International trade and finance analyst Rebecca M. Nelson offers an overview of multilateral development banks and outlines the issues they present for the United States Congress in this Congressional Research Service report.

Sebastian Mallaby argues that, by focusing on a "Buffett rule," President Obama is squandering his chance to sell voters on meaningful tax reform.

Post-crisis pledges by world leaders to work toward harmony in regulating banks and markets are in danger of coming to naught, writes Brooke Masters for the Financial Times.

Benn Steil's New York Times op-ed reveals the spy-thriller history of America's claim on the World Bank's top job.

Addressing Egypt's economically debilitating subsidy system will be hard amid political transition, but with the country's social contract under review, the time is ripe for reform needed to put the country on a more viable economic path, says CFR's Isobel Coleman.

Jagdish Bhagwati criticizes President Obama for nominating Jim Yong Kim to the World Bank presidency over candidates who would pursue pro-reform, pro-growth policies.

Lewis Alexander, Joyce Chang, and Vincent Reinhart discuss the world economy with CFR Senior Fellow Sebastian Mallaby.

This series is presented by the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies.

Benn Steil's Financial Times op-ed shows that whereas the impact of the "Buffett Rule" on Warren Buffett's tax liability is trivial, the political capital he has accrued appears to be leveraging his investments.

Robert E. Rubin and Vin Weber argue that the Export-Import Bank is a government agency that increases U.S. jobs and earns money for the Treasury--and deserves bipartisan support.

Sebastian Mallaby asks whether the Fed might fall behind its Continental counterpart in exercising bold economic leadership.

In 2007, the World Bank was in crisis. Some saw conflicts over its leadership. Others blamed the institution itself.

Benn Steil's Wall Street Journal op-ed argues that the Fed's recent 3-year low interest rate pledge, combined with an inflation target below current inflation levels, is misguided, given its persistently poor track record with economic forecasting.

Sebastian Mallaby explains how Robert Zoellick has guided the World Bank into an era of greater transparency, collaboration, and innovation.

In addressing capitalism's critics, Sebastian Mallaby champions hedge funds as appealing alternatives to too-big-to-fail institutions.

Sebastian Mallaby argues that the internationalization of the renminbi is less a sign of China's rise than of China's internal confusion.

Benn Steil's Forbes op-ed explains why central banks, in spite of their money-printing powers, ultimately need real capital.

Research links about international trade and investment, including news, policy, agreements, and markets.

This report tracks the foreign investment portfolios of the BRIC governments— Brazil, Russia, India, and China—by looking at reserves holdings and holdings of U.S. assets.

As China’s currency for international trade has steadily grown, some argue the renminbi could displace the dollar as the international reserve currency. Jeffrey Frankel examines these propositions by looking at how other international currencies established themselves.

In the wake of financial regulatory overhaul, experts continue to differ on the role of the Federal Reserve and its powers.