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Japan's Banking Crisis: Causes and Probable Effects

Description: Japan's banking sector currently is carrying between $400 billion and $800 billion in non-performing loans that threaten the solvency of certain financial institutions and weaken the Japanese financial system. This problem is of interest to the United States because the stability of Japan's banking system affects the health of that nation's economy, its rate of economic growth, and international capital flows. This, in turn, may affect American exports to, imports from, and investments in Japan… more
Date: October 6, 1995
Creator: Nanto, Dick K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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China and the Multilateral Development Banks

Description: Congress is currently considering appropriations for U.S. contributions to the World Bank and other multilateral development banks (MDBs) as well as separate legislation that would require U.S. representatives to these institutions to oppose all concessional loans to China. This report provides a brief analysis of China’s relationship with the MDBs to highlight some issues and help Members of Congress, congressional staff, and observers better understand the context for the current debates in C… more
Date: October 31, 1997
Creator: Sanford, Jonathan E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Banking and Finance: Legislative Initiatives in the 105th Congress, Second Session

Description: This report reviews major banking and finance issues that are receiving congressional attention in the 2nd session of the 105th Congress. It will be updated periodically to reflect legislative developments. Relevant CRS products are referenced.
Date: August 10, 1998
Creator: Shorter, Gary & Wells, F. J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Russian Financial Crisis: An Analysis of Trends, Causes, and Implications

Description: Since May of 1998, Russia has been caught in the latest, and likely the most serious, in a series of economic crises. The crisis came to a head on August 17, 1998, when the government of then-Premier Sergei Kiriyenko abandoned its defense of a strong ruble exchange rate against the dollar, defaulted on government domestic debt forcing its restructuring, and placed a 90-day moratorium on commercial external debt payments. Those actions led to Yeltsin's dismissal of Kiriyenko on August 23, replac… more
Date: February 18, 1999
Creator: Cooper, William H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Restructuring Electricity Markets, Public Power, and Tax-Exempt Bonds: An Economic Analysis

Description: Tax-exempt bonds subsidize public power's cost of capital and enable it to lower price. The subsidy is economically beneficial (enables public power price to reflect the true cost of electric service) only if the private market fails to provide the correct amount of electricity. In general, the private market does provide the correct amount of electricity; in those cases when it does not, the tax-exempt bond subsidy is unlikely to correct the problem. Tax-exempt bond legislation over the last 3… more
Date: June 10, 1998
Creator: Zimmerman, Dennis
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Japanese and U.S. Economic Involvement in Asia and the Pacific: Comparative Data and Analysis

Description: In a world in which economic and trade performance are fast gaining acceptance as important components of national power and well being, Congress has become increasingly interested in the comparative success of U.S. business in the vast, rapidly growing Asia-Pacific region. For the most part, Congress has tended to view Japan as the main competitor of the United States in Asian markets and the standard against which U.S. success is measured. The stakes for the United States are considerable. Ex… more
Date: September 27, 1994
Creator: Cronin, Richard P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Japanese Trade Balance and Exchange Rate: Seeing Through the Numbers

Description: Measured in dollars, Japan's global trade surplus stands at a record level. Also in recent months the Japanese yen has appreciated markedly against the dollar. The two events seem to foster a sizable degree of concern among many Americans, perhaps, taken to be evidence of Japan's economic success and the United States' economic failure. Things need not be as they seem, however.
Date: August 3, 1995
Creator: Elwell, Craig K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Environmental, Health, and Safety Tradeoffs: A Discussion of Policymaking Opportunities and Constraints

Description: This report discusses the implications of cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment in the context of congressional and administrative decision-making structures. It identifies constraints on flexible decision-making and some implications of trying to overcome them.
Date: February 1, 1999
Creator: Blodgett, John E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Yen/Dollar Exchange Rate

Description: The dollar declined abruptly in value against the yen in the second quarter of 1994, spurring the central banks of seventeen nations to coordinate a series of intervention efforts in the world's currency trading markets. In addition, the dollar's decline sparked discussions of the possible policy moves the United States and other nations might take to stem the fluctuations in the value of the dollar. Economic theory and empirical evidence indicate that the underlying movement of the exchange ra… more
Date: August 9, 1994
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Banking Acquisition and Merger Procedures

Description: This report discusses in general terms the basic process and time line for banking industry acquisitions and mergers and briefly discusses the May 4, 1998 application by Travelers Group to merge with Citicorp. Among the issues discussed are: potential impact on consumers; whether the new entities would be too big to fail; and, whether competitive equity calls for financial modernization legislation with functional regulation of the securities, banking, and insurance sectors of companies offerin… more
Date: May 19, 1998
Creator: Murphy, M. Maureen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Sales of Natural Resources: Pricing and Allocating Mechanisms

Description: This report describes the systems used by the federal government to price its resources and to determine who gets access to those resources. For some (e.g., timber and leasable minerals), markets are used to set prices, but administrative systems used for some resources may result in prices substantially lower than market values.
Date: December 11, 1998
Creator: Gorte, Ross W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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International Financial Institutions and Environment: Multilateral Development Banks and the Global Environment Facility

Description: The World Bank and other multilateral development banks (MDB) have come under increasing pressure to assess the environmental impacts of bank-sponsored projects. The U.S. Congress has required that U.S. participation be based on policies that encourage the banks to raise the priority of environmental protection in their operations and to address environmental impacts; however, major issues continue to revolve around the effectiveness of all the MDBs in promoting environmentally sustainable deve… more
Date: February 25, 1994
Creator: Fletcher, Susan R. & Cody, Betsy A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Financial Services Trade with Japan

Description: The 1995 U.S.-Japan Financial Services Agreement further liberalizes aspects of Japan's financial markets, particularly in asset management, corporate securities, cross-border financial services, and in providing greater transparency for administrative procedures. Implementation will have to be monitored, however, and some issues still remain unresolved.
Date: March 24, 1995
Creator: Nanto, Dick K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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