What Do We Really Know About the Transatlantic Current Account?

12th November 2019
KCG Secretary
Authors: Martin Braml and Gabriel Felbermayr (CESifo Economic Studies, Vol. 65(3), 255-274)

Do the U.S. have a current account surplus or a deficit with the EU? Since 2009, official sources disagree: The U.S. Department of Commerce claims a consistent U.S. surplus while Eurostat reports the opposite. International transactions are notoriously difficult to measure accurately[…]

KCG Researchers Gave Presentations at the Annual Conference of the European Trade Study Group

11th November 2019
KCG Secretary
News
News
KCG’s thematic focus has been to work on an interdisciplinary research agenda that evaluates the proliferation of global value chains (GVCs) as an important aspect of globalization. As a matter of course, trade and related research issues belong to KCG’s priority research topics. To share the research insights obtained and exchange knowledge with other trade experts, KCG researchers actively attended international trade workshops and conferences, incl. the Annual Conference of the European Trade Study Group (ETSG) – one of the large-scale trade conferences worldwide. The ETSG Conference provides a forum for discussion and research on international trade and attracts economists and experts interested in trade related issues from universities and research institutes over the world[...]

KCG Research: Active Engagement of MNEs Matters for Implementing Corporate Social Responsibility in Africa

5th November 2019
KCG Secretary
Publications
Publications
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Economic research has provided evidence showing that developing countries’ integration into global value chains is highly advantageous for encouraging their economic and social development over time. Events in practice such as Rana Plaza Collapse in 2013 showed, however, that the benefits of globalization may be realized (partially) at the cost of labour welfare and environmental sustainability on site. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) from economically more advanced countries have been often criticized for focusing on maximizing their profits only and thus ignoring their social responsibility while investing in and/or doing business with firms in the developing countries[...]