Recent Posts

For Nestle and Unilever, no news is good news

No news can sometimes be good news. Unilever and Nestle, two of Europe’s biggest consumer giants, managed to report sales growth that broadly matched analyst estimates.That was exactly what they needed: both are vulnerable if they stumble. A misstep at Nestle could strengthen the hand of an activist investor; at Unilever, it could attract one. The pair is struggling with ...

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Trump is right to confront China’s postal subsidy

President Donald Trump has been known to exaggerate what he sees as China’s unfair advantages in trade with the US, and to unproductively escalate tensions between the two countries. But with his latest complaint, having to do with the seemingly trivial matter of global postal fees, Trump has highlighted an unfair imbalance between the two nations that should be relatively ...

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Trump offers Brexiters a big trade-shaped gift

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has sent a gift to Brexit supporters. His letter notifying Congress that the Trump administration plans to seek a “cutting-edge” free-trade deal with the UK was music to the ears of those who have long argued that leaving the European Union will allow Britain to pursue an ambitious policy of bilateral trade deals. Getting such ...

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