Posts tagged…Exports
The impact of Fiji’s devaluation
Thu, Apr 16 2009
It's not hard to understand the motives. But the devaluation is a gamble that is not guaranteed to pay off.
No doubt, the devaluation had to do with the export sector's poor contribution to income (goods only in the accompanying chart). Devaluation will cut the foreign-currency price of Fiji's exports and possibly increase income in $F—if there is a strong export supply response.
That may be a…
Read more…A coal quiz
Tue, Feb 17 2009Here's a little quiz about coal. You probably know that there are two kinds; coking coal, which provides the carbon in carbon-steel and thermal coal that drives the power-stations and adds CO2 to the atmosphere. You might also know that Australia exports four times more coking coal than the #2 global supplier (Indonesia) and maybe you were aware that Australia is the #2 thermal coal exporter…
Costs and benefits of trade
Tue, Feb 10 2009
It's a shame that even the Financial Times has joined the chorus of alarm about the recent plunge in trade volumes.
"[The IMF] expects (Asian) regional growth of just 2.7 per cent, a fraction of the 9 per cent achieved in 2007 and a percentage point lower even than it managed during its own financial crisis a decade ago. That crisis was largely self-inflicted, the product of an overdependence on…
Australia’s export performance—should we be worried?
Sat, Apr 19 2008
The Australian government's Review of Export Policies and Programs has apparently been prompted by concerns about export performance.
"While exports exhibited strong growth in the period 1980-2001, reflecting technological changes and important domestic policy initiatives such as the lowering of tariff barriers and the introduction of pro-competition policies, in recent years there has been a…