Global Economy

Global monetary policy returning to “normality”
Global monetary policy returning to “normality”
Former US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen promised that unwinding quantitative easing would be “the policy equivalent of watching paint dry”. Not everyone agrees. Jamie Dimon,…
American trade policy returns to “aggressive unilateralism”
American trade policy returns to “aggressive unilateralism”
America’s new haphazard and confrontational approach to trade policy under President Donald Trump is rapidly taking shape. Risks of escalating protectionism and a damaging trade…
Intellectual property: the big risk in US–China ties
Intellectual property: the big risk in US–China ties
It may be chaotic and confused, but the Trump administration is not entirely nuts. Expected to slam China with heavy penalties for appropriating the intellectual property of US…
The sky is not falling on Asia’s central banks
The sky is not falling on Asia’s central banks
The nature of financial-markets commentary is that every tiny blip and ephemeral piece of news is presented as a narrative of impending doom: who wants to read a story about how…
CPTPP wobbles over foreign investor rights
CPTPP wobbles over foreign investor rights
With the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) now signed and awaiting ratification by the member states, the issue of investor-state…
Trump’s tariff antics as the TPP-11 is signed
Trump’s tariff antics as the TPP-11 is signed
The symbolism of last Thursday for the future of the global trading system was hard to miss. In Washington, Donald Trump authorised new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports of…
Multilateral trade versus self-interest
Multilateral trade versus self-interest
How should countries respond to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminium? One response would be to retaliate. Another would be to emphasise the damage done to the…
The long road back for the US to rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership
The long road back for the US to rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Tentative signs the US may have been adopting a more sensible view on trade have been dashed by President Donald Trump’s recent decision to impose tariffs of 25% on…
Economic diplomacy brief: Asian infrastructure, football diplomacy, and investor protection
Economic diplomacy brief: Asian infrastructure, football diplomacy, and investor protection
Power plays February was a big month for building in Bangladesh. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) announced a US$60 million loan to a power project, only…
Donald Trump, trade, and Malcolm Turnbull in the middle
Commentary
Donald Trump, trade, and Malcolm Turnbull in the middle
Originally published in the Australian Financial Review (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images). Roland Rajah