In the context of weaker activity in China due to the health crisis, Coface’s latest survey on business payments in China shows a deterioration in payment behaviour in 2019. 66% of surveyed companies reported payment delays. The length of payment delays remained stable at 86 days in 2019. Nevertheless, sectors that have been hit the most by lockdown measures will have to delay payments in order to survive in 2020 and the number of corporate insolvencies should increase (...)
Early 2020 marked by a sudden interruption in world trade, hampered by a global recession and soaring uncertainty
While the focus has mainly been on China, Europe and the USA so far, the consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic are likely to be even more severe in emerging countries.
Xavier Durand, Coface CEO, commented: “The coronavirus crisis presents an unprecedented shock for our economies and for the credit insurance industry. First and foremost, I am very proud of our teams’ successful efforts to continue supporting our customers despite the containment measures (...)"
Due to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its impact on the global economy, it is unlikely that China will be able to achieve its 2020 growth target. Coface forecasts a growth rate of 4% for the Chinese economy in 2020.
At first, the COVID-19 epidemic in China only affected a limited number of value chains – but it has since turned into a global pandemic. Its repercussions have created a double shock – supply and demand – that is affecting a large number of industries in all over the world.
The rating agency Fitch has, on 31 March 2020 placed Coface on Rating Watch Negative. This includes Coface’s Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) rating.
