After nearly 20 years of discussions, Kazakhstan finally completed negotiations on accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in June and will join the organization by the end of 2015. Though a noteworthy achievement and step in the right direction,…
Learning to Cope with Kazakhstan’s New Normal
The days of extremely high-level consumer demand from strong economic growth in Kazakhstan are over, and they are not expected to return in the near future. Executives have been caught by surprise to see the country, which enjoyed substantial rises in consumption for…
Oil Price Crash, Currency Depreciations: EMEA Markets MNCs Should Watch Closely
The current fall in oil prices was one of the disruptors to EMEA performance we anticipated in May this year. As Brent prices fall below US$60/bbl, we have revised our forecast for 2015 average prices to US$65/bbl. Combined with expectations for a rate…
Podcast: Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan Customs Union | Expert Interview
The Customs Union between Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan increasingly attracts the attention of multinationals interested in expanding their presence in the CIS. In this podcast, FSG interviews Alexander Rogan, CEO of Russia Supply Chain and FSG Expert Advisor on the…
CEE’s Last Frontier: Opportunities and Challenges for Multinationals in Central Asia
As FSG’s clients increasingly look for expansion opportunities in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), I took a two-week trip to Central Asia to find out more about the operating environment in the region. I traveled to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and…
2013 will not be a year of recovery in CEE
Companies need to prepare for a continued deterioration of the macroeconomic environment in Central and Eastern Europe through the end of 2012 and at least the first half of 2013. Demand from both the business sectors as well as the…
Austerity Measures, Weakening Growth in Central and Eastern Europe in 2012
As exports and consumer demand slow and regional governments seek to reduce spending, growth is weakening across the region and a difficult year is ahead for both B2B and B2C MNCs. GDP growth forecasts will likely be revised further down…