U.S.

Manny Mencia, senior vice president for international trade and development at Enterprise Florida, is the guiding force behind one of America’s leading trade, export development, and foreign direct investment organizations. Mencia attributes much of Florida’s international success over the past two decades to the state’s decision to privatize its economic development activities.

<p>While many people around the world are counting America out, I&#8217;m not one of them. My message to America: it&#8217;s time to re-establish ourselves as a global powerhouse of trade and industry. That includes the creation of millions of good-paying jobs, a sound energy policy, access to capital for small business and, most of all, [&hellip;]</p>

For the first time in recorded history, many European countries, plus Japan, have experienced negative interest rates. Government bond yields on short-term debt, as well as debt up to 10-year maturity, have turned negative in many countries, including Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden and Japan. More than 25 percent of European sovereign bonds [&hellip;]

just dodged a bullet. But their Achilles heel still can be exposed by the European Union’s monopoly litigation. Ninety five percent of Google’s revenue comes from Ad Words. They are a brilliantly successful revenue generator. The profit in Ad Words comes from Search. However, this amazing revenue generator is also Google’s Achilles heel.

As expected, the dramatic drop in crude oil prices is having a deep impact on the American Oil industry. As prices for Brent Crude dropped to $44.13 on January 13th, daily industry reports began to reveal the bleak picture for producers and related companies. Despite prices seeming to recover and level off around the $60 [&hellip;]

On March 2nd, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. In simple terms, the case is about who has the authority to control political redistricting in the states — the state legislature or an independent commission. In even simpler terms, the case is about [&hellip;]

Let’s face it, companies competing in global markets often depend on their governments for export-related financing and support. With every nation trying to win jobs and promote exports for companies in their own countries, the Export-Import Bank of the United States does the same: it provides the financial scaffolding to support American business interests worldwide.

As a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, I, like everyone else working here, is cheering that we are finally going to get Net Neutrality. The question I have is this: why do Silicon Valley businesses, companies that depend heavily on the internet, care so much about Net Neutrality, and why is Fox News and many vocal republicans, [&hellip;]

President Obama’s Dec. 17, 2014, announcement that the United States will re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba after more than 50 years is a paradigm shift that offers some immediate opportunities for the trade community. However, the more meaningful step of removing the longstanding U.S. economic embargo against Cuba will have to be taken by Congress.

<p>With gas prices at the pump hovering near $2 a gallon, many Americans are reveling in the belief that this represents a long-term shift to an oversupply of domestic gasoline resources. While it&#8217;s hard to predict how long we will enjoy these lower prices, we all know how volatile the energy market can be. We [&hellip;]</p>

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman is bullish on the trade agenda. But his estimate of completing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations in March discounts the possibility that Congress will issue tough demands in its Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation. A congressional mandate to include enforceable “currency manipulation” provisions in trade agreements, for example, would push [&hellip;]

<p>This nation was founded by entrepreneurs who knew that with some sweat equity and risk taking, they could share in the American Dream. But for today&#8217;s young entrepreneurs, that dream has become a nightmare. High taxes, onerous regulations and diminished access to capital has seen entrepreneurs stand on the sidelines waiting for a business environment [&hellip;]</p>

There has been much press about the growth in U.S. exports. And for good reason. Nearly 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside the United States and approximately 74 percent of the global commerce now occurs abroad. In turn, American companies that become exporters often grow faster, hire more employees, and benefit the U.S. [&hellip;]

After languishing for eight years under the congressional leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, prospects for trade liberalization are once again promising in 2015. With Republicans taking control of the Senate and increasing their majority in the House, President Obama can expect greater receptivity to his trade initiatives on Capitol Hill. But an important [&hellip;]

The 114th Congress features a Republican majority that is larger than any since 1928 and ready to flex that GOP muscle. While a Democratic White House could create speed bumps to GOP efforts to advance certain legislative initiatives, both sides have said trade policy is an issue where they might find common ground.

U.S. manufacturing employment has declined from a high of 19.5 million workers in 1979 to approximately 12 million today. And when walking down the aisles of large retailers, few “Made in America” products are visible on shelves. In turn, many assume that American manufacturing is in steep decline. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Stock markets are up then down. The value of the dollar is soaring, while the ruble and many other currency values plummet. Are we headed back to another recession? Didn’t we just get out of a recession? Are we doomed to decades of slow growth? These are just some of the questions being asked these [&hellip;]

The United States led the world in expanding access to high school; then in post World War II, access to college. And today, due to the nature of American universities and the openness in which they operate, the United States continues to lead the world in post-secondary education. In fact, 35 American universities rank...

One of the defining economic events of 2014 has been the dramatic decline in crude oil prices over the last six months. Prices have fallen 45 percent to their lowest levels in 5.5 years. This precipitous decline, which was unexpected as oil prices stabilized around $100-$110 a barrel during the three years prior to mid-2014, [&hellip;]

Most economists agree that free trade works better than restricted trade to increase the size of the economic pie. By enlarging markets to span national borders, free trade increases the pool of potential producers, consumers, partners, and investors, which permits greater specialization and economies of scale — both essential ingredients of per capita economic growth.