2018 emerging markets: What lies ahead?


Guest brief by Tarek Sultan, CEO and Vice Chairman at Agility

Now is an important time to be thinking and talking about emerging markets. Although global growth has been slow over the last few years, there are finally signs that it is beginning to pick up. The main drivers of this growth are expected to be the E7, the seven largest emerging market economies: China, Russia, India, Brazil, Turkey, Mexico and Indonesia. Not only are these countries showing encouraging indications of economic recovery, but there’s also optimism that threats to emerging market exporters — including possible protectionist measures by the US — may not occur.

This is an exciting time for people doing business in these countries, and for those who are planning new overseas operations. Long-term economic growth projections recently published by PwC predict that by 2050, the E7 economies may have increased their share of world GDP from around 35% to almost 50%, and that China could be the largest economy in the world, followed by India.

Each year, Agility and Transport Intelligence develop the Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index, which uses economic and trade data, social indicators and transport development to rank 50 emerging markets countries according to their potential as logistics markets. Last year’s Index saw China keeping its position at the top, with India at number two, pushing the United Arab Emirates down to third place.

The study is now in its ninth year, and we’re in the midst of collecting the opinions of supply chain professionals across the world on the most important issues for emerging markets. I’d like to invite you to offer your insights and help inform the debate by spending a few minutes taking our quick survey. All responses remain completely anonymous.

The 2018 Index will be released in January, and we look forward to sharing with you the regions, countries and industries that could offer the greatest growth potential and risk in the year ahead. Your input will be hugely valuable in helping us to shape the latest Index.

 

As emerging market economies continue to drive global growth, we invite you to participate in the 2018 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index. We’re asking logistics professionals to join the debate by taking our quick survey.