Tag: News
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What HBC’s 355-Year Journey Reveals about Opportunity Cost
Recent news about the end of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) emphasizes financial and related numbers: HBC lost about $330 million during the last 12 months; it owes at least $1 billion; 9,300 employees plus contractors will lose their jobs (income, benefits, …); 74 stores and 40 million sq. ft. of retail space will become…
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Careless Economics: A Trillion Dollar Math Problem
On April 2, 2025, President Trump displayed a poster which listed countries and the “reciprocal” tariffs to be imposed on their imports quickly. Reporting by CNN and others shows that the numbers are justified by this formula. Many media noted how amazingly stupid this formula is. Arithmetic errors are embarrassing, if you are in Grade…
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Navigating Tariff Uncertainty using Inventories
People in Canada are thinking about the tariffs, retaliatory tariffs, reciprocal tariffs and threats of more from the US. There was a time before and, eventually, markets will adjust to the time after. The challenge is to manage the time in between. The media focus on layoffs and, until other buyers can be found, production…
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Thinking Strategically while Getting Punched in the Mouth
Canada, and other countries, were just punched in the mouth by the threat of tariffs imposed by the US. When faced with a problem, some people propose a “plan” to fix it but a plan is not a strategy. Strategizing is hard work. Some memorable quotes offer memorable advice.
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What are the Effects of Tariffs on a Nation’s Wealth?
This old question has been given new life by the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America. Using tariffs to “fix” a trade deficit is seductively appealing but, like other zombie ideas, it relies on a misunderstanding. In this case, it ignores two basic principles of economics: opportunity cost and…
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Economic Impact of a Dragon Year: Luck vs. Reality
The Year of Dragon is believed to auspicious and lucky in Chinese culture. Research has found that more than the usual number of babies are born in China during Dragon Years, and that there are more marriages than usual. Then what? To recognize the end of the Year of the Dragon and the start of…
5 Basic Principles of Economics 