Trade Payments And Debt

A comprehensive overview of current research in the field of trade, payments and debt. Grossman and Helpman provide a non-technical review of the literature on technological deteminants of trade. Thisse and Fujita discuss current work on the spatial configuration of economic activities. Robert Findlay tracks world trade from 1000 to 1750, while Robert Baldwin surveys the impact of international trading alliances. In his Presidential paper, the World Bank Vice-President Michael Bruno looks at the pattern of debt crises and economic recovery. The sustainability of external debt in Africa is examined by Daniel Cohen. Alberto Giovannini's argues the case for flexible exchange rates.

The U.S. merchandise trade deficit is a part of the overall U.S. balance of payments (BoP), a summary statement of all economic transactions between the residents of the U.S. and the rest of the world, during a given period of time. Some Members of Congress and others are concerned over the magnitude of the U.S. merchandise trade deficit and the associated increase in U.S. dollar-denominated assets owned by foreigners. This report provides an overview of the U.S. BoP, an explanation of the broader role of capital flows in the U.S. economy, an explanation of how the country finances its trade deficit or a trade surplus, and the implications for Congress and the country of the large inflows of capital from abroad. Charts and tables.

In this survey of international economic thought, Michael Hudson rewrites the history of trade, development and debt theorizing. He shows that mainstream free-trade surveys are censorial in excluding the protectionist logic that has guided the trade policy of Europe and the United States, especially by leaving out discussion of the transfer problem and payment of international debts. He points out that most economists throughout history have focused as much on war financing as on trade and development. Free-trade ideology and IMF-style financial austerity under today's rules, rather than benefiting all parties and maximizing welfare, leave "client" nations severely indebted. By excluding dynamics that used to be central to trade theory such as emigration and technology transfer, today's global production and financial policies tend to concentrate economic and political power in the hands of dominant nations. Prof. Michael Hudson (Economics Department, University of Missouri, Kansas City) is a frequent contributor to The Financial Times, Counterpunch, and Global Research.

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A companion document to the fifth edition of the Balance of Payments Manual, the Balance of Payments Compilation Guide shows how the conceptual framework described in the Manual may be implemented in practice. The primary purpose of the Guide is to provide practical guidance for using sources and methods to compile statistics on the balance of payments and the international investment position. the Guide is designed to assist balance of payments compilers and statisticians in understanding the relative strengths and weaknesses of various approaches. The material reflects the emergence of new data sources and adaptations in the application of statistical methodologies to changing circumstances. Discussed in the Guide are all of the tasks that a BOP compiler normally performs. Appendices contain a set of model BOP questionnaires and a set of model BOP publication tables. Relationships between the balance of payments statistics and relevant aspects of national accounts are covered as well.

An alternative history of the major theoretical concepts that have shaped international economics since mercantilist times. It shows that the policies of laissez-faire and free trade adopted by institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF have had a devastating effect on developing countries, leading to greater polarisation rather than to convergence. The author's analysis demonstrates the importance of debunking economic orthodoxy and reassessing instead the value of protectionist and structuralist approaches to trade and development.