Country Report
Country Report Ecuador
Ecuador’s return to the international capital markets improved its liquidity. But, the external position remains weak. The interventionist and nationalist tendencies of the Correa government continue.
RaboResearch - Economic Research
37 Publications
Special Dutch version
Outlook 2015 - Europe: future leader or eternal laggard?
Like the rest of the eurozone, the Dutch economy will grow faster in 2015 than it did in the year just past. But growth will remain low, and unemployment high. Low inflation puts the ECB under increasing pressure to start large scale quantitative easing.
Country Report
Country Report Mexico
Mexico’s economic growth starts to pick up and its economic outlook is also improving, as all intended structural reforms are approved. The most important one, energy, is likely to contribute the most.
Economic Comment
Brazil and elections aftermath: what next?
Yesterday, president Dilma Rousseff won a second term in office in a tight race. Her victory does not bode well for the highly-needed structural reforms in the country.
Country Report
Country Report Honduras
Honduras is a country with a weak institutional structure and poor public finances. While the government seems to have reduced its deficit, fiscal challenges remain sizeable.
Country Report
Country Report Panama
Supported by infrastructure projects economic growth in Panama is strong. Whether these projects will boost growth structurally, to an extent that it will outweigh a loss of short-term infrastructural investment-driven growth, remains to be seen.
Country Report
Country Report Costa Rica
Intel has announced that it will relocate its production plant to Asia, severely denting Costa Rica’s GDP. Furthermore, with the government failing to address structural fiscal problems, Moody’s has downgraded the sovereign to below investment grade.
Country Report
Country Report Peru
Economic growth has slowed down strongly in the first half of this year, but is likely to pick-up in the second half of 2014 and afterwards. Meanwhile, the well-regarded Finance Minister Luis Miguel Castilla was replaced in September 2014.
Country Report
Country Report Nicaragua
Nicaragua’s economy performed rather well in 2013 and the economic outlook remains favourable. However, its institutional framework has weakened further and the president can now be re-elected and be elected for more than two times.
Country Report
Country Report Brazil
Economic growth in Brazil is likely to fall below 1% in 2014, as both investment and consumption have been weakening. In the second quarter, the economy officially entered a recession. Meanwhile, the October 2014 presidential elections have become very competitive after Marina Silva’s entry to the race.
Country Report
Country Report Sint Maarten
St. Maarten has experienced moderate economic growth in 2013. One of St. Maarten’s challenges remains building up an institutional framework, as it currently lacks the human and financial resources to develop a good functioning administration.
Country Report
Country Report Curaçao
Curaçao had a slightly disappointing economic performance in 2013. However, both Curaçao’s external position and public finances improved. Nevertheless, these remain important weaknesses.
Economic Comment
Argentina defaults again
This week, Argentina was unable to reach an agreement with the holdout creditors from the 2001 default. In effect, this means that the sovereign has now defaulted on its debt obligations for the second time this century.
Country Report
Country Report Colombia
Colombia is moving closer to achieving peace with the central FARC-command, after president Santos won the second round of the presidential elections. Meanwhile, the economy is booming, presenting both challenges and opportunities.