The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a mobility crisis, mainly because of physical distancing requirements and the necessity to avoid confined spaces, in order to limit the virus’ propagation. This has had a disastrous impact on the global transport sector, with air passenger transport being the most affected segment.
The metals used in electric vehicles, such as lithium, cobalt and copper, are at the heart of the revolution currently taking place in the automotive industry. But imbalances between supply and demand are pushing up their prices, even though the market share of electric vehicles remains modest. In its latest analysis, Coface does not foresee any major changes in these price trends over the next two years.
Coface’s 2021 Asia Corporate Payment Survey provides insights into the evolution of payment behavior and credit management practices of over 2,500 companies across Asia Pacific during a pandemic year. Respondents came from nine markets (Australia, China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan) and 13 sectors located in the Asia Pacific region.
Insolvencies in Germany dropped significantly in 2020 compared to 2019 - despite the worst recession since 2009.
The rating agency Fitch, on 20th April 2021, affirmed Coface AA- Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) rating. The agency also removed the Rating Watch Negative. The outlook is now stable.
In 2020, and even if the real impact of the COVID-19 crisis remains uncertain, the number of insolvencies actually fell in all major European economies. According to our research, the gap between the expected deterioration of the companies’ financial health and the number of insolvencies suggests that there is a high number of “hidden insolvencies” that have been postponed, rather than prevented.
Economic Impacts & Business Prospects for the America and Asia
