## Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere, October 2014 -- Table of Contents

_Western Hemisphere, October 10, 2014_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere, October 2014 -- Table of Contents](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/reo/wh/issues/2017/01/07/regional-economic-outlook-update-western-hemisphere)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/publications/reo/wh/issues/2017/01/07/regional-economic-outlook-update-western-hemisphere/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/publications/reo/wh/issues/2017/01/07/regional-economic-outlook-update-western-hemisphere/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/publications/reo/wh/issues/2017/01/07/regional-economic-outlook-update-western-hemisphere/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Published: October 10, 2014
- Series: Western Hemisphere

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### Report scope and theme
- Regional focus: Western Hemisphere; chapter title: "Latin America and the Caribbean: Coping with Challenging Times"
- Publication date: October 2014
- Purpose: Discuss recent economic developments and prospects for countries in various regions; address economic policy developments that have affected economic performance; discuss key challenges faced by policymakers; provide country-specific data and analysis, including analytical pieces on issues of interest to the region.

### Recent developments and growth prospects
- Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has slowed down more than anticipated.
- Weak dynamics in South America have outweighed an incipient recovery in Mexico.
- Projected growth: "as low as 1.3 percent in 2014 and 2.2 percent in 2015."
- Drivers of weakness identified:
  - Lower-than-expected external demand.
  - Softer terms of trade.
  - Domestic supply-side bottlenecks.
  - Policy uncertainties weighing on confidence and private demand in several economies.
- Spare capacity remains limited, underscoring urgency of supply-side reforms to boost productivity and potential growth.

### Policy analysis and recommendations
- First line of defense against adverse shocks: monetary policy and exchange rate flexibility should continue to serve as the first line of defense.
- Fiscal stance: a looser fiscal stance is unwarranted in most countries, especially those with weak public finances.
- Supply-side reforms: urgent to boost productivity and potential growth.

### Risks and monitoring
- Financial sector risks warrant close monitoring.
- Confluence of risks highlighted: lower growth, rising U.S. interest rates, and geopolitical tensions could pose a considerable challenge.

*International Monetary Fund — Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere, October 2014*

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## Content in this bundle

- **Coping with Challenging Times—Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean**
  - [Coping with Challenging Times—Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean (Markdown version)](/-/media/websites/imf/imported-flagship-issues/external/np/blog/dialogo/_101014pdf.pdf.md){rel="alternate" type="text/markdown"}
  - [Coping with Challenging Times—Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean (PDF)](/-/media/websites/imf/imported-flagship-issues/external/np/blog/dialogo/_101014pdf.pdf){rel="external" type="application/pdf"}
- **_wreo1014pdf**
  - [_wreo1014pdf (Markdown version)](/-/media/websites/imf/imported-flagship-issues/external/pubs/ft/reo/2014/whd/eng/pdf/_wreo1014pdf.pdf.md){rel="alternate" type="text/markdown"}
  - [_wreo1014pdf (PDF)](/-/media/websites/imf/imported-flagship-issues/external/pubs/ft/reo/2014/whd/eng/pdf/_wreo1014pdf.pdf){rel="external" type="application/pdf"}

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/reo/wh/issues/2017/01/07/regional-economic-outlook-update-western-hemisphere_