Why are US Firms Lame in 5G?

♠ Posted by Emmanuel in ,, at 4/22/2019 04:01:00 PM
By failing to conform to GSM--the global telecoms standard--the US fell well behind the leading edge.. Recent times have witnessed the United States trying to stop Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturers--most notably Huawei--from gaining market share abroad. The ostensible purpose is that the United States is concerned about Huawei and the rest accommodating Communist Party wishes to spy on other countries. If government buyers of this gear were to install Huawei gear, the explanation goes, it would make them vulnerable to Chinese spying that would hinder US intelligence cooperation. But what American gear...
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US to WTO: China Isn't a Developing Country

♠ Posted by Emmanuel in , at 4/09/2019 10:44:00 AM
If Trump had his way, the WTO would have far fewer "developing countries." (China wouldn't be one, of course.) There's an interesting fight going on at the WTO on the classification of developing countries as, well, developing countries. The Trump administration--never a fan of multilateral organizations like the WTO to begin with--wants fewer countries to be classified as such. At present, about two-third of WTO member countries have this status, and together with it, special and differential treatment (SD&T). SD&T allows preferences for developing countries that developed countries do not have such as a longer...
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NOPEC: Will Saudis Deny USD Oil Payment?

♠ Posted by Emmanuel in ,, at 4/05/2019 04:03:00 PM
Here's some news important to the study of IPE that has been flying under the radar. American lawmakers have, since the turn of the millennium, been contemplating passage of a "NOPEC" law removing the immunity of nations from American antitrust laws. As the name implies, the main target is collusion on setting global oil prices by OPEC member countries. In response to the Trump administration's increasing browbeating about high oil prices and OPEC's role in causing them, Saudi Arabia has come up with a potentially consequential strategy. That is, the Saudis will begin pricing their oil in a currency other than US dollars: Saudi...
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