Economy & Business

US Cuba policy: EU and Canadian firms to suffer?

By BY OLE MOEHR | GRAPHICS BY SHIQING HUA, FRANCIS AUBEE, AND NICK BROWN

On April 17 2019, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo announced an important change in the United States’ policy toward Cuba: Title III of the Cuban Liberty and Democracy Solidarity Act of 1996 (LIBERTAD Act) would no longer be suspended. As a result of this decision, US claimants can now seek compensation for property confiscated by the Castro government. The move has important implications for US and foreign companies doing business in Cuba. This edition of the EconoGraphic explains the history and purpose of the LIBERTAD Act, evaluates the policy’s potential impact on US allies’ economic interests in Cuba, and highlights its implications for the pressure campaign against the Maduro regime in Venezuela.

US-China Trade War: Escalation with No End in Sight

Hung Tran The Atlantic Council’s Global Business & Economics Program’s nonresident senior fellow Hung Tran argues that the ratcheting up of US-China trade tensions in May “could begin to fragment the global economy into US- and China-driven global spheres, with potentially huge implications for sustained growth and prosperity for the world.”

Russia’s Crony Capitalism: The Path from Market Economy to Kleptocracy

Anders Aslund This insightful study explores how the economic system Vladimir Putin has developed in Russia works to consolidate control over the country. By appointing his close associates as heads of state enterprises and by giving control of the FSB and the judiciary to his friends from the KGB, he has enriched his business friends […]

Geo-economics: Russia and Iran in Syria

Faysal Itani This article examines two dimensions of a broader analysis of the geo-economics of reconstruction in Syria: the actions of Iran and Russia in the context of their interests and capabilities. The analysis identifies overlaps and conflicts among these interests and examines the larger geo-economic and geo-political implications. A comprehensive survey of Iranian and […]

Rapid reaction call: Implications of President Trump’s Mexico tariff threat

On May 30, President Trump announced that he would impose tariffs on products imported from Mexico, beginning at 5 percent on June 10, with a possible escalation to 25 percent by October. This threat is directed at the US’ largest trading partner thus far in 2019. President Trump’s announcement came on the same day that […]