An employee makes deliveries by bicycle in Dijon, central eastern France. Economic growth will reach at least 5% in 2021, the Bank of France governor said. – AFPPIXThe French economy will rebound strongly this year from a deep recession sparked by Covid-19, the country's central bank chief said on Tuesday. Growth will reach at least 5% in 2021, Bank of France governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau told France Info radio, a forecast that “comforted” a prediction the bank made in December.
A massive drop in consumer spending was behind much of the 2020 decline, while investment and foreign trade held up well, it said.Germany's exports ticked up in January on robust trade with China but imports sank as coronavirus shutdowns sapped consumer demand in Europe's top economy, official data showed on Tuesday.
Compared with a year ago, before the pandemic ravaged the global economy, exports fell 8.0% in January and imports almost 10%. – AFPTroubled UK finance firm Greensill has collapsed into administration after encountering serious financial difficulties, administrators Grant Thornton said on Monday, sparking fears for the future of thousands of jobs worldwide.