Regardless of election outcomes in October, Argentina’s next government will begin liberalizing its economy, potentially loosening restrictions on the repatriation of funds, reducing the enforcement of price controls and reducing subsidies. Despite slight changes to Argentina’s regulatory framework, the government will continue to bar some investment and businesses to stem capital flight and to maintain … Continue reading
By Peter Koenig and The Saker The Saker: How is Russia coping with sanctions so far and what are the prospects for the future? Peter Koenig: Let’s begin with what are ‘sanctions’? – Sanctions are (economic) punishments by the self-proclaimed empire in Washington and its European minions on any country that does not follow the … Continue reading
Indonesia’s President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has vowed for a quick “massive deregulation” on Wednesday in order to boost sentiment and revive investment as growth in Southeast Asia’s largest economy expands at the weakest pace since 2009 amid a plunge in commodity prices. “We need to carry out massive deregulation and introduce new regulations that will really create a good climate … Continue reading
By Pavel K. Baev China will host a huge military parade in Beijing on September 3, and President Vladimir Putin will be in attendance—returning President Xi Jinping’s earlier gesture of Sino-Russian partnership, which the Chinese head of state expressed as the top guest of honor at the parade in Moscow on May 9. Yet, this past … Continue reading
By International Crisis Group Guatemala is confronting a fast-moving crisis of political legitimacy, as prosecutors reveal new evidence that appears to implicate President Otto Pérez Molina and his former vice president in an allegedly massive tax fraud scheme. Powerful business and civil society organisations are calling for the president’s resignation. Almost twenty years after the end … Continue reading
By Nouriel Roubini Recent market volatility – in emerging and developed economies alike – is showing once again how badly ratings agencies and investors can err in assessing countries’ economic and financial vulnerabilities. Ratings agencies wait too long to spot risks and downgrade countries, while investors behave like herds, often ignoring the build-up of risk … Continue reading
By Miguel Ferreyra de Bone Following the decision of the Chinese government to trim interest rates and adjust the requisites of bank reserves for commercial banks, we are starting to see some improvement from the 20% loss in the Shanghai stock exchange last week. More losses in emerging markets should be expected, however. The financial turmoil that the … Continue reading
By Daniel Schearf Russia’s auto industry appears to be in reverse along with the contracting economy and sliding ruble. At the opening of the International Moscow Automotive Forum this week, a Russian business association representative spoke openly about the crisis facing industry leaders, his concern echoing industry insiders who say the country relies too heavily on … Continue reading
By Abhijit Singh One of the more interesting aspects of Asian maritime politics is the Russia-China naval relationship. Both are major maritime powers with considerable stakes in regional security. Like Beijing, Moscow has sought to safeguard its maritime interests in strategically vital spaces in the Asia-Pacific by initiating a military modernisation programme aimed at projecting a … Continue reading
By Frank Shostak Earlier this month, the Chinese government decided to depreciate its currency on three consecutive occasions. On August 13, the price of the US dollar was trading at 6.413 — an increase of 3.3 percent against July. The key factor behind the central bank’s lowering of the yuan is a sharp decline in the … Continue reading