Growth Escalators and Growth Convergence
Ejaz Ghani | 5 September 2014
Trade,
Blog | Tags:
Development,
Services Trade
This article was first published on VoxEU.org and is republished with permission. The literature on global growth convergence and divergence is vast and deep. And it is still evolving. Some have argued that global growth is actually diverging across countries. Pritchett (1977) called this “divergence,
... continue reading
TTIP and Jobs: Does the Emperor Have Clothes?
Johannes Schwarzer | 21 August 2014
Trade,
Blog | Tags:
Employment,
Services Trade,
TTIP
With negotiations of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in full swing, policymakers across the Atlantic are reiterating calls for more support of an agreement. In the wake of increasing public criticism of the plans for a deal, notably in Europe, policymakers are under
... continue reading
Does Inflation Really Hurt the Poor More than the Rich?
Pierre Monnin | 26 May 2014
Monetary,
Blog | Tags:
Inequality,
Inflation
After being neglected for decades, income and wealth inequality are back at the center of economic discussions. Recent work by the IMF, renowned economists like Joseph Stiglitz (e.g. in his book “The Price of Inequality”), as well as the lively debate generated by Thomas Piketty’s
... continue reading
Inflation and Income Inequality in Developed Economies
Pierre Monnin | 15 May 2014
Monetary,
Research Papers | Tags:
Inequality,
Inflation
This paper explores the empirical link between income inequality and inflation in ten OECD countries over the period 1971 to 2010. In addition to inflation, we include six control variables
... continue reading
Bali Boost: WTO Lives, Snatched for Now From Jaws of Defeat
Jean-Pierre Lehmann | 23 December 2013
Trade,
Blog | Tags:
WTO
It would be churlish not to congratulate the WTO and especially Roberto Azevêdo, its dynamic director-general, for successfully passing a “Bali package” at the Indonesian resort well past the 11th hour on 7 December. The WTO Doha Round, launched in the Qatari capital in 2001,
... continue reading
Africa Could Become the World’s Next Powerhouse
Gilles Carbonnier | 26 September 2013
Fiscal,
Trade,
Blog | Tags:
Africa,
Commodities,
Taxes
“A winning Africa!” “Thousands of Portuguese workers emigrate to the former colony of Angola in search of work.” Headlines such as these are a perfect illustration of the Afro-optimism that has gripped the media these last few years. In an Africa courted by foreign investors,
... continue reading
Property Taxes and Sustainability
Alexander Barkawi and
Peter Heller | 26 August 2013
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Housing,
Inequality
Many economists advocate that a higher share of government revenue should derive from taxes on immovable property. Proponents of a sustainability agenda may want to follow their advice. Read an OECD economic survey for a particular country and chances are high it recommends increasing the
... continue reading
China-EU solar panel trade dispute: Rhetoric versus reality
Simon Evenett | 7 June 2013
Trade,
Blog | Tags:
Antidumping,
Energy,
Renewables,
Subsidies
This article was first published on VoxEU.org and is republished with permission. Following a complaint lodged on 25 July 2012 by EU Pro Sun, an association representing around 20 EU-based producers of solar panels and components, the European Commission initiated an investigation into potential Chinese
... continue reading
Green Economy – Beware of Merchants of Doubt
Stephen Boucher | 17 April 2013
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Green Growth,
Subsidies
Those who oppose change involving powerful economic sectors have long ago found an effective tactic: instilling doubt in the guise of reasonable arguments. A recent manifestation of this tactic is the claim that so-called ‘green jobs’ are too expensive and in fact destroy “real” jobs.
... continue reading
Resource Scarcity, Export Restrictions and the Multilateral Trading System
Gilles Carbonnier | 10 April 2013
Trade,
Blog | Tags:
Commodities,
Protectionism,
WTO
The turn of the millennium marked a shift towards higher commodity prices and greater price volatility, as a result of high demand for natural resources from emerging economies combined with export restrictions and financial speculation. A recent Chatham House report highlights that, over the past
... continue reading