In reaction to disruptions of the Single Market, the European Commission put forward an emergency instrument. It proposes far-reaching measures in order to maintain the proper functioning of the Single Market and ensure the supply and distribution of goods and services. The dirigiste...

Understanding the relationship between international trade and CO2 emissions is crucial for designing appropriate measures to address climate change. This article focuses on CO2 emissions as one of the trade flow determinants of the EU countries, along with other factors including remoteness,...

China's merchandise trade surplus has reached an all-time high and is likely to rise further. A key driver appears to be a policy push to further bolster Chinese domestic manufacturing production, implying the danger of significant overcapacities. China's imbalance between domestic production...

Supply security is threatened by technical, business, natural and policy shocks, as well as geopolitical tensions. Is there a rationale for policy intervention? If yes, what are efficient and effective measures that achieve de-risking? This article first explains why private incentives do not...

The existence of a broad range of economic activities in the “shadow” of the official economy is nothing fundamentally new. However, there are signs that the shift into the shadow economy has been increasing considerably from the seventies onwards. Whereas growth in the “official”...

Not only has the shadow economy obviously been growing much more rapidly than the official economy in the Western industrialised countries, it also appears to have a growth cycle of its own, running counter to the official economy's growth cycle. This raises a number of important questions for...

Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain were all hit by the economic downturn in the course of the financial crisis and have been struggling with national debt crises and recession. A problem common to all of these countries is the collapse of national demand. Foreign trade might seem a logical way...

China is the leading exporter of rare earths, elements which are crucial to the development of high-tech products and new green technologies. In recent years, however, China has begun imposing export restraints on these elements in order to benefi t its domestic economic development. This...