SYDNEY, Feb 13 (Reuters) - S&P Global Ratings on Thursday said although the fallout from the coronavirus would crimp economic growth in Australia, it was unlikely to threaten the country's triple-A credit rating.
The agency forecast the impact of the virus on tourism from China and on prices for some key commodity exports would shave 0.5 percentage points from economic growth in 2020, leaving annual growth at 1.7%.
However, the government budget remained a key credit strength and underpinned its 'AAA' ratings and a stable outlook. A short and temporary delay in balancing the government budget was unlikely to strain the country's creditworthiness, S&P said.
