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Exporters: Cautiously Optimistic - January 13, 2011 Updated: 2011-01-12 22:00:00 Description: It’s good to enter a new year with a healthy dose of optimism. This is no small task for Canadian exporters, who saw robust growth in the first half of 2010, but are now faced with the dual challenges of weakening global demand and a stubbornly hig...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Ready for the Real Recovery? - January 6, 2011 Updated: 2011-01-05 22:00:00 Description: 2010 may well become known as the year of the false start. Growth that looked every inch like true recovery fizzled by mid-year, feeding the confusion and uncertainty that is the hallmark of the recession’s aftermath. At the start of a new year, it...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Surprise of the Year: Price Paradox - December 23, 2010 Updated: 2010-12-22 22:00:00 Description: Looking back over 2010, there was no lack of drama. The year began with a bang: news that we ended 2009 with a surge of growth combined with evidence of continuation into the New Year. Most were proclaiming recovery. But just as abruptly, the engine ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD An Import-ant Source of Growth - December 16, 2010 Updated: 2010-12-15 22:00:00 Description: Negative numbers in any country’s national accounts are generally bad news. They mostly show up as periodic declines in activity, and we have seen a lot of that lately. Imports always show up as a negative number, by definition, and consequently ar...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD In India’s Perennial Problem, a Solution - December 9, 2010 Updated: 2010-12-08 22:00:00 Description: India’s modern-day growth path is the envy of most nations. Annual GDP has vaulted ahead by an average of 6.4% over the past 10 years, and the economy handled the global recession well. Growth this year and next is averaging 8.4%, a little over Ind...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Big Economies in a Policy Squeeze - December 2, 2010 Updated: 2010-12-01 22:00:00 Description: The recent recession was shock enough, but it was at least rivalled for effect by the public policy response that followed. Overnight, Western economic policy turned on a dime. Crisis led to a swift, significant and highly synchronized global respons...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Preparing for a Rebound in European Trade - November 25, 2010 Updated: 2010-11-24 22:00:00 Description: International trade has been the punching bag of the global recession. Accustomed for years to leading global growth, trade fell by 11% in 2009 as the global economy shrank 0.6%. A partial revival occurred in the 6-month growth spurt that began last ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Big Banks – Turning the Corner? - November 18, 2010 Updated: 2010-11-17 22:00:00 Description: Faith in the global banking system was shattered in late 2008 with the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Only extraordinary intervention by governments prevented the systemic, cascading bank failures last seen in the 1930’s. Even so, there are lingering...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Consumer Comeback? Not Yet - November 11, 2010 Updated: 2010-11-10 22:00:00 Description: Like it or not, the world’s consumers are a critical piece of the global recovery puzzle. Without a revival in this key sector, the world economy will remain in neutral. Can we expect this mighty economic engine to fire up soon, or is it more likel...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Chinese Growth: Actual or Artificial? - November 4, 2010 Updated: 2010-11-03 22:00:00 Description: Emerging market titans seem to be flying through economic turbulence with remarkable ease. China has continued to impress onlookers with consistent, double-digit GDP growth. Many see China as an anchor of world growth. So far, so good. But can China ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD The Moment of Truth - October 28, 2010 Updated: 2010-10-27 22:00:00 Description: Chaotic movements in world economic output gave way to a new phase at mid-year. Suddenly, it seemed that everything got quiet. Far from an antidote to chaos, this is a disquieting quiet, a mid-rebound slowdown that doesn’t normally occur. It’s a ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD The Perplexing Path of Prices - October 21, 2010 Updated: 2010-10-20 22:00:00 Description: It’s easy to get dizzy tracing the recent path of prices. General price movements have oscillated from inflation to disinflation and back again over the past two years. Earlier this year, strong growth rekindled inflation worries in many economies,...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Commodity Oddity - October 14, 2010 Updated: 2010-10-13 22:00:00 Description: May, 2010 was just a few days old when the world economy hit a troubling inflection point. Concerns about the viability of Southern European economies combined with slowing growth to sour recovery hopes. Pundits are now proclaiming modest growth in u...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD OECD Barometer: Weather is Worsening - October 7, 2010 Updated: 2010-10-06 22:00:00 Description: If increased technology has any downsides, then a prominent one would have to be information overload. When it comes to the economy, data overload can be a problem, and given current market uncertainty, it seems as if each one of the multitude of ind...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Europhoria: Short-Lived? - September 30, 2010 Updated: 2010-09-29 22:00:00 Description: Markets are hungry for good news, and they gobbled up the second-quarter GDP report for Europe with gusto. The numbers were indeed impressive, and birthed a torrent of econo-chatter about the possibility of an EU-led global recovery. Is this jump in ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD CAC Region Preparing for Recovery - September 23, 2010 Updated: 2010-09-22 22:00:00 Description: Aside from the occasional news flash, the world’s attention is not usually centred on Central America and the Caribbean (CAC). But this smaller segment of the New World still carries enormous strategic importance, and it significance for the world ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Trade: Canada’s Great Hope - September 16, 2010 Updated: 2010-09-15 22:00:00 Description: Gloom abounds in the world economy, and with good reason. Surviving the current episode is critical, but growth eventually will recover, and hopes for longer-term prosperity will brighten. Strategies for success in the coming growth cycle are already...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Second-Quarter Shock in America - September 9, 2010 Updated: 2010-09-08 22:00:00 Description: That famous hole in Wyoming where central bankers and other key economy-watchers convened two weekends ago was a fitting metaphor for the post factum sentiment of delegates. Or at least, the American ones. Sentiments were decidedly gloomy, noteworthy...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Profits: Prophet of Renewed Weakness? - September 2, 2010 Updated: 2010-09-01 22:00:00 Description: Corporate profits, volatile at the best of times, are usually the punching bag of recessions. Likewise, as an economy emerges from recession, profits can yield key clues about the durability of recovery. For Canada, this profit cycle is alive and wel...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Japan: Dark Clouds Obscure the Sunrise - August 26, 2010 Updated: 2010-08-25 22:00:00 Description: Last week began with double-barreled news from Japan that grabbed the airwaves. The industrial giant was bumped out of second place among world economies by China. This occurred as growth in Japanese GDP slowed to a crawl in the second quarter. The w...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD In Search of Growth...Elsewhere - August 19, 2010 Updated: 2010-08-18 22:00:00 Description: Recent international trade statistics corroborate what is obvious in other economic indicators: growth is slowing worldwide. For the trade stats, it’s a new phenomenon, but other, forward-looking data suggest that weakness will linger through the s...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Labourers in Hiding - August 12, 2010 Updated: 2010-08-11 22:00:00 Description: Of the myriad monthly indicators that market-watchers dissect, few generate the palpitations induced by labour force data – both before and after release. It’s no surprise. Job growth is the anchor of demand, one of the key determinants of econom...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD US Housing: Recovery Interrupted? - August 5, 2010 Updated: 2010-08-04 22:00:00 Description: History will no doubt point to the US housing market as the hallmark of the past decade’s excesses. The heights achieved were only exceeded for drama by the spectacular and protracted plunge of the market, and the collateral damage sustained by the...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Awaiting the Prudence Payback - July 29, 2010 Updated: 2010-07-28 22:00:00 Description: Lambasting big-economy consumers for their excesses has become a popular recession-time sport. Chastened by the exposure of their self-engineered plight, many consumers have hunkered down, quietly working down excesses and deleveraging. Their activit...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Widespread Weakness in Core Inflation - July 22, 2010 Updated: 2010-07-21 22:00:00 Description: Economic rebound, localized capacity constraints and base effects kept global inflation-chatter active in the opening months of this year. In recent weeks, there’s a kind of hush setting in on the topic. Have other issues crowded this one out, or i...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Second-Half Softening Tests World Economy - July 15, 2010 Updated: 2010-07-14 22:00:00 Description: The pressure is rising. Slower growth is etched all over current data, dampening the bullish mood that dominated the airwaves in the first quarter. Markets are in yet another turbulent phase as we move into the post-stimulus phase of the rebound – ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD US Auto Sales On Hold? - July 8, 2010 Updated: 2010-07-07 22:00:00 Description: America’s obsession with vehicles was shaken by the onset of recession. Firms that were the icons of US auto production for multiple generations were suddenly on the brink of extinction. Hotly contested government bailouts bought them time, and sal...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Canada’s Day - July 1, 2010 Updated: 2010-06-30 22:00:00 Description: Canada is capturing world attention on a number of fronts these days. Although better known for our diminutive, self-effacing persona, Canadians could be forgiven for taking special pride in key recent developments. These are especially welcome, give...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Baltic Dry Index Tumbles - June 24, 2010 Updated: 2010-06-23 22:00:00 Description: Summer has arrived in the Northern hemisphere, and those expecting a quieter pace may get more than they bargained for. As we enter the season, a growing number of key international indicators are on the wane. One of the more dramatic is the Baltic D...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Domestic Strength Boosts Trade Confidence - June 17, 2010 Updated: 2010-06-16 22:00:00 Description: Trade confidence is up? It hardly seems possible. Earlier this year, maybe, when a bevy of strong economic reports set the world abuzz with recovery-talk. But now, with heightened concern about Southern Europe’s public finances, worries about China...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Uh-oh, China Slows - June 10, 2010 Updated: 2010-06-09 22:00:00 Description: Weary of manifold dismal economic reports, solace-seekers have turned to the balm of Chinese data in the past 18 months. They haven’t been disappointed. But that may be changing. Recent stats are taking the shine off the impressive record, casting ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Leading Indicator in Trouble? - June 3, 2010 Updated: 2010-06-02 22:00:00 Description: Of all the indicators of Canada’s economic rebound, perhaps none is more convincing than StatCan’s Composite Leading Indicator (CLI). The Index has now risen for 11 consecutive months, at an impressive average monthly pace of 1%. In the latest su...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Recession and Rebound: Impact by Industry - May 27, 2010 Updated: 2010-05-26 22:00:00 Description: For Canadian exporters, it was hard to hide from last year’s storm. Canada’s international sales experienced their biggest pounding in recent memory, and every industry was affected. The impact was greater for those on the leading edge of the sto...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Preparing for the “New Normal” - May 20, 2010 Updated: 2010-05-19 22:00:00 Description: By now it is clear that the global recession is over. That means we are on our way back to normality, but there are many reasons to expect it to be a different sort of normality than many seem to expect....more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Industrialized Sovereigns in Trouble - May 13, 2010 Updated: 2010-05-19 22:00:00 Description: News about worsening public finances in Western Europe rocked global financial markets last week, and revealed an underlying fragility in confidence. Apparently, patience with the on-again, off-again approach of policymakers to the problem zones wore...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Is Copper’s Optimism Well-Founded? - May 6, 2010 Updated: 2010-05-05 22:00:00 Description: Up is in vogue again. Many economic indicators are pointing upward, and many analysts now have a good dose of up-timism. One of those is copper, the orange metal with the innate sense of the world economy’s near term path. Recent movements in coppe...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD The Critical Zone - April 29, 2010 Updated: 2010-05-05 22:00:00 Description: It was the best of times. In late 2008, it turned into the worst of times. Then came abject pessimism, followed by a period of uncertainty and volatility. Sentiment was tentative as the world economy entered 2010, but the resumption of growth has lif...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Alberta’s Other Economy - April 22, 2010 Updated: 2010-04-28 22:00:00 Description: Think about Alberta, you think about oil and gas. Reserves in the feted oil sands are vast, rivalling those of Saudi Arabia. Just two years ago, widespread fear that the planet was running out of oil vaulted Alberta’s extensive and politically secu...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD India: Will Politics Hinder Progress? - April 15, 2010 Updated: 2010-04-21 22:00:00 Description: India’s economy may have enormous future potential to grow. There may even be enough money available to create the infrastructure needed to facilitate that economic potential. But does India, with its storied recent history of political fragmentati...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD India’s Infrastructure Plans: Dreams or Reality? - April 8, 2010 Updated: 2010-04-14 22:00:00 Description: Explosive growth became the norm for India in the global economy’s boom years, and few pundits disagree that long run growth potential is better here than anywhere else. India’s prowess was tested in the global recession, but the subcontinent has...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Big Spenders Still Hesitant - April 1, 2010 Updated: 2010-04-07 22:00:00 Description: In economic banter, recovery is a word that has been ahead of its time for over a year. It was dusted off following the global plunge in output last year, and has been well-used since. But the debate on the timing of a convincing global recovery rema...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Caribbean Economies: Less Fun in the Sun - March 24, 2010 Updated: 2010-03-24 22:00:00 Description: Northerners are now returning from the annual Spring Break trek to southern destinations. Once again, Caribbean nations extended a traditional warm welcome to visitors, although cooler weather and a not-too-hot world economy may have kept their numbe...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Industrial Production: 2-Speed Recovery? - March 17, 2010 Updated: 2010-03-17 22:00:00 Description: Recent data have many pundits hailing emerging markets as the world economy’s new growth engine. Industrial production statistics are a key part of that argument. Do they indeed suggest that there is a 2-speed recovery underway, and that emerging m...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD The Diversification Solution - March 10, 2010 Updated: 2010-03-10 22:00:00 Description: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Good investment advice, but easy to ignore when the return on a certain asset is particularly good. Canadian international trade faces the same dilemma. We know that more diverse trade would be a good th...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Reversal of Profit Plunge Underway - March 3, 2010 Updated: 2010-03-03 22:00:00 Description: Corporate profits are among the hardest-hit indicators in recessionary episodes, and unfortunately this time around the situation is no different: Canadian corporations saw profits tumble sharply for three successive quarters through mid-2009. Declin...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Commercial Construction: Recovery’s Wrecking Ball? - February 24, 2010 Updated: 2010-02-24 22:00:00 Description: Lagging indicators are the bane of economic recovery. They are the final waves that recessions send crashing into an economy, and depending on their timing, can wreak havoc with nascent recovery. One such indicator is commercial construction, and the...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Inflation Muted Despite Surging Indexes - February 17, 2010 Updated: 2010-02-17 22:00:00 Description: Latest monthly price data for OECD economies are now hitting the wires, and are sure to re-kindle inflation-chatter. Economic uncertainty has led to disparate views of near-term price movements, at the risk of confusing onlookers. Is the resumption o...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Woes in Greece Reveal Broader Fiscal Concerns - February 10, 2010 Updated: 2010-02-10 22:00:00 Description: Fiscal finances the world over are feeling the deep effects of recession. Support for the ailing world economy was swift, substantial and synchronized in late 2008, creating large deficits that are now being widened as unemployment and lower business...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Sustainable Surge in US Growth? - February 3, 2010 Updated: 2010-02-03 22:00:00 Description: The US economy surprised everyone in the closing months of 2009. Preliminary figures show the economy churned out impressive 5.7% annualized growth. As the US led the world into recession, it is expected to lead us out. Does the fourth-quarter, 2009 ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Back in the Black? Yes and No - January 27, 2010 Updated: 2010-01-27 22:00:00 Description: There’s nothing like a little growth to pick up the spirits. Many indicators are pointing north again, and sentiment is noticeably brighter – in part, out of relief that the worst is behind us, but also reflecting a broadly-based rebirth of hope....more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD China’s High-Wire Act - January 20, 2010 Updated: 2010-01-20 22:00:00 Description: Pan across China’s recent economic statistics, and it’s hard not to be impressed. Double-digit growth is everywhere, it is adding up to a GDP tally that makes China seem virtually unscathed by the global recession. But at the same time, the Chine...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Exporters See Better Times Ahead - January 13, 2010 Updated: 2010-01-13 22:00:00 Description: One year ago, Canadian exporters were a very gloomy bunch, and with good reason. The recession everyone else was still fearing had already hit exporters hard, and things were getting worse. In fact, 2009 dealt exports their worst drubbing in recent m...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Stage Set for a Happier New Year - January 6, 2010 Updated: 2010-01-06 22:00:00 Description: It was hard to be positive about short-term economic prospects at this time last year. Our New Year’s message could hardly have been more doleful, and as it happened, the message was warranted. Global activity levels are now much lower than they we...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Surprise of the Year: The Retreat of Risk - December 16, 2009 Updated: 2009-12-16 22:00:00 Description: It seemed that as 2009 began, everywhere you looked there was risk. Output was plummeting. World financial markets were in disarray. Confidence was shattered. References to the Great Depression became fashionable. Markets were jolted into sobriety wi...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Gloom in Global Shipping - December 9, 2009 Updated: 2009-12-09 22:00:00 Description: As the sun begins to set on 2009, international traders are likely breathing a collective sigh of relief. Accustomed to hefty annual increases, traders are weathering a 17% drop in global volumes thus far in the year, and there are few signs of rebou...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Financial Market Turbulence: A Shock? - December 2, 2009 Updated: 2009-12-02 22:00:00 Description: If the world economy has you feeling queasy, there’s good reason. We’re still in the heaving seas typical of the zone between recession and recovery, hoping that the next wave will be the last, and that it won’t swamp us. Dubai World’s announ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Indonesia: Tiger-in-Waiting - November 25, 2009 Updated: 2009-11-25 22:00:00 Description: On any list of the world’s ascendant emerging economies, Indonesia would be pretty close to the top. Nestled in the planet’s hottest economic growth zone, the archipelago is blessed with natural wealth and the world’s fourth-largest population....more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Recession’s Impact Varies by Industry - November 18, 2009 Updated: 2009-11-18 22:00:00 Description: A search for Canadian exporters unaffected by the global recession would need a pretty big magnifying glass. Exports have been dented across the industrial spectrum – but the impact has been unequal. Which industries are expected to fare best and w...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Path to Recovery Challenging for Canada's Regions - November 11, 2009 Updated: 2009-11-11 22:00:00 Description: This year has already made history. As far back as the records go, Canadian exporters have not seen a worse year than 2009 – by a factor of five, no less. Canada’s recession was indeed an imported one, and the decline in activity is so dramatic t...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Americans are Saving Again - November 4, 2009 Updated: 2009-11-04 22:00:00 Description: Believe it or not, US consumers have pulled off a dramatic U-turn. Addicted to debt in the boom years, the world’s biggest consumers are pinching their pennies at a rate few thought possible just a year ago. This deleveraging process is weighing on...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD 10 Reasons to Reject Protectionism - October 21, 2009 Updated: 2009-10-21 22:00:00 Description: Decades of multilateral effort and untold resources have been devoted to freeing up global trade flows. Enter a severe recession, and suddenly all that effort is at risk. Protectionism, the arch enemy of international trade, is in vogue again. There ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Brazil: Ocean of Opportunity - October 6, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Soaring over the giant city of Sao Paulo, one gets an instant impression that Brazil is on the move. Among the endless sea of buildings there are ample new construction projects. Roads are jammed full of commuters, and are being upgraded to accommoda...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Following the Lead - October 27, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Gloomy headlines are a dime a dozen these days. Ah, but pessimism still sells as much as it ever did. Trouble is, it also spreads, and more ominously, can be self-fulfilling. There is evidence to back up the bleary blogs, but there are also key piece...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Two Speed Dials to Watch - October 13, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Frustrated onlookers might say that recent data is for the birds. At present, the birds are flying south, and it seems like high-frequency financial indicators are doing the same. The daily stream of red numbers on financial tickers has again inspire...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Brazil: Ocean of Opportunity - October 6, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Soaring over the giant city of Sao Paulo, one gets an instant impression that Brazil is on the move. Among the endless sea of buildings there are ample new construction projects. Roads are jammed full of commuters, and are being upgraded to accommoda...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Animal Spirits and the Economy - November 3, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: You ride this elevator every day. But today is different - it is stopped between floors, and you're not happy. Neither are the other seven passengers. One grabs the emergency phone, another presses the alarm button. Nothing. Then without warning, the...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Jobs: Engine, or Caboose? - September 8, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Nothing puts a smile on the face these days like a good month of job growth. But the frowns etching the faces of leaders and lackeys alike tell today’s tale - employment numbers have not impressed, increasing the focus on this key indicator. Concer...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD The Import of Capacity - October 20, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: It takes teamwork to build an economy. Economic development plans at the local, regional and national level play a key role. Over the years, much has been written and myriad plans have been implemented by economic developers. Does all the economic tr...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD The Global Feeding Frenzy - September 29, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Early in 2008, rising prices sparked widespread worries about food shortages in Southeast Asia. Further price increases ensued as households staged a run on local food supplies – creating the tangible appearance of a food crisis when in actual fact...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Trade Data Renews Hope - September 15, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Nothing puts a smile on the face these days like a good month of job growth. But the frowns etching the faces of leaders and lackeys alike tell today’s tale - employment numbers have not impressed, increasing the focus on this key indicator. Concer...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Losing our Cool in the Summer? - August 11, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Predictability is a long-sought but elusive state in the modern economy. It seems particularly elusive at the moment. Unusual uncertainty and volatility are delaying the global economy’s healing process. We all have some tolerance for turbulence, b...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Austerity Verity - August 4, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: When it comes to frequency of word usage in the media, 'slowdown' is way up in the rankings. For a world economy that has been in the yo-yo zone since early 2009, that might be a ho-hum insight. Yet the OECD sees a widespread, multi-country slowdown ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Shipping Caught in Price Doldrums - July 28, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: There’s a lot of talk about inflation these days. Too much, perhaps. But there’s at least one place that prices don’t seem to be flexing their muscles: ocean freight rates. That might make some sense from a global demand perspective, but not wh...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Inflation in the EU: Really? - July 21, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: A galloping charger needs restraints. Not so the placid horse. Which one characterizes current EU inflation? The ECB sees the former, and has seen fit to grasp the reins more tightly, raising key interest rates for the second time in three months. An...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Summer Setback - July 14, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Two steps forward, one step back. That seems to be the current cadence of the world economy. While it suggests progress, it is frustrating. The momentum that was clearly building over the past year has recently downshifted. Is this the best the globa...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD US: Poised for a Big Comeback? - July 07, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Worried about the US economy? You’re not alone. US equity markets fell for six weeks in a row as nervous investors piled into US treasuries, driving the 10-year yield down to 2.8%, the lowest level since November. Key indicators from various sector...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Surprise Rise in Trade Confidence - June 30, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: It’s a tough time to gauge business sentiment. During the spring, news of natural disasters, political turmoil and the sorry state of public finances contrasted with signs of growing economic momentum. Perhaps this is why a prominent survey of Cana...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Economic Models: In a Funk - June 23, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: If market volatility gives economic models a headache, then they have a whopping migraine at the moment. Critically dependent on past trends, models are now having to absorb the mega-changes of the last growth cycle, and so far, their record is sketc...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD That’s A Good Question! - June 16, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Our cross-Canada Let’s Talk Exports forecast presentations are usually followed by lively question-and-answer sessions. Without this interaction, we would not get a true sense of the concerns, the fears and the aspirations of Canada’s exporters. ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Loonie at Par: Loony? - June 9, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Our spring Let’s Talk Exports roadshow wrapped up last week. Over the 15-city tour, one key concern was expressed without fail: the soaring Canadian dollar. Above par since January, the Northern buck has many believing it is stuck there. Has parity...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD MENA Dilemma - June 2, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: If shocks are the bane of forecasts, this year we are doubly cursed. Thus far, the world has been wracked by multiple natural disasters. Equally unpredictable was the unrest that gripped the Middle East and North Afric (MENA), and it has likewise sha...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Singapore’s Clues About Global Trade - September 1, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: International trade flows have aptly illustrated the global economy’s three-year roller-coaster ride. By January 2009, global exports had tumbled 19% in just six months. But since then, world exports have vastly outpaced GDP growth, rising at a 16%...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Decoupling: Yes and No - May 26, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Prior to the global financial and economic meltdown, observers were heralding news that the world was decoupling. As the last growth cycle peaked, many market watchers saw divergent growth as a sign that the world was moving away from a single econom...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Oil Overreaction? - August 25, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: High oil prices seem to have become a fact of life. Many have grudgingly advised that we had better get used to it, and move on. Analysis repeatedly cites insatiable emerging market demand and limited accessible supplies as key factors. It’s tough,...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD The Diversification Dividend - May 19, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: As the next growth cycle approaches, Canada faces a daunting list of challenges. An aging population. Unfunded pension liabilities. Ballooning health care costs. The sustainability of public finances. Poor productivity growth. A lack of innovation. A...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Germany: Global Growth Engine? - August 18, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: With all the troubles swirling around Western Europe these days, one economy stands out. By all appearances, Germany is an island of sanity in a fiscal and financial world gone mad. While growth in the rest of the world is faltering, impressive perfo...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Countdown to Launch Underway - May 12, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Scan any serious recent report on global economic woes, and housing markets figure prominently. They illustrate both the consumer and financial excesses of the last growth cycle. They are an equally apt illustrator of sluggish post-recession growth. ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Housing is Foundational - May 5, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Scan any serious recent report on global economic woes, and housing markets figure prominently. They illustrate both the consumer and financial excesses of the last growth cycle. They are an equally apt illustrator of sluggish post-recession growth. ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD US Debt Outlook: A Warning in the Warning - April 28, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Just when we thought we had enough shocks to deal with, Standard and Poor's published a negative outlook on the US sovereign rating. The market reaction was swift: the Dow Jones Industrial average immediately shed 140 points, or 1.1%, amid a bevy of ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Still in Synch? More or Less - April 21, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Losing 20% of anything you value is not fun. Whether it’s crops, staff members in your company, life savings or lunch money, the loss hurts. Recession stung the world by carving more than 20% from global exports. But after a two-year climb, export ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Surprise South of the Border? - April 14, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: It’s an economic adage well known to Canadians: the US sneezes, and we catch pneumonia. We don’t suffer alone – this delicate constitution also afflicts the only other nation to share a long stretch of US border. It’s only natural to expect t...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD A Shock Felt Around the World - April 7, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Like that famous shot that preceded the Great War, the shock that devastated north-eastern Japan on March 11 has a global reach. As Japan struggles to cope in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami, the impacts of the catastrophe on the highly-i...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD BRIC to BRICS - March 31, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Getting in to the country club is a mark of success, a coming of age. Among countries, country clubs have the same appeal. Until 2008, the big one to get into was the G-7. Nowadays, the brass plate on the front door of the coveted club reads ‘BRIC...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Construction: Rebalancing Act - March 24, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: The construction industry is not for the faint of heart. It experiences the great heights of an economic boom, and the deep chasms of recession. Every downturn takes many casualties, and it takes a lot of strength to survive. The current economic cyc...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Trade Numbers Disconcerting - March 17, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: The world economy received its latest checkup last week with the release of a bevy of international trade data. Hopes were high that the numbers would yield further evidence of rising global economic momentum. Instead, the results were mixed – not ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Profits at Odds With the Dollar? - March 10, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Nerves are getting raw – again. Just as Canada’s domestic sector is getting ready to hand the torch over to exporters, the dollar has moved decisively beyond the parity mark. The current climb is building on a recent up-trend that began in mid-20...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Innovation is Critical - March 3, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: It’s a really bad day. You’re half a world away and web access in your hotel is down indefinitely. You left your air card on the plane, and there’s no internet café nearby. Getting out of your cab, the Blackberry fell into a puddle. Zap. Your ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Inflation Consternation - February 24, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Looking for a clear message on the world economy’s current state? You may not want to start with price statistics. At present, you can find runaway inflation, stability, disinflation and deflation, depending on where you look. Can we make any sens...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Beginning of a Weak Spell for Japan? - February 17, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Global economic momentum is on the rise. Improvement in the US outlook is one of the key reasons. But not all countries are benefiting. Japan, which recently lost its ‘number 2’ status to China, appears to be faltering. Is this just a temporary b...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Europe’s Test Affects the Rest - February 10, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Amid the hoopla of monetary union in 1999, certain Eurosceptics warned that the Zone would not survive its first recession. But even they didn’t dream at the time that the first recession would be the worst in over 60 years. It is taking its toll, ...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Household Debt Clock is Ticking - February 3, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Prodigal. Imprudent. Profligate. Adjectives like this have been used liberally in recent years to portray the unfettered, debt-financed spending habits of American consumers. At the same time, much more flattering language has been used to describe C...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Reprieve from the Relapse - January 27, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Need a refresher on the world economy’s recent travels? Canadian exports tell the story: ravaged by the global recession, rescued by a rapid rebound, and now repressed by a relapse that has fogged up the view of the future. In contrast, Canada’s...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Opportunities Beyond the BRICs - January 20, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Browse media reports on any given day and you’ll find a litany of stories on the BRIC countries, and with good reason. Their growth record is stunning, and they have strong future potential. They each possess huge internal markets that give new mea...more... LISTEN NOW | VIEW CACHE | DOWNLOAD Despite Disorder, Orders Are Up - September 22, 2011 Updated: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 Description: Demand for tranquilizers is up again. Worry about economic deceleration is rising, and with it, fears of a double-dip recession. Forecasts are being revised down. Markets remain volatile, and additional bad news out of Europe is not helping. In the c...more... 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