TOE
The Oriental Economist Report - April 2017
written by Richard Katz on April 10, 2017
The last issue of Rick's TOE including A Look back on Our Hits and Misses - Twenty Years of TOE, No Easy Reform Options for Japan, Scandal surrounding ultra-nationalist school - Abe’s Takakorobi?, 20 Years of Reform Efforts - Deeper Currents, Mireya Solis - Will Trump Hit Japan on Trade? and Small Talk.
The Oriental Economist Report - March 2017
written by Richard Katz on March 07, 2017
Topics covered in the March 2017 issue of the Oriental Economist Report include Corporate “elephants” and start-ups - “Open Innovation”; Conditions, Not Culture - Declining US start-ups C, Behind-the-scenes maneuvers - Success at the summit; Beyond short-term summit success - An inch ahead is darkness; Economy Watch on Japan and Small Talk
The Oriental Economist Report - January 2017
written by Richard Katz on January 06, 2017
Richard Katz's January issue of the Oriental Economist includes reports on Why Japan Needs Boost in Productivity - Risk of Zero Per Capita Growth, The Abe-Putin tête-à-tête without Notetakers - “Secret Understanding”, and No Equivalent to Trump or Le Pen or Brexit - Why No Populism in Japan?
December 2016 TOE
written by Richard Katz on December 09, 2016
Rick's December 016 issue of the Oriental Economist covers following topics, Rust Belt voters won’t like the consequences of trade war - Be careful what you wish for, Putin ‘flips the table’ -Trepidation over Trump, NAFTA and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross - Can Ross restrain Trump? Japan auto parts firm relies on NAFTA, Proposals to increase electoral power of the young - ‘Silver democracy’.
Trump's Dillemma on NAFTA, China - Part 2
written by Richard Katz on November 29, 2016
Key points: - Trump’s dilemma is that withdrawal from NAFTA and high tariffs against China would cause enormous dislocation for American firms producing in the US; 40% of all US imports from Mexico consist of US content embodied in Mexican-assembled of Mexican-finished goods - US exports are highly dependent on imported inputs, e.g. a fifth of every dollar of manufactured exports consists of foreign inputs - US production of manufactured goods in general, and transport equipment in particular, are highly dependent on imported parts and supplies - The countries that send these goods to the US, whether it be Mexico or China or Canada, are themselves part of intricate international supply chains in which their exports contain lots of foreign content, including US content - The global ripple effects from a trade war would be enormous
Trump Dilemma on NAFTA - Part 1
written by Richard Katz on November 28, 2016
In his latest alert, Richard reports that Trump’s dilemma is that voters won’t like consequences of what they asked for: withdrawal from NAFTA and high tariffs against China would cause enormous dislocation for firms producing in the US; 40% of all US imports from Mexico consists of US content embodied in Mexican goods and the blue states that Trump turned red in this election, some by very thin margins, are very dependent on both exports to NAFTA and China, and imports from them.
Trump's Dilemma - Balancing Promises to Suppoerters with Need to Avoid Recession
written by Richard Katz on November 22, 2016
Key points: - If Trump fulfills plans to deport 11 million illegal aliens, launch trade war with China and Mexico, and perhaps withdraw from NAFTA, it could spark serious recession - But failure to take action could lead supporter to regard him as another phony - Stock market and most economists are betting Trump will not fulfill these plans - His big tax cuts are seen as bullish: stimulus to economy from tax cuts will more than offset drag caused by rise in interest rates and the dollar - Economists still a bit higher growth under Trump than Clinton in 2018 (2.3% vs. 2.0%) - Dollar index vis-à-vis all trading partners has spiked to 15-year high, including weakening of yen back to ¥110/$ - Reason is widening gap between US and Japanese interest rates
Nurturing Entrepreneurs, Part 2
written by Richard Katz on October 11, 2016
Rick's October issue of the Oriental Economist includes topics of Risk Averse Culture or Adverse Risk/Reward Ratio - Nurturing Entrepreneurs, Abe’s Agenda 2017 -Election being Planned, BOJ Waves the White Flag, Rightist Nihon Kaigi Organization-Is It Really a Menace? Japan Business Pessimistic Japan-China Political Ties Sour
TPP on the Ropes, Part 5
written by Richard Katz on September 14, 2016
Key points: - TPP, like other FTAs, is copied and pasted from past FTAs - More text from past American FTAs was copied verbatim into TPP than text from any other country; Japan came in eighth - US share was even higher in chapters where it had a high priority, e.g. nearly 80% of text on investment in past US FDI’s was lifted into TPP’s investment chapter - Since TPP is intended to be the template for future FTAs and to incorporate more and more Pacific countries, including China, this gives US big leg up on others
Orrin Hatch and the TPP Rorschach Test
written by Richard Katz on September 30, 2016
Key points covered in this report are, - The Hill headline—Hatch: TPP deal will get done in lame-duck session—goes too far - What Hatch said was “I think we’re going to get it done in the lame duck” providing that the Administration meets his conditions, including 12 years of data exclusivity for biologics; informed observers tell us hatch has not changed his position - Hatch said other mechanisms beside “side letters” could be used, but he has said that before as well
