Export-Import Bank: Overview and Reauthorization Issues
This report provides: (1) a general background of Ex-Im Bank; (2) a discussion of the international context of the Bank; (3) analysis of key issues that Congress may consider in a reauthorization debate; and (4) the congressional outlook on Ex-Im Bank.
When market fundamentalism and industrial policy collide: the Tea Party and the US Export–Import Bank
ABSTRACT For most major economies, state-backed export credit is a core element of industrial policy and their strategies to boost exports and economic growth. Surprisingly, however, at a time when its competitors are increasing their use of this policy tool, state-backed export credit has become the subject of a hotly contested political battle in the US. As a result of opposition from the Tea Party, the US Export–Import Bank was forced to halt its lending operations for five months in 2015 and subsequently limited to financing only the smallest transactions. In this article, I show that the disruption of export credit is undermining the competitiveness of key US industrial sectors and encouraging the movement of advanced, high-value-added manufacturing overseas. The case of export credit therefore presents an important puzzle: Why is the US moving in the opposite direction of other states and taking steps that undermine its economic interests? I argue that the internal US attack on export credit is fueled by the prevailing market fundamentalist ideology that has obscured the role of an active state in fostering the US's economic success. This article demonstrates how the rise of a powerful anti-state movement is hindering the ability of the US to conduct effective industrial policy and maintain its economic primacy in the face of growing global competitive pressures.
Evaluation of Analgesic Effect of Caudal Epidural Tramadol, Tramadol-Lidocaine, and Lidocaine in Water Buffalo Calves (Bubalus bubalis)
Aim of this study was to compare the analgesic effect of tramadol and a combination of tramadol-lidocaine with that produced by lidocaine administration in the epidural space in buffalo calves. In a prospective randomized crossover study, ten male buffalo calves were used to compare the epidural analgesic effect of tramadol (1 mg/kg) and tramadol-lidocaine combination (0.5 mg/kg and 0.11 mg/kg, resp.) with that produced by 2% lidocaine (0.22 mg/kg). Loss of sensation was examined by pin-prick test. Onset time, duration, and degree of analgesia and ataxia were recorded after each treatment. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rectal temperature, and haematobiochemical parameters were recorded after all treatments. Time to onset and duration of analgesia, respectively, were as follows: tramadol 11 ± 2 min and 208 ± 15 min; tramadol-lidocaine 6 ± 2 min and 168 ± 9 min; lidocaine 4 ± 1 min and 67 ± 13 min. Onset time and duration were significantly longer with tramadol than the other treatments. Duration was significantly longer with tramadol-lidocaine than lidocaine. Ataxia was mildly observed in tramadol-lidocaine and was moderate in lidocaine. HR, RR, and rectal temperature did not differ significantly from baseline after any treatment. Haematobiochemical parameters returned to basal levels by 24 h after all treatments. This combination might be clinically useful to provide analgesia in buffalo for long-duration surgical procedures.