Canada’s Hudson’s Bay Company plans to close all brick-and-mortar stores as it struggles with declining foot traffic amidst competition with online retailing.—reuters.com
Month: July 2025
China’s Trade Balance with the World
China’s exports rose 4.8% and imports fell 3.4% in May from a year earlier.—cnbc.com The 1993 Trade Deficit with the World The last time China maintained a trade deficit with the world was in 1993.—macrotrends.net China’s Government Sector Balance in 2024 China had a budget deficit of 7.7% of GDP in 2024.—reuters.com
Plastic Shopping Bag Policies Are Actually Working
The extra fee at the grocery store for a plastic shopping bag is reducing the amount of bags being used. Plastic pollution from shoppers not only diminishes the enjoyment of nature but also harms marine animals that ingest plastic bags, often resulting in starvation and death.—cnn.com
Matcha is Having a Moment in Japan
With influencers widely promoting matcha tea and record levels of tourism in Japan, the price of matcha powder is rising. Many farmers lack the resources to upgrade to specialized machines needed for matcha production. In the future, aging matcha farmers note that they have few successors to take over.—cbc.ca
The Pacific Coast Producers
New tariffs on steel are increasing costs for companies like Pacific Coast Producers, which uses steel to package canned fruits and tomatoes for major U.S. grocers, hospitals, and schools. The company is now considering passing these additional costs on to buyers.—reuters.com
BYD Triggers a Price War
On May 23rd BYD caused shockwaves when it slashed the cost of its 22 electric and hybrid models. In response, other carmakers cut their prices. Only a few carmakers are expected to survive in the long run. China’s industry minister said, “there are no winners in the price war”. —economist.com Some Data Source: cleantechnica.com
Income Tax Rate Cuts and Monetary Easing to Boost India’s Economic Growth
Going forward, India’s domestic growth should benefit from income tax rate cuts announced in the federal budget, as well as by monetary easing.—bbc.com The Reserve Bank of India’s key monetary policy tools include the repo rate—the rate at which the RBI makes loans to commercial banks when they are short of reserves, the required reserve … Continue reading Income Tax Rate Cuts and Monetary Easing to Boost India’s Economic Growth
ECB Cuts Rates for Eighth Time, Fed keeps them on hold
The ECB cut its policy interest rate to its lowest since early 2023. The Fed has kept rates steady since December, with predicted rising U.S. inflation preventing cuts. The euro rose following the ECB’s President Christine Lagarde’s statement that the central bank is nearing the end of its rate-cutting cycle.—wsj.com
Should the United States Grow Bananas?
The U.S. Commerce Secretary suggests that the simplest way to avoid tariffs is to produce everything domestically—appropriations.house.gov
Income Inequality in Latin America
Children from high-income families acquire more skills than those from low-income families, which creates half of the current generation’s income inequality. But transfers and large wage increases for low-income workers decreased income inequality in Latin America between 2000 and 2010. Latin America relies more on regressive taxes than on progressive ones. –economist.com