Global economic uncertainty and Middle East political turmoil are doing little to dim the attraction of emerging markets, which show signs of reducing their dependency on developed markets as they compete to be the trade hubs of the future, according to latest Emerging Markets Logistics Index from Agility.
The countries that dominated the rankings continued to be those that combine size and robust growth. China ranked first; India second; Brazil third. Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates came in fourth and fifth, and Indonesia and Russia sixth and seventh, respectively. Malaysia moved up three places from last year’s rankings to land at No 8. Chile was No 9, and Mexico was No 10, falling two places.
The annual Index spotlights 41 emerging markets and ranks them by their investment potential and progress each year. Attractiveness is measured by: market size and growth, market compatibility (foreign direct investment, security, urbanisation and wealth distribution) and market connectedness (international and domestic transport infrastructure). The report, sponsored by global logistics provider Agility, is compiled by Transport Intelligence.
“There’s growing evidence that their dependence on the established markets is diminishing as new trade lanes grow and consumer demand in huge markets like China and India gathers strength,” said Essa Al-Saleh, Agility’s president and chief executive officer, Global Integrated Logistics.
“In the Middle East, where we saw old regimes fall, the Index indicates that logistics professionals see the region as ‘open for business’ in a way that it wasn’t before.”
