Macroeconomic Growth Opportunities in Latin American and the Caribbean Countries, Forecast to 2026

Weak Economic Growth Expected in 2020, with Panama and the Dominican Republic as Bright Spots

The global economy is struggling to stay afloat, on account of the unprecedented economic damages triggered by the COVID-19 outbreak. Without exception, similar economic struggles are being felt in the Latin American and Caribbean regions. The analyst has analyzed the scale of impact on their GDP growth and other macroeconomic elements, factoring in the constantly evolving elements of this crisis.

The research presents an integrated macroeconomic outlook for 7 countries in the region to determine their growth trajectory until 2026. The countries covered in the research are Puerto Rico, Panama, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Guatemala.

2020 growth outlook for the regions remains grim, with a few economies expected to avert a severe downturn. To provide a comprehensive picture of all the 7 economies, the research includes an analysis of the expected direction of the monetary policy. The regions are likely to experience a historically low cost of borrowing in 2020, in tandem with the low global interest rate. Economies that are trade, tourism, and oil-dependent stand to be disproportionately affected by the crisis.

The research also puts in perspective the implications of the disruptions on global and the US’ GDP growth for comparison. In addition, it delineates the consequent impact on the LAC region. US policy changes on several fronts such as trade wars, foreign aid, and migration will alter policy decisions for LAC as well. A ceasefire of trade wars should re-orient the global supply chain, with LAC expected to gain in exports. Lastly, the research provides insights into trade agreements pertinent to the regions, such as the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Based on a complete assessment of the macroeconomic situation, the analyst determines growth opportunities for businesses in these regions that could be leveraged to drive growth for companies.

Key Issues Addressed

• What is the outlook for Latin American and the Caribbean countries’ GDP growth?
• What trajectory will growth rates and recovery take?
• What is the political outlook for these economies?
• How do these economies stand to get affected by the COVID-19 outbreak?
• How much is inflation expected to fluctuate?
• What is the monetary policy stance of these countries?
• What is the global economic outlook for 2020?
• What is the outlook for the US growth and its impact on the LAC region?
• What are the existing trade agreements in the region?
• How do these trade agreements stand to impact the region?
• What are some of the regional growth opportunities that businesses can leverage?