Market at a Glance

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Emerging Market At A Glance is a monthly series of articles designed to give exporters a glimpse of political and economic trends of emerging markets. To see the full articles, click the links below.

30.04.2021

Colombia

Key Information

Capital		Bogota
Population		50.4 million
Area		1,038,700 sq km
Currency		Colombian peso (1 USD = 3,717 COP as of 30 April 2021)
Official language		Spanish
Ease of doing business (2018) by World Bank		# 67 out of 190 in 2020 (↓2)
The Global Competitiveness Index by the World Economic Forum		# 57 out of 141 in 2019 (↑ 3)
Logistics Performance Index by World Bank		# 58 out of 160 in 2018

Major merchandise exports (% of total, 2020)		Major merchandise imports (% of total, 2020)
Petroleum & petroleum products (28.2%)		Intermediate goods (44.5%)
Coal (13.4%)		Capital goods (30.9%)
European Union (10.5%)		European Union (14.3%)

Top three export markets (% of total, 2019*)		Top three import markets (% of total, 2019*)
USA (31.1%)		USA (25.4%)
China (11.6%)		China (20.8%)
European Union (10.5%)		European Union (14.3%)

* Most recent data available
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), World Trade Organization (WTO)

Political Highlights

Economic Trend

*Estimate ^Forecast
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Hong Kong – Colombia Trade

Source: Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong

Total exports from Hong Kong to Colombia decreased by 32.8% from HK$5.26 billion in 2019 to HK$3.53 billion in 2020. The top three export categories to Colombia were: (1) telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (-34.4%), (2) electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof (+14.8%) and (3) professional, scientific and controlling instruments and apparatus (+104.8%), which represented 87.7% of total exports to Colombia.

Source: Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong

ECIC Underwriting Experience

The Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation (HKECIC) imposes no restrictions on covering buyers in Colombia. The Corporation’s underwriting experience on Colombia has been satisfactory, with no payment difficulty or claim payment case recorded during the past 12 months (from April 2020 to March 2021).

Please click here to download the charts (PDF format).

Last update: 30 April 2021

30.04.2021

Argentina

Key Information

Capital		Buenos Aires
Population		45.9 million
Area		2,737,000 sq km
Currency		Argentine Peso (1 USD = 93.497 ARS as of 30 April 2021)
Official language		Spanish
Ease of doing business by World Bank		# 126 out of 190 in 2020 (↓7)
The Global Competitiveness Index by the World Economic Forum		# 83 out of 141 in 2019 (↓2)
Logistics Performance Index by World Bank		# 61 out of 160 in 2018

Major merchandise exports (% of total, 2018*)		Major merchandise imports (% of total, 2018*)
Agricultural products (55.7%)		Manufactured products (78.7%)
Manufactured products (19.5%)		Fuels and mining products (12.6%)
Fuels and mining products (4.6%)		Agricultural products (7.8%)

Top three export markets (% of total, 2019*)		Top three import markets (% of total, 2019*)
Brazil (15.9%)		Brazil (20.7%)
China (10.5%)		China (18.8%)
USA (6.2%)		USA (12.7%)

* Most recent data available
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), World Trade Organization (WTO)

Political Highlights

Economic Trend

*Estimate ^Forecast
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF), EIU

Hong Kong – Argentina Trade

Source: Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong

Total exports from Hong Kong to Argentina decreased by 10.8% from HK$2.71 billion in 2019 to HK$2.42 billion in 2020. The top three export categories to Argentina were: (1) telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (-14.5%), (2) office machines and automatic data processing machines (+15.9%), and (3) electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof (-24.9%), which represented 86.2% of total exports to Argentina.

Source: Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong

HKECIC Underwriting Experience

The Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation (HKECIC) imposes no restrictions on covering buyers in Argentina. The Corporation’s underwriting experience on Argentina has been acceptable, with no payment difficulty and four claim payment cases recorded during the past 12 months (from April 2020 to March 2021).

Please click here to download the charts (PDF format).

Last update: 30 April 2021

22.03.2021

Mexico

Key Information

Capital		Mexico City
Population		127.6 million
Area		1,964,375 sq km
Currency		Mexican Peso (1 USD = 21.2795 MXN as of 22 March 2021)
Official language		Spanish
Ease of doing business (2019) by World Bank		# 60 out of 190 in 2020 (↓6)
The Global Competitiveness Index by the World Economic Forum		# 48 out of 141 in 2019 (↓2)
Logistics Performance Index by World Bank		# 53 out of 160 in 2018

Major merchandise exports (% of total, 2018*)		Major merchandise imports (% of total, 2018*)
Manufactured goods (80.5%)		Manufactured goods (75.0%)
Fuels and mining products (9.3%)		Fuels and mining products (12.3%)
Agricultural products (7.8%)		Agricultural products (6.4%)

Top three export markets (% of total, 2019)		Top three import markets (% of total, 2019)
USA (76.1%)		USA (44.1%)
Canada (3.1%)		China (17.8%)
China (1.5%)		Japan (3.8%)

* Most recent available data
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), World Trade Organization (WTO)

Political Highlights

Economic Trend

*Estimate ^Forecast
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Hong Kong – Mexico Trade

Source: Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong

Total exports from Hong Kong to Mexico decreased by 24.6% from HK$36.44 billion in 2019 to HK$24.47 billion in 2020. The top three export categories to Mexico were: (1) electrical machinery, apparatus & appliances, and electrical parts thereof (-2.5%), (2) office machines and automatic data processing machines (-14.7%), and (3) telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (-48.0%), which represented 82.0% of total exports to Mexico.

Source: Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong

HKECIC Underwriting Experience

The Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation (HKECIC) imposes no restrictions on covering Mexican buyers. The Corporation’s underwriting experience on Mexico has been acceptable, with two payment difficulty cases and one claim payment case recorded during the past 12 months (from March 2020 to February 2021).

Please click here to download the charts (PDF format).

Last update: 22 March 2021

12.03.2021

Brazil

Key Information

Capital		Brasilia
Population		212 million
Area		8,515,770 sq km
Currency		Brazilian Real (1 USD = 5.8026 BRL as of 12 March 2021)
Official language		Portuguese
Ease of doing business by World Bank		# 124 out of 190 in 2020 (↓15)
The Global Competitiveness Index by the World Economic Forum		# 34 out of 141 in 2019 (-)
Logistics Performance Index by World Bank		# 56 out of 160 in 2018

Major merchandise exports (% of total, 2019)		Major merchandise imports (% of total, 2019)
Primary products (52.8%)		Intermediate products (60.2%)
Manufactured products (34.6%)		Consumption goods (14.0%)
Semi-manufactured products (12.6%)		Fuels & lubricants (11.7%)

Top three export markets (% of total, 2019)		Top three import markets (% of total, 2019)
China (27.6%)		China (21.1%)
USA (13.1%)		USA (18.2%)
Netherlands (4.4%)		Netherlands (6.3%)

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit

Political Highlights

Economic Trend

*Estimate ^Forecast
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Hong Kong – Brazil Trade

Source: Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong

Total exports from Hong Kong to Brazil increased by 19.1% from HK$14.63 billion in 2019 to HK$17.43 billion in 2020. The top three export categories to Brazil were: (1) electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances and electrical parts thereof (+14.8%), (2) telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (+16.6%), and (3) office machines and automatic data processing machines (+48.5%), which represented 84.4% of total exports to Brazil.

Source: Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong

HKECIC Underwriting Experience

The Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation (HKECIC) imposes no restrictions on covering Brazil buyers. The Corporation’s underwriting experience on Brazil has been acceptable, with two payment difficulty cases and four claim payment cases reported in the past 12 months (February 2020 to January 2021).

Please click here to download the charts (PDF format).

Last update: 12 March 2021