Trade and Economics - Related

Hemisphere Insider: Volume II, Issue 12 - May 21, 2012

Mgraybeal — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

IN DEPTH: "How will the Colombia-U.S Free Trade Agreement affect Ecuador?"

IN THE NEWS: Mexico, Haiti, Costa Rica/Nicaragua, Peru, Colombia, UNASUR

PROGRAM NEWS: Conversation on El Salvador with secretar Alex Segovia; recent publications; upcoming events

Mexico's Election and the Economy - Voters Face a Tough Decision

Mgraybeal — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Although security is commonly seen as the defining issue in Mexico's upcoming presidential election, the country's economic development ranks a close second in voters' minds.

From Strength to Empowerment

jdunton — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Relations between the United States and Malaysia are at an all-time high. Since President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Najib Razak entered office in 2009, both countries’ governments have committed to a new beginning and moved to establish closer ties through increased political, economic, and people-to-people cooperation.

Global Economics Update: G-ometry Test

TSmith — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

This is a season for summitry. Between the spring equinox in March and the summer solstice in June, President Obama will participate in no fewer than six international gatherings with his peers, from the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, Korea, to the G-20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico.

G-ometry Test

sherry — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Hemisphere Insider: Volume II, Issue 11 - May 14, 2012

Mgraybeal — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

IN DEPTH: "Open Skies in the Americas"

IN THE NEWS: Canada/Mexico, Mexico, Honduras/Nicaragua, Haiti, The Bahamas, Colombia, Peru

PROGRAM NEWS: Event on Mexico - elections and prospects for structural reform; Peru's drug czar Carmen Masías at CSIS

Hemisphere Insider: Volume II, Issue 10 - May 7, 2012

Mgraybeal — Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

IN DEPTH: "Asian Investment in Venezuela"

IN THE NEWS: Central America, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina

PROGRAM NEWS: Americas Program host Ambassadors' Council cochairs; recent blog posts; upcoming events

Hemisphere Insider: Volume II, Issue 9 - April 30, 2012

Mgraybeal — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

IN DEPTH: "Peru's Booming Energy Sector"

IN THE NEWS: Mexico, The Bahamas, Guatemala/Belize, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Venezuela

PROGRAM NEWS: Americas Program discussion - social inclusion in the Americas; Americas Program hosts Fulbright NEXUS scholars; upcoming events

Hemisphere Insider: Volume II, Issue 8 - April 23, 2012

Mgraybeal — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

IN DEPTH: "Health Challenges in Haiti"

IN THE NEWS: Mexico, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Honduras, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

PROGRAM NEWS: Americas Program cohosts Prime Minister of Barbados; new blog posts, reports, and commentary; and upcoming events

Indonesia’s Economic Inflection Point

sherry — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Indonesia is at an economic inflection point, which was dramatically underlined this week as two stories broke on the same day. First, Indonesia reported that it set a historic record of $5.7 billion in foreign direct investment in the first quarter of 2012, an increase of 30 percent over the same period in 2011.

U.S.-Japan Summit Meeting

sherry — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of Japan will meet with President Obama at the White House on April 30 to discuss a range of economic and security issues and reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance in a regional and global context.

Global Economics Update: Japan as Number 3

ian — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

In 1995, a group of Cornell psychologists found that Olympic bronze medalists are typically happier than silver medalists about their position on the podium. The competitor in the number 2 spot cannot help thinking about how close he came to winning gold, while the person in third thinks, “Wow, I got a medal!”

Hemisphere Insider: Volume II, Issue 7 - April 16, 2012

Mgraybeal — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

IN DEPTH: "Costa Rica's Tax Reform - Back to the Drawing Board"

IN THE NEWS: Mexico, Guatemala, Dominican Republic/Haiti, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Brazil

PROGRAM NEWS: Americas Program launches police reform report; Americasts; upcoming events

The Evolving Economic Picture in Asia

ian — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The following conversation derives from an on-line chat between Global Forecast editors and three CSIS scholars on opportunities inherent in the changing economic landscape in Asia.

When the next administration assesses the global economic picture on Day 1, what do you expect it will look like?

Pivot to Asia: Prepare for Unintended Consequences

ian — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Under the current administration, the pendulum in U.S. policy toward China has swung from attempting to cooperate with China on global problems to pushing back against Chinese assertiveness and challenges to international laws and norms.

India and Pakistan: Practical Steps, Transformational Benefits

ian — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

While Washington’s focus on South Asia has recently been consumed by the impending U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the deteriorating situation in Pakistan, something else has been taking place—quietly—between India and Pakistan over the last year that may culminate in an unexpected welcome surprise for the incoming U.S. administration in 2013.

2012 Global Forecast

ian — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Hemisphere Insider: Volume II, Issue 6 - April 9, 2012

Mgraybeal — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

IN DEPTH: "Trouble Brewing? Latin America's Economic Ties with Slowing Economies"

IN THE NEWS: Mexico, Costa Rica, Haiti, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia

PROGRAM NEWS: Recent publications; upcoming events

Sixth Summit of the Americas - A Primer

Mgraybeal — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

On April 14 and 15, President Barack Obama will gather with 33 other hemispheric leaders at the Sixth Summit of the Americas in Catagena de las Indias, Colombia. The meeting is sponsored by the Organization of American States (OAS) and offers heads of state and delegations a chance to discuss mutual concerns and promote cooperation throughout the region.

Hemisphere Insider: Volume II, Issue 5 - April 2, 2012

Mgraybeal — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

IN DEPTH: Nuclear Energy and Alternatives in Latin America

IN BRIEF: Mexico, El Salvador, Caribbean, Haiti/Dominican Republic, Colombia/Venezuela, Chile, Brazil

PROGRAM NEWS: Americas Program cohosts Peru's Minister of Defense; recent commentary and blog posts; upcoming events

Buenos Aires to Athens—The Road to Perdition

Mgraybeal — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The recent debt restructuring in Greece, which imposed up-front losses of about $130 billion on bondholders (mainly European banks), and all-in losses of more than 70 percent on a net-present-value (NPV) basis, is actually the third time in the last decade that a sovereign workout (1) has been driven largely by political considerations and (2) has led to the erosion of international creditor ri

U.S. Strategic Alignment: Squaring Trade and Grand Strategy in Asia

sherry — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The United States has all the tools at hand to build an enduring and sustainable strategy for engagement in the Asia Pacific. But some careful work is needed to fit the key parts of this policy together. The most compelling requirement is to ensure that trade policy supports a comprehensive U.S. strategy.

U.S.-China Parallel Development Assistance Goals

jdunton — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The expansion of China’s economy in recent decades has brought a corresponding rise in the amount of foreign assistance China offers to the developing world. In particular, China increased aid to countries in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Some of China’s methods and objectives are controversial within the international aid community.

PacNet #22 - Myanmar’s Economic Future after the April 1 Elections

bMizuno — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

In recent months, there has been increasing attention to Myanmar’s economic potential.

Hemisphere Insider: Volume II, Issue 4 - March 26, 2012

Mgraybeal — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

IN DEPTH: Haiti - Bringing Tourism Back to Port-au-Prince

IN BRIEF: Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia

PROGRAM NEWS: Americas Program hosts U.S. chiefs of mission to Central America; CSIS Americas Program at Chile's Army War College; recent blogs and upcoming events

DIIG Current Issues No. 28: Defense Industrial Policy the Iranian Way

rlivergood — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

In February 2012, the Islamic Republic of Iran celebrated the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution with the unveiling of new defense acquisition programs and the launch of a spy satellite.

The Big Caucasus

jdunton — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Situated astride one of the world’s key strategic crossroads, the “Big Caucasus” is increasingly a region in flux.

China and Afghanistan

jdunton — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Because China is principally interested in preventing the destabilization of Xinjiang Province, it has broadly deferred to the United States and its Western allies who are leading military efforts, political reconciliation, and economic reconstruction in Afghanistan.

PacNet #20 - Wen Signals Something New

bMizuno — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

After years of delay, crackdowns, and failures, the time seems to have arrived for political reform in China. This coincides with a major demotion in the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP): on March 15 controversial Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai was replaced by Jiang Dejiang.

India's 2012 Elections and Budget: Two Shoes Dropping

rbhasker — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Five states in India went to the polls over the past few months to elect new leaders, including its 200-million-person mega-state, Uttar Pradesh (UP), and the big surprise was the shellacking the two national parties, Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), took in favor of regional parties.

Hemisphere Insider: Volume II, Issue 3 - March 19, 2012

Mgraybeal — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

IN DEPTH: Colombia's Growing Trade Relations with Japan

IN BRIEF: Mexico, Panama, El Salvador and Guatemala, Guatemala, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina

PROGRAM NEWS: Americas Program releases new reports; recent podcasts and blogs

Innovation and International Development: The Case of Development Innovation Ventures

sherry — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What is Development Innovation Ventures?

Global Economics Update: Plans for Growth

TSmith — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the new CSIS Simon Chair newsletter. Each month, we plan to explore a current topic in international economic policy, to provide a calendar of upcoming program and policy events, and to discuss other pertinent developments in global economics.

Hemisphere Insider: Volume II, Issue 2 - March 12, 2012

Mgraybeal — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

IN DEPTH: "Guatemala: Initial Stab at Tax Reform"

IN BRIEF: Mexico, Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, Brazil/Colombia, Ecuador, Summit of the Americas

PROGRAM NEWS: Anton Edmunds joins Americas Program as senior associate; Howard Wiarda honored in Dominican Republic.

Have We Lost That "Special" Feeling? British Prime Minister Cameron’s Visit to the United States

sherry — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

On March 13–14, President and Mrs. Barack Obama will host Prime Minister and Mrs. David Cameron for an official visit and a state dinner. While the United States will never match the royal pageantry and majestic backdrop of last year’s state visit in London hosted by Queen Elizabeth II, the United States knows how to impress its honored guests as well.

Local Capacity Building: Framing Papers and Case Studies

ncollins — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The attached document is a compilation of case studies submitted by our partner organizations: International Resources Group, Plan International, Small Enterprise Assistance Fund, Panagora Group, Creative Associates, Tetra Tech, Louis Berger, Chemonics, Abt Associates, Oxfam America. With additional contributions from the Coalition of International Development Companies.

A Roman Holiday? The Week in Review on the European Debt Crisis

ian — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Crisis? What crisis? This week the European Central Bank (ECB) unleashed a second tidal wave of inexpensive, three-year loans—long-term refinancing options (LTROs)—with more relaxed collateral requirements. Eight- hundred European banks, large and small, eagerly soaked up €530 billion of liquidity on top of December’s LTROs of €489 billion.

India's Economy: The Other Half

NLombardo — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

This edition of U.S.-India Insight focuses on women in the Indian economy, particularly the issue of women in the workplace. Although the Indian economy has been an impressive engine for growth in recent years, a large percentage of its potential work force remains sidelined.

Remembering Anthony Shadid

ian — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

I met him before he was Anthony Shadid. In the summer of 1991, he was just a skinny kid from the University of Wisconsin with a black mustache and an easy smile. We were studying Arabic together in Cairo. He was a third-generation Lebanese-American who had learned Arabic from scratch with an idea the he would become a Middle East correspondent.

Middle East Notes and Comment: Slippery Choices

dholodnik — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The Gulf Arab States have a dilemma. One reason that they have been able to avoid upheaval over the last tumultuous year in the Middle East is because they have made their already generous public subsidies even more generous. But within the short-term fix is a set of longer-term problems that could profoundly affect regional stability.

Freeman Briefing: China’s Export Lobbying Groups and the Politics of the Renminbi

ian — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The standard narrative of the disputes between the United States and China over exchange rate policy portrays a unified Chinese leadership defending China’s position against claims by the United States that an undervalued Chinese currency—the Renminbi (RMB), gives China an unfair trade advantage.

Leading from Behind in Public-Private Partnerships?

jdunton — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

European countries have consistently been significant contributors of international official development assistance (ODA); in 2010, the EU and its member states spent €53.8 on ODA, nearly 60 percent of global development aid.

The Pacific's New Market: Trading Aid for Votes

sherry — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

One should not be surprised when Nauru, a nation of less than 10,000, is offered $50 million from Russia. Nor should the opening of diplomatic missions from Georgia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates in the South Pacific be remarkable when considering what is at stake. An economist might say that a market has emerged for purchasing votes at the United Nations.

The Evolving U.S. Footprint in Southeast Asia

kate — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Over the past two weeks, U.S. defense secretary Leon Panetta and his key officers, including Admiral Robert F. Willard, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, have actively explained details of President Barack Obama’s January 5 announcement about the new defense budget and its implications for the Asia Pacific. Southeast Asian counterparts want to clearly understand U.S.

DIIG Current Issues No. 27: Internal R&D Productivity in Aerospace and Defense

gsanders — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

In an environment of declining defense spending by what have traditionally been the largest customers on both sides of the Atlantic, aerospace and defense companies face difficult decisions on how to deploy their cash.

Egypt in Transition: Insights and Options for U.S. Policy

dholodnik — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Egypt’s leadership has dashed expectations for a swift and complete shift from autocracy to democracy. The inherent conservatism of Egypt’s military leadership, combined with the political ineffectiveness of many of the activists who were at the center of public protests a year ago, is widening the gap between public expectations of the post-Mubarak era and its reality.

President’s Proposed Reorganization of Trade Agencies

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

On January 13, 2012, President Obama released a proposed reorganization of the federal bureaucracy, which would see the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the Small Business Administration, the Export-Import Bank, and the U.S.

A Pragmatic Approach to Energy Policy: The President’s Job Council Report

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Yesterday, the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness released a report, “Road Map to Renewal,” on a variety of ways to boost jobs and competitiveness in the United States.

A New Security Architecture for the Arctic

jdunton — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The Arctic will experience extraordinary economic and environmental change over the next several decades. Commercial, human, and state interaction will rise dramatically. More drilling for oil and gas in the region and growing shipping and ecotourism as new shipping routes come into existence are just a few of the examples of increased human activity in the Arctic.

Fracking and Seismic Activity

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Q1: Recent earthquake tremors centered on Youngstown, Ohio, have resurrected safety concerns related to hydraulic fracturing and shale gas extraction. Are the tremors related to fracking activity?