As the Chinese economy has slowed down, Chinese producers have been tying to export the oversupply of products at reduced prices. The strategy is called “dumping” and it usually elicits protests from countries whose prices are higher than the exporting countries. If the prices are in fact artificially (e.g., selling at a loss that is subsidized by the exporter’s government) low, the practice is prohibited by the World Trade Organization. US steel producers have charged Chinese steel producers with that practice, and the US government has imposed a charge of 522% on imported Chinese steel. Needless to say, the Chinese are quite unhappy with the US move.
It appears as if Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is going to work out a deal with Avigdor Lieberman to bring Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party into his ruling coalition. Right now, Netanyahu has a one-seat majority in the Israeli Knesset, and Lieberman would bring 6 additional seats. Lieberman has a long history of hostility toward the Palestinians and if he is given the office of Defense Minister, he will be in charge of security in the West Bank. Any meaningful peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians with Lieberman in the Cabinet is inconceivable.
The Pew Research Center has a fascinating interactive map that shows the origins and destinations of global migrants. One can click on a country and find the number of migrants living in it for the years 1990, 2000, 2010 or 2015. The pace of migration in the world has clearly picked up in recent years.
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