Tax Avoidance by Multinational Companies: Methods, Policies, and Ethics (Updated)

Posted on by Farok J. Contractor

© 2018, Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School An earlier version of this article was published on this site on May 5, 2016, and also in AIB Insights, Vol. 16, No. 2 (2016). Recommended Citation:  Contractor, Farok J. Tax avoidance by multinational companies: methods, policies, and ethics. Rutgers Business Review, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 27–43 (2016). Also see … Continue reading Tax Avoidance by Multinational Companies: Methods, Policies, and Ethics (Updated)

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

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© 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

The “Star-Spangled Banner” and an Early Example of Outsourcing: The American National Anthem Was Composed on a Ship Built in India

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© 2018, Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School See the updated and revised version of this post, July 11, 2019: From Bombay to Baltimore: Was the American national anthem composed on a ship built in India at the Wadia Shipyard? The featured image of the Stars and Stripes above is housed at the Smithsonian. On several … Continue reading The “Star-Spangled Banner” and an Early Example of Outsourcing: The American National Anthem Was Composed on a Ship Built in India

WWMS? (What Would Milton Say?)

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© 2018, Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School The current debate about trade with China sparked by the Trump administration is uncannily reminiscent of the 1970s, when Japanese companies were deemed a threat to the United States. Phrases such as “Japanese invasion” were used by frightened journalists and fear-mongering politicians. The threat from Japanese imports … Continue reading WWMS? (What Would Milton Say?)

TEN QUICK FACTS ABOUT US TRADE: Deficits, Dumping, and Discords

Posted on by Farok J. Contractor

© 2018, Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School Acting on his campaign rhetoric that China is “raping our country,”[1] Don Trump recently announced a 25 percent tariff on steel, 10 percent on aluminum, 30 percent on solar panels, and 20–50 percent on washing machines—products he alleged are being “dumped” by the Chinese[2]—and threatened a “trade … Continue reading TEN QUICK FACTS ABOUT US TRADE: Deficits, Dumping, and Discords

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

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© 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

Four Salient Facts about the Chinese Yuan

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© 2017 Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School On February 23, 2017, just hours after his new Treasury secretary pledged a more methodical approach to analyzing Beijing's foreign exchange practices, President Donald Trump declared: "Well...I think they're grand champions at manipulation of currency. So I haven't held back.... We'll see what happens."  — Reuters Four Salient Facts: … Continue reading Four Salient Facts about the Chinese Yuan

Tax “Amnesty” for Multinationals—But Not for Illegal Immigrants

Posted on by Farok J. Contractor

© 2017 Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School Republicans want a one-time tax of the money currently stashed overseas at a "tax holiday" rate of 8.75 percent, according to the House blueprint, while Trump has called for 10 percent. (Reuters, January 25, 2017)[1] As a professor of International Business I am in favor of ethical business, … Continue reading Tax “Amnesty” for Multinationals—But Not for Illegal Immigrants