Reports of Professor Enrico Colombatto
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China: what’s next? Unemployment
China is facing rising labor costs, relatively low productivity growth and competition from other developing countries. While the trade dispute with the U.S. provides Beijing with a scapegoat, the true causes of the dilemma lie in the past policy. If Chinese consumers lose confidence in their economy, a crisis could ...
U.S. economy awaits the next moves by Powell and Trump
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell worries that the Trump administration’s trade dispute with China is hamstringing the American economy. President Donald Trump believes a more aggressive monetary policy is necessary. Both men want to burnish their image and consolidate their power. To do so, they may make moves that ...
Dim prospects for developing countries
Developing countries are facing some favorable global conditions, with cheap financing, rising commodity prices, and foreign investors looking for opportunity. But three roadblocks will prevent improved growth in Africa and other developing economies: government involvement in the market, an outsize bureaucracy, and an undereducated labor force. The solutions now being ...
The EU’s next challenge: Emerging markets
For the global economy, the road ahead is unusually clear – it is headed for a gentle slowdown. But that is no reason for complacency. The next wave of trouble is already visible in the developing countries, which are highly vulnerable to rising interest rates. The EU could do much ...
After the Great Fear: The EU’s Sibiu agenda
EU leaders heaved a sigh of relief after May’s European Parliament elections when the much-feared populist wave failed to rock the boat. Yet at most, they have gained a little time. Judging by the tone of the informal summit held in Sibiu, Romania, the EU’s new leadership will favor old ...
The economics of a trade crisis
At the end of April, the presidents of the United States and China failed to sign a long-overdue trade agreement. Financial markets were not happy. The world of business believes that the crisis is not temporary but that its consequences are far from dramatic and that new opportunities might actually ...
What’s wrong with the renminbi exchange rate?
Prospects for a U.S.-China trade deal now seem to be hanging by a thread. Even before the most recent disagreement, however, the Trump administration had already begun drawing attention to a new question: whether China had been engaging in protectionism by manipulating its currency. But the administration’s argument reveals confused ...
The Italians learn Chinese: should others in the EU follow their lead?
During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s March visit to Rome, Italy and China signed a set of agreements that brings the former very close to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative community. France, Germany and the United States expressed dismay, and their reaction will probably further marginalize Italy’s role within the Western ...
