This paper examines the credentials of the realist approach to international political economy as explanatory theory of postwar US trade policy. It argues that the realist link between international structure, US national trade interest and policy outcome is not strong. Empirical anomalies are...

It has been reported in the media that bid rigging is commonly practised in almost all public works projects in Japan. It was also said that the Japanese anti-trust author­ity, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), was a watchdog that did not bite, in spite of having a long history of...

An intergovernmental regional economic institution was a common goal of Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, his Office, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Japanese Ministry of International Trade Industry (MITI) in the late 1980s. Bob Hawke publicly announced...

The paper briefly describes three interrelated developments in global capital markets: the sustained rise in gross capital flows relative to net flows; the increasing importance of securitised forms of capital flows; and the growing concentration of financial institutions and financial markets....

Since emerging as a leading industrial economy, Japan has played an important role in promoting Asia Pacific economic cooperation. Japan has been instrumental in every major initiative in economic cooperation in the region over the past three decades, including the Asia Pacific Economic...

This paper examines the relationship between capital controls and financial development, with an emphasis on the empirical aspects of the linkage. Financial development is interpreted broadly as increasing the efficiency of allocating financial resources and monitoring capital projects. In...

US trade policymakers claim that single-handed US efforts to increase Japanese imports of foreign goods and services are benefiting exporters worldwide. Many observers disagree, arguing instead that US unilateralism is severely undermining the multilateral world trading system. Opinion is...

Despite the strong growth in Australia’s exports to East Asia in the past decade, Australia has lost import share in that market. Not only has Australia lost share to developing East Asian competitors, it has lost share relative to other industrialised country suppliers. The main reasons for...

This paper examines the pattern and structure of trade between Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and East Asia with a particular focus on the post-1991 reform period. The unexpected expansion in trade between Eastern Europe and East Asia has been accompanied by increased trade...

The introduction of a single currency in Europe has led to both qualitative and quantitative improvements in the functioning of euro-area financial markets. The effects of enhanced competition have often occurred in sectors where they were maybe not so widely expected. For instance, this paper...