Trends & Forecasts

A Persian Gulf may lie beneath North Dakota and Montana, says a Harvard study. And the Marcellus shale alone may hold 141 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, an amount equal to total world consumption in 10 years, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports. Advances in drilling and extraction, combined with these newly...

The United States and Canada have achieved a level of international business and economic integration like no other two countries in the world. The U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement of 1989, which evolved into the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), has helped make this a reality. And U.S. and Canadian transportation systems, including international...

Canada is one of the most accessible markets in the world. Last year, U.S.-Canadian merchandise trade amounted to almost $600 billion—nearly 100 billion more than the United States’ next largest partner.  And bilateral trade in services also was tremendous, at more than $76 billion in 2010, according to the most recent data...

An emerging narrative in 2012 is that a proliferation of protectionist, treaty-violating, or otherwise illiberal Chinese policies is to blame for worsening U.S.-China relations. China trade experts from across the ideological and political spectra have lent credibility to that story. Business groups that once counseled against U.S. government actions that might be perceived by the...

To achieve needed growth, many U.S. firms are focused on global expansion and improving international sales. This is especially true for U.S. food, service, and consumer product companies. China, whose middle class is expected to rival the U.S. in purchasing power within the decade, is one of the most sought after locations for international sales […]

As the U.S.-China relationship evolves, opportunities are increasing. At the same time, new risks, political tensions and misperceptions are emerging that can have a destabilizing impact. Being aware of these issues is important. Understanding how they may impact your business could be crucial.

To gain a competitive edge, companies in the United States and around the world are increasingly specializing in their core competencies and outsourcing non-core functions. To succeed, this requires more knowledgeable workers with deeper skill sets and the means to manipulate sophisticated new technologies.

India has experienced remarkable economic growth, averaging an annual rate of 8 percent from 2000 through 2010.(1) It declined slightly to 7.2 percent last year, and is anticipated to hover just under 7 percent this year, the International Monetary Fund reports. With rising investment, production and consumption, the Indian economy has become the world’s ninth...

<p>In this age of financial austerity, an increasing number of U.S. and European companies are seeking financial backing from and alliances with cash-rich Chinese companies. Those same Chinese investors however, are keen to snap up assets at what are sometimes bargain basement prices.</p>

When companies decide where to establish manufacturing facilities, a variety of factors typically are considered. These include the availability of skilled workers, productivity levels, the quality of local infrastructure, political stability, rule of law, market size, proximity to key markets, the ability to repatriate profits, and labor costs.

Every minute of every day, 255 babies are born. As a result, the world’s population is estimated to reach 7 billion early this year. What’s surprising to many is not the number of births, but that the vast majority occur in less developed countries. Consequently, by 2020, almost 90 percent of the world’s population will...

Globalization, defined as the integration of national markets through international trade and investment, has boosted competitiveness, productivity, innovation, and living standards around the world. And that’s not all. According to Geoffrey Gertz of the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, globalization is responsible for reducing the world poverty rate by approximately 70 million people...

As American businesses navigate through this era of uncertainty, slow economic growth and hyper competitiveness, many are evolving and establishing new business models and processes. Others are undertaking new initiatives to boost productivity and reduce costs.

Customs is about to get new responsibilities in the antidumping and countervailing duty (“AD/CVD”) areas that will require the agency to undertake evasion investigations. This could lead to substantial additional liabilities for importers. However, companies that recognize the threat to their bottom line, and act to remove it, will be at a competitive advantage when [&hellip;]

Too many U.S. policymakers, from Capitol Hill to the various executive branch agencies in Washington, tend to focus on foreign policies and foreign barriers when considering how best to improve the competitive prospects for U.S. firms. The presumption is that the major impediments to the success of U.S. firms are foreign born. Closed foreign markets...

This month, the World Trade Center São Paulo hosted the 42nd World Trade Center Association General Assembly, and what a fitting location. Over the last decade, Brazil&#8217;s impressive resources, sophisticated corporations and sound macroeconomic policies have led to some remarkable achievements.

<p>Looking back 30 years, China was only just emerging from a planned economy. Its retail sector was strictly regulated, commodities were scarce, and a ration system was still in place. Coupons were issued not only for food and fuel, but also for bikes and televisions. Each coupon specified an item, quantity and sometimes a retail [&hellip;]</p>

U.S. unemployment, at 9.1 percent in August, is likely to remain high for years. Economic growth projections continually seem to be revised downward. And the approval ratings for President Obama and Congress, which are at the lowest levels in memory, don’t inspire confidence or encourage business investment. Although there are many reasons for pessimism...

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the U.S.-China relationship should be brimming with good will. By that standard, 2010 was a celebration of mutual admiration and respect. As Chinese leaders were trying to cultivate an American mainstay—home-grown innovation, U.S. policymakers were singing the praises of industrial policy. In this case, only one [&hellip;]

U.S. manufacturing employment has declined from a high of 19.5 million workers in 1979 to 11.7 million in May 2011. For many policymakers and much of the media, this is believed to be the result of offshoring: moving U.S. production to low-cost countries in search of cheap labor. In turn, many say the American manufacturing...