Economics & Finance Archives - Page 21 of 30

How Colombia’s Economic Outlook Puts Pressure on the Peace Deal

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Developing rural areas will be hard – and expensive. How will Colombia pay for it?

The Trouble With Cuba’s New Economy

When Raúl Castro steps down as Cuba’s president in February 2018, he will hand off to his successor the unfinished task of reforming the economy. It is Cuba’s most urgent need and, at the same time, an increasingly controversial one. Castro succeeded his brother Fidel as president in 2008 amid serious structural economic problems on … Read more

Can Latin America’s Development Banks Be Fixed?

Scandals and corruption investigations unfolding in Latin America have given development banks a terrible reputation: They stand accused of feeding crony capitalism, transferring resources from taxpayers to undeserving billionaires, and making lending decisions that misallocate capital at the whims of bureaucratic planners who do not necessarily know best. Should we just close them, implode their buildings … Read more

What’s Driving the Eerie Calm in Brazil’s Markets?

Just two weeks ago, corruption allegations involving Brazil’s President Michel Temer tipped the economy into turbulence: the stock market plummeted, the Brazilian real fell sharply, and headlines of the country descending into political and financial panic were everywhere. Again. By June 1, however, the economy had found an eerie calm. The Bovespa, Brazil’s stock market, … Read more

Why U.S. Tax Reform Threatens Mexico’s Financial Future

While tweets and speeches may continue to cause consternation in Mexico and Canada, the existential threat to NAFTA seems to have passed. President Donald Trump is now talking about giving “renegotiation a good, strong shot” rather than rescinding the free trade agreement entirely. On the docket will be intellectual property, labor rights, e-commerce, rules of … Read more

Here’s What Should Worry Mexico More Than NAFTA

It’s fair that Mexican officials would fret over U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to walk away from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) – 80 percent of Mexican goods are currently exported to the U.S., and any change to the 23-year-old deal will surely be economically and politically disruptive. But other potential changes in … Read more

Riding Mexico’s Empty Tourism Train

Book a low-season ticket for El Chepe, the passenger train that cuts through the valleys and mountains of Chihuahua, Mexico’s largest state, and it’s likely you’ll have your pick of seats. Despite taking passengers to or through some of Mexico’s most fascinating towns and natural attractions, El Chepe is nearly empty most of the year, … Read more

Five Ways Venezuelan Businesses Are Coping with Crisis

Businesses and entrepreneurs in Venezuela are responding to the country’s crippling economic crisis in all sorts of ways. Many are simply closing their doors – not surprising in a country whose GDP shrank by at least 10 percent last year. But others have reinvented themselves to survive in the country’s off-kilter economy, as new … Read more

China Wins if NAFTA Dies

Much is made of the perils of ending NAFTA for Mexico, and rightly so. The 23-year-old agreement has helped the nation not only boost trade but also transform its economy, moving from a commodity to an advanced manufacturing exporter. With 80 percent of its exports headed north, even the threat of change has hurt Mexico’s … Read more

Revisiting Brazil’s 2013 Protests: What Did They Really Mean?

Brazil’s current political instability began four years ago, with a wave of street demonstrations that virtually no one predicted – and eventually drew more than 1 million people into the streets. In this special report, AQ’s editor-in-chief looks back at what really caused the protests – and whether today’s politicians have fully learned their lessons. … Read more

What the U.S. Congress Owes Puerto Rico

The inaugural meeting of Puerto Rico’s fiscal control board lasted just 26 minutes. The seven unelected technocrats deputized in September with overseeing nearly every facet of the island’s economy met in a boardroom a few blocks from Wall Street to select a chairman and decide which of Puerto Rico’s institutions would come under their watch. Their … Read more

Argentina’s Return to Honest Accounting Is More Than Just Numbers

Nearly four years after Argentina became the first country to be censured by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for providing inaccurate data on inflation and economic growth, the international body on Nov. 9 restored the country to good standing. The move provided a win for the government’s reform agenda and offered a positive sign for hesitant … Read more

Why Caribbean Banks Are Bracing for Problems

(This article has been updated) In countries like Haiti, remittances matter. Many Haitians rely on money sent from family abroad to meet daily needs, especially in the wake of natural disasters such as Hurricane Matthew, which tore through the country in October. But in Haiti and throughout the Caribbean, sending and receiving remittances is getting … Read more

What Mexico Can Learn from Haiti’s Development Plans

The idea sounds simple: Special Economic Zones (SEZs) offer tax exemptions and cheap labor as hooks to attract investment from foreign companies. Money trickles in, local suppliers get a foothold and the middle class begins to grow. At least, in theory. Mexico is betting big on SEZs, with a new federal law that will create four of … Read more

Foi tudo culpa dela?

Read in English Era 12 de outubro de 2010, e o ministro da Fazenda do Brasil estava fazendo uma apresentação para a comunidade financeira de Nova York sob os lustres de cristal da sede da Americas Society/Council of the Americas. Duas semanas antes, Guido Mantega havia causado sensação ao denunciar uma “guerra cambial” global que … Read more