NEW YORK — For those few people left who still believe Donald Trump is unconventional but canny, that there is a method to the madness, the revelations of this week should clarify. Bob Woodward’s new book and The New York Times op-ed written by an anonymous official make plain that behind Trump’s ranting, impulsive, incoherent […]
world economy
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Global economy could pose problems
WASHINGTON — While everyone fixates on the U.S. election, developments in the world economy threaten to create problems for the next president and, possibly, trigger a major financial crisis. A little-noticed study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delivers the bad news. It finds that global debt — including the debts of governments, households and […]
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Emerging-market countries affecting global economies
WASHINGTON — You cannot understand the vulnerable state of the U.S. and global economies — and nervous stock markets — without coming to grips with the crash of “emerging-market” countries. Led by China, these are middle-income countries that, along with the poorest countries, account for 85 percent of the world’s population and 60 percent of […]
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China playing a risky game with its currency
WASHINGTON — To understand China’s surprise currency devaluation, you need context. China is engineering a major economic transformation — or, at least, trying. For years, it relied upon export-led growth and massive investments in housing, infrastructure (roads, rails, ports) and heavy industry (steel, glass, aluminum). This economic model now seems spent. World trade is weak. […]
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What next for China after market crash?
WASHINGTON — China’s spectacular stock crash poses three questions. First, what caused it? Next, will it harm the “real” economy of spending and hiring, inside China and beyond? And, finally, how will it affect China’s Communist Party and its economic strategy? If you haven’t paid attention, here are some basics about the crash. The Shanghai […]
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Robert Samuelson: Dollar keeps world economy humming
WASHINGTON — It’s been called the “exorbitant privilege”; it might also be termed “the indestructible curse.” Americans are proud of the fact that the dollar — their money — is also the world’s dominant international currency. But this very same global role also helps explain some of Americans’ major complaints about the world economy: why […]