By: Reid Whitten

The European Union and United States comprise 40% of global economic output and the trade relationship between them is the largest in the world. Tariffs between the two partners are already low (only 4% on average) and the long-lived peaceful commerce across the Atlantic has held on through boom and bust.  So if trade agreements aim to free up the flow of trade between regions and increase economic activity and wealth on both sides, what policy change could promise potential gains of nearly $200 billion shared between the two economies?
Continue Reading Gentlemen, Start Your Engines: The Race for Riches in U.S.–EU Trade Begins with a Mandate from the European Commission

By: Reid Whitten

On February 25, 2013, the Chinese state oil company, CNOOC, closed a $15.1 billion deal to take over Canadian oil company, Nexen.  Along with interests in the Canadian oil sands of Alberta and offshore production in west Africa and the North Sea, CNOOC will acquire more than 200 drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico, a primary source of U.S. oil.  According to Nexen, its existing assets in the area include facilities producing more than 15,000 barrels of oil per day in 2012, with notable exploration potential for future growth.
Continue Reading Pay Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain: The Mysterious Methods to CFIUS Approval