Donald Trump has started a tariff war based on awful economics, with little thought to the consequences for US businesses, consumers or markets, and no clear end game. But the US does have some legitimate grievances about the trade policies adopted by other countries – and not just by China. For the last forty years … Continue reading US tariff war exposes Europe’s double standards on trade
Tag: Trump
A presentation on the UK economy and monetary policy
Here are the slides from a presentation I gave earlier today to the Shadow Monetary Policy Committee hosted by the IEA. This covered the latest news on the global and the UK economies, the state of play on tariffs, the economic consequences of Mr Trump, how central banks should respond, and how I would vote … Continue reading A presentation on the UK economy and monetary policy
Why China can still win a trade war with the US
As every student of economics or history show know, free trade is a win-win. The escalation in the tariff war between the US and China will therefore be a lose-lose for both parties. Nonetheless, China is more likely to come out on top. This may seem counter intuitive. After all, China benefits from a huge … Continue reading Why China can still win a trade war with the US
Is the UK economy really bouncing back?
The news that the UK economy grew by 0.5% in February, lifting the three-month growth rate to 0.6%, is obviously welcome. But these ONS figures should come plastered with health warnings. For a start, monthly GDP data are notoriously volatile, and often revised. A sharp correction is possible in March and especially in April, when … Continue reading Is the UK economy really bouncing back?
Plain-speaking Economics 