Argentina Seems Headed for Another Currency Crisis (and Perhaps Default)

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© 2020, Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School In many dozens of emerging nations, perhaps as many as sixty of them, the government interferes in the foreign exchange market to prevent, or delay, the devaluation of its currency. Featured Image Credit: ngcoin.com A recent article from the Financial Times (FT)[1] about Argentina’s peso is yet another illustration … Continue reading Argentina Seems Headed for Another Currency Crisis (and Perhaps Default)

Trump Administration Labels China a “Currency Manipulator”: What’s behind the accusation, and who’s right?

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© 2019 Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School At 5 o’clock in the morning on August 5, 2019, unable to sleep, Trump tweeted about China—not for the first time accusing it of being a “currency manipulator,”[1] and describing this as a “major violation.” (See Figure 1 below.) Treasury Secretary Mnuchin followed with an official announcement … Continue reading Trump Administration Labels China a “Currency Manipulator”: What’s behind the accusation, and who’s right?

The G20 Summit in China: An Annual “Talking Shop”? Or a Potential Bedrock of Global Civilization?

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© 2016 Prof. Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School Note: A version of this article was also published on The Conversation as How the G20 can ensure the marvelous gains from globalization aren't lost. What do summits such as the G20 accomplish? Posing for pictures after their summit, the leaders of the G20, a mixed bag of … Continue reading The G20 Summit in China: An Annual “Talking Shop”? Or a Potential Bedrock of Global Civilization?

Update: Is China a “currency manipulator”? Donald Trump says so

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SEE UPDATED POST, AUGUST 11, 2019: Trump Administration Labels China a “Currency Manipulator”: What’s behind the accusation, and who’s right? © 2016 Prof. Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School This article is a 2016 update of my original post of November 16, 2015. It has also been published on The Conversation as Does China manipulate its currency … Continue reading Update: Is China a “currency manipulator”? Donald Trump says so

IMF Elevates Yuan to Elite Currency Status: So what?

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© 2015 Prof. Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers University Governor of the People’s Bank of China (China’s central bank) since 2002 and a cautious and methodical bureaucrat, Zhou is the essence of his country’s Mandarin class: canny and understated, but relentless in his objective to elevate China’s economy and currency to elite status. Under Zhou’s watch, China’s exports … Continue reading IMF Elevates Yuan to Elite Currency Status: So what?

Is China a “currency manipulator”? Donald Trump says so

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© 2015 Prof. Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers University After 20 years, the Chinese government must be used to it—being bashed by US politicians and Congress as a “currency manipulator.” Indeed, the exchange value of the yuan (or renminbi [RMB]) is fixed each morning by its central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), with a … Continue reading Is China a “currency manipulator”? Donald Trump says so

Capital Outflows from China and the Hidden Story in China’s FDI Statistics

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© 2015 Prof. Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers University Permission to Reproduce: A version of this post was published as  “The Chinese prefer investing overseas; dummy companies may ease transfers and devalue renminbi” by  YaleGlobal Online, September 10, 2015; it was the number-one story in a Google search for “China FDI” that day and is also available as a  podcast. The global panic … Continue reading Capital Outflows from China and the Hidden Story in China’s FDI Statistics

Is China set to become the world’s largest economy in 2015?

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© 2015 Prof. Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers University The business press has been excitedly predicting the day when the Chinese economy will surpass that of the US in size. Just when this will happen has been a matter for debate—estimates have ranged from 2016 to 2025. In order to compare a nation’s economic size to that of … Continue reading Is China set to become the world’s largest economy in 2015?

Whither the Chinese Yuan? Is the RMB Still Undervalued?

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© 2014 Prof. Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers University Introduction to my May 8, 2014 YaleGlobal Online article: “Renminbi Undervalued? Think Again” The exchange rate between the US dollar and the Chinese Renminbi Yuan (RMB) is of crucial importance to both the American and Chinese economies since the bilateral trade between the two nations (imports plus exports) is nearing … Continue reading Whither the Chinese Yuan? Is the RMB Still Undervalued?

The US – One of the World’s Most Competitive Manufacturing Locations?

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© 2014 Prof. Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers University In 2012, I was one of the observers who indicated that American manufacturing productivity was, by far, the best in the world. (See my August 7, 2012 Yale Global Online article “7 Reasons to Expect US Manufacturing Resurgence,” which provided figures from the International Monetary Fund and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.) In … Continue reading The US – One of the World’s Most Competitive Manufacturing Locations?