020 growth target due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global economy.

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COUNTRY & SECTOR RISK BAROMETER: Q1 2020 QUARTERLY UPDATE

In the previous Coface quarterly barometer published on February 4, 2020, we anticipated that the main risks for the world economy in 2020 would be, paradoxically, of non-economic nature.

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THE "MADE IN RUSSIA" STRATEGY: A LIMITED INSTRUMENT FOR ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION

Faced with fluctuations in hydrocarbon prices and economic sanctions from Western countries, Russia has developed a strategy that favours "Made in Russia" - but the results have remained mixed.

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AGRI-FOOD SECTOR OUTLOOK: IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY MARKED BY PROTECTIONIST TENSIONS, WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

Central to the current trade tensions, notably between the USA and China, the global agri-food sector is impacted by knock on effects, notably via downward trends on the prices of key agri-food commodities, such as soybean.

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COFACE FRANCE IS RECOGNIZED AS THE BEST CREDIT INSURANCE COMPANY IN 2019 BY INTERNATIONAL FINANCE MAGAZINE

Participating in this prestigious award for the first time, Coface France took the highest step on the podium, acknowledging the many initiatives deployed by Coface to better assist its customers.

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2019 SURVEY ON COMPANY PAYMENTS IN GERMANY: TURN OF THE TIDE

85% of companies report payment delays in 2019. This is an increase from 2017 by 7 percentage points.

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COFACE BAROMETER: GENERAL SLOWDOWN IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY DESPITE CENTRAL BANKS’ ACTIONS

With business morale being affected by a summer marked by a multiplication of areas of political uncertainty around the world, it seems likely that 2020 will be a year of economic decline.

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Corporate insolvencies in France: micro-entreprises in the wave’s trough

During the first four months of 2019, the rate of corporate insolvencies in France increased by +0.8%. This rate was particularly high during January and February, mainly due to the repercussions of the "gilets jaunes" (yellow vests) movement; however, the increasing rate of insolvencies declined in March and April. Nonetheless, Coface anticipates that, despite resilient economic growth, insolvencies will increase by +1.7% over the whole of 2019 (…)

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From copycat to early bird: Taking stock of China’s 5G ambitions

China has rapidly become a big player in 5G technology, thanks to the government’s strategy and its support of high investment in Research and Development (R&D). This new technology is part of the Made in China 2025 initiative, through which the Chinese government targets self-sufficiency in high-end industries. China coordinated its approach to 5G and some successes are already visible. For example, 40% of global patents for current 5G network standards are from Chinese firms. Moreover, Chinese companies are set to benefit from 5G. Huawei is the global leader in network infrastructures; it currently holds 29% of the market (...)

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Luxury market performance in global economic downturns: is this time different?

The luxury market is unique, mainly due to the fact that its products are consumed for social distinction. This has helped companies in the segment to outperform other sector-segments over the past years. Nevertheless, the luxury market is facing important challenges, notably regarding counterfeit products, a risk for companies, and e-commerce, which is disrupting how business is conducted. In addition, the market is not immune to challenging economic conditions. Global economic activity is currently experiencing a slowdown: Coface forecasts a global GDP growth rate of 2.9% in 2019 after 3.2% in 2018, and this will have an impact on some luxury products. Looking ahead, the rise of emerging markets’ middle classes – especially in China – presents great opportunities. Despite global economic slowdown, we are therefore expecting the luxury retail market overall to be resilient, notably benefiting from the rise of Chinese consumers’ appetite for luxury.

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Central Asia: is the ménage à trois with China and Russia sustainable?

Central Asia is both a partner and a trade gateway for China and Europe. It is located on two branches of the New Silk Road. Despite criticism, China is the most involved in the development of Central Asian corridors. This deployment is not obvious given the competition from other routes and poor regional cooperation. While Russian influence remains significant through expatriate remittances, its military bases, and culture, it is being supplanted by China in economic matters.

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Country risk assessment map - April 2019

New edition of the country risk map. Consult, download and print the map of the 161 countries assessed by Coface.

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The great industrial rotation continues - Country and Sector risks Barometer

Signs of the global economic slowdown continued to accumulate at the beginning of 2019: companies are much less confident than a year ago, and global trade is showing signs of fatigue.

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Despite five years of “Modinomics”, India continues to be constrained by economic fragilities

When Narendra Modi ran for Prime Minister in 2014, he pledged to boost the competitiveness of India’s industrial sector to promote growth. Five years later, the economy is in a better position, but many of the structural fragilities that Modi inherited continue to afflict India today.

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Registration document 2018

Registration document including the Financial report.

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Latin America: Brazil and Mexico’s oil industries – opposite policies?

In the context of a global oil market that is likely to remain volatile, the two largest Latin American economies – Brazil and Mexico – are expected to implement significant changes in their energy policies in the medium term. Both countries have appointed new presidents in the last year following polarised elections: in Brazil the right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro took office in January 2019, while December 2018 saw the arrival of left-wing André Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO)1. Similarly, the two oil industries share two main common features: their state-owned companies have experienced significant financial and governance issues, and both countries are crude oil exporters and net oil derivative importers. Conversely, in terms of energy policies, they appear to be taking opposite directions.

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China Payment Survey 2019: Longer delays as growth falters

The Chinese economy experienced some challenges in 2018 . Corporate bond defaults in US dollars quadrupled, reaching an amount of USD 16 billion, while the number of bankruptcy cases settled through the Supreme Court of the People’s Republic of China spiked to 6,646 (...)

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Poland Payment Survey 2019: Robust economic growth has not eliminated payment delays

The third edition of Coface’s survey on payment experiences in Poland was carried out in December 2018 with 293 companies participating in the study.

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Turkey’s economic slowdown continues, but exports offer some support

Turkey is experiencing a severe economic slowdown, coupled with a jump in inflation, as a result of the sharp depreciation of the lira during 2018.

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Global economy: industry is stalling

Despite the many obstacles in its path (diverse and varied political risks, high volatility of commodity prices, supply constraint s in advanced economies, to name but a few), world growth in 2018 managed to sustain its 2017 rate (3.2%)

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