Tony Addison

Russia National Welfare Fund end-July
Liquid funds $48.3 bn, slightly down from the month before, or 1.8% of GDP.

Russia has spent more than $100 bn from the liquid part of the NWF in the past three years

Trump Fired America’s Economic Data Collector. History Shows the Perils.

President Trump didn't like the jobs numbers, so he fired the person responsible for producing them.
It's a move that has been tried before, by leaders of countries from Argentina to Greece to the Soviet Union. It rarely ends well.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/b... #EconSky

My Trade Secrets today. The supposed tariff deals governments have made with Trump, including the EU’s rather humiliating climbdown, will if anything only embolden him to demand more. Isn’t that a cheering prospect?

on.ft.com/4mjwB1u

"Reciprocal" tariffs: What are they really for? This Policy Brief evaluates the evolving reasons for and application of the Trump administration’s “reciprocal” tariffs and finds them wanting.

The 'reciprocal' tariffs are more a ploy to strengthen US negotiating hand than estimates of unfair trade practices the US faces. Even if reduced to 15%, imposing tariffs on America’s poorest trading partners would do little to reduce the US trade deficit but would harm their economic development.

How Much Should We Trust the Dictator’s GDP Growth Estimates? | Journal of Political Economy: Vol 130, No 10 I study the overstatement of economic growth in autocracies by comparing self-reported GDP figures to night-time light recorded by satellites from outer space. I show that the night-time-light elastic...

👇https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/720458

I’ll modestly suggest my own book ‘Resources Matter: ending poverty while protecting nature’ (OUP). The PDF is free to download (open access) 👇 global.oup.com/academic/pro...

I’ll modestly suggest my own book ‘Resources Matter: ending poverty while protecting nature’ (OUP). The PDF is free to download (open access) 👇 global.oup.com/academic/pro...

Trump Administration Live Updates: President Revives Trade War Threat

“… the weighted average tariff for goods coming from Asia would rise to 27%— up from 4.8% in January — if all of the announced rates go into effect on Aug. 1 …”
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/07...

Trump’s tariff shambles is a helpful warning to the world [FREE TO READ] No sensible government would think of emulating his trade policies as they have his other plans

My Trade Secrets today.

If there’s one good thing about Trump’s tariff shambles it’s that governments that might have contemplated a protectionist campaign themselves - even the UK with its habitual embarrassing cringe towards US politics & policy - will see it and go “nah”.

First 300 clicks free.

Trump Administration Live Updates: President Revives Trade War Threat

“… the weighted average tariff for goods coming from Asia would rise to 27%— up from 4.8% in January — if all of the announced rates go into effect on Aug. 1 …”
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/07...

One of my students asked me for book recommendations. They're looking for popular econ books -- the kind that are both fun to read, and which give you some new insight into the world.

So I'm compiling a list of recommended popular econ books.

Lemme ask: What books would YOU suggest I include?

New paper: Shifting patterns of influence in the World Trade Organization The paper and accompanying data appendix focus largely on the clout of emerging economies in the WTO, the main arena where global power in trade can be assessed

A new paper on “Emerging powers and the shifting patterns of influence on the WTO” is available as a pre-publication draft on ResearchGate. An appendix containing data used for part of the analysis is available on the blog.

With @bobwolfe.bsky.social

tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/06/24/p...

US tariffs in 2018-19 against China resulted in more employment and higher wages in the Mexican export sector, especially for lower-wage workers. The effects were concentrated in technology and skill-intensive manufacturing industries such as chemicals and automotives.
cepr.org/voxeu/column...

A very detailed analysis by @cepr.org researchers on the economic consequences of the second Trump administration.

Available for free at:

cepr.org/publications...

The business slot on Today is a prime example. Dominated by folk from the City discussing ‘the markets’ 🤷‍♀️

Social media now main source of news in US, research suggests A report also finds right-leaning audiences on X have almost doubled in the UK since Elon Musk's takeover.

“Social media main source of news in US…” www.bbc.com/news/article...

#WeekendReading 📃

In this paper from our latest NIER issue, @oxfordecondept.bsky.social‬'s @mcmahonecon.bsky.social‬ and @lovisareiche.bsky.social‬ examine gender differences in inflation expectations, attitudes and responses 👇
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

If you missed the conference, @unu-wider.bsky.social will be putting up vids of sessions. Meanwhile, the website has great material on all aspects of global development!

Abhijit Banerjee ‘Social Protection for All’ @unu-wider.bsky.social
Annual Lecture

Abhijit Banerjee ‘Social Protection for All’ @unu-wider.bsky.social
Annual Lecture

📺Happening Now!

Watch the WIDER Annual Lecture with Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee:

go.unu.edu/8UQc1

3 highlights from our session on rethinking global financial architecture to finance social protection:

1️⃣ Domestic resource mobilization is essential
2️⃣ Developing countries need a voice in the global financial architecture
3️⃣ Jobs are the foundation of social protection

#WIDERDevConf2025

🇺🇳Excellent @unu-wider.bsky.social
conference here in Helsinki 🇫🇮: 'Safeguarding tomorrow – innovative approaches to growth and equity'
You can watch many sessions online👍
www.wider.unu.edu/event/safegu...

📘The UNU-WIDER book Poor Protection was the topic of Monday’s animated Fireside Chat

It explores how taxes & social benefits shape crisis response in developing countries

Stay tuned for its policy briefs + open access release later this year!
go.unu.edu/NGzOM
#WIDERDevConf202

Start of @unu-wider.bsky.social
conference "Safeguarding tomorrow - innovative approaches to growth and equity". Celebrating 40 years of impactful research 👍

🇺🇳🇫🇮... @unu-wider.bsky.social
conference 2025 in Helsinki "Safeguarding tomorrow - innovative approaches to growth and equity". Celebrating 40 years of policy research 👍

Spent the week truffling in the margins of the OECD conference on trade and the economy— here’s what i picked up was going behind the scenes.

on.ft.com/3ZlF7Uv Donald Trump’s go-it-alone trade doctrine shakes Paris summit

🚨 New working paper 🚨

In large cities, wages are higher. But so are inequalities. In fact, low-wage workers earn lower real earnings there.

Why? What drives spatial wage disparities? Why some workers work at lower real wages in large cities?

"Are Businesses Absorbing the Tariffs or Passing Them On to Their Customers?" via @NewYorkFed libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2025/06/are-...
Spoiler: "most businesses passed on at least some of the higher tariffs to their customers,"

Trump Targets Key Lifeline for Africa: Money Sent Home by Immigrants

Excited to see our @cgdev.org research featured in this excellent @nytimes.com article about the devastating effect of the US' remittance tax on Africa, especially coming after extensive aid cuts.

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/03/w...