Can entire markets strategically confuse consumers to raise prices? This column tracks the prices of nearly all mobile phone tariffs and handsets in the UK from 2010 to 2012, and finds that quality-adjusted prices rise in the early part of the sample period and decline later. Obfuscation strategies by firms appear to be the primary […]
With demand from US and China weakening, the EU can boost trade by focusing on other markets and strengthening global partnerships. The global trading system is undergoing profound changes, and current developments in the US and China will have significant implications for the European economy. Both countries were at the heart of globalisation but are […]
Internal balance-of-payment crises should be taken as a strong signal of weakness and a wake-up call to reform euro area structures The single currency was expected to make the balance of payments irrelevant between the euro-area member states. This benign view has been challenged by recent developments, especially as imbalances between euro-area central banks have […]
U.S. liquefied natural gas developer Next Decade will receive up to $1.8 billion in equity commitments from Total Energies and Global Infrastructure Partners to finance a fourth liquefaction plant at its Rio Grande LNG export project in Texas, the company said on Monday in a regulatory filing. The move brings NextDecade one step closer to a positive […]
Nearly 20 years have passed since the EU and India started negotiations on a bilateral trade and investment agreement. After seven years of intense negotiations, the process stalled in 2014, primarily because of the failure of the respective political leaders to make difficult choices. Talks restarted in 2022 and now offer a reasonable chance of […]
