Business Risk Service (BRS) provides qualitative analyses and forecasts for fifty countries three times per year (1 April, 1 August, and 1 December). The system offers long-established numerical assessments (historical, present, and future) for international executives. The ratings were refined in the 1960s and 1970s and offer comprehensive assessments of operating conditions, political risk, and the foreign exchange/ external accounts position for 50 important countries. The three perspectives are combined in a Composite Score. An Historical Ratings Research Package (HRRP) providing details for the 1980-2019 period is available. A supplemental report "Ratings for 50 Additional Countries" is also available, published with the August issue.

Each of the fifty countries has a two-page briefing. Four sections are included:

  • Political Risk Index, Operations Risk Index, and Remittance & Repatriation Factor ratings together with the Composite Score.
  • (2004-2019, Present, +1 Year, and +5 Years).
  • The country's outlook covered in three to four bullets of eight to ten lines. The comments are forecast-oriented and clarify opportunities and problems.
  • An Economic and Financial Information table giving statistics for critical indicator for 2004-2020, 2021F, and 2022F.
  • Political Information including the governmental system, changes in government, and the most probable political scenario.

International executives must have a three-to five-year forecast horizon to plan and implement decisions successfully. Management must be capable of matching changes in business environments abroad with appropriate changes in corporate operations. Information from newspapers and the business press does not offer qualitative assessments and forecasts, and these are necessary to develop effective offensive or defensive strategies. BERI has over three decades of experience in identifying important trends that affect business operations around the globe.

Since 1966 BERI has consistently refined the system developed by the firm to evaluate risks faced by companies with international operations. Executives benefiting from this experience potentially have a strategic advantage.

  • BRS is a monitoring service published three times per year. All 50 countries are covered in each issue.
  • A Profit Opportunity Recommendation (POR) is given for each country in each issue. It states whether the business environment merits investment, contracts for medium and long-term relationships, transaction-by-transaction trade, or no business relations.
  • BERI's rating system permits comparisons between countries for the past, the present, and for one- and five-year forecast periods. The components are the Operations Risk Index (ORI), the Political Risk Index (PRI), and the Remittance and Repatriation Factor (R-Factor).
  • Qualitative judgments and candid assessments of such factors as corruption make the reports uniquely valuable. A permanent panel of 108 senior bank, company, and government officials provides the input for ratings on operating conditions (ORI) in each country. A second panel of 102 experts helps pinpoint areas of pivotal political change and provides ratings on sociopolitical conditions (PRI).
  • The Remittance and Repatriation Factor (R Factor) Rating is produced by a large computer program that manipulates over 14000 cells of data and makes hundreds of calculations for each R Factor rating and the four subindices.
  • Each issue of BRS includes a Statistical Appendix with criteria details, subindices, and historial ratings on the 50 countries listed below (Basic Subscription Country List).

BRS SUPPLEMENTS:

  • Labor Force Evaluation Measure
    Quantitative comparison of country work force. Measures for Legal Framework, Relative Productivity, Worker Attitude, and Technical Skills.
    View Labor Force Evaluation Measure explanation and sample report
  • Ratings on 50 Additional Countries
    Operational Risk, Political Risk, R-Factor, and Composite Scores (ratings only) for 50 countries not included in BRS Basic Subscription. Only available when ordering BRS SUPPLEMENT.
    View list of 50 additional countries
  • Market Opportunity Ranking
    Compare country sales potentials in both quality and quantity. Quickly identify evolving markets. Quantity of Market Index (QMI) based on Population, GDP per Capita and Private Consumption per Capita. Quality component based on Operational Risk Index.
    View Market Opportunity Ranking Explanation and Methodology

Country List for Business Risk Service Basic Subscription

50 2-page country reports with Statistical Appendix

Argentina
Hungary
Portugal
Australia
India
Russia
Austria
Indonesia
Saudi Arabia
Belgium
Iran
Singapore
Brazil
Ireland
South Africa
Canada
Italy
Spain
Chile
Japan
Sweden
China (P.R.C.)
Kazakhstan
Switzerland
Colombia
Korea (South)
Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Czech Republic
Malaysia
Thailand
Denmark
Mexico
Turkey
Ecuador
Netherlands
Ukraine
Egypt
Norway
United Kingdom
Finland
Pakistan
United States
France
Peru
Venezuela
Germany
Philippines
Vietnam
Greece
Poland