The effects of input tariffs on productivity: panel data evidence for OECD countries

Based on a panel of 16 OECD countries and 10 manufacturing industries over 1996–2007, this paper investigates the impact of tariffs on foreign intermediate goods on productivity growth in downstream manufacturing industries. The results show that imposing tariffs on imported intermediate goods is particularly harmful for industries that operate close to the global technological frontier. We also consider the possibility that input-tariff liberalisation may have different effects depending on the technological content of imported intermediate goods. Our findings suggest that protecting imports of high-technological goods is more harmful for productivity improvements in industries that operate close to global best practice.     

Introduction to the special issue on ‘global trading system and protectionism: China,the United States and Europe’

ABSTRACT

In this Introduction to our Special Issue, we provide detailed and critical comments and summaries of the excellent papers. The papers are important contributions to the China-U.S. and China-Europe economic and trade issues in the context of the global trading environment, as shaped by the current unorthodox policies of the Trump Administration. The wonderful papers dealt with relevant issues related to international trade, investment, national security, trade laws, intellectual property rights laws, political science, business, etc. They constitute a must-read for academics, policy and business researchers, think tank fellows, experts in international organizations, as well as government-related researchers in various national capitals. The three Co-editors are all experienced and accomplished academics with vast experiences in public policies. As academics, they may hold different views but their unique and diverse perspectives provide an important background to the Special Issue. They jointly contributed major efforts to this timely and important Special Issue.     

轮胎“特保案”美国的真正目的

背景 美国总统奥巴马9月11日宣布，对所有从中国进口的小轿车和轻型卡车轮胎实施惩罚性关税。 美国钢铁工人联合会今年4月以中国对美轮胎出口扰乱美国市场为由，向美国国际贸易委员会提出申请，对中国产乘用车轮胎发起特保调查。     

后冷战时期中国人对美国的看法与思考

冷战结束后,中国人对美国的看法是多方面、多层次的,包括对美国的政治、经济、文化、社会、思想、对外政策等等的认识,而且那些看法是变动不居的,要对他们在各个问题上的看法作出准确的统计和精确的判断,是相当困难的.如果需要找到一个词来概括中国人在冷战后认识和思考美国问题的最基本和最普遍的特征,那么"疑虑"可能是最恰如其分的.不论是从思考的起点,思考的心理状态,还是目前思考所处的状态等哪一方面看,都是如此.     

The impact of terrorism on public debt in African countries

Given the increase in the number of terrorist attacks in African countries, a better understanding of the relationship between terrorism, the informal economy and public debt is essential for policymakers. The model is empirically tested for 47 countries during the period 1996–2015. We use ordinary least squares (OLS), random effects (ER) and system generalized method of moments (GMM). Three terrorism indicators are used: the uncertain, the domestic, and the transnational. The results confirm that the rise in terrorism and the informal economy lead to an increase in public debt. The results also show that the informal economy magnifies the effect of terrorism on public debt. In addition, the results suggest that a larger informal economy reduces income taxes and therefore increases public debt and the increase in public spending reinforces the effects of terrorism on public debt. The reduction of terrorism should therefore be governments’ primary political objective. Given the detected complementarity between terrorism and the informal economy, the reduction of terrorism would also reduce the size of the informal economy and the public debt. The reduction of terrorism will also minimize the harmful effects of terrorism on public debt through public spending.     

The impact of microfinance on poverty and income inequality in developing countries

Economic growth in developing countries provides an opportunity to accelerate progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, in reality, the number of people living in extreme poverty remains unacceptably high. Utilising the experiences of 34 developing countries for the period 2009 to 2016, the role of microfinance on poverty in these countries is examined. The results imply that the degree to which the existing forms of microfinance effectively reduce extreme poverty is less workable in developing countries, particularly when the hardcore poor are likely being deprived of receiving access to microfinance. It is suggested that governments may need to revise the structure and strategy of microfinance to be more hardcore poor oriented. The hardcore poor have needs beyond pure monetary assistance. More hand‐holding types of assistance are needed as most are also poor in respect of literacy, assets, and skills.     

The fertility of the Irish in the United States in 1910

The relatively high marital fertility of the Irish in the United States in the 19th century has long been interpreted as evidence for the persistence of a distinctive Irish culture in the United States. This claim echoes a similar view of Irish-American marriage patterns. Recent work has shown that the marriage patterns of the Irish in the United States were similar to native-born whites with similar occupational and other characteristics. This paper studies the reasons for the high fertility of Irish-Americans in 1910. Irish-born women in that year had much larger families than the typical native-born woman, and little of the difference can be attributed to other characteristics. Second-generation Irishwomen were less distinctive in this regard, although even they differed from the natives primarily because of a different proclivity to have a large family. Our results signal the complexity of immigrant adjustment to a new environment; the Irish largely abandoned one aspect of Irish demographic behavior while clinging to another.     

The impact of 1992 Europe on the United States' economy

Plenary Panel Address at the Twenty-Ninth International Atlantic Economic Conference, March 17–23, 1990, Geneva.     

美国银行法改革探析

20世纪80年代以来,以放公管制为特征的金融自由化改革在主要发达国家不断深化,美国世纪末的银行法改革具有划时代意义,它将开辟世界范围的银行业、保险业和证券业混业经营的新纪元。然而此次银行法改革的核心内容,正是30年代金融管制体系建立时期所刻意强调的。本文回顾30年代金融服务业分业经营体系建立的背景,及此后金融管制理论的变革,分析80年代以来美国银行法改革的动因,以及世纪末金融服务现代化法案的主要内容和影响。     

美国的金融改革及其启示

一、美国金融改革的经济背景 今年2月1日,美国经济进入了连续增长的第107个月,打破了60年代创下的连续增长106个月的历史记录,经济运行呈现出高增长率、低通胀率、低失业率的良好态势,而且至今尚未出现即将停滞的迹象。根据有关统计资料,美国的劳动生产率1975-1994年平均每年提高1%,而1995-1999年平均每年却……     

欧美劳务派遣立法的借鉴

劳务派遣是2008年1月1日实施的《劳动合同法》中用＂特别规定＂专章进行规制的内容,对我国劳务派遣行业的规范起到里程碑的作用。作为产业领域雇用劳动的一种形态,劳务派遣用工的出现从学术上对传统的劳动雇用理论提出挑战。     

环境核算在美国

20世纪60年代末70年代初,环境核算作为社会核算的一部分被提了出来。美国在环境核算方面是一个积极的先行者和参与者,经济分析局1992年开始着手建立“经济环境一体化卫星账户”。本文对美国的环境核算进行综述。     

中国应成为世界第三个期货交易中心

刚从新疆风尘仆仆赶回北京的常清一脸的倦容，可是当提到期货的时候，双眼立刻变得神采熠熠。作为中国期货行业的创始人之一，他从研究全国的期货方案开始，到自己亲自下海实践，已经走过近20个春秋。近20年来，他矢志不渝追求的一个梦想就是：要把中国建成与欧美并驾齐驱的世界上的又一个定价中心。     

美国大使的山东感受——记美国驻华大使洪博培媒体见面会

他是美国人,在出任大使之前,曾两度被选为犹他州州长;今年5月他刚刚被奥巴马总统提名,8月就来到北京履新;他曾3次在亚洲生活,并能讲流利的普通话,而且是个中国通……他就是美国驻中国大使洪博培.洪博培以其一生的兴趣和参与,获得了广泛的亚洲经验.洪博培是个典型的中国迷.他和妻子育有5个孩子,夫妇俩又从中国扬州收养了一个漂亮的小女孩,取名"杨乐意".