GlobalSource Partners | Country Insights

Preliminary information resulting from the plea bargain deal, in exchange for cooperation, offered to Paulo Roberto Costa, former Petrobras Director of Supply, is starting to appear and reveal devastating potential. According to Costa, five parties, one governor and 32 parliamentarians were part ...

Wartime Living

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · Report · 05 Sep 2014

Russia is increasingly involved in the Ukrainian crisis, both in the international arena and on the ground. Moscow is trying to persuade Kyiv that there is no military solution to the current crisis, which means negotiations with the insurgents in which Russia can be an invaluable mediator but no...

Rift Threatens to Block Agenda

PERU · Report · 05 Sep 2014

Executive SummaryThe souring relationship between Congress and the executive branch is likely to persist. There are already motions to impeach the minister of Energy and Mines (an effort we think will succeed). This will heighten political polarization, which could lead to the ousting of other mi...

‘Cease-fire’ play

UKRAINE · In Brief · 05 Sep 2014

Ukrainian authorities signed cease-fire agreement with separatists. The main question for how long that will last. In our opinion it has poor chances even to start. From the info we see one of the main conditions was withdrawal of Russian military from eastern Ukraine. That could hardly happen be...

Geopolitical Risk Has Started To Materialize

HUNGARY · Report · 04 Sep 2014

Executive Summary As the war in eastern Ukraine was clearly escalating, the forint came under more pressure in recent weeks, its weakening fostered by low domestic interest rates and the central bank’s endeavor to get rid of its non-resident depositors. However, HUF weakness remains measured, as ...

Brazil Presidential Election

BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 04 Sep 2014

Marina stops growing in Datafolha, and Dilma recovers three points in Ibope The Ibope and Datafolha polls released yesterday presented a very similar scenario.Dilma Rousseff (PT) and Marina Silva (PSB) are technically tied in the 1st round, while Aécio Neves (PSDB) is further and further away fro...

Firming Up – But For How Long?

MEXICO · Report · 03 Sep 2014

Executive Summary Economic news was largely unchanged this month. Areas of weakness, such as internal consumption, tended to fall less, while positive ones, such as industrial activity, recovered faster. The labor market also firmed up, and included the strongest gain in manufacturing employment ...

Maduro’s Announcements

VENEZUELA · Report · 03 Sep 2014

President Maduro’s announcements focus on bureaucratic reorganization, confirming the power of the radical wing of chavismo. The new organization replicates the Cuban hierarchical structure with strong military presence. Both the rhetoric and appointments ratify the political-social model of cont...

Food Is Not the Only Problem

TURKEY · Report · 03 Sep 2014

August CPI inflation came in at 0.1%, slightly above expectations, raising the 12-month rate to 9.5% from 9.3% in July (Table 1; Graph 1). A further increase in food inflation to 14.4% from 12.6% earlier, given last year’s low base, is partly to blame, but it is notable that neither the core infl...

Costa Rica: President’s Fiscal Approach a Risky Bet

CENTRAL AMERICA · Report · 02 Sep 2014

Executive Summary The outlook for Costa Rica for 2014-2015 is clouded by the fiscal situation.The Central Bank projects a government deficit of 6% of GDP in 2014, and 6.6% in 2015.Clearly those are worrisome numbers. Nor is a solution in sight. Plans to increase revenues are based on improving ta...

Political Insights: Week of September 2

BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 02 Sep 2014

Congress begins a concentrated effort this week, the last before the elections.Few important matters will be voted upon, but it will be a fast-paced week due to the electoral races, federal and state.Another presidential debate was scheduled for Monday (9/1).Three new presidential polls will be r...

GDP in the Second Quarter: Worse than Expected

BRAZIL ECONOMICS · Report · 01 Sep 2014

Second-quarter GDP fell by 0.6%. This decline not only exceeded the median of expectations, there also were downward revisions of the seasonally adjusted data for the first quarter of 2014 and third of 2013. Instead of expansion of 0.2% in the first quarter this year, the revised figures show a f...

Donetsk encirclement unlocked. Russian regular squads enter the city.

UKRAINE · In Brief · 01 Sep 2014

Situation at the eastern front has aggravated over the last few days. Russian army made a decisive move from south to cut off Ukrainian forces from supplies what made Ukrainian regular army to retreat. Unfortunately, several volunteer battalions have been encircled and totally destroyed – hundred...

Davutoglu Cabinet and the government program: Few new names, fewer new policies

TURKEY · In Brief · 31 Aug 2014

PM-designate Prof Davutoglu broke a speed record by using only 16 hours to form the 62nd government of Turkey. Adding to speed records, the program of the new government will be read today and it will be smoothly confirmed within 3 days. There are only four new names in the 62nd government, which...

Slower Growth and Provincial Growth Disparities

CHINA FINANCIAL · Report · 31 Aug 2014

Executive Summary Over the past few decades as China’s economy has grown rapidly, there have been significant disparities in the growth rates among different Chinese provinces. I expect that disparities will remain even as the economy continues to slow.While the very different growth rates among ...