economy

Lebanon’s Increased IMF Subscription: A Prerequisite for Future Funding?

The Finance and Budget Committee, chaired by MP Ibrahim Kanaan, has tentatively approved an increase in Lebanon's contribution to the International Monetary Fund, requesting Minister of Finance Yassine Jaber to provide a study on the feasibility of raising Lebanon’s contribution by $423 million. According to Kanaan, the increase in Lebanon’s ...

Lebanon–Qatar–UAE: Time for Business and Strategic Handshakes

The visit, which began Tuesday in Doha, aims to solidify bilateral relations and formally acknowledge Qatar’s support during Lebanon’s recent presidential election. However, beyond symbolic gestures, high-level discussions will focus on economic recovery, energy cooperation, and Qatar’s potential role in stabilizing Lebanon’s ailing ...

Iraqi Markets a Haven for Peddlers Escaping Iran's Economic Woes

Every Friday, Alawi crosses the border from Iran into Iraq to sell his produce in the markets of Basra, which serve as a haven for Iranians grappling with economic sanctions. He is just one of many Iranian peddlers who endure the arduous journey into southern Iraq through the Chalamja border crossing. They bring essential goods such as chicken, ...

US Strikes China With 104% Tariffs

US President Donald Trump's punishing tariffs on dozens of economies came in force Wednesday, including over 100 percent in levies against Chinese goods, dramatically ramping up a devastating global trade war. Following the imposition of sweeping 10 percent tariffs have rocked the global economy since coming into force over the weekend, rates ...

Diamonds: Precious Stones Under Siege

Over 80% of the world’s rough diamonds are polished in India, cementing the country’s status as the global epicenter of brilliance. Yet, the sparkle of this thriving industry is under threat. A 27% US tariff, introduced by Donald Trump, casts a long shadow over India’s diamond trade, while retaliatory measures from India add fuel to the ...

Is a Trade Deficit Really That Terrifying?

If there is one thing on which the vast majority of serious economists agree, whether they lean politically left or right, it is that free trade and commerce are beneficial to a nation. Yet, this truth is being contested today. Trade deficits are generating a lot of ink in the media, and they are being used to justify counterproductive policies. ...

Panic Deepens on Asian Markets as World Scrambles to Temper Trump Tariffs

Asian markets took a huge plunge Monday as US futures pointed to significant losses on Wall Street over Donald Trump's punishing tariffs, even as countries sought compromise with the defiant president. Trump denied Sunday he was intentionally engineering a selloff and insisted he could not foresee market reactions, saying he would not make a ...

Lebanon's Central Bank Dilemma: Between Collapse and Recovery

Imagine a ship caught in a storm – battered, leaking and listing dangerously – while its crew argues not over how to navigate to safety, but whether to abandon ship entirely or simply repaint the deck. This is Lebanon today: a country sinking under the weight of a financial collapse, and yet, paralyzed by a bitter ideological struggle over ...

Moody's Warns of Geopolitical and Internal Risks Threatening Israeli Economy

Rating agency Moody's warned that internal and geopolitical tensions could weaken the Israeli economy, particularly the key high-tech sector. According to Moody's, uncertainty about long-term security and the economic outlook are higher than usual, which could have serious consequences for the country's public finances and institutional ...

The New Governor of BDL Will Be Nominated Outside the Mechanism of Administrative Appointments

Ministerial sources said that the Cabinet will continue discussions on the mechanism of administrative appointments on Friday. The focus will be on addressing gaps in the plan originally prepared by Minister Mohammad Fneish and approved by Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s government in 2010—a plan that was never implemented due to a legal ...