Brexit and economic policy: oversight overlooked
Until recently, the EU and the UK were in disagreement over one part of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the bit that dealt with Northern Ireland. This seems to …
The Penalty is Mightier than the Sword, Maybe
Military spending has grown immensely. World military expenditure increased for the ninth consecutive year in 2023, reaching a total of $2443 billion. Not enough, say some people. There are calls for …
Europe needs slow wins
The European Parliament elections are now taking place. They couldn’t be happening at a worse time. There are wars close to home and elsewhere. The cycle of global warming continues. …
Where do you come from, or where are you coming from?
The recent controversy about the appointment of the chief economist in the part of the EU commission that deals with competition is instructive. And not in a good way. DG …
You’re fine, it’s just a scratch
Now that the summer has arrived in Europe, it’s time to think about car hire. This is a subject of anxiety and controversy for many. Electric cars are making things …
The war in Ukraine
I heard recently from a reliable source that the cost to the world economy of the war in Ukraine is estimated so far at $1 trillion. I’ve seen much higher …
Should governments help the airlines? (part 2 of 2)
There’s another problem when governments rescue companies and get them back up on their feet: they may quickly forget the favours they have received. Ingratitude is a fact of commercial life, but there’s no reason …
Africa needs a lot more private investment
Progress in Africa continues slowly, in spite of political instability, the pressure of other concerns, corruption, and natural disasters. Some companies have been active in manufacturing for more than a …
Shop Till You Drop: New Strategies
The news that Philip Morris International, the cigarette people, was trying to buy Vectura, a company that makes equipment to relive sufferers with asthma, COPD and so on, aroused some …
Free trade and workers’ rights: we need to talk
Bringing workers’ rights into trade negotiations is necessary and it’s not impossible. Trade questions and employment questions are intrinsically linked. In the US, there is an obsession with the idea …
Indices the HUAWEI way
Huawei have published what they call the global connectivity index. It’s a global IT competitiveness index, basically. It uses 40 indicators to measure the relative performance of different countries in …
Biden’s trade policy issues
What are Biden’s trade policy issues? Let’s assume that he takes office and that there is no Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate. What does all this mean for international …
Should governments help the airlines? (part 1 of 2)
In the early stages of the pandemic, international flight linkages were actually the main transmission channel for the virus. In fact, flight connections proved to be an even more accurate …
You want your own airline?
What’s your aviation strategy? Entry into the airline business is easier than you might expect. You might think that you must first of all buy an airplane. Not true: you …
The thing is…..
The pandemic has had many tragic impacts, and the economic effects are secondary. But they are enormous. The IMF expects global economic activity to decline on a scale not seen …
Unlimited Data
The field of data is an interesting illustration of the way in which some driving forces of the world economy are interacting. Data will always keep on growing, because there …
I told you so….
In the previous post I said that, post Brexit, the UK would be unable or unwilling to defend the interests of its overseas territories. The EU has now placed Cayman …
Brexit on the beach
Brexit has consequences for an eclectic collection of territories that are attached in different ways to the UK. They are mentioned in the Withdrawal Agreement, and they include Gibraltar (which …
Competition: it’s not me, it’s not you, it’s us
Last year, Toyota increased its shareholding in Subaru, and Subaru bought shares in Toyota for the first time. There is no intention it is said of Toyota actually acquiring Subaru …
Trade agreements: breaking them up is hard to do
A possible trade agreement between the UK and the US has become a controversial issue in the UK elections. The Labour Party alleges that the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) …