Canadian business and political leaders have long looked to strengthen bilateral economic relations with the ASEAN Economic Community based on its openness to trade, its dynamism and its integration into Asian production chains. Given the shift from an Asia-Pacific to an Indo-Pacific framing for...

At the five-month mark, the costs of Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” have soared and spread. The short-term economic costs of the invasion include not only the direct war damage in Ukraine and the immediate consequences of the economic sanctions and counter-sanctions on...

Public-sector investment funds (especially pension funds) have been increasingly pooled and managed by investment management firms in Ontario. Pooled asset management generates a net benefit to public-sector spending patterns by realizing benefits from economies of scale, including reducing...

In the decade leading up to the pandemic, safe assets did not keep pace with global demand. The supply of high-grade government bonds in advanced economies was constrained because budget deficits were declining. At the same time, the demand for these assets increased due to the aging population,...

There are some 2,500 international investment agreements (IIAs) in force around the world, whether as stand-alone treaties or incorporated into bilateral or regional free trade agreements (FTAs). They are a significant feature of the international business scene.A main feature of these...

Retail shopping has become a many-faceted experience for both buyers and sellers. Already increasing in use before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on shopping habits, e-commerce continues to evolve, offering new ways for retailers to sell and consumers to buy their products. Consumers now...

The federal government will be increasingly constrained in its ability to provide effective stimulus in response to future severe cyclical economic downturns. Low interest rates restrict the Bank of Canada’s ability to stimulate private demand through interest-rate cuts. Similarly, high public...

In theory, management of public funds by Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments reflects the preferences Canadians express through their elected representatives. In practice, the revenues and expenses that Canada’s senior governments report after year-end, and the resulting...

Canadians spend more on end-of-life care than other high-income countries, including the United States, yet we achieve poor results compared to most. There are structural factors and inefficiencies within our healthcare system that facilitate unhelpful and unwanted medical interventions at the...

Recent figures on Canada’s stock of capital and new business investment are worrying. Canada’s capital stock is not keeping pace with its workforce. New business investment per worker is declining. Not only have areas of traditional strength in Canadian business investment –...