The hidden costs of China’s industrial policy
China uses a wide array of industrial policies, such as subsidies and regulations, to promote strategic economic sectors. This column estimates that the equivalent fiscal
Supply chains and free trade agreements
Studies examining the effects of free trade agreements on the activities of multinational enterprises have tended to focus on trade between home countries and their
Lessons from Denmark’s eight-hour workday reform
In recent years, calls for shorter working weeks have re-emerged in Europe and elsewhere. This column examines how Denmark’s 1919 shift to the eight-hour workday
What can Europe learn from China’s critical-tech innovation push?
China’s rise in frontier technologies narrows its gap with the US as Europe struggles with slow replication and fragmented research. This Policy Brief examines China’s
Tariffs, global imbalances, and the dollar
While the Trump administration has offered multiple justifications for imposing tariffs, none has been as prominently cited as the goal of reducing trade deficits. This
Spending smarter: A powerful growth strategy
With high public debt and weak medium-term growth, finance ministries seek to do more with less. This column argues that efficiency gaps in public spending
China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the shifting landscape of trade and investment
China’s Belt and Road Initiative has reshaped international economic and political ties among countries and reorganised global value chains. This column reveals that the initiative
Climate change mitigation pathway: The 24-hour economy
It is increasingly perceived as an integrated sustainability solution for transforming how global cities function. As the sun soars and global cities set record temperatures,
Gold rises more than 1% on risk-off mood, dollar pause
Non-yielding gold tends to do well in a low-interest-rate environment and during times of economic uncertainty. Gold prices gained more than 1% on Wednesday, with
EU agrees weakened climate target in final-hour deal for COP30
EU climate ministers agreed a 2040 climate change target in the early hours of Wednesday after watering down the goal in last-minute negotiations, as they
