Skip to main content

Infrastructure expansion will boost world growth

A report published by HSBC suggests that global infrastructure-related trade growth will double worldwide economic expansion and will triple in size by 2030. The report also suggests that Brazil and Mexico will drive the rise in imports and exports of infrastructure-related goods in Latin America, according to Business News Americas. HSBC said that between 2013 and 2030, infrastructure-related trade looks set to grow at an average of 9%/year. It will also see a rise in its share of overall merchandise trade
October 11, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A report published by 5791 HSBC suggests that global infrastructure-related trade growth will double worldwide economic expansion and will triple in size by 2030. The report also suggests that Brazil and Mexico will drive the rise in imports and exports of infrastructure-related goods in Latin America, according to Business News Americas. HSBC said that between 2013 and 2030, infrastructure-related trade looks set to grow at an average of 9%/year. It will also see a rise in its share of overall merchandise trade from 45% of total goods exports in 2013 to 54% by 2030, with the peak of its growth between 2016 and 2020. In the same 17-year period, global GDP is expected to grow at a rate of 4%. By 2020, India is expected to surpass the US as the biggest importer of goods for infrastructure, which consists of the materials needed for infrastructure projects. Meanwhile China will take the position as the largest buyer of investment equipment, the machinery required to boost production.

Emerging markets will have increasing trade with each other according to HSBC, with Brazil and Mexico will being the main drivers of these trends in Latin America. Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, is expected to increase imports and exports of infrastructures-related goods by a 9% annual average. In México, imports will grow close to 7%, while exports are expected to rise by 8%. Also, between 2013 and 2030, Brazil will jump in the rankings from 15th to 10th place in terms of its share of global exports of goods for infrastructure as it increases its role in world trade. However, more infrastructure investment needs to take place in Brazil in the next few years according to HSBC, although the Brazilian Government does have such plans in place.

In México, an ambitious US$304 billion investment plan in the highway, port, airport, rail and telecommunications sectors has been unveiled through 2018, more than doubling the amount spent during the previous administration.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Caterpillar’s strong financial performance for 2017
    January 26, 2018
    Caterpillar has announced strong fourth-quarter and full-year results for 2017. Sales and revenues in the fourth quarter of 2017 were US$12.9 billion, compared with $9.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2016. Fourth-quarter 2017 loss was $2.18/share, compared with a loss of $2/share in the fourth quarter of 2016.
  • Norway construction sector set to continue its expansion
    August 12, 2015
    Norway’s construction industry will continue to expand for five years, with investment in transport infrastructure continuing to drive growth, according to a recent report. The government’s fourth National Transport Plan 2014–2023 calls for a series of new infrastructure projects worth around US$86.5 billion. Nearly 1,300km of new trunk roads and 380km of four-lane motorway will be opened, as noted by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications The overall construction industry’s output va
  • World road safety status hits plateau
    May 27, 2016
    The World Health Organisation has published a new report on road safety during 2015. Its global status report uses information from 180 countries and indicates that the total number of road traffic deaths has plateaued at 1.25 million/year worldwide. The annual global road fatality rate has remained roughly the same since 2007, a point worth noting considering growing vehicle numbers around the globe. Low income countries remain those of most concern for this report as in previous years. But some progress i
  • Bauma China 2014 during boom time for Chinese infrastructure investment
    January 6, 2014
    The significance of this year’s Bauma China exhibition in Shanghai has been highlighted by new figures showing that China invested US$220.27 billion (RMB 1.346 trillion) in civil engineering and infrastructure projects in the first six months of 2013 – with the National Bureau of Statistics of China claiming a year-on-year increase of more than 21%. The largest share of H1 2013 investment went into road-building, with Bernd Schaaf of Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), Germany’s economic development agency, rep