In The News

Debt Hampers Response to Changing Economy: IMFBlog

Vitor Gaspar, John Ralyea, and Elif Ture April 15, 2019
The International Monetary Fund warns that public debt combined with slowed economic growth could constrain future government spending on education, employment, healthcare, infrastructure and retirement. The IMF advises policymakers to encourage more inclusive growth by reducing debt and investing in the futures of their citizens by reducing tax exemptions and improving tax administration. “The...

Costs of Global Uncertainty: Project Syndicate

Michael Spence March 27, 2019
Global economic activity is on decline as investors and businesses confront uncertainty. The US-China trade war contributes to the hesitation, as trade partners ponder the costs and benefits of global economic connectivity and players retreat toward old patterns. For example, China’s state-owned enterprises, a target for complaints from the United States and elsewhere over subsidies, have an...

Investors and Globalization’s Decline: Barron’s

Avi Salzman and Nicholas Jasinski March 18, 2019
The bout of protectionism and transactional approaches to trade will linger even after China and the United States reach a trade agreemen. “Globalization is being overwhelmed by populism, nationalism, and protectionism,” explain Avi Salzman and Nicholas Jasinski for Barron’s, adding that globalization has long moved in cycles and is “no longer the dominant force.” Trade growth has slowed,...

Global Population Decline, Economic Growth: Forbes

Bill Conerly February 24, 2019
Global population growth grew at a fast pace throughout the 20th century. While demographes anticipate population the world’s population to expand to 10 billion by the end of this century, the pace has slowed. Bill Conerly for Forbes, writing for Forbes, questions if societies might miss the economic growth and innovation that accompanies swift population growth. He describes research by...

China, Japan, Asian Century: China Economic Review

Tomoo Kikuchi and Masaya Sakuragawa February 8, 2019
Asia’s contributions continue to gain weight in the global economy. China and Japan are the world’s second and third largest economies, respectively. India, South Korea and ASEAN members also provide substantial contributions. All benefit from free trade, explain Tomoo Kikuchi and Masaya Sakuragawa, but trade and growth have slowed. “China and Japan should pursue greater cooperation on a number...

Foreign Policy: China’s Slowing Economy

Keith Johnson February 4, 2019
China injected a record $83 billion stimulus package in January, highlighting the world’s second-largest economy’s desire to jumpstart growth in the new year after scoring a 28-year low in its rate of growth for 2018. Even though the Chinese government posted a 6.6 percent growth last year, experts question the accuracy of official data. So what is the true extent of China’s economic slowdown?...

Spiegel: Germany Prepares for Economic Downturn

Christian Reiermann January 15, 2019
International Monetary Fund analysts warn that the global economy confronts multiple risks, and the global banking system is not prepared for a downturn. Stock markets are losing value, and trade disagreements reduce efficiency and heighten uncertainty. Tightening US monetary policy and rising interest rates pose problems for emerging economies that have borrowed in dollars. Brexit, populism and...