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2019 survey on company payments in Germany: turn of the tide

85% of companies report payment delays in 2019. This is an increase from 2017 by 7 percentage points. According to Coface's 2019 Germany payment survey of 442 companies in, the country is in a phase of change. The pressure on companies from international competition is increasing.

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Coface Barometer: general slowdown in the global economy despite central banks’ actions

With business morale being affected by a summer marked by a multiplication of areas of political uncertainty around the world, it seems likely that 2020 will be a year of economic decline.
The Argentine currency crisis, major demonstrations in Hong Kong and Russia, Brexit, the attack on oil installations in Saudi Arabia – these are just some of the many events that marked the third quarter of 2019. Increasing political uncertainty, combined with the decline in the volume of world trade, the high volatility of oil prices, and the decline in automobile sales in Europe and China, has continued to affect corporate morale.

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The "Made in Russia" strategy: a limited instrument for economic diversification

Faced with fluctuations in hydrocarbon prices and economic sanctions from Western countries, Russia has developed a strategy that favours "Made in Russia" - but the results have remained mixed.

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Netherlands: What is the secret of Dutch trade?

Rising protectionism in China and the United States, Brexit, contracting world trade... despite all the clouds on the horizon, the Dutch economy remains surprisingly bright.

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Coface delivers record first semester in riskier economy

Net income up 25% at €78.5m, RoATE at 9.6% and Partial Internal Model submitted

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Asia Corporate Payment Survey 2019: Deteriorating payment trends amid trade war woes

Coface’s 2019 Asia Corporate Payment Survey covered over 3,000 companies in nine economies (Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan). 63% of companies surveyed stated that they experienced payment delays in 2018. The length of payment delays increased to 88 days on average in 2018, compared to 84 days in 2017. The length of payment delays was highest in China, Malaysia and Singapore; as well as the energy, construction and ICT sectors.

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Coface Barometer - Trade tensions return to the forefront of the global economy

US/China trade war, struggling automotive sector, slower growth in emerging economies... the second quarter of 2019 highlights a global economic slowdown

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Natural gas: an oscillation between boom and gloom

The natural gas market is booming and will increase in the medium term, but many factors point to a less promising future.

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From copycat to early bird: Taking stock of China’s 5G ambitions

China coordinated its approach to 5G and some successes are already visible. However, China still relies on imports, especially for high-end products, leaving the sector exposed to protectionist threats. Moreover, the deployment of 5G networks by Chinese companies is perceived as a cybersecurity risk by many recipient countries. The US is banning Huawei equipment and pressing its allies to do the same, which could limit the growth of Chinese 5G in the future (...)

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In a global economic slowdown, luxury continues to outperform but faces new challenges

Counterfeiting, e-commerce, Chinese consumers importance, even if it is generally relatively spared by recessions, the luxury market must adapt to a profoundly changing economy if it does not want to lose its exceptional status.

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Coface strengthens its market position in the Adriatic region by acquiring SID - PKZ, the leading credit insurance company in Slovenia

Coface announces today the acquisition of SID - PKZ, the market leader in credit insurance in Slovenia with a high market share. As Coface has acquired all SID - PKZ shares, the business will operate under the new brand name Coface PKZ. The acquisition supports Coface’s strategy of profitable growth in Central & Eastern Europe region.

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China Payment Survey 2019: Longer delays as growth falters

2018 proved to be a relatively challenging year for China. Growth slowed to 6.6% and is expected to decline further in 2019 (6.2%, according to Coface forecasts). As a result, 59% of the 1500 Chinese companies that participated in Coface’s survey believe the economy will not improve in 2019, the highest score since 2003.

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Turkish economy: domestic demand still waning but exports fuelled by the lira’s depreciation

Stagflation becoming a reality, exports are a key-source of revenues for economy, especially in the automotive sector
Exporters are flexible; government support is vital for exporters to gain new market shares

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Two pitfalls for businesses in 2019: the economic downturn and political risks

Coface will be sharing its vision of the major trends in the world economy in 2019 with businesses at its annual conference on country and sectoral risks.

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Coface launches new online product Business Finder

Interactive tool enables to find new target groups in Central and Eastern Europe

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French companies in 2019: Rise in insolvencies but higher margins will allow cushioning the impact of slowing global trade

In the third quarter of 2018, after two years of improvement, French companies experienced a reversal of the trend with the number of insolvencies increasing by +2.3% (...)

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SMEs in China: Monetary easing won’t be sufficient to reduce credit pressure

When considering risk in the Chinese economy, a lot of the discussion has focused on large State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) or large private conglomerates (...)

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Wind energy industry: Production costs will increase under the influence of the trade war and the liquidity squeeze

Alongside other renewables, wind energy has experienced a strong growth since the mid-2000s across the world (...)

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Coface’s new service to guide companies in IFRS 9 compliance and improve risk management

Under the new IFRS 9 regulations which came into effect in January 2018, companies urgently need to put into place more accurate and forward-looking accounting systems for measuring Expected Credit Losses (ECL) on all their trade receivables.

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US protectionism: Significant knock-on effect on trade partners of targeted countries

Increased protectionism is affecting a large number of economies – both advanced and emerging (...)

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