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Maurice Obstfeld

Maurice Obstfeld

8 commentaries

Maurice Obstfeld, a former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, is Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.

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  1. Trump’s Inflationary Triple Threat
    op_disparte1_SadikDemirozGetty Images_digitaldollar FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

    Trump’s Inflationary Triple Threat

    Nov 22, 2024 Maurice Obstfeld warns that the incoming administration’s agenda would weaken the Fed and destabilize the financial system.

  2. Donald Trump’s Tariffs Would Hurt US Workers and Businesses
    obstfeld6_Anthony KwanGetty Images_tariffs Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

    Donald Trump’s Tariffs Would Hurt US Workers and Businesses

    Oct 22, 2024 Maurice Obstfeld shows why targeting an overall reduction in imports would reduce America’s real wages and national income.

  3. America’s Deficit Attention Disorder
    obstfeld5_ Justin SullivanGetty Images_trade Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    America’s Deficit Attention Disorder

    Aug 5, 2024 Maurice Obstfeld thinks the accumulation of public debt is a far more urgent problem than the trade balance.

  4. The Dangers of a US Capital Inflow Tax
    obstfeld4_Jabin BotsfordThe Washington Post via Getty Images_trumplighthizer Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    The Dangers of a US Capital Inflow Tax

    Jun 14, 2024 Maurice Obstfeld worries that a little-known, highly costly method of deficit reduction is gaining political traction.

  5. Trump’s Plans for the Fed Would Revive 1970s-Style Inflation
    Project Syndicate

    Trump’s Plans for the Fed Would Revive 1970s-Style Inflation

    May 8, 2024 Maurice Obstfeld thinks the presumptive GOP nominee’s policies reflect an outdated understanding of the economy.

  1. bhide11_Anthony KwanGettyImages_deepseek Anthony Kwan/Getty Images
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    Is DeepSeek Really a Threat?

    Amar Bhidé

    If vindicated, DeepSeek’s technology could be to large language models what Nikola Tesla’s breakthroughs with alternating current were to electrification. While it cannot overcome the unavoidable limitations of backward-looking statistical models, it could make their price performance good enough for wider use.

     explains what a purported Chinese AI breakthrough does and does not mean for the industry.
  2. spence180_Picture AllianceGettyImages_germany_annual_economic_report Picture Alliance/Getty Images
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    What’s Wrong With Germany’s Economy?

    Michael Spence

    Germany became a European powerhouse partly because, in the early 2000s, its industrial sectors took over the highest-valued-added segments of global supply chains. Replicating this success today would require Germany to move to the forefront of the digital transformation, and it cannot do that without the EU.

     thinks the country’s prospects depend significantly on closing the digital-technology gap with the US and China.
  3. hausmann119_Christine OlssonGettyImages_northvolt_bankruptcy Christine Olsson/Getty Images
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    When Companies Fail to Learn, They Learn to Fail

    Ricardo Hausmann explains how the inability to identify and address knowledge gaps can doom even the most promising projects.
  4. berahab1_LUDOVIC MARINAFP via Getty Images_gabonforest Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images
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    How to Make Carbon Pricing Work for Africa

    Rim Berahab & Otaviano Canuto argue that policies must be structured to facilitate, not obstruct, the continent’s shift to renewables.
  5. jma6_NurPhotoGettyImages_china_evs_trade NurPhoto/Getty Images
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    Green Free Trade in a Protectionist Age

    Ma Jun envisions regional arrangements that facilitate the exchange of climate-friendly goods and services.
  6. mazarei1_Sayed HassanGetty Images_suezcanal Sayed Hassan/Getty Images
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    Egypt’s Economic Crisis May Not Be Over

    Adnan Mazarei urges the international community to push for long-overdue governance and economic reforms.
  7. iyer2_SIA KAMBOUAFP via Getty Images_malariavaccine Sia Kambou/AFP via Getty Images
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    Climate Displacement Is Also a Health Crisis

    Jayasree K. Iyer proposes a four-pronged strategy to ensure that essential medicines reach vulnerable populations.
  8. rogoff258_Fabrice CoffriniGettyImages_trump_at_davos Fabrice Coffrini/Getty Images
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    Europe in Trump’s Crosshairs

    Kenneth Rogoff urges EU policymakers not to allow the new US administration to distract them from key policy priorities.
  9. pistor39_Julia Demaree NikhinsonGettyImages_trump_inauguration_ceos Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Getty Images
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    The New Washington Consensus

    Katharina Pistor sees no daylight remaining between US private business and the federal government.

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