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Competition in the sector is high, and there are clear signs of price wars as the industry is struggling with overcapacity and weaker demand.

Structural overcapacity in the industry had a negative effect on businesses´ profit margins in 2014, and this negative trend is expected to continue in 2015.

In 2015, Australian business insolvencies are expected to increase slightly by 2% as economic growth slows down and the mining industry faces mounting troubles.

The outlook for the machinery industry is promising, as the Italian economy is expected to grow 0.6% in 2015 and 0.9% in 2016 after two years of contraction.

Despite the UAE’s overall diversification, the lower oil price is expected to take its toll on economic growth.

Tunisia’s economy is expected to grow moderately in 2015 and 2016, supported by increased demand from the eurozone.

Saudi Arabia’s GDP growth is expected to slow down to 3.0% in 2015 following a growth of 3.6% in 2014.

An expected rebound in agriculture will lead to higher GDP growth in 2015, forecast to increase 4.6%. Growth is also sustained by increasing exports, mainly to the eurozone.

In 2015, Kuwait's economic growth is expected to decrease to 1.7% due to the lower oil price and decreased oil production.

Despite its growing economy, Japan faces major demographic challenges. There is an urgent need to make the labour market more flexible to achieve a sustainable rebound and boost economic performance.