Executive Summary Introduction The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) proposed a two-pillar international taxation agreement aimed at taxing digital companies and reducing profit shifting. Pillar two aims to create a minimum international corporate tax of 15% on multinational companies that bring in revenue of over €750m a year ($810 million). This tax can … Continue reading
Category Archives: Economy
The OECD and UN International Tax Proposals
Executive Summary Introduction The Orginisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has proposed and revised an international tax agreement that contains two pillars. Pillar one aims to reallocate taxation of digital multinational companies and multinational companies with intangible assets. Pillar two aims to impose a minimum global tax on multi-national companies, while preventing double taxation. … Continue reading
SEC Announces Finalized Rules for SPAC Transactions
Executive summary Introduction In recent years, Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACS) have gained immense popularity in the finance sector, offering a faster approach for companies to go public rather than your traditional IPO [Initial Public Offering]. SPACs are entities created with the sole purpose of raising capital through an IPO to merge with an existing … Continue reading
Culture / Economy / Fiscal policy / Politics / Regulation
Unlocking Transparency: The FTC’s Battle Against Hidden Fees
Executive Summary Introduction Consumers have become victims of deceptive pricing in various industries, notably in the ticketing and hotel sector. Firms have been using these practices known as “price dipping” or “bait and switch” pricing where mandatory fees are not disclosed until checkout significantly increasing the total cost without knowing the purpose of the fees. … Continue reading
Supply Shortages, High Prices, and Carbon Emissions: The Result of Tariffs on Chinese EVs
Executive Summary Introduction In a speech addressing the United Auto Workers (UAW) on November 9, 2023, President Biden accused China of being “determined to dominate the electric vehicle market by using unfair trade practices,” and promising to “not let them.” Neither the specifics of China’s “unfair trade practices” nor a strategy to combat them were explained. Biden … Continue reading
Economy / Technology / Trade
Big Businesses Ache and Small Businesses Suffer from Digital Protectionism
Executive Summary Introduction On October 25th, 2023, the USTR announced its withdrawal of WTO e-commerce proposals introduced in 2019 by the Trump administration. The original proposals advocated for the preservation of cross-border data flows, limiting the implementation of tariffs on digital trade. Additionally, they proposed restrictions on data localization and source code transfer requirements. In … Continue reading
Trade Barriers and Tariff Schedules: How the United States Risks Chinese Dominance in the Indo-Pacific
Executive Summary Indo-Pacific Trade Agreements The Indo-Pacific’s premier trade agreement is RCEP, which includes 15 countries spread throughout Southern Asia, Eastern Asia, and Oceania. RCEP is the world’s largest trade agreement on many fronts, boasting a 28 percent share of global goods trade in 2020. Source: Congressional Research Service RCEP’s primary goal is establishing a deeper … Continue reading
BRICS and Currency Diversification Challenge the Dollar
Executive Summary Introduction Since the inception of global trade, there has always been a dominant, trusted currency used to facilitate transactions between parties to avoid the double coincidence of wants associated with bartering. The U.S. dollar (USD) has been the premiere global currency since the Bretton Woods Agreement of 1944 where it was crowned in … Continue reading
The Moral Case for Price Gouging
Executive Summary Introduction The pandemic saw dramatic increases in the price of necessary supplies. From a pack of masks costing over $200 to Purell costing almost $150, prices for goods that people genuinely needed skyrocketed. Many politicians criticized suppliers and large corporations for using the chaos of global markets as a guise for artificially inflating … Continue reading
“De-Dollarization”: BRICS Countries Propose New Currency
Executive Summary Introduction A top Russian official stated at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in March that Russia and India are working together on a central digital bank currency (CDBC), with the assistance of other BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). State Duma Deputy Chairman Alexander Babakov stated that the currency … Continue reading
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