Misrepresentations About International Trade: The Case of Apple’s iPhone

Posted on by Farok J. Contractor

© 2025, Farok J. Contractor, Distinguished Professor, Rutgers Business School This article is scheduled for publication in the Spring 2025 edition of the Rutgers Business Review. Abstract In  the present debates about US manufacturing and trade deficits, the case of the Apple iPhone provides several useful insights. Looking only at the US-China trade balance, the … Continue reading Misrepresentations About International Trade: The Case of Apple’s iPhone

Does Just One Product – the iPhone – Cause an $11 Billion Trade Deficit for the US?

Posted on by Farok J. Contractor

© 2018, Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School   Note: See the Updated Post of May 5, 2025: Misrepresentations About International Trade:  The Case of Apple’s iPhone Trade Statistics Alone Can Frighten and Mislead In my July 11, 2018 blog post, The US-China Trade Spat: How the Public, Media, and Politicians Can Be Deceived by Data, I … Continue reading Does Just One Product – the iPhone – Cause an $11 Billion Trade Deficit for the US?

The US-China Trade Spat: How the Public, Media, and Politicians Can Be Deceived by Data

Posted on by Farok J. Contractor

© 2018, Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School   Trade Statistics Can Be Less Than Half the China Story Looking at trade statistics alone is misleading because they lack overall context. The $337 billion US deficit with China in 2017 sounds scary. But a review of other economic factors provides insight into the larger picture. 1. … Continue reading The US-China Trade Spat: How the Public, Media, and Politicians Can Be Deceived by Data

Xinhua Interviews Farok Contractor about China’s Economic Growth: October 10, 2017

Posted on by Pamela M. Bond Contractor

In the past five years there’s been a lot of significant achievements, such as the inclusion of the RMB (or the yuan) in the IMF SDR basket, which is putting China on the path to becoming a recognized internationally tradable currency. Interview: China could sustain 6 pct growth rate in medium term: U.S. expert Source: … Continue reading Xinhua Interviews Farok Contractor about China’s Economic Growth: October 10, 2017

Globalization Continues – And Multinationals Play by Rules Set by Other Nations (Despite What Trump Says)

Posted on by Farok J. Contractor

© 2017 Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School  Globalization is driven by two inexorable logical constructs: (1) Multinational companies go and sell where enough customers are located, serving foreign markets by whatever means possible. And: (2) Multinational companies produce (or outsource) wherever it is rational or cheap to do so following the rules of various countries … Continue reading Globalization Continues – And Multinationals Play by Rules Set by Other Nations (Despite What Trump Says)

What’s at Stake in China-US Relations? An Estimate of Jobs and Money Involved in the Bilateral Economic Tie

Posted on by Farok J. Contractor

© 2017 Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School   Recommended Citation: Contractor, Farok J. What is at stake in China-US relations? an estimate of jobs and money involved in the bilateral economic tie. Rutgers Business Review, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 1–22 (2017). •  This is an updated version of my January 15, 2017 post.  A version … Continue reading What’s at Stake in China-US Relations? An Estimate of Jobs and Money Involved in the Bilateral Economic Tie