The picture in Japan’s debt markets is beginning to resemble a slow but persistent phase shift into a system that for decades operated with artificial stability. From the savior of the monetary system, during the Nixon shock with the largest monetary deal in history, it is now expected to become the culprit of a leveraged …
The plunge in the yen and debt bring economic crisis to the Land of the Rising Sun
Japan, with its huge debt and the yen’s slide, is bidding to be the star of the biggest economic and financial crisis in human history. The political career of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is sinking almost as fast as the yen these days — and the two developments are closely linked. The yen has …
Trump tariffs cost US households and businesses $100 billion a year
The new tariffs imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump are expected to cost American consumers and businesses more than $100 billion annually, according to new economic estimates, as Washington escalates its protectionist trade policy again. The new tariff policy is being implemented at a time when international markets are already being tested …
China: $8.1 trillion in losses in the world’s largest banking system
China’s banking system is the largest in the world, with assets of $70.3 trillion – more than those of the US and the European Union combined. Officially, “non-performing loans” (NPLs) do not exceed 1.52%. However, the reality of the Chinese economy – with house prices having fallen by 23% since 2021, new prices falling for …
The Global financial system is fragmenting into regional and national systems, hitting Visa and MasterCard
Last month, Jamison Greer, a top U.S. trade official, complained that Pix, Brazil’s instant payments system, was putting American companies like Visa and Mastercard at a disadvantage. The United States has proposed a 25 percent tariff on Brazil in response. But Brazilians appear unfazed. “Pix is a Brazilian achievement and we are not going to …
How will the “weaponization” of oil used by Iran stop affecting the global economy?
The global economy is now walking a tightrope, poised to sink into a nightmarish stagflationary universe. The “weapon” of oil, which historically has brought down empires, is being put to use again after the outbreak of war in the Strait of Hormuz. There has been no substantive agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as …
Strengthening Economic resilience as a growth lever in the Eurozone
The very recent developments with the ceasefire and the prospect of an agreement between the US and Iran, provided they do not prove fragile, may allow for a more positive reassessment of the prospects, but the main question is the medium-term resilience of the European economy and its potential, given that external crises (such as …
Business Continuity: The preventive shield of businesses
Businesses today are called upon to operate in an environment characterized by constant upheaval and increasing uncertainty. Geopolitical conflicts, regional tensions, economic turmoil, cyberattacks and extreme natural phenomena have long ceased to be local events, but now affect organizations on a global scale. Instead, they operate like dominoes, causing powerful ripple effects with consequences that …
What makes a business truly strong today?
Until a few years ago, a strong business was one that grew quickly. Increasing turnover, expanding its customer base and expanding into new markets were the key indicators of success. Today, however, the business environment has changed radically and with it the criteria by which an organization’s potential is assessed have been redefined. The successive …
Inflation (CPI) and GDP of an economy do not show the true picture that prevails in society
Inflation and GDP, two key economic indicators, are often presented as objective measures of well-being, but their interpretation is not always as neutral as it seems. In the public economic narrative, their use has at times led to distortions that affect the perception of real purchasing power and growth. Milton Friedman’s critique is gaining renewed …