Name: What's Bayer CEO's Outlook for 2016?
Uploaded: 2015-11-18
Duration: 4 min 12 s
Description: Marijn Dekkers tells Fortune's Susie Gharib he's optimistic.

I'd like to hear your outlook for 2016. Let's start with the United States, in terms of the U. S. economy. Do you see, in terms of economic growth, stronger or weaker? I actually am optimistic about the, American economy. I sometimes read the American's papers and the American's are not always so optimistic, but I would say just come to Europe and you will become optimistic about the US because I do feel that the US has a dynamism that, in spite of all the challenges and difficulties That continues to drive economic growth, a very entrepreneurial spirit. And then, the very low energy prices that the US was able to accomplish over the last years, also as a strong result of shale gas, is going to attract more businesses to the US. What about Europe? Do you think that Europe can snap out of this slump that it's been in. Well I mean, Europe has had difficulties in stimulating growth. There are a lot of countries in Europe where employment is higher Unemployment is higher than 10 %, so it's a huge issue. If you look ahead to the new year, do you think that Europe can turn this situation around? Do you see it more of the same, or is it gonna start growing? I mean, on its own I would say more of the same, but now there is something unbelievable happening in Europe and those are the refugees. A country like Germany is, taking up a, a million refugees over just a few month's period of time. A million people, on 80 million in total. Somehow these people have to eat. They have to be dressed, they have to live somewhere. Big facilities are being built, so It is a huge challenge to do all of this but it is actually a stimulus, I think. You know to the economy a strange stimulus but it is a stimulus. What about China we have so many mixed messages on what's going on China. What's your prediction about the Chinese economy and the year ahead? I would say you know 5- 6 %, But that- That's slow. Growth in China for the regular stuff that always was produced and sold through China. But I think there is a mix with a much higher value at its content going on in China. That maybe we as western companies are not always participating in, but that is consciously driven, I think, by the Chinese government. I like to hear your views on US interest rates. Is 2016 going to be the year that we see a cycle of higher interest rates? What do you think? Well I'm not an expert on interest rates but it is about time, [ LAUGH ] I would say because we've had so much relatively artificial stimulus from low interest rates that I would say the U. S has come to a point That we can bring that stimulus down a little bit to somewhat more normalized levels .>> Say that happens. Is that a positive or a negative for a company like Bayer .>> It's actually a positive. What is going to happen is that when interest rates go up in the U. S. and not in Europe the dollar will get stronger. And it will become easier for European companies to export because its cheaper to go and buy stuff that is made in Euros. So in that sense, it is somewhat of a stimulus. What about these big mergers that we've been seeing? Is that trend going to continue in the new year? Yeah, because I do not see in 16 The two things, that interest rates will go up so much, or that tax inversions will be significantly made impossible. I don't see that in 2016. And I think some of that is what drives that current consolidation. [ BLANK_AUDIO ]

Marijn Dekkers tells Fortune's Susie Gharib he's optimistic.