Schlagwort: trade

Why G20 Finance Ministers Have A Stake in Resisting Protectionism

By G20, ,
Photo: Baden-Baden

The G20 in the spa-town Baden-Baden

According to consistent press reports, drafts of the communiqué prepared for the G20 Finance Minister and Central Bank Governers at their forthcoming meeting at Baden-Baden on 17 and 18 March 2017 have dropped clear statements rejecting protectionism and competitive devaluation of currencies. Apparently, generic language about keeping “an open and fair international trading system” is to be substituted. Does this matter?

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In praise of free trade

By G20, , , ,
Photo: Water Pipe

Trade in food is trade in water

Climate change will impact all human societies, and especially the poor. As acknowledged by the G20 agriculture ministers‘ declaration  in January 2017, the agricultural sector is crucial for food security, climate change adaption, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, managing water scarcity and human migration, and achieving peace and stability. Agricultural trade will play an important role.

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How the G20 can deal with Trump’s Chinese currency complaints in Baden-Baden

By G20, , , ,
Photo: Trump Cartoon

Trump still aims to designate China as a currency manipulator

Last week in an interview with Reuters, U.S. President Trump labelled the Chinese as “grand champions at manipulation of currency”, indicating he has not fully backtracked from his campaign promise to designate China as a ‘currency manipulator’ on ‘day one’ of his Presidency. The position of Washington on this topic has not exactly been crystal clear, however, with the new U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Steve Mnuchin, announcing on the same day as Trump’s comment that the Treasury was in fact still going through the formal process of analysing Chinese currency practices, and that no judgements would be made prior to the completion of that process. …

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A new basis for the cooperation with Africa

By Afrika, , ,
Image: Highway

From agricultural to market society

Seldom is the African market discussed in terms of an opportunity for international cooperation. As long as Europe and the USA subsidise their agriculture, African farmers have no place within the European markets. A stable middle class struggles to develop in consequence. Germany and Europe could help trigger a turnaround if processes of endogenous development were supported by economic measures and technological and research collaborations.

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Who does DG Trade think it is?

By Afrika, , , ,
Image: EU Kommission HQ

Africa is being blackmailed

The next EU-Africa summit is due to take place in Abidjan in November. This requires a vision of peaceful, legal partnership with and for each other. This can only be the creation of self-supporting economic development in Africa. Although development cooperation has a catalytic function here, private investments are decisive. In this case, it is advisable to ask oneself the following: which elements of mutual interest can and should we change? The EU’s Economic Partnership Agreements with African countries and country groups should be named in this context as an example.

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