01810cas a2200241 a 4500 AALejournalIMF017774 230101c9999 xx r poo 0 0eng d 5.00 USD 9781484308042 1934-7685 BD-DhAAL BD-DhAAL International Monetary Fund. European Dept. Republic of Latvia : 2017 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report. Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 2017. 1 online resource (52 pages) IMF Staff Country Reports <strong>Off-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required <strong>On-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required Electronic access restricted to authorized BRAC University faculty, staff and students This 2017 Article IV Consultation highlights that Latvia's economic growth eased to 2 percent in 2016, as gross investment contracted significantly by 11.7 percent on the back of lower than expected absorption of European Union (EU) funds. This effect was compounded by a drag from net exports, as import volume growth accelerated markedly, while export growth remained modest. Despite a strong rise in imports, the current account recorded a surplus of 1.5 percent in 2016 as the terms of trade, driven largely by falling energy prices, improved by over 4.7 percent. Growth is expected to pick up to 3.2 percent in 2017 on the back of an accelerated pace of disbursement of EU funds and continued robust private credit growth. Mode of access: Internet IMF Staff Country Reports; Country Report ; No. 2017/194 Full text available on IMF http://elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/002/2017/194/002.2017.issue-194-en.xml IMF e-Library