China, India Top Annual 50-Country Emerging Markets Index

23rd January 2018

Logistics BusinessChina, India Top Annual 50-Country Emerging Markets Index

Emerging markets growth prospects look brighter than they have in years to logistics industry executives, who say small and medium-sized companies are the most likely to benefit from fresh acceleration of those economies.

In Agility’s annual survey of more than 500 supply chain industry professionals, nearly two-thirds agree with the International Monetary Fund’s 2018 emerging markets forecast of 4.8%-4.9% GDP growth. That would mark the fastest expansion for emerging markets since 2013 and a second consecutive year of higher growth for developing economies, which have slowed dramatically since a 7.4% GDP gain in 2010.

The survey of global logistics executives is part of the 2018 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index, an annual snapshot of industry sentiment and ranking of the world’s 50 leading emerging markets by size, infrastructure, transport connections and business climate.

“The logistics industry’s optimism comes as a relief. A year ago, there was great concern that populism in the United States and Europe were going to hurt trade and damage emerging markets economies,” says Essa Al-Saleh, CEO of Agility Global Integrated Logistics. “In 2018, we are looking at renewed growth overall, although it is likely to be very uneven from region to region and country to country.”

The Index, in its ninth year, ranks 50 emerging markets countries by factors that make them attractive to logistics providers, freight forwarders, shipping lines, air cargo carriers and distributors.

  • China and India top the 2018 rankings and put more distance between themselves and No. 3 UAE in the Index, a broad gauge of emerging markets’ competitiveness. Russia climbs three spots to No. 7, an indication its economy is stabilizing after years of low energy prices, capital flight and U.S. economic sanctions. Brazil, struggling to emerge from political turmoil and its worst recession in a century, slips two places to No. 9.
  • Industry executives can’t agree on the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has come under intense criticism from the Trump administration. The United States, Mexico and Canada are in negotiations aimed at updating the agreement. Logistics executives were sharply split about whether a new pact would help Mexico (24.3%); hurt Mexico (21.8%); or leave trade unchanged (25.7%).
  • Egypt surges six spots to No. 14 — the largest jump by any country in the 2018 Index – and rockets up 26 places to No. 21 in the separate category ranking countries’ business conditions, or Market Compatibility. Bangladesh (No. 23) and Uruguay (No. 25) both leapfrogged four spots in the overall rankings.
  • Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, tumbled to No. 31 from No. 24 a year ago. In spite of its potential, Nigeria ranks next-to-last in infrastructure and transport connections, or Market Connectedness, and 46th in business climate. Also falling: Venezuela slumped to No. 48, and ranked dead last in Market Size and Growth Attractiveness; Kazakhstan fell six places despite a resumption in economic growth and announcement of a long-term development blueprint.
  • Logistics executives are unconcerned, for now, that emerging markets economies will be harmed by Brexit, the UK’s departure from the European Union. Nearly 45% say emerging markets will be unaffected; 25.4% say emerging markets could gain from Brexit through expanded market access. A year ago, nearly 69% expressed concern that Brexit and the failure of various trade initiatives were a threat to trade.

Transport Intelligence (Ti), a leading analysis and research firm for the logistics industry, compiled the Index.

www.agility.com/2018index