In The News

Hate Globalization? Embrace Stagnation: Bloomberg

Noah Smith May 22, 2019
Productivity growth is slowing down in the United States, part of a global trend, reports Noah Smith for Bloomberg. Comparing how much workers produce across countries is difficult because of variances in data reporting. Economists have long credited technological and organizational changes for rising productivity, but Smith suggests reduced globalization may also be a factor. “From 1993 to 2008...

US Blacklists Huawei: Reuters

Sijia Jiang and Michael Martina May 16, 2019
The US president signed an executive order US firms from using telecommunications equipment made by firms deemed to pose a national security threat and placed Huawei and 70 affiliates on an exports blacklist. The moves could disrupt Huawei’s march toward 5G technology and “likely ban the firm from acquiring U.S. components and technology without government approval,” reports Reuters. The firm...

The US as Economic Bully? Wall Street Journal

Gerald F. Seib May 14, 2019
The United States is the world’s largest economy in nominal terms and also the largest market. But flexing economic muscle could chase other major economies like China and the European Union to pursue their own partnerships. Under the Trump administration, the United States has applied economic leverage on China, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela. “The weapon works, at least...

Fold or Double Down in Trade Talks? New York Times

Chris Buckley and Steven Lee Myers May 13, 2019
Trade talks between China and the United States have abruptly been put on pause as Chinese President Xi Jinping backed away from previously agreed upon terms that would reform laws constraining US businesses in China. US President Donald Trump and trade representative Robert Lighthizer responded by insisting on their demands, stalemating negotiations that otherwise might have been concluded....

US and China May Not Want a Deal: Bloomberg

David Fickling May 10, 2019
The trade war between the world’s two largest economies is escalating, even as talks continue in Washington, DC, and neither China nor the United States wants to back down. The US is raising tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports from 10 to 25 percent, and China promised to retaliate. Leaders on both sides appeal to nationalistic supporters, expressing confidence that the other side will hurt...

US-China Trade Talks Changing the World: Atlantic

Matt Peterson May 8, 2019
Soon after announcements that the US-China trade talks were winding down, US President Trump suggested hiking tariffs from 10 to 25 percent. “The punitive action in the midst of a negotiation was a departure from Trump’s generally optimistic tone about the talks, but it was a return to form for [Robert] Lighthizer, an experienced negotiator with a reputation for brinksmanship,” explains Matt...

Duterte Lashes Out Over Trash Cargo: CBC

April 25, 2019
Rodrigo Duterte has lost patience with 100 containers of Canadian trash sitting in a port for years, suggesting he would declare “war” and return the containers to Canada himself. The angry rant captured global media attention. The containers include household and electronic garbage. “More than 100 of the containers were shipped to Manila by a Canadian company in 2013 and 2014, improperly...