You may have heard of the acronym BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) which represented the emerging market economies. However those nations are no longer considered favourable investment opportunities for various reasons. They have now been replaced by MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey) and a common factor that they all have is access to cheap energy. Cheap energy is directly linked to heavy manufacturing where access to low-cost raw materials provides significant cost advantages. Previously China once dominated global manufacturing, now faced with rising energy and labour costs this is diminishing its ability to maintain its cost advantage. Mexico is now seen as the favourable destination for US companies to outsource its production. Mexico has undergone a huge boom in oil and gas exploration and production added with relaxed employment laws as well as sharing a border with the US makes it a natural partner for industries to turn to. However its relationship with the US is a double edged sword. The US economy is still weak and any downturn will have a direct impact on Mexico. Indonesia was the 4th largest coal producer in 2012 and also holds the 4th largest population in the world with 247 million people. As the largest economy in South East Asia it also has one of the most diverse ranges of developed sectors driven mainly by its own demand as half the population is under 30. As the third largest export of LNG it plays a significant role in meeting South East Asian demand for natural gas. Turkey’s rise can be attributed to its idyllic strategic location as the bridge between the EU and the Middle East. Being thankful it is not in the EU has allowed it to re-invest in in coal infrastructure but is also one of the leaders in renewables where hydro power, geothermal and solar generation are encouraged. Its role in energy security for southern Europe will be vital as it will be the corridor for bringing in natural gas from the Middle East.
