Euromonitor International is pleased to launch Economy, Finance and Trade Country Reports for 2018, starting with the USA, China and Singapore. The reports include a SWOT analysis and explore the economic landscape of each country, including the economic structure, trade profile, investment environment and an overview of government finances, as well as any risks and vulnerabilities on the horizon. For example, as the world’s largest economy and consumer market, the USA continues to display its strength and appeal to investors. Indeed, foreign investment inflows are the highest globally. However, public debt stood at 108% of GDP in 2017. Under President Trump’s higher infrastructure spending, public debt could increase further and is unsustainable. In China, with a ‘Mineral Products’ import bill of US$291 billion, the country is a net energy importer and highly dependent on external sources for its energy needs. This makes China vulnerable to global energy price fluctuations.

New to this year’s reports are a macro scenario analysis for the major economies, taken from Euromonitor’s Macro Model, to highlight the impact on the economy in the event of a growth slowdown or acceleration. Report coverage will be expanded with an extra 18 countries to bring the number of core countries we cover to 103.

Major Downturn/Growth Acceleration Scenarios in the USA

Source: Euromonitor International Macro Model

Euromonitor International’s Country Reports on Economy, Finance and Trade will help clients to understand how open an economy is, providing an essential overview for those wanting to understand new markets as part of their expansion strategy or to better appreciate their existing territories. All reports are presented in a standardised layout to enable cross-country comparisons, and can be found under the Country Reports option in the Analysis Finder on Passport Economy, Finance and Trade.

Did You Know?

• Although diminishing in importance, ‘Manufacturing’ remained China’s key contributor to gross value added (GVA) in 2017. However, ‘Financial Intermediation’ gained ground between 2007 and 2017, as private enterprise expanded rapidly resulting in greater demand for banking and business services;

 Source: Euromonitor International from national statistics

• In real terms, gross fixed capital formation in Singapore posted annual growth in 2017, versus a year-on-year contraction in 2016, owing to renewed state focus on transport infrastructure spending. An ambitious high-speed rail link between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, taking 90.0 minutes, is in the pipeline and is anticipated to be Southeast Asia’s biggest infrastructure venture;
• With a ‘Mineral Products’ import bill of US$145 billion in 2017, the USA is a net energy importer. Its reliance on vehicle usage makes the country susceptible to global oil price fluctuations. However, substantial discovery of shale oil and gas reserves reduces this exposure and is likely to make the USA a net energy exporter by 2022, according to government estimates.