Interview:Dominic Hadeed How has the recent uptick in economic activity affected the strategy of domestic producers? DOMINIC HADEED: The increase in economic activity in Trinidad and Tobago is not across the board, rather it is industry dependent, meaning some producers excel while others continue to struggle. As is the case worldwide, if retailers fail to keep up with changes in technology…
Industry and retail, once the focus of diversification efforts, represent important possible revenue generators in their own right. Trinidad and Tobago is one of the larger exporters in the Caribbean region, with total exports for the year to September 2019 amounting to $24.7bn. In an effort to generate foreign exchange, companies are being pushed to increase exports. Significantly, the government…
Following the economic crises of the 1980s and 1990s, Mexico implemented a series of liberalising structural reforms, enabling it to become one of the world’s most open, trade-orientated emerging economies. However, the slowdown of the US economy, to which Mexico’s fortunes are closely tied, and the rising uncertainty generated by global trade tensions has affected development. Analysts expect
Colombia is home to a distinctive blend of ethnicities, cultures and geography, has the second-largest population in South America and is the continent’s fourth-largest country. After spending much of the second half of the 20th century embroiled in the world’s second-longest modern civil war, the 2016 peace accord brought a formal end to the conflict between FARC and the government. The end o
After a stagnant performance in 2017, the retail sector gained momentum in 2018, growing by 6.2%. Inflation was near the central bank’s target at 3.2% during the year, and this combined with the government’s December 2018 decision to increase the minimum salary by 6% for 2019 and general improvements in the country’s economic performance have translated to increased disposable income…
The global economy is entering the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), or Industry 4.0, based on the application of new digital and automated technologies in production processes and service delivery. These changes are bringing emerging markets improved productivity, as well as risks – namely, reshoring and the displacement of human labour by automation. Wealthier emerging markets, such as…
The global economy is entering the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), or Industry 4.0, based on the application of new digital and automated technologies in production processes and service delivery. These changes are bringing emerging markets improved productivity, as well as risks – namely, reshoring and the displacement of human labour by automation. Wealthier emerging markets, such as…
Colombia has a well-established industrial base with a presence in a range of products, from processed foods to vehicle manufacturing. While growth rates for some industrial lines have been robust during the past decade, the economic slowdown experienced in 2016 and 2017 stunted industrial development as a whole during those years, adding to long-standing challenges such as high transportation…
Interview:José Manuel Restrepo How can Colombia boost international trade? JOSÉ MANUEL RESTREPO: Our strategy to boost productivity includes a push to actively participate in global value chains by capitalising on our free trade agreements and strengthening the country’s export capacity. We are reaching out to business owners across the country to support them in their export development…
Industry got off to a strong start in 2019, as domestic consumption and exports rebounded. The national government’s policies to expand successful programmes and do away with under-performing ones, together with a focus on improving productivity and leveraging collaboration between the country’s regions, should help to strengthen industrial capacity. However, while efforts to modernise and reduce…
