1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,800 Speaker 1: A normal country facing a rival like China would be 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: building alliances to the rest of the world, not imposing 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,639 Speaker 1: tariffs on them. And I think that's what will likely 4 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: come from the change of president in November um and 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: I think that's probably the most bullish news for emerging 6 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: markets of all that's going to come out of this, 7 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:30,479 Speaker 1: this unexpected virus and the impact on the global economy. Hello, 8 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: and welcome to Stephanomics, the podcast that brings the COVID 9 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: global economy to you. And that's what the chief economy 10 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 1: is for renaissance Capital. Charlie Robertson thinks will be the 11 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: most important effect of COVID nineteen for emerging market economies. 12 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: Developing countries will come out of the crisis faster than 13 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: many people expect, in his view, and the lasting effect 14 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: will come not from the disease itself or the direct 15 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: impact on the global economy, but from President Donald Trump 16 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: not getting form or years to put up trade barriers 17 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: and discourage global investment. I was speaking to Mr Robertson 18 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,759 Speaker 1: and the chief economist of the World Trade Organization, Robert Koopman, 19 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 1: this week in a panel for City Week, an event 20 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: organized by City and Financial Global More on that in 21 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: a few minutes, but first I wanted to give you 22 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,959 Speaker 1: some on the ground perspective on the future of global trade. 23 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: You might remember, in the early months of the COVID crisis, 24 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: a lot of commentators declared the end of globalization. Governments, 25 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: especially in Europe, started talking about the need for strategic autonomy. 26 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: Never again would companies or countries want to get caught 27 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: short in key medical supplies or discover that key inputs 28 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: to major industries or came from a single factory in Wuhan. 29 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: Production will be brought back home. They said, supply chains 30 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 1: would shrink, ties with China would be cut. Well, that 31 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: was the theory. Life has turned out to be more complicated, 32 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: and those ties with China in particular have turned out 33 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: to be quite hard to sever A group of Bloomberg 34 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,959 Speaker 1: reporters from across Europe have been looking for firms who 35 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: are rethinking their supply chains as a result of COVID nineteen. 36 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: Their story was published this week, and I'm glad to 37 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: say that one of those reporters, Pyota Skolimowski, is with 38 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: me now. He's in Frankfurt and also spends a lot 39 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 1: of time covering the European Central Bank, Pyotta. Welcome to Stephanomics. 40 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: So what did you find out in this story? So 41 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: it's not so easy for these firms to cut their 42 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: ties with China high Stephaniely. Indeed, it's it's a tough 43 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: one despite the fact that Europe is really trying to 44 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: wean its economies off from the dependence on China and 45 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: other Asian companies are Asian suppliers. We talked to a 46 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: few companies, one in Italy, for example, producer of shoes, 47 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: where the chairman of the company basically said, well, Chinese 48 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: workers are are just better at doing what he called 49 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,519 Speaker 1: jim shoes. But but the fact here is is actually costs, 50 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: so he has production costs in China are still sevent 51 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: seventy five percent lower than in Italy. So that's a 52 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: big factor of why he's not really eager to move 53 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: everything to Italy. So as as long as there are 54 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: no subsidies from the government or support in one form 55 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: or another of lower taxes for example, and he's not 56 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: going to move production closer to home. And it also 57 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: applies to other sectors where as a matter of fact, 58 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: they are key to to to the strategy of of 59 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: shortening supply chains in Europe, for example, pharmaceutical companies. We 60 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: talked to one of the executives who said, well, actually 61 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: China dominates one of the market for ingredients to what 62 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: he called active ingredients for for drugs that his company 63 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: is producing. So it's really difficult to suddenly move away 64 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: from that and just go and and mind suppliers somewhere else. 65 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: And finally, there's also another factor that simply companies in 66 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: Europe reli very heavily on exports, so China is not 67 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: really only just a supplier of components, supplier of elements 68 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: to their cars. It's a big booming market, so they 69 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 1: cannot really afford to not to be there, and they're 70 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: already building a big supply chain around China. They as 71 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: an example, they volks Wagon actually bought two companies or 72 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: shares in two companies that have to do with battery 73 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: cells and another with electric cars in China just at 74 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: the at the peak of the of the COVID pandemic 75 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: in April. It sort of tells you that obviously there 76 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: is a push to to shorten supply chains, but there 77 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: are factors that that are kind of pushing into the 78 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: opposite direction, which will make it harder for companies to 79 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: make it a big change in the strategy. Yeah, and 80 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 1: I have to say that is something that we have 81 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: heard coming out of Asia as well, and our reporters 82 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: and analysts who are involved in the tech industry as 83 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: a similar message that the likes of Apple have invested 84 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,479 Speaker 1: so much in these quite sophisticated supply chains and it's 85 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: much easier said than done to start disentangling from China 86 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: in particular, there's just a sunk costs involved apart from 87 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 1: apart from anything else. But let's hear I think we 88 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: we do have a bit of that interview that you 89 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: did with the German pharmaceutical executive Peter Goldschmidt, who is 90 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 1: chief executive of the generic pharmaceutical maker Status, So let's 91 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:42,719 Speaker 1: hear from him. Now, why you really start thinking about 92 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: moving victory doing test transfer into higher cross areas where 93 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: no one knows who is able to pay it, and 94 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: before before this creates an additional risk because of tech 95 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 1: transfer is also a risk we should really think about 96 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: relatively in my view, easier fast fixes. I mean, are 97 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 1: you also trying to say that actually there is because 98 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: you mentioned forty percent of all active parmaceutical ingredients are Chinese. 99 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,479 Speaker 1: I mean, there is really no alternative to China as 100 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:16,040 Speaker 1: a supplier of a key ingredient in what you're producing. No. 101 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: I look, the point is there are of us a 102 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: lot of alternatives. I could start and buying an API 103 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: company and start producing this also in Germany. The only 104 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: problem I have is unanormous circumstances. No one will buy 105 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 1: it from me because I'm too expensive. The reason why 106 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: it is in China is that the quality China has delivered, 107 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: most organizations obviously in Europe couldn't compete on a price letter. 108 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:43,040 Speaker 1: That's why we have this situation. And of course if 109 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,799 Speaker 1: people would think, hey, that's an attractive business I should 110 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: go to, then more people would do it. But obviously 111 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,159 Speaker 1: the business is not so attractive. So if the governments 112 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: are building uh the substitutes in order that you have 113 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: prices that you can have a company, and API is 114 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: a is a worldwide business, you can produced just API 115 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: for Ostia. You could do it. It's the question who 116 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: pays the price. Everything is technically absolutely possible, absolutely no doubt. 117 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: It's just a question of time and money. So in 118 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: that sense, you think that government in its hopes or 119 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: actually Europe hide. If you look at the whole strategy 120 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: these days, there's going to build of a disappointment that 121 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: this is not going to be first of all a 122 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: quick process and secondly there will have to be a 123 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: lot of steps before we even even even go there 124 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: in terms of and maybe there are after a quick 125 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: fixed solutions like the storage of API, for example in 126 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: a gift country, and then you have an assigned producer 127 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: in a crisis time who has then to make sure 128 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: that they can produce the volume based on this API 129 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: right before you do like this big picture. I mean, 130 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: my problem in the discussion is not that this could 131 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: be a possible solution that you bring more whatever kind 132 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: of reduction pharmacy in production back to Germany. It's a 133 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: political decision which costs money and has implications on our 134 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: direct crisis in Germany. The Otho Skolomowski, thank you very much. 135 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: Thank you well. As it happens, I put exactly this 136 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: question about the future of global supply chains to the 137 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: chief economist of the World Trade Organization, Robert Kopman in 138 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: my city Wheek panel that I mentioned at the start, 139 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: and we also had Charlie Robertson, chief economist for Renaissance Capital. 140 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 1: On that panel, he was much more outbeat about the 141 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: future of emerging market economies than others I've talked to 142 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 1: on Stephanomics in recent weeks. I guess when you listen 143 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 1: to him, you do need to remember that his firm 144 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: specializes in investing in emerging market economies, so you can 145 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 1: judge for yourself whether his story stacks up. But I 146 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 1: started by asking Robert Koopman about his forecast for and beyond. 147 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: We hear the projection for a global trade for declining 148 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 1: in an optimistic scenario of about thirteen percent, anywhere up 149 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:10,000 Speaker 1: to thirty two percent in a pessimistic scenario. The latest 150 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: data suggests we're more on track for the optimistic scenario, 151 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 1: a trade decline of around twelve thirteen maybe four percent, 152 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 1: with a slow recovery. Though for one and into two. 153 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,679 Speaker 1: I think the drivers of the slow recovery or weakness 154 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: expected weakness and consumption, and particularly expected weakness and investment. 155 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: We don't think that firms are gonna have a very 156 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: confident view of the future of the global economy, and 157 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:42,439 Speaker 1: I think that UH investment is going to be relatively weak. 158 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: Investment is a significant driver of global trade going forward. 159 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: I think the likely recovery for trade is a trade 160 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: will probably get back to close to its long term 161 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: average growth rate of about one and a half times 162 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 1: global GDP growth. But I think it's going to be 163 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 1: a regal globalization. It's going to be a reorganization of 164 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 1: globalization that we've seen in the past twenty or thirty years, 165 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 1: probably more regional supply chains, a lot more digital trade 166 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: than we've seen in the past that's been growing fast. 167 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: I think it's gonna it's growing faster now and continue 168 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: to grow fast. And I think you'll see more flexible 169 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:23,080 Speaker 1: production processes, maybe regional agreements to help to respond to 170 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: spikes in demand as a result of either health prices 171 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: or climate crisis. So we'll see. I think this reorganization 172 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: of globalization maybe um with slower growth, and the long 173 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: term implications of slower trade growth usually means slower productivity 174 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,959 Speaker 1: growth in the future, so we have significant concerns around that. 175 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: There's been a lot of conversation about what happens to 176 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: global supply chains as a result of this crisis and 177 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: the immediate After all the immediate stages of the crisis, 178 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: a lot of talk about bringing production home or at 179 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: least diversifying supply chains, not just in response to COVID 180 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 1: but also worries around around China. But we've had some 181 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: of our reporting this week. In fact, in Europe we're 182 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:12,599 Speaker 1: looking at companies who have been trying to shorten the 183 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 1: supply chains and struggling and realizing that it's going to 184 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 1: be just too costly to do that. They've got too 185 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: much wedded to the very sophisticated approach they had before. 186 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: So what is your view when you talk about reorganization 187 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:32,080 Speaker 1: of globalization, is that diversification of supply chains? What is it? 188 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 1: Do you think it's mainly diversification. Most global supply chains 189 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: are regional. You think about automobiles. Of automobile supply chains 190 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: are regional, but there can be that one part, that 191 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,960 Speaker 1: one critical part that is from outside the region that 192 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: could be difficult to procure domestically but called up the 193 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 1: entire product. I think they'll find ways to diversify those 194 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: supply chains, not bring that want to obscure but very 195 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: important product to some local production facility. I do think 196 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: they'll use inventories, will night see, particularly for those kinds 197 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:14,199 Speaker 1: of products. Firms will change their just in time inventory 198 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 1: approach to something that's a little more balanced. They'll still 199 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: use just in time for those things that they don't 200 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:24,560 Speaker 1: think are that disruptive or that they can easily diversify 201 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: UM and have multiple suppliers, but for those things, those products, 202 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:32,320 Speaker 1: those components that they can't my my suspicion is they'll 203 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: carry more inventory of that. And keep in mind, you know, 204 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 1: the started as a supply shock in China, but you 205 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: know you can have a fire or a hurricane in 206 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: the Gulf of Mexico that knocks out your domestic supply 207 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 1: chain just as badly. UM. So you know, I don't 208 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: think that the strategy you're reshoring really holds up in 209 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: the long term, but weaker growth, weaker investment that does 210 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 1: undermine their integration and globalization. Charlie Robertson, I know that 211 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:10,439 Speaker 1: you're looking at strategy from a global perspective of renaissance, 212 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 1: and I wonder how do you think about the recovery 213 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: and particularly the fact that we now are in this 214 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 1: what you might call a messier stage where some countries 215 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 1: are coming in and out of lockdown. We're potentially having 216 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 1: second waves. We're not sure about the consumer. How the 217 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 1: consumer is going to behave in these first few months 218 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 1: of recovery. How are you seeing things? Yeah, I'm chief 219 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:36,319 Speaker 1: economists of an emerging market Frontier Bank, Renaissance Capital, so 220 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to focus mostly on that. But what 221 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: what's been striking to us is the success that emerging 222 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:47,559 Speaker 1: markets have had in fighting the disease, at least in 223 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 1: East Asia. Um, and it's worth remembering the two thirds 224 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:56,439 Speaker 1: of emerging markets equities are don't have the virus anymore. 225 00:13:57,280 --> 00:14:02,679 Speaker 1: That's China, Career, Taiwan, Thailand, they make up of M 226 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: S c I emerging markets. They have no virus, so 227 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 1: it's not even an issue of a V shape or 228 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 1: a W shape or anything else. Everyone can go back 229 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 1: to restaurants, everyone can go back onto planes, travel, etcetera. 230 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: At least internally is back to normal. So it looks 231 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 1: pretty v shaped in in what is two thirds of 232 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: emerging markets, either they've beaten the virus or they said 233 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: there's nothing we can do to stop the virus. Either way, 234 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: I think their economic recoveries are going to look somewhat better. Charlie, 235 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: I'm struck by, um what you were saying about em 236 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: because when I talked to our emerging market economists, it's 237 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 1: quite a bleak picture that comes out of it. Not 238 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: for some of the countries that you were talking about, 239 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: but when you talk about India or so that, large 240 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: parts of Africa, a big some parts of Latin America. 241 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 1: It feels like the risk is that this crisis is 242 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 1: going to shut the door on a lot of countries 243 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: who were on their way into the emerging market and 244 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: potentially beyond little make it much harder for them to 245 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 1: continue to progress, and actually they could lose ten or 246 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 1: fifteen years of progress as a result of this. Is 247 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: that fair? I mean, you talked about the countries that 248 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:31,040 Speaker 1: have already emerged to some extent, and they are well 249 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: represented in the MSc I index and everything else. But 250 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: those that hadn't built their capacity by the risk is 251 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: they're not going to be able to now in the 252 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: conditions of the next piece because they're going to be 253 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 1: so hit by this crisis. Isn't that a concern? I mean, 254 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 1: the numbers I've been talking about in places like sub Sahara, 255 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 1: and what I've been struck by is that the average 256 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 1: age of those dying in the UK is about eighty 257 00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 1: years old, and the percentage of Nigerians aged two or 258 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: more is zero. The number of Kenyans aged eighty or 259 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: more is also zero, and that they're just not going 260 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: to be hit in that way. UM. What I think 261 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 1: has actually been much more damaging than the virus for 262 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 1: sub Sahara or lower income countries has been this trend 263 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 1: towards protectionism, the lack of trade, the discouragement of foreign 264 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: direct investment globally in recent years. And I think perhaps 265 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: the most important change that's going to come upout as 266 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 1: a result of this virus is the political change. In 267 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: November in the States, we put out a piece a 268 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: month or two ago saying that no US president is 269 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: ever re elected after a recession in his first term. 270 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 1: And I've been saying that and upsetting my Democrat friends 271 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 1: in New York for some years about Trump and saying 272 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: that he was going to win this election because there 273 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 1: was no recession in the States. Um, And they were 274 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 1: very unhappy with me saying that. Of course, that's change now, 275 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: and he has symbolized protectionism more than anybody else in 276 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:07,640 Speaker 1: the global economy. But actually he's really made a difference. 277 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: You've seen FDI foreign direct investment flow into America and 278 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 1: not flow out of America. You've had negative FDI or 279 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: in fact, if you like, FDI flows net into the 280 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 1: States for the last two years, and that has meant 281 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: no FDI into emerging markets. Who wants to set up 282 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 1: a factory in emerging markets when there could be a 283 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,920 Speaker 1: big tariff war set against you, um, and it's it's 284 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: really hurt growth. Um. So I think there's political change 285 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:40,119 Speaker 1: that now I think inevitable in November. It is going 286 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 1: to be very important. Not that America and Chinese relations 287 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 1: are going to be perfect. They were not, and that's 288 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: going to be a rivalry that will continue for years. 289 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: But a normal country facing a rival like China would 290 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: be building alliances to the rest of the world, not 291 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:01,399 Speaker 1: imposing tariffs on them. Vietnam should be America's best friend 292 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 1: right now. India should be America's best friend right now. 293 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:07,280 Speaker 1: And I think that's what will likely come from the 294 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: change of president in November. One I don't think is 295 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: gonna We're not gonna see big FDI in there's a 296 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: global recession. No one's gonna be putting money into anywhere, 297 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: including emerging markets. It's not going to be great from 298 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: that perspective. But I think this protections theme which has 299 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:28,199 Speaker 1: been so painful and has supported the stronger dollar. Of 300 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:32,879 Speaker 1: course as well, that protectionist theme that's turning at the 301 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 1: end of this year, and I think that's probably the 302 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: most bullish US for emerging markets of all m that's 303 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 1: going to come out of this this unexpected virus and 304 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:48,359 Speaker 1: the impact on the global economy and Robert Coopman, you know, 305 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: if you're sitting in a TV economist of the w 306 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 1: d O, do you share Charlie's view that if you 307 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:04,440 Speaker 1: see Trump defeated in the election, that one could continue 308 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 1: to have challenging relations between the US and China, but 309 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:14,640 Speaker 1: it wouldn't necessarily in fit the global trading system, because 310 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: I think that's that's an interesting point Charlie made that. 311 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:19,760 Speaker 1: I think I hadn't heard other people tend to say 312 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:24,120 Speaker 1: that the US China battle will infect everything else and 313 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 1: make the global trading system a much more protection is 314 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: much more fractured place. But how do you see it? Um, 315 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: I don't think that the election is going to necessarily 316 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:43,240 Speaker 1: bring about big positive effects in the trade area. There 317 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:46,480 Speaker 1: are scarring effects. I think, just like we're talking about 318 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 1: the COVID crisis. The political scarring effects from the the 319 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: Trump policies are likely to remain. Um. I think there 320 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 1: will be somewhat mitigated and perhaps and I do hope 321 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:07,640 Speaker 1: I'm wrong, significantly mitigated. But the debate around trade started 322 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: to change, um you know, in the mid um and 323 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 1: Trump has certainly taken that rather aggressively forward. There's this 324 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: focus on US China, do not forget about US du 325 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: Those stresses are pretty significant, and they've been there for 326 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 1: a long time and normally the two regions countries have 327 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: worked well together to keep those sort of um channeled 328 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 1: into something like the w t O Dispute Body or 329 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: competing regional trade agreements, you know, so they've been somewhat 330 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 1: productively managed. But I think that's gonna be something that 331 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: remains to be seen how that works out. There will 332 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: be a change in administrations in in the fall, actually 333 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,480 Speaker 1: change an administration. When happened until the beginning of the 334 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 1: new year, a couple of things, the trade war, tariffs 335 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 1: and the uncertainty around that. So the terrorists on China 336 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 1: costly to the US, somewhat costly to China caused a 337 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:19,439 Speaker 1: lot of trade diversion, contributed to uncertainty, But the bigger 338 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:24,440 Speaker 1: contributor to uncertainty was auto teriffs on the EU, general 339 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 1: trade policy from the United States, the sort of weakening 340 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: of the centrality of the w t O in the 341 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 1: in the trading system, which was largely pushed by US 342 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:38,680 Speaker 1: positions in the G twenty. But all of those effects 343 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:42,640 Speaker 1: were relatively small. The COVID effects are huge. I mean, 344 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:47,199 Speaker 1: they're just massive compared to the trade war tariffs, but 345 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:51,919 Speaker 1: both have potential long term implications for growth UM. A 346 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: big concern from COVID for me is automation. I think 347 00:21:55,359 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: firms are gonna try to find ways to substitute for 348 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:03,680 Speaker 1: human workers as much as possible. On the service side, 349 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 1: we can easily distribute those workers, perhaps through remote work. 350 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:09,920 Speaker 1: That's a bit harder. In manufacturing, I think we'll see 351 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: significant investments in manufacturing that could undermine than UM a 352 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 1: lot of workers and their ability to find good work, 353 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 1: good paying jobs. Thanks for listening to Stephanomics. We'll be 354 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:30,399 Speaker 1: back next week with more on how COVID nineteen is 355 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: transforming the global economy. Remember you can always find us 356 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 1: on the Bloomberg Terminal website, app or wherever you get 357 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:40,440 Speaker 1: your podcasts and For more news and analysis from Bloomberg Economics, 358 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:44,240 Speaker 1: you should follow as Economics on Twitter. This episode was 359 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:47,200 Speaker 1: produced by Magnus Hendrickson and the story we spoke about 360 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 1: at the start of the program was written by Flavia Rotundee, 361 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: Jeanette Newman, Joo Lima, and Pyota Skolimowski. Was also edited 362 00:22:55,560 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 1: by Alas Shaheen. Special thanks to Charlie Robertson, Pyotas Olimowski, 363 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 1: Robert Kopman, and City and Financial Global. Lucy Meekin is 364 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,440 Speaker 1: the acting executive producer of Stephanomics and the head of 365 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:15,879 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Podcast is Francesca Levy. M