Where Retaliatory Tariffs Create Unintended Consequences

It will be rather complicated when retaliatory agricultural tariffs, aluminum protection, and crop payment supports all hit New Madrid County, Missouri.

China’s Recycling Reversal

When China told the WTO it would no longer recycle a lot of the world’s waste, it created a ripple of externalities from Hong Kong to Portland, Oregon.

Why China Wants To Be Called a Market Economy

A year ago, China filed a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO). Targeting the European Union and the United States, China’s goal was to have its economy called a market. The case is huge. Its results could transform…

The Shrinking Cities Problem

An idyllic mountain village wants you. The town has one shop, a church, houses that have been there forever, and a population that has shrunk to 240. It is located in the Swiss Alps. Albinen’s plusses include clean air, magnificent views, and…

Two Amazon Stories (and More)

Sweden had unusually low Amazon numbers in the 2017 PwC global retail survey. In Sweden just 13% of all product searches start with Amazon. For the U.S. that number is 45%. Wondering about the difference, I started to do a…

Looking at a Global Supply Chain With a Smile (Curve)

A smile curve is a handy way to see that the global supply chain for technology is much more complicated than a Made-in-China label.

How a Social Score Gets You China’s Goods and Services

As China’s social scoring system develops, undesirable behavior like jaywalking could limit someone’s access to goods and services.

Really Understanding the World

Seeing the world develop through bubble animation from Hans Rosling makes health and income statistics mesmerizingly enjoyable.

Where To Find China’s Missing Women

Upsetting the conventional wisdom, researchers recently found millions of “non-existent” women who could enter Chinese marriage markets.

Where to Find the Biggest Gender Gap

Through worldwide gender gap indicators, we can see that Iceland can optimize productivity and human capital through a small gender gap.