‘The threat is real’: Australia to ban foreign political donations as concerns mount over Chinese influence

Australia, concerned about rising Chinese influence, will ban foreign political donations as part of a crackdown aimed at preventing external interference in domestic politics, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Tuesday. [December 5, 2017 | SCMP] Turnbull told reporters in Canberra that foreign powers were making “unprecedented and increasingly sophisticated attempts to influence the political…

A better way to tax corporations

A stated goal of the Republican tax overhaul was to prevent corporations from shifting profits to low-tax countries. [November 30, 2017 | The New York Times] Several academic economists, legal scholars and the Coalition for a Prosperous America argued Wednesday that the Republican plan speeding its way through Congress does not sufficiently address this issue.…

U.S. Joins Europe in Fighting China’s Future in W.T.O.

The United States has filed arguments to the World Trade Organization in a looming dispute over China’s future in the international body, which could shape the global trading system for decades to come. [ANA SWANSON | November 29, 2017 | The New York Times] Senior United States officials said on Wednesday that they had filed a brief to…

Do Fiscal Deficits Cause Trade Deficits?

A CPA member inquired as to whether in increase in the federal budget deficit causes increased trade deficits. This is called the Twin Deficits hypothesis. John R. Hansen, a CPA Advisory Board member and international economist, explains why there is little relationship between the two. Your paper states, “After 1998, the Federal deficit is being…

Restoring the “Maker spirit” to Thomasville that lost an Industry and Jobs to China

After my article that featured The Forge in Greensboro was published, I was contacted by Joel Leonard, who informed me that he worked with the original founders of The Forge as the community developer to help uncover equipment and talent and set up initial programs “to convert Greensboring to Greensciting.” [Michele Nash-Hoff | November 30,…

Press Release: Manufacturers and Scholars Urge Congress to End Corporate Tax Discrimination Against US Companies

A Smarter Territorial Corporate Income Tax Bridges the Left/Right Divide   Washington ~ The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) joined today with several prominent progressive scholars, sent a letter (below and linked here) to Congress urging adoption of a smart, territorial corporate income tax called sales factor apportionment (SFA). While territorial taxes are typically associated…

China’s Communist Party makes big inroads into foreign-funded firms

About 70 per cent of foreign-funded firms in China have set up Communist Party branches, an official said on Thursday, as the party extends and strengthens its presence and control over all sectors of society. [Nectar Gan and Frank Tang | October 23, 2017 | South China Morning Post] As of the end of last year, 106,000…

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: DEMOCRATS AND TRUMP BLOW UP 20-YEAR UNITY ON TRADE

In fight to overturn Nafta, White House makes common cause with Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, a longtime free-trade skeptic. [Bob Davis and Siobhan Hughes | November 28, 2017 | WSJ] WASHINGTON—A lone senator jumped to the Trump administration’s defense last month when the U.S. Chamber of Commerce attacked its proposal to rewrite the North American Free Trade…

News Analysis: Next Round of NAFTA Talks May Bring Renegotiation to an Inflection Point if Canada and Mexico Refuse to Engage on U.S. Proposals

From Lori Wallach, Director, Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch   Renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) faces a critical juncture as the fifth round of talks officially starts Friday in Mexico City. Appears originally on Common Dreams At issue is whether Canada and Mexico will engage on a series of proposals to significantly reshape…

Lighthizer bemoans a lack of progress on NAFTA, urges Canada and Mexico to engage in ‘rebalancing’

MEXICO CITY — U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Tuesday decried a lack of progress in the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations, saying he hopes Canada and Mexico will begin to “seriously engage” in key areas so the talks can meaningfully advance before year’s end. [Brett Fortnam | November 21, 2017 | Inside US…