COVID-19 hit low-income exporters hard, exposing risks from weak diversification and straining trade, supply systems and financial stability. The COVID-19 pandemic sent shockwaves through global supply chains as borders closed, lockdowns went into effect and demand plummeted. This shock was felt particularly by low and lower-middle income countries with economies reliant on a limited set […]
Since the Global Crisis, prudential instruments to address financial stability concerns have been enhanced and broadly adopted across countries. Using the recently updated International Banking Research Network Prudential Instrument database, this column shows that by 2023 most of the 64 countries considered have implemented most of the instruments. During the 2021-2023 inflation episode, cyclical prudential […]
Europe’s banks have long been slow to integrate across borders, but this is changing fast. ‘Pan-European banks’, with activities spanning several EU countries, are emerging rapidly and are likely to enhance the overall contribution of financial services to economic growth. However, financial stability arrangements, notably banking supervision, remain nationally anchored. This creates significant risks in […]
Banking crises have repeatedly inflicted serious damage on the real economy. This column discusses a new proposal for a public liquidity backstop in Switzerland to support the orderly resolution of systemically important banks in times of crisis. While such a backstop can deliver substantial ex-post benefits, it could also encourage excessive leverage and risk ex-ante […]
Advances in AI are transforming the economy. Behind this wave of visible innovation lies a less visible but significant trend: the role of large technology firms – commonly referred to as ‘big techs’ – across the AI supply chain. This column analyses the AI supply chain and the market structure of every input layer, highlighting […]
