Also in the news...
UK seeks business views on response to US tariffs
Government begins process seeking business views on response to US tariffs
UK/Viet Nam: Free Trade Agreement
This treaty was presented to Parliament in April 2025.
How AI Is Fueling Creative Innovation for Startups Abroad
When most people think about starting a business overseas, their minds immediately jump to logistics: registering the company, navigating local laws, and finding office space. But one of the most exciting (and often overlooked) aspects of expanding internationally is tapping into the global pool of innovation especially in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI).
Support for UK businesses helping to rebuild Ukraine
Department for Business and Trade (DBT) initiatives to support UK businesses helping to rebuild critical infrastructure in Ukraine.
Now is the time to generate growth together with India
£400m of trade and investment wins from UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue set to boost the British economy.
Fitch Affirms Slovakia at 'A+'; Outlook Stable
LONDON, February 28 (Fitch) Fitch Ratings has affirmed Slovakia's Long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) at 'A+' with Stable Outlooks. The issue ratings on Slovakia's senior unsecured foreign and local currency bonds have also been affirmed at 'A+'. The Country Ceiling has been affirmed at 'AAA' and the Short-term foreign currency IDR at 'F1'.
KEY RATING DRIVERS The affirmation and Stable Outlook reflect the following factors: Slovakia's economic growth is expected to continue outperforming the eurozone average. Against Fitch's latest projection for the eurozone to grow 0.9% in 2014, Slovakia's economy is estimated to grow 2.4%, also broadly in line with the CEE3 (Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary). However, despite a resilient growth profile, Slovakia suffers from structurally high unemployment. At 14%, the unemployment rate is significantly above the 'A' median of 6.4%. Fitch judges the macro-prudential framework to be sound. A solid banking sector and low level of private sector indebtedness remain key strengths for Slovakia's ratings. The banking sector has a high average capital adequacy ratio (17.2%) and a strong domestic funding base, which supports a manageable loan-to-deposit ratio of 82%.
Reuters.com