Chile: Business sentiment slumps to record low in April
The business confidence index (IMCE), published by ICARE and the Adolfo Ibáñez University, fell to 31.7 points in April, from 40.7 points in March and marking an-time low. Thus, the index fell further below the crucial 50-point threshold that separates pessimism from optimism among Chilean businesses.
In April, sentiment in the construction, industrial and commerce sectors crashed to record lows, hammered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures taken by the government to curtail its spread. In contrast, sentiment in the mining sector improved amid a mild recovery in copper prices during the survey period.