Commodity Prices | IMF Blog

How Flexible Exchange Rates Helped Latin America Adjust to Commodity Price Shocks

By Yan Carrière-Swallow, Nicolás Magud, and Juan Yépez

May 25, 2017

Versions in Português (Portuguese), and Español (Spanish)

(photo: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters/Newscom)

As world prices for Latin America’s key exports—oil, metal, and agricultural products—fell from their super-cycle peak in 2011 and demand from trading partners weakened, export revenues have dropped sharply. Across most of South America, export revenues have fallen by one-third, and by more than half in the case of Venezuela. The size of these shocks has been historic in some cases, ranking among the largest trade price busts faced by emerging economies around the world since 1960. Continue reading “How Flexible Exchange Rates Helped Latin America Adjust to Commodity Price Shocks” »

By IMFBlog| May 25th, 2017|banking, currency, developing countries, Emerging Markets, exchange rates, exports, Financial markets, Latin America, South America|0 Comments

Restarting the Growth Engine in Sub-Saharan Africa

By IMFBlog

May 19, 2017

Version in Français (French)

The IMF’s latest economic health check of sub-Saharan Africa shows that growth fell to its lowest level in 20 years.

In this podcast, the IMF African Department’s Celine Allard, who oversaw the report, says that this drop brought a halt to the 5 to 6 percent growth rate that was enjoyed in the last two decades. Some factors contributing to this slowdown are lower commodity prices, the devastation of a severe drought—exacerbating crop infestation and leading to a famine affecting some 20 million people—and political conflicts that affect trade.

Continue reading “Restarting the Growth Engine in Sub-Saharan Africa” »

By IMFBlog| May 19th, 2017|Africa, Economic research, exchange rates, financial policy, Fiscal policy, Government, IMF, monetary policy, Public debt, structural reforms, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Commodity Commotion

By iMFdirect

Terms of trade is the price of a country’s exports relative to its imports. The commodity terms of trade refers to a country’s commodity exports relative to its commodity imports.

When the price of commodities, like oil, plummeted in 2015, economies that rely on exporting commodities had their terms of trade drop by an average of about 10 percent of GDP that year. Economies that rely more on importing commodities saw about a 2 percent of GDP benefit from the 2015 drop in prices. Continue reading “Commodity Commotion” »

By IMFBlog| December 21st, 2016|commodities, Economic research, IMF, International Monetary Fund, U.S.|0 Comments

Who Wins and Who Loses As China Rebalances

By Serkan Arslanalp, Thomas Helbling, Jaewoo Lee, and Koshy Mathai

Version in 中文 (Chinese)

China’s economy leaves nobody indifferent. The world is watching closely as the second largest economy in the world is shifting its growth model from an export-driven one to one centered on household consumption. As China’s economy slows and rebalances, its impact is being felt on an already fragile global economy, and particularly in the rest of the Asia region. Our recent studies show that while China’s rebalancing will adversely affect some Asian economies, it will also open opportunities for several others.

Continue reading “Who Wins and Who Loses As China Rebalances” »

By IMFBlog| May 12th, 2016|Financial markets, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Investment, technology, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Latin America and the Caribbean in 2016: Adjusting to a Harsher Reality

Alejandro Werner

By Alejandro Werner

(Versions in Español and Português)

It’s been a rough start to 2016, as seen by the recent bouts of financial volatility, stemming from uncertainties related to the slowdown in China, lower commodity prices, and divergent monetary policy in advanced economies.

The global recovery continues to struggle to gain its footing, with strains in some large emerging market economies weighing on growth prospects. For Latin America and the Caribbean, growth in 2016 is now expected to be negative for the second consecutive year—the first time since the debt crisis of 1982–83, which triggered the “lost decade” for the region (see table). Continue reading “Latin America and the Caribbean in 2016: Adjusting to a Harsher Reality” »

By IMFBlog| January 22nd, 2016|Economic outlook, growth, IMF|0 Comments

Plato & the Incas: Overheard at the IMF’s Annual Meetings

By iMFdirect

According to Plato, you do not really know something unless you can give an account of it. Otherwise, you have just an opinion and not real knowledge. The seminars that took place during the IMF’s Annual Meetings in Lima, Peru would have made Plato proud.

Our editors deployed their pens and notepads and brought back these themes and highlights.

Continue reading “Plato & the Incas: Overheard at the IMF’s Annual Meetings” »

By IMFBlog| October 15th, 2015|Advanced Economies, Annual Meetings, Asia, Economic outlook, Emerging Markets, Financial Crisis, Globalization, IMF, Inequality, International Monetary Fund, Latin America|0 Comments

If China Sneezes, Africa Can Now Catch a Cold

By Paulo Drummond and Estelle Xue Liu

(Version in 中文)

Growing links with China have supported economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa. But the burgeoning commercial and financial ties between the developing subcontinent and the world’s second-biggest economy carry risks as well. These links also expose sub-Saharan African countries to potentially negative spillovers from China if the Asian giant’s growth slows or the composition of its demand changes.

The old aphorism “If America sneezes, the world catches a cold” referred to the U.S. economy’s role as a locomotive for the global economy, but it can now apply to any symbiotic relationship between a dominant economy and its clients. China has become a major development partner of sub-Saharan Africa. It is now the subcontinent’s largest single trading partner and a key investor and provider of aid.

Continue reading “If China Sneezes, Africa Can Now Catch a Cold” »

By IMFBlog| March 20th, 2014|Africa, Asia, Economic research, Emerging Markets, Fiscal policy, Globalization, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Low-income countries, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Africa’s Success: More Than A Resource Story

By Antoinette M. Sayeh

When meeting with people outside Africa, I’m often asked whether Africa’s growth takeoff since the mid-1990s has been simply a “commodity story”—a ride fueled by windfall gains from high commodity prices. But finance ministers and other policymakers in the region, and I was one of them, know that the story is richer than that.

In this spirit, in our latest Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa a team of economists from the IMF’s African Department show that Africa’s continued success is more than a commodity story. In fact, quite a few economies in the region have become high performers without basing their success on natural resources—thanks in no small part to sound policymaking.

Continue reading “Africa’s Success: More Than A Resource Story” »

By IMFBlog| October 31st, 2013|Africa, Economic outlook, Economic research, Emerging Markets, Employment, Financial Crisis, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Low-income countries, Uncategorized|1 Comment

The Impact of the Gloomier Global Outlook on Latin America

The IMF has sharply marked down its forecast for world growth and it now expects a mild recession in the euro area. Naturally, weaker world growth will affect economic activity in Latin America and the Caribbean. Concretely, the Fund expects the world economy to grow by just 3¼ percent in 2012, ¾ percentage points lower than our September forecasts. In contrast, our forecast for the U.S. economy for 2012 is unchanged, as incoming data signal a stronger—but still sluggish—domestic recovery that will offset a weaker global environment. Commodity prices will be affected by ebbing global demand, with oil projected to fall about 5 percent and non-oil commodities about 14 percent.

By IMFBlog| February 10th, 2012|Economic outlook, Economic research, Español, Financial Crisis, International Monetary Fund, Latin America|2 Comments

Latin America: What’s Ahead in 2012?

A few days after the first sunrise of 2012 kissed the shores of Latin America, it is natural to ask: What does the New Year hold for the region’s economies, especially with Europe still under stress? For sure, a dimmer economic environment, here and abroad. Growth has softened in the larger countries of the region. Looking North, the United States is growing a bit more, but elsewhere activity is softening, including in China—an increasingly important customer for the region’s commodities. Perhaps more importantly, global financial markets are still strained, because many questions about advanced economies remain unanswered. What should countries do in the face of this risky outlook? A lot depends on their current macroeconomic situation.

By IMFBlog| January 4th, 2012|Economic Crisis, Economic outlook, Emerging Markets, Europe, Finance, Financial Crisis, growth, International Monetary Fund, Latin America|5 Comments

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