The Archives

The collection of all scholarly commentary on law, economics, and more

Showing archive for:  “International Trade”

Antitrust Activity and Distinguishing Influence from Quality

From the Economic Times: The European Union’s antitrust agency is becoming more influential just as its US counterparts have grown more cautious and inactive, experts say. The European Commission’s recent success in forcing Microsoft to carry out antitrust sanctions underscores the differences, and academic researchers say the US is also hanging back in merger challenges. ... Antitrust Activity and Distinguishing Influence from Quality

Teson and Klick on Global Justice and Trade

Larry Solum points to Fernando Teson and Jonathan Klick’s (both of FSU College of Law) Global Justice and Trade: A Puzzling Omission.  It is a thoughtful and provocative paper.  Teson and Klick motivate the paper as an attempt to address the failure of philosophers and human rights scholars not to advocate free trade as a ... Teson and Klick on Global Justice and Trade

Goolsbee (and Obama?) on Free Trade

Here is Senator Obama’s economic advisor Austan Goolsbee on globalization and free trade (as described by George Will in his recent column): “Globalization” means free trade and various deregulations that supposedly put downward pressure on American wages because of imports from low-wage countries. Goolsbee, however, says globalization is responsible for “a small fraction” of today’s ... Goolsbee (and Obama?) on Free Trade

The most embarrassing thing Joe Stiglitz ever wrote?

In case you haven’t already, I recommend taking a gander at today’s New York Time Book Review.  In it, there is a review of Naomi Klein’s new book, The Shock Doctrine, by Nobel-winning economist, Joe Stiglitz.  It’s an abomination (I’m sure the book is an abomination, too, but I’m referring to the book review).  If ... The most embarrassing thing Joe Stiglitz ever wrote?

Here We Go Again? The Transatlantic Fireworks over Microsoft Begin …

EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes responds to the USDOJ Antitrust AG’s criticism of the recent Microsoft decision: “It is totally unacceptable that a representative of the U.S. administration criticized an independent court of law outside its jurisdiction … The European Commission does not pass judgment on rulings by U.S. courts, and we expect the same ... Here We Go Again? The Transatlantic Fireworks over Microsoft Begin …

China's Anti-Monopoly Law

The August 24th draft is available in Chinese and English here.  HT: Danny Sokol.

Wal-Mart: Alleviating Poverty Abroad, Lowering Prices at Home

Those of us who defend the right to outsource are frequently criticized for lacking compassion and for being concerned only with the bottom line. I’ll admit that profitability concerns generally motivate decisions to outsource (and most other business decisions), but I won’t concede that outsourcing imposes a net harm on the economically disadvantaged. If we’re ... Wal-Mart: Alleviating Poverty Abroad, Lowering Prices at Home

Interest Rates and Antitrust

Today’s Israeli newspapers have an interesting story about a multibillion dollar antitrust suit that an Israeli manufacturing firm has brought against Israel’s three major banks. The complaint alleges that the banks price colluded on rates, charging identically in five distinct rate categories: a uniform prime rate always 1.5% above the central bank’s; a uniform risk ... Interest Rates and Antitrust

Alternative Fuels: Let Markets, Not Government, Decide.

It’s a strange day when the New York Times advocates corporate tax breaks. It’s an even stranger day when I dissent from that recommendation. Well, today must be a strange day indeed, for they did, and I must. The upshot of today’s editorial, Let Them Go Green, is that the federal government should “throw its ... Alternative Fuels: Let Markets, Not Government, Decide.

One of many much-needed lessons about foreign oil

The U.S., the WTO and the absence of international law

Joel Trachtman at International Economic Law & Policy blog and Julian Ku at Opinio Juris are commenting on the role of international law in shaping US behavior, in this case with respect to compliance with WTO rulings. As Joel points out, “[t]raditional realist political science considers traditional international law ‘epiphenomenal,’ meaning that the real action ... The U.S., the WTO and the absence of international law

In international blog news

First, Joel Trachtman of Tufts’ (great and soon-to-be better) Fletcher School has started up a new international trade blog, called International Economic Law and Policy. If you know anything about international trade law and/or economics, you know Joel Trachtman and thus you know that this will be a must-read. He has been joined at the ... In international blog news