This Selected Issues paper analyzes external shocks and business cycle fluctuations in Mexico. The paper examines the relative importance of U.S. demand shocks—and other foreign disturbances—in explaining Mexican output fluctuations. It identifies the dynamic response of Mexico’s output to...

Growth has slowed to a more sustainable level and financial vulnerabilities have eased. But risks remain. Household debt is high, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) awaits legislative approval, and ongoing trade tensions between the United States (U.S.) and its major trading...

This Technical Assistance Report on The Gambia highlights that the government has highlighted infrastructure development as a key element of National Development Plan, 2018-21. The report discusses that the need for increased public investment in the Gambia should be balanced against potential...

This paper analyzes that past growth was characterized by a suboptimal allocation of the factors of production and a lack of dynamism in the private sector. By identifying the main constraints to private sector-led growth and higher employment generation, it suggests policies to further shift...

This paper presents an overview of the Sixth Post-Program Monitoring Discussions with Portugal. The Portuguese economy has strengthened. Supported by a benign external environment, job-rich growth has gathered momentum since late 2016. The headline fiscal balance continued to benefit from...

This paper discusses Iraq's First Review of the Three-Year Stand-by Arrangement (SBA) and Financing Assurances Review, and Requests for Waivers of Nonobservance and Applicability of Performance Criteria (PCs). Two PCs at end September appear to have been met on the basis of preliminary unaudited...

This paper discusses Mali's Sixth Review Under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement and Request for Modification of a Performance Criterion. Economic activity in Mali remains robust, aided both by higher public investment and accommodative monetary conditions. Inflation remains subdued,...

This 2016 Article IV Consultation highlights that Mexico has navigated successfully a complex external environment, characterized by heightened global financial-market volatility. The economy continues to grow at a moderate pace, and inflation is close to the target. The flexible exchange rate...

Economic activity has been recovering, driven by robust performance in the export and agricultural sectors. Fiscal consolidation efforts have continued; Togo complied with the WAEMU deficit convergence criteria in 2017 and 2018, two years ahead of the timeline agreed by member states; public debt...

This technical note on balance sheet risks and financial stability on France discusses that macroprudential policy setting faces the challenge of identifying growth of financial and macroeconomic variables above and below potential. A macro-financial structural model is presented that captures:...