U.S.

A recent "Street Journal" headline screamed: “Americans Sour on Trade.” And why shouldn’t they? After all, the public is routinely bombarded with misleading or simplistic trade coverage that too often relies on cliché, innuendo and regurgitated conventional wisdom: it’s Team America versus the world. Without the war metaphor, trade is just a peaceful, mutually...

For both domestic and foreign companies, hiring and retaining good employees in China is difficult. In fact, this may be the biggest hurdle facing most operations there. Adding to the challenge is the entry into the workforce of China’s “Generation Y” or “80 hou,” those born in the 1980s and raised in an era of […]

Surprising to many, the United States manufacturing sector is not being hollowed out. With the exception of the recent recession when all U.S. industries experienced poor economic growth, U.S. manufacturing has been breaking its own record, year after year, with respect to output, value-added, profits, returns on investment, exports, and imports, says Dan Ikenson, associate...

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (HR 4213). This bill will hurt American workers, reduce American exports, and make American companies less competitive in the international marketplace. Since the U.S. Senate has already passed companion legislation, the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act (S 3336), […]

President Obama’s goal of creating American jobs has thrust the Chinese currency onto center stage in Washington, where an undervalued renminbi is blamed for the trade deficit with China, and in turn, the deficit is blamed for U.S. job losses. Growing acceptance of that sequence of fallacies threatens our economy, as Congress considers restrictions on...

International trade significantly contributes to American economic growth and well being. For example, in 2008 exports and imports generated nearly 30 percent of U.S. economic growth, up from 20 percent in 1990. Alone, exports contributed nearly 13 percent, measured by gross domestic product (GDP). Although these figures dropped in 2009 due to the Great Recession...

American exports have traditionally played a vital role in U.S. economic expansion. Now, they have become even more important since job growth is key to a sustained economic recovery. Local and state governments, as well as local trade organizations such as World Trade Centers and chambers of commerce, can play a more integral role in […]

As policymakers respond to the global recession, they should remember that the unprecedented global economic growth experienced in recent decades owes much to the removal of political and economic barriers to trade and investment. During that time, a division of labor on a truly global scale has emerged, presenting opportunities for specialization, collaboration, and exchange […]

During the past few years, America has grown increasingly averse to trade. This trend is the product of myths perpetuated by campaigning politicians, captured policymakers, TV charlatans, and woefully ill-informed newspaper columnists...

Following other Asian nations, China is moving up the technology ladder—but at an unprecedented pace. This speed is phenomenal in and of itself. However, China possesses significant advantages relative to nations that have followed this very same path. A Compelling Mix of Strengths China possesses a combination of characteristics that enable rapid and sustainable growth […]

President Barack Obama is neither a committed free-trader nor a hard core protectionist. But his continuing failure to commit to a pro-trade agenda amounts to de facto protectionism and subverts his economic and foreign policy objectives. No Clear Signal Reacting recently to a provision in the climate change bill that would impose trade penalties against […]

The Margaret Thatcher-Ronald Reagan economic model of free market capitalism is under attack. The system, which was responsible for jumpstarting this era of globalization, created the greatest economic growth the world has ever seen. It empowered people to achieve their dreams and unleashed their innovative and creative abilities that paved the way for tremendous gains...

Small business is the backbone of the U.S. economy. It’s also key to our economic recovery. Unfortunately, we don’t hear much about the large role small business plays in this country’s exporting efforts. Laying Out the Facts On June 30th, Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and […]

There is reason for grave concern about the direction of U.S. trade policy. The bipartisan, pro-trade consensus, which served U.S. economic and diplomatic interests so well for so long, collapsed during the final two years of the Bush administration. Congressional skeptics, who helped derail the U.S. trade agenda, have increased their ranks in the new […]

Over the past several decades, the U.S.-China relationship has evolved significantly. During this period, both countries have come to better understand each other’s perspectives and view of the world. And both countries have come to realize that only by working closely together can we successfully address a number of pressing issues that affect us all. […]

Charles Darwin, author of On the Origin of Species published in 1859, once said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” If true, the new administration is off to a good start with China. Why? The Middle Kingdom’s global status has...

In order to more quickly mitigate the effects of the current economic crisis, achieve favorable levels of growth and seize the benefits presented by global trade, it is imperative for companies to expand internationally. But to do so, it’s essential that elected officials do not craft protectionist policies, but instead pass trade liberalizing legislation...

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 18 years ago, Singapore and China have developed one of the strongest and most dynamic trading relationships in the world. The signing of the Singapore-China Free Trade Agreement (SCFTA) on October 23rd, 2008 not only marked a significant milestone in the evolution of trade relations between these flourishing economic […]

Many hope that President-elect Barack Obama will help uplift the American spirit and inspire a new “can-do” attitude toward remedying our serious economic problems. This, of course, is no easy task. But if successful, Obama’s encouragement will have awoken a uniquely American attribute currently lying dormant in the American psyche.

Nothing is as valuable as reputation. And yet we see corporate reputations squandered daily. In truth, most companies and people spend every day trying to do the right thing and protect their reputation. Very few set out to do anything less. So how does it happen? The Complexity of Cognitive Dissidence Reputation can become damaged […]