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Maurice Obstfeld

Maurice Obstfeld

9 commentaries

Maurice Obstfeld, a former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, is Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.

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  1. King Dollar’s Shaky Crown
    op_obstfeld3_Tetra ImagesGetty Images_dollar Tetra Images/Getty Images

    King Dollar’s Shaky Crown

    Apr 25, 2025 Maurice Obstfeld warns that fragmenting capital markets are putting the greenback’s global primacy at risk.

  2. Trump’s Inflationary Triple Threat
    op_disparte1_SadikDemirozGetty Images_digitaldollar FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

    Trump’s Inflationary Triple Threat

    Nov 22, 2024 Maurice Obstfeld warns that the incoming administration’s agenda would weaken the Fed and destabilize the financial system.

  3. Donald Trump’s Tariffs Would Hurt US Workers and Businesses
    obstfeld6_Anthony KwanGetty Images_tariffs Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

    Donald Trump’s Tariffs Would Hurt US Workers and Businesses

    Oct 22, 2024 Maurice Obstfeld shows why targeting an overall reduction in imports would reduce America’s real wages and national income.

  4. America’s Deficit Attention Disorder
    obstfeld5_ Justin SullivanGetty Images_trade Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    America’s Deficit Attention Disorder

    Aug 5, 2024 Maurice Obstfeld thinks the accumulation of public debt is a far more urgent problem than the trade balance.

  5. The Dangers of a US Capital Inflow Tax
    obstfeld4_Jabin BotsfordThe Washington Post via Getty Images_trumplighthizer Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    The Dangers of a US Capital Inflow Tax

    Jun 14, 2024 Maurice Obstfeld worries that a little-known, highly costly method of deficit reduction is gaining political traction.

  1. james230_JuSunGetty Images_dollarbreaking JuSun/Getty Images
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    A Mar-a-Lago Accord Could Break the Dollar

    Harold James

    The risk inherent in a "Mar-a-Lago Accord" to orchestrate a dollar depreciation is that the weaponization of trade and US security assurances will destroy confidence in the greenback. Whereas similar previous efforts merely failed, the Trump administration's effort could backfire catastrophically.

     observes that past efforts to link trade, monetary arrangments, and security merely proved ineffective.
  2. woo8_RICHARD A. BROOKSAFP via Getty Images_Japanshipping Richard A. Brooks/AFP via Getty Images
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    Middle Powers in the US-China Trade War

    Wing Thye Woo thinks cooperative multilateralism can mitigate the worst effects of the superpowers' tariffs on other countries.
  3. amirapu1_ISHARA S. KODIKARAAFP via Getty Images_srilankamanufacturing Ihara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images
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    Manufacturing-Led Export Strategies Still Make Sense

    Amrit Amirapu & Arvind Subramanian explain why a tried-and-true development path remains key to lifting millions from poverty.
  4. hamada70_Brandon BellGetty Images_UStoys Brandon Bell/Getty Images
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    Countering Trump’s Trade Trickery

    Koichi Hamada tallies the costs of America's protectionist tariffs and considers if other countries can minimize the impact.
  5. ginsberg2_ ARUN SANKARAFP via Getty Images_pressfreedom Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images
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    Defending Our Rights Is Becoming Deadlier

    Jodie Ginsberg urges Western publics to stop assuming that attacks on the press are a concern only for the media.
  6. rodrik234_Scott OlsonGetty Images_USproduction Scott Olson/Getty Images
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    Mercantilism Isn’t All Bad, but Trump’s Version Is the Worst

    Dani Rodrik argues that America has ended up with the worst possible alternative to free trade.
  7. chellaney187_Frank BienewaldLightRocket via Getty Images_indusriver Frank Bienewald/LightRocket via Getty Images
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    India’s Warning to Pakistan

    Brahma Chellaney defends the country's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty in response to recent terrorist violence.
  8. nagymohacsi5_JACK GUEZAFP via Getty Images_israelmilitarytechnology Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images
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    What Europe Can Learn From Israel’s Defense Industry

    Piroska Nagy Mohácsi shows how the continent can link its security and economic goals in a way that puts speed over perfection.
  9. adebajo15_Nipah DennisAFPGettyImages_ecowas_logo Nipah Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
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    ECOWAS at a Crossroads

    Adekeye Adebajo explains how internal rifts, rising violence, and poor governance have exposed the bloc’s fragile foundations.

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