Tariffs and the Economy: Using REMI to Evaluate Impacts

President Trump’s vow to impose tariffs on aluminum and steel imports has renewed a long-time debate over trade. Can Trump’s plan achieve his goal of reviving these key domestic industries, or is he risking a global trade war and possibly hurting American consumers?

Dynamic economic modeling provides a vital tool for answering questions raised by trade and tariff policies. For example, NERA Economic Consulting analyzed the potential effects on output, income, and employment from a 30 percent across-the-board tariff on aluminum using the REMI model. The study can be accessed by clicking here.

REMI economists will be discussing how dynamic economic modeling can be used to assess the potential gains and losses resulting from the type of tariffs that the President is proposing. They will present the NERA study as a case study. Please visit our events page for more information.

REMI’s Dr. Treyz to Lead Immigration Panel at Business Economics Conference

REMI CEO and Chief Economist Fred Treyz, Ph.D., will moderate a panel discussion on the economic impact of immigration at the National Association of Business Economics’ 34th Annual Economic Policy Conference, which will be held at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. on February 26-27.

Dr. Treyz will be joined by Jared Bernstein, Ph.D., Senior Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and Robert Rector, Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation. They will be discussing this topic in a concurrent session on Tuesday, February 27 from 1:40 to 2:40 p.m. You can view the conference program here.

Dr. Bernstein, who was Chief Economist and Economic Adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, has studied federal and state economic and fiscal policies, income inequality, and trends in employment and earnings, among other topics.  Mr. Rector has been an expert on poverty, welfare programs and immigration in America for more than 30 years, and played major roles in the 1996 welfare reform bill and critical analysis of legislation granting legal status to unauthorized immigrants.

The NABE Economic Policy Conference is considered the leading annual event exploring the relationship between economics, business, and policy. This year’s theme is “Promoting Sustained Growth: Policy Tensions and Risks”, focusing on challenges posed by globalization and trade, demographic and political shifts, and technological advances.

SALT Substitute: REMI Economists Explore Tax Reform Impacts

Now that President Trump has signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law, REMI economists are examining the potential impacts that the overhaul will have on states.

Our CEO and Chief Economist, Frederick Treyz, was quoted in a Newsday article, “Experts see merit, peril in Cuomo idea to offset deduction loss”. He discussed one possible way for states to offset the partial loss of the state and local tax deduction – changing their state income tax to an employer-side payroll tax.

We are offering a webinar presentation on the impact of SALT and how states may respond, Tuesday, February 6th or Thursday, February 8th from 2 to 3 p.m. EST. We also are addressing state-level impacts from the new tax law in luncheon events across the country.

For more information about upcoming events, please check our events page.

Is High-Density Housing the Answer for the Nation?

Public policy plays a significant role in shaping a region’s housing stock. Sound policy can lead to better results – encouraging sufficient housing to meet demand without burdening infrastructure and the environment.

Michael Wilkerson, Ph.D., Project Director and Senior Economist at ECONorthwest, and Marley Buchman, an Associate at ECONorthwest, examined the economic effects of high-density, transit-oriented development.

Dr. Wilkerson and Mr. Buchman estimated the supply elasticities of housing and the underproduction of housing from 2000-2015 nationally and for each state. They simulated different scenarios, comparing current development patterns with high-density housing located close to transit.

REMI offered a guest webinar by them on Wednesday, January 24th. Based on their analysis, they evaluated the economic and environmental implications for alternative housing policies.

REMI Staff to Participate in January Transportation Research Board Meeting

Representatives of REMI, Vice President Billy Leung and Data Analyst Kyle Compton, will be on hand at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) 97th Annual Meeting, January 7-11, 2018, in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Leung and Mr. Compton will be available at a booth during the meeting to answer questions about REMI’s TranSight model, the leading software for evaluating the dynamic economic impacts of transportation investments. Please stop by our booth if you’re at the event. We are eager to hear from other attendees.