Economics

The Obama administration has never plainly acknowledged that it faces a major challenge from China to the US-led order in Asia, and it has therefore never clearly explained its strategy to deal with that challenge. Because it has never been...

The goal of trade policy is not limited to increasing export opportunities. Nor is it just about improving trade balances. Rather trade policy is about taking opportunities to improve the economy’s productive base. When assessing a nation’s experience with bilateral...

Oil producers failed to reach an agreement yesterday at the meeting in Doha.  That is the main spur to today's activity.  It is not that the outcome was a surprise.  One newswire poll found around half of the respondents thought...

Gaza has struggled socially and economically almost from its inception, but this has been particularly true following Israel’s war against the region in 2014. Following the devastation, a number of Arab nations led the way in pledging aid to the...

It is never easy, but the week ahead may be particularly difficult for market participants. It will first have to respond to weekend developments.  First, the front page of the NY Times on Saturday was a report that Saudi Arabia...

As America is struggling amid a historical protest election, the political risk could undermine US economic rebound and the lingering global economic recovery. Europe will be least immune to spillovers, says Dan Steinbock. As America is struggling amid a historical...

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are conducting their spring meeting this week in Washington. Announcements of major new initiatives are always expected after these meetings, but one has many people around the world very excited. This week,...

Free trade has become the Republican elephant in the room, thanks to Donald Trump.  The GOP front-runner has helped make trade one of the hot-button issues of the 2016 presidential race. Moreover, it is tearing the Republican Party apart – just...

In March, the leading credit agencies cut their outlook for China’s sovereign credit rating from stable to negative. If the decision was warranted, it may also be time to reassess the current ratings of most advanced economies and accelerate global...

After initially extending its recent recovery gains against the major currencies, the US dollar began consolidating in the European morning.  An unexpected shift by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, replacing a modest and gradual currency appreciation with a more neutral...

Over 20 years ago, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was founded to address highly sensitive and contentious political and security issues in Asia. Its objective was to develop confidence-building measures and, in time, preventive diplomacy with an ultimate goal of...

The US dollar bid well in Europe and is poised to start the North American session with the wind to its back.  Despite firmer equity and industrial metal prices, most emerging market currencies are also succumbing to the rebounding greenback. ...

President Barack Obama was reportedly pleased with a closed-door meeting with the head of the Federal Reserve, but investment banks warn that junk bonds are in a bubble as corporate profitability collapses. President Barack Obama was reportedly pleased with a...

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) announced last week that it will assemble tax officials from its various member nations to discuss ways that governments can learn and improve policies in the wake of the Panama Papers scandal....

The Panama Papers have exposed the largest financial crime scandal of our lifetimes. However, what has been uncovered by the Panama Papers is much more dangerous than simply greed and corruption. For those of you who have been hiding under...