World Economic Outlook, October 2019 - IMF - Synchronized Slowdown

IMF published on October, 15th 2019 the World Economic Outlook, that reinforces the projections of a synchronized slowdown for the world economy.

My key takeaways:

• 2019 growth rate at 3% for 2019 (below PIIE forecast) and 3,4% for 2020 vs. 3,8% in 2018 due to trade barriers, low productive growth and aging demographics in advanced economies; 
• Advanced economies should slowdown to 1,7% and converging to their potential;
• Downside risk to this projection has significantly increased (trade barriers, geopolitical tensions and Brexit)
• 2020 is expected to go at a slighter better pace driven by emerging markets and base effect, i.e. that global trade activity and manufacturing is so slow in 2019 that 2020 is just picking-up to normal values resulting in a increase of the global growth;
• No recession is foreseen for the next 12 months;
• Trade tensions between US/China (self-inflicted) produced a toll of 0.8% on the world economy,
• Monetary easing in the main economies (USA/EU) is providing a tail wind to the world economy by 0,5%, although it creates additional risks as this preemptive accommodative monetary policy reduce space to fight a potential future recession
• If world economic growth drops to 2,5% it would imply that several advanced economies would be in a recession, thus there is no space to policy missteps;
• Monetary policy cannot not be the only answer to offset this downward trend and fiscal policy should be brought into the game in countries with budget space to accommodate such expansionary policies

World Economic Outlook, October 2019 - IMF