The Economist – Page 3
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NewsCORONA DEPRESSION – SHORT OR LONG?
COMMENT: Four months after the advent of the coronavirus, leading to COVID-19 and the world is being plunged headfirst into a rapid and steep recession, writes Ben Hackett.
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NewsThe Impact of the Coronavirus on Global Trade
COMMENT: In the shadow of the tariff wars the coronavirus has the potential to wreak further harm to global trade, writes Ben Hackett.
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NewsLevel playing fields in the port sector
COMMENT: Intra state and intra region competition to attract investments is rife around the world with subsidies and state aid. But, is it fair?, asks Ben Hackett.
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NewsThe economic union is in disarray
COMMENT: The European Economic Community made strident efforts to move the bloc to the next level, political union, embodied in the principles of the Economic Union (EU), writes Ben Hackett.
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NewsNot a smart policy
The weaponising of trade strategically to achieve political supremacy is being honed by the Trump Administration globally, irrespective if the country at the receiving end is friend or foe, writes Ben Hackett
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NewsPut on warm winter clothes
COMMENT: The Game of Thrones aficionados will fully understand the doomsday phrase that “winter is coming,” writes Ben Hackett
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NewsComplacency or wishful thinking both lead to denial
As the global economy faces the prospect of a potential recession, the maritime industry needs a reality check, writes Ben Hackett.
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NewsThe good, the bad and the ugly
COMMENT: The global economy is in a flux, not knowing what indicators to believe and trying to gauge the coming of a recession, writes Ben Hackett.
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NewsHeading for the rocks
COMMENT: US President Donald Trump announced, in a tweet, that he would raise the 10% tariff on $200bn of Chinese imported goods to 25% and that an additional $325bn of imports would soon be hit with a 25% tariff as well. That about covers all imports from China, writes Ben ...
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NewsSea of change or storm in a teacup?
COMMENT: Shipping companies and ports are currently in somewhat of a quandary; they face criticism that ships are too large or too small, that alliances are harmful to customers and service providers such as ports, that they sail too slow or too fast and that they arrive too late or ...
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Sustained threats to Eurozone growth
COMMENT: Only an optimist will fail to recognise weak growth figures as a skin-of-the-teeth avoidance of recession in parts of Europe, writes Ben Hackett.
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NewsBe wary of unjustified optimism
COMMENT: Ports, terminal operators and especially ship owners tend to look for any sign of optimism and then joyously go ahead and invest without paying too much attention to the downsides facing the maritime industry. This is especially true when economic indicators suggest that a recession is around the corner, ...
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Souring trade prospects dent port optimism
COMMENT: As the stock market continues on its rollercoaster ride, the global trade situation is looking increasingly precarious, writes Ben Hackett.
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No end in sight to flat trade growth
COMMENT: I''ve come to the realisation that using economic fundamentals to project trade next year is a futile effort, writes Ben Hackett.
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COMMENT: Spectre of global recession looms
COMMENT: We should not be sanguine about the disarray in the world economic order that is enveloping us, writes Ben Hackett.
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Capacity excess, cargo deficit
COMMENT: Globally there are far too many ports competing for the same clients and not earning enough revenue to cover the infrastructure demands of ever-larger ships, writes Ben Hackett.
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Trade war: an oxymoron?
COMMENT: The world is clearly confused as to whether we definitely/maybe have a trade war on our hands, writes Ben Hackett.
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NewsHere cometh the trade war
COMMENT: Donald Trump went to the G7 meeting last month and effectively filed for divorce from Western democratic allies and aligned himself with President Putin. What can we read into this, asks Ben Hackett.
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NewsCan all this optimism be justified?
COMMENT: Demand growth in volume terms remains buoyant at 5.2% in 2017 but does anyone remember the 15%-25% growth rates before the Great Recession, asks Ben Hackett.
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No upside to downward spiral of tariffs
COMMENT: In recent months, global trade projections for 2018 were being upgraded almost as quickly as they were downgraded in previous years. Confidence had returned, and consumers and industry were keen to import and export goods, writes Ben Hackett.
