The new year has brought changes that affect insurers writing cross-border business across the EU. Some territories have introduced new requirements, or amendments to existing obligations that necessitate the amendment of reporting procedures for insurers. Here’s a summary of some of the changes that have recently come into force, or are scheduled for 2019. Denmark – Guarantee Fund for Non-Life Insurance Undertakings Act no. 375 of 1 May 2018 amended the Danish Guarantee Fund for Non-Life Insurance Undertakings Act. All non-life insurers...

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By William Rhodes | President & CEO | William R. Rhodes Global Advisors  A decade after the financial crisis, banks haven’t lost their capacity to shock. From Wells Fargo’s fake accounts to Goldman Sachs’ involvement in Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal to allegations of money laundering at Danske Bank, failures of conduct and culture have damaged trust in banks and posed material risks to institutions’ profitability. Urgent reforms are needed to safeguard the health of the global financial system and rebuild public confidence...

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By Marc S. Friedman | Director of Professional Relations| Global Commerce Education In the most recent article in this series, I explained how many non-US companies, including Baltic businesses, are discouraged from exploiting a robust US marketplace by Myth #5 –If we enter the US we may be jeopardizing our valuable intellectual property. In this installment, I will address Myths #6 and 7 which are related  - The US is very litigious and that is too threatening to a small company...

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2019: The Last Year for the Millennium to Be a Teenager The year may be drawing to a close, but it is not clear that Annus Horribilis for investors will end.  The projection of the 2017 synchronized growth upturn into 2018 hit the shoals of the business cycle.   The fiscal stimulus gave the US an adrenalin rush, lifting growth to an average annualized pace of 3.8% in Q2 and Q3, but many models, based on market prices, warn of increased...

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On 10 January 2019, the European Commission announced the opening of a formal State aid investigation into five tax rulings granted by the Dutch tax authorities to two Dutch entities of the Nike group between 2006 and 2015. This investigation concerns individual tax rulings and as such should not directly impact other taxpayers. Nonetheless, the investigation forms part of the Commission’s continuing efforts focusing on transfer pricing and valuation issues. Under EU State aid rules, Member States are not allowed...

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By John M. Weekes, former Canadian Chief Negotiator on NAFTA | Senior Business Adviser at Bennett Jones From a Canadian business perspective, restoring a more certain trade environment in North America is at the top of any wish list for 2019. The American Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum last year sent a shock wave through the Canadian business community—one that is accentuated by the threat of further action resulting from ongoing investigations on automobiles and uranium. And it is not just the...

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