Reuters has just reported that the ECB has pushed for “clear legal competence in the area of central clearing” of euro-denominated financial contracts, seeking more control over non-EU clearinghouses — including those in the U.K. after Brexit — that are … Continue Reading
Renminbi-denominated Stocks Adopted by Major U.S. Index Provider
MSCI announced that after three years of declining to do so, it will now add 22 of China’s so-called “A” shares to its Emerging Markets Index. The move is a boon to the perceived legitimacy of the RMB, and ultimately … Continue Reading
Thinking about Carbon Tariffs, Retaliation and the WTO
With the Paris Agreement now moving on without the United States, carbon tariffs are no longer unthinkable–and some reports have suggested that the US could be exposed to sanctions and retaliation for contravening international norms. According to one line of … Continue Reading
Meanwhile in the World of Tax (a Multilateral Treaty to be Implemented through Existing Bilateral Accords)
On 7 June 2017, over 70 Ministers and other high-level representatives participated in the signing ceremony of the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (“Multilateral Instrument” or “MLI”). The MLI is … Continue Reading
Bank for International Settlements issues report praising globalization
The BIS has released a report warning that globalization, and trade in particular, should not be blamed for inequality. There is, of course, a good deal of irony in the “central banks of central banks” intervening in the issue of … Continue Reading
Chris Cox Predicts CFTC-SEC Harmonization (Great idea, but Harder than you’d think)
According to Risk Magazine, former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox explained at a hedge fund conference that he thinks there is bipartisan support for greater CFTC-SEC harmonization of derivatives rules, and noted the need for harmonizing overlapping regulatory authority … Continue Reading
Treasury Department Unveils Regulatory Agenda
A list of the rules that could be subject to change are here. Interestingly, part of the proposed agenda is squarely and explicitly international in nature, and targets international standard-setting in the Basel Committee, including: * Revisiting rules on the … Continue Reading
Hard Brexit May Still Be Inevitable
Brexit is being interpreted by some as an interest by the young in particular in a “soft Brexit.” But making a deal, especially with a hung parliament and coalitional government, will become much more difficult—and in the process increase the … Continue Reading
FT: UK must sign 759 agreements just to stay in the same place after Brexit
Most of the agreements involve trade and regulatory coordination. But the big idea, as I’ve noted elsewhere, is that even as bilateralism appears to be on the rise in systemically important countries, it is far from easy to operationalize. The … Continue Reading
Populism’s Minilateral Foreign Policy
At last month’s meeting of Asia-Pacific states, US officials reiterated one of the less noticed positions of the 2016 Presidential campaign: we’re willing to talk trade with pretty much anyone, but only bilaterally. Regional deals aren’t really in the cards. … Continue Reading