LatinNews Daily - 21 February 2020

* Following a visit to Panama, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that after a temporary slowdown in 2018-2019, Panama’s economy is “poised for a rebound in 2020 and will remain among the most dynamic in Latin America”. According to an IMF statement, real GDP grew by about 3% in the first three quarters of 2019 (year-on-year) amid easing in the construction and service sectors, following a slowdown in 2018 driven by a construction strike. However, it notes signs that the “economy began to recover in the last quarter as a new copper mine launched full-scale commercial production”, with 2019 growth estimated at 3.5% year-on-year. The IMF projects output growth to rebound to 4.8% in 2020, supported by full-scale copper production and robust private investment. Over the medium term, growth is expected to stabilise at its potential annual rate of 5%.