The cover policy which Atradius Dutch State Business maintains for a particular country is in principle valid for every transaction for that country which it is requested to insure.
The economic downturn of two main export markets - Brazil and Angola - has led to reduced exports and, to some extent, investment levels in the sector.
Economic growth is expected to pick up in 2017, but uncertainty about the new US administration (potential protectionist trade policies) casts a shadow.
The consequences of any US shift on its Mexico policy remain to be seen, but increased currency volatility has already an negative impact on the economy.
Steady, but uneven growth is expected to persist. Domestic demand is the main driver of expansion, but manufacturing and export performance remain subdued.
Nearly 24% of Australian suppliers surveyed consider maintaining adequate cash flow levels to be the greatest challenge to business profitability in 2016.
As a consequence of late payment by B2B customers, 45% of suppliers surveyed in India reported they had to take specific measures to correct cash flow.
Most of the suppliers surveyed in Japan (33%) reported that foreign late payment is most often a consequence of the complexity of the payment procedure.
Despite no variation in either domestic or foreign late payment rates, the average 46 days DSO recorded in Singapore is six days longer than last year.
China is a major economic and trading power. Trade successfully with China sets out ten simple-to-follow rules that can help make your trading relationships with China lasting and successful.
On 15 November 2016, Atradius Credit Insurance hosted a webinar that looked at the opportunities available for trade with China and how to safely transact your business.
Overcapacity remains the main challenge, as the rebalancing of the economy from investment and export-driven growth towards private consumption continues.
The Italian steel distributor segment has a large number of relatively small companies, which are still affected by weak demand and pressure on margins.
Fierce competition, high energy costs and increased uncertainty due to the Brexit decision continue to weigh on the financial strength of many businesses.
Banks are less willing to provide loans to the steel sector, given the high default rate and the recent debt impairment from one big steel manufacturers.
External risk factors for the Mexican steel industry remain the volatility of the currency exchange rate and the impact of international metals prices.
The Dutch steel and metals sector has benefitted from a rebound in the building sector, but at the same time demand from the energy sector has decreased.
Payment Practices Barometer for the Americas (NAFTA and Brazil) shows that 93% of respondents reported late payment from B2B customers over the past year.
In line with the survey average, 91.4% of respondents in Brazil (95.0% in 2015) reported late payment of invoices from B2B customers over the last 12 months.
While the economy is expected to slow down after a robust 4.6% in 2015, the forecast GDP growth rates of 2.5% in 2016 and 2.7% in 2017 are still solid.
Key success factors for Danish machinery businesses is their ability to streamline costsand continued investment in product development/new technology.
Demand for Belgian machines and engineering businesses is still affected by the difficulties some major buyer industries are facing (e.g. construction).
The Swedish machinery industry has shown several years of positive development. Machinery production is expected to grow 2.3% in 2016 and 0.9% in 2017.