Trade and Economics - Related

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

ecurran — 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

ecurran — 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

ecurran — 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?

PacNet #2 - The Time Has Come for Economic Reform in Myanmar

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

On the eve of a critically important IMF Article IV Consultation Mission to Myanmar, the basic question is: where's the beef on economic reform? After over a year of post-election policy debate, meaningful economic reform initiatives have been meager.

Iran Sanctions and Oil Market Implications

kate — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Q: With tensions escalating between Iran and the West as both the United States and Europe prepare to impose additional sanctions, Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz have driven up oil prices and sent purchasers scurrying to find replacement barrels. What is the likelihood of Iran following through on the threat, and what are the implications for the oil market?

Developing an Enduring Strategy for ASEAN

jdunton — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S.-ASEAN Strategy Commission was organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to provide useful and practical recommendations to American policymakers with the objective of developing a long-term U.S. strategy to deal with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and the ASEAN organization.

Critical Questions for 2012

ian — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

From international security and regional study to global challenges, CSIS experts will address many of the world's most difficult policy concerns and critical questions in 2012. To kick off the new year, we asked 25 of our scholars to identity what worries them most and what are the biggest opportunities in their respective areas of study.

U.S.-Mexico Migration—Prospects for Reform

Mgraybeal — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Recent evidence points to a dramatic shift in migration patterns involving Mexico, traditionally the United States’ biggest migrant contributor. According to a recent Pew Hispanic Center report, 35 percent of the 10.2 million unauthorized adult immigrants in the United States have been U.S.

Japan Chair Platform: Operation Tomodachi in Miyagi Prefecture: Success and Homework

ecurran — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

On March 11, 2011, at 2:46 p.m., a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Miyagi Prefecture and generated a tsunami that advanced more than three miles inland from the seashore.

The European Sovereign Debt Crisis in Review and Happy Holidays to You!

ian — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We thought it would be appropriate to celebrate this festive holiday season with a review of the past 12 months of the European debt crisis. Europe has been constantly in the headlines this year, but very little of it has been good news. As the year draws to a close, we have written the following analysis in the spirit of a favorite holiday song, “The 12 Days of Christmas.”

Entrepreneurship in India: The Next Wave

jdunton — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

When thinking about entrepreneurship in India, it is hard not to focus on names like Tata, Ambani, Premji, and Murthy. These pioneers of Indian industry have not only globalized Indian business firms, but they have also helped to pave the way for a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Is Britain Leaving Europe?

sherry — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

At an EU summit meeting in Brussels, December 8 and 9, Britain’s Conservative prime minister David Cameron provoked a fury by vetoing a planned new EU treaty imposing tighter fiscal discipline on euro members to help resolve the debt crisis in the eurozone and prevent its recurrence.

Prospects for India-US Defence Aerospace Collaboration

jdunton — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Role of FTA Negotiations in the Future of U.S.-Egypt Relations

jdunton — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Egypt, a long-time ally with profound influence on U.S. security, is facing the daunting prospect of making the transition from decades of authoritarianism to democracy.

Sharing Risk in a World of Dangers and Opportunities

jdunton — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The changing nature of international development has produced an increasing interest in the use of development finance instruments. As the availability of soft grant money decreases and there is an increasing acceptance of the central role of private-sector-led growth, official development assistance–led development is shifting to focus on investment and trade. In this context, the U.S.

Colombia: Post-Conflict Politics

Mgraybeal — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

UP CLOSE: Colombia's Post-Conflict Politics, Economic Reform in Cuba

IN BRIEF: Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, Oil, and Inauguration Updates

Key's Mandate: Promote Economic Recovery and Closer Ties with the United States

gpoling — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The November 26 elections in New Zealand saw Prime Minister John Key returned to power with nearly 50 percent of the vote, giving his National Party one of the country’s strongest electoral performances in five decades.

Key's Mandate: Promote Economic Recovery and Closer Ties with the United States

gpoling — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Why Go to Myanmar?

ian — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Why should Hillary Clinton go to Myanmar? The short answer is to encourage the best chance at real political change in a country that effectively cloistered itself under harsh military rule for nearly five decades. Myanmar, or Burma, has been the virtual political ball and chain of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which it joined in 1997.

Japan Chair Platform: Can Noda Survive?

ian — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Two months have passed since Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s inauguration. Despite his initial obscurity among Japanese voters, Noda has skillfully built up popular support by emphasizing his humble stance and honest personality and has managed to launch his cabinet safely. However, the real test awaits him ahead.

“If the euro fails, Europe fails,” according to German chancellor Angela Merkel. And if Europe fails, we all fail.

ian — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Fourteen summits in 21 months; the collapse of six eurozone governments; four bailout packages; and still we have an economic crisis on the verge of engulfing the world’s largest economies—this is the picture of political failure.

The Sixth East Asia Summit and Third U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Meeting in Bali, Indonesia

ian — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

President Barack Obama and the leaders of 17 other countries will meet this weekend, November 19–20, at the sixth East Asia Summit (EAS) in Bali, Indonesia. In addition, President Obama and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet for the third U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Meeting.

Mexico's Retrogression: Implications of a Bankruptcy Reorganization Gone Wrong

Mgraybeal — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

An earlier essay (“Corporate Workouts in Mexico: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”) told of how Mexico had made considerable progress in the past decade-and-a-half in matters pertaining to corporate law, the strengthening of property rights, and the ease of doing business. It highlighted in particular the benefits of a new law governing the Mexican insolvency regime—the Ley de Concursos Mercantiles (LCM, best translated as the “Business Reorganization Act” of 2000, as amended in 2007).

It pointed out that the Mexican insolvency regime was being put to the test by the creditor-unfriendly precedent that Vitro S.A.B. was trying to set. Vitro, one of the world’s largest producers and distributors of glass products, is one of several major Mexican corporations that found themselves at the losing end of various currency derivative contracts in late 2008, when in the aftermath of the Lehman Brothers debacle, the Mexican peso unexpectedly took a big hit while the U.S. dollar rallied.

President Obama Will Announce Increased Marine Presence during Australia Visit

ian — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

President Barack Obama will visit Australia on November 16–17 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty and reestablish U.S. leadership in the Asia-Pacific region. His arrival in Canberra will mark his first visit to Australia as president and the first U.S. presidential visit since George W.

EAST ASIA SUMMIT: Next Step is Structure

ian — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Leaders of 18 nations from the Asia-Pacific region will meet in Bali, Indonesia, this week for the East Asia Summit (EAS) in recognition that new regional architecture is required to ensure peace and prosperity in a region that now accounts for over half of world economic activity and will be the center of twenty-first-century security concerns.

APEC Summit Boosts U.S. Trade Opportunities in Asia

ian — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

President Obama’s summit with the 21 leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on November 13 marked the beginning of a nine-day push by the president to highlight the U.S. “pivot” toward Asia.

PacNet #64 - The United States and the East Asia Summit: A New Beginning?

bMizuno — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This week President Obama will join seventeen other Asian leaders in Bali for the Sixth East Asia Summit (EAS). With a tough economy at home and the decision of the Congressional “super-committee” on the federal budget only days away, this is hardly a good time for a US president to be out of the country.

India-Pakistan Trade: Better Late Than Never

ian — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Q1: What does Pakistan’s decision to grant most-favored-nation (MFN) status to India mean?

Two Models for Integrating Asia: A Must Win for President Obama

gpoling — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Asia is now home to more than 50 percent of the world’s economic activity, a long-anticipated benchmark vastly accelerated by China’s stunning, swift economic growth and its overtaking Japan as the planet’s second-largest economy. Asia’s dynamism is transforming the world, its institutions, and U.S. strategy.

PacNet #63 - Japan Needs the TPP

bMizuno — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko has chosen to confront his country’s powerful agricultural sector and the politicians that represent it and push for Japanese entrance into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Given Japan’s broader economic interests, there is no question that Japan needs the TPP.

Freeman Briefing: China's Investment in the United States

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Over the past decade Chinese investment flows to the United States have grown rapidly. These increased flows have brought with them domestic concern that China’s investments are strategic moves by the Chinese government to acquire U.S. natural resources and technology to aid China’s burgeoning economy.

Developing an Enduring Strategy for Southeast Asia

jdunton — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Partnership for Recovery and a Stronger Future

jdunton — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

When a magnitude 9.0 earthquake shook the earth beneath the Western Pacific on March 11, 2011, it unleashed a massive nine-meter tsunami toward the coast of the Tohoku region of Japan’s main island of Honshu.

The U.S.-Russia Investment Fund and the $75-million Question

ecurran — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

A final decision is about to be reached by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Congress regarding a sum of approximately $150 million in liquidated assets from the U.S.-Russia Investment Fund (TUSRIF). In an ideal scenario half of the $150 million would go to the U.S.

Seizing the Opportunity in Public-Private Partnerships

jdunton — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

This report examines opportunities and challenges for using public-private partnerships in development, specifically through the lens of the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Although other agencies in the U.S.

Managing Brazil's Boom

Mgraybeal — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

UP CLOSE: Brazil's Global Reach, Argentina's Election

PROGRAM HIGLIGHTS: Central American Security Integration: The Greater Regional Response

IN BRIEF: Mexico, Haiti, Peru, and Trade Updates

A Defining November: Litmus Test for President Obama

gpoling — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

President Obama and his national security and economic teams have done a good job in the past several months focusing on U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region and taking the case for engagement in this dynamic region to Americans. Investing political capital by explaining that promoting U.S.

A Defining November: Litmus Test for President Obama

gpoling — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

DIIG Current Issues No. 26: Framing Defense Cuts

rlivergood — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Since the crisis over America’s debt rating and the formation of the super committee, there has been a surge in debate about how to reduce defense spending. Despite talk of “all options being on the table,” the lack of both breadth and depth in active proposals is remarkable. Efficiency initiatives and across-the-board cuts have been advanced as solutions.

USTDA: Good Value for Development Dollars

ian — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Often underappreciated and underutilized, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is an independent federal agency with a big role in the future of international development.

So, What’s the Plan Europe? The European Sovereign Debt Crisis and the October 23 Summit

ecurran — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

On Sunday, EU leaders will meet in Brussels for yet another high-stakes summit on Europe’s escalating sovereign debt woes, with the future stability of the global economy in the balance.

The Rise of Enrique Peña Nieto and Return of the PRI

jdunton — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The prospect of the return of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) is no longer a novelty; in fact, most observers of Mexican politics now assume that the party is a shoe-in for electoral victory in July 2012.

Middle East Notes and Comment: The Predicament

dholodnik — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

For nearly four decades, the United States' reputation in the Middle East has been strengthened by its ability to broker peace between Israelis and Arabs. That ability is fading as the Palestinians seek to bypass the United States in their statehood bid and Israeli policies further alienate many American supporters.

The U.S.-ROK Free Trade Agreement

ian — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

On October 12, the U.S. Congress approved free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama. The House passed the Korea trade deal (KORUS) in a 278 to 151 vote. In the Senate, KORUS passed with 83 in favor and only 15 opposed.

Q1: What is the significance of the agreement for the United States?