The United States has placed Switzerland on a list of countries with “unfair trade practices”.

  • Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world
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    6 hours ago

    Ehm you have that reversed (or your phrasing is terrible). Production>consumption implies export>imports implies lending to abroad exceeds borrowing from abroad. Said differently, if the current account is in surplus, the capital account is (by definition) in deficit.

    To make this all a bit more intuitive: suppose instead of spending money on consumption goods, we invest in foreign assets. In that case we spend less meaning that we either import less foreign goods or have more domestic produced goods available for export. The consequence is an increase in the current account surplus.

    • mmddmm@lemm.ee
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      5 hours ago

      or your phrasing is terrible

      It’s the standard phrasing.

      The loan is a piece of paper (well not anymore, but it used to be) that you make and sell around.