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Access a snapshot of the credit risk situation and business performance of 14 major industries in your country. The forecast is based on the assessment of Atradius underwriters.
In 2017, 29.3% of B2B sales in France were made on credit, far less than the regional average of 38.9%. This is similar to what was observed last year.
Compared to one year ago (31.5%), Greece has seen an increase of almost seven percentage points in the percentage of overdue B2B invoices in 2017 (38.6%).
After Denmark (56.4%) and Greece (52.1%), Ireland has the highest average of sales made on credit terms (48.2%) in the Western European countries surveyed.
After a slight decrease in sales on credit terms in 2016 (44.3%), the total value of B2B sales on credit in Great Britain increased again this year (45.7%).
Compared to the 2016 survey results there has been a reduction in the percentage of both domestic and foreign B2B sales made on credit in the Netherlands.
Compared to 2016, respondents in Spain sold less on credit terms, underlining the downward trend in sales on credit terms observed in previous surveys.
Payment behaviour of many Turkish businesses has deteriorated since 2015, and key sectors continue to face problems in 2017 due to increased uncertainty.
Competition is high in all segments and price pressure offsets sales volume growth, meaning that the already low profit margins will remain under pressure.
Given the positive economic outlook for 2017 with household consumption forecast to increase above 3% , robust consumer durables sales growth is expected.
Weaker players have disappeared while other businesses chose to merge with other peers in order to survive, and the concentration process will continue.
The risk of a downturn in the domestic real estate market could dampen higher growth prospects in the furniture and domestic appliances segments in 2017.
While in 2017 a modest economic rebound after two years of contraction is expected, Brazilian business insolvencies will continue to increase by about 10%.
Growth has slowed down due to the end of the commodity boom and weaker doemstic demand, but the business environment remains one of the best in the region.
Against a backdrop of heightened political uncertainty, the Dutch economy is holding firm. A centre-right coalition is the most likely outcome of the elections.
The recovery of the Dutch construction sector continued in 2016, but there is still overcapacity in the market, and a consolidation has yet to take place.
Italian building cooperatives and smaller companies focused on domestic residential construction remain highly exposed to the risk of business failure.
Future US construction growth could get an additional boost if, as announced, the new US administration invests heavily in infrastructure improvements.
A modest recovery is forecast in the non-residential segment due to stronger private demand and activity picking up in the infrastructure building sector.
Due to the deterioration in demand competition has increased, as builders operate on lower margins in order to obtain the remaining available business.
Private building projects are expected to decrease due to less benign economic conditions and an increased supply completed housing projects and offices.
The price of oil has stabilised, largely thanks to OPEC’s shift in policy. The market is expected to rebalance in 2018 driving up prices in the medium term.
India’s economic growth outlook for 2017 remains robust, but a rather weak banking sector and high foreign indebtedness of domestic firms remain concerns.
Despite an expected GDP growth rate of more than 5% in 2017 structural weaknesses remain, and firms are increasingly vulnerable to currency volatility.
A prudent fiscal policy has limited the consequences of low oil and gas prices, but the economy is vulnerable to a hard landing of the Chinese economy.
GDP growth is expected to remain at a level of about 6% in 2017, but growing political uncertainty could hamper business sentiment and foreign investment.