ECR: Which way next for Uruguay?

One of the most striking performers in Euromoney’s survey, Uruguay has seen its risk score increase by more than any other Latin American sovereign over three years, taking the sovereign to 48th out of 189 countries in the global rankings. Much of that is down to politics, with all six indicators, ranging from non-payment/non-repatriation risk, to policymaking and government stability, on improved score trends. The predominantly agricultural economy faces risks from weakened FDI from Argentina and interrupted capital flows resulting from US liquidity withdrawal. The country’s road network and port facilities remain challenging, too, hindering logistics and preventing its infrastructure scores from rising much above five out of 10. But the economy is still performing admirably, growing by 3.7% year on year during the second quarter after a 4.4% expansion last year. Inflation, likely to exceed 8% in 2014, is a little high for comfort. However, the fiscal and current account deficits (scratching up 3% and 5% of GDP respectively this year) should improve in 2015 in response to a tourism drive and the start-up of export-oriented production from the Montes del Plata industrial complex, a huge wood-pulp investment in Punta Pereira, Colonia.