/EUROPE/CHINA: Fitch Chief Economist Coulton.....>

US: /EUROPE/CHINA: Fitch Chief Economist Coulton said "following another

forecast upgrade in this Global Economic Outlook, we now see the eurozone

growing at its strongest rate for a decade in 2017."

- He adds that "the advanced economies are benefitting from improving labour

markets and supportive macroeconomic policies, while growth in emerging markets

is returning to a four-year high following a pickup in China and demand recovery

in many large commodity-producing countries. Simultaneous improvements across

most of the major economic regions are being amplified by positive spill-overs

from trade linkages. The upturn in Chinese import growth from mid-2016 has been

an important factor behind the rise in world trade growth to a six-year high of

5%."

- He adds that "this buoyant picture should be maintained through 2018. The US

private investment cycle looks set to improve further and while prospects for

tax reform are uncertain, a modest fiscal boost to US growth in 2018 still looks

likely."