World

The United States and Mexico have increasingly integrated their manufacturing industries and rationalized production. In turn, the North American Free Trade Agreement partners have based plant locations on the availability and cost of inputs (labor, raw materials, energy and capital), the quality of supply chains and proximity to markets. Increasingly, however, Chinese trade and investment...

In May 2003, a task force commissioned by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) began work on revising rules governing letters of credit, with a target date of July 1, 2007. The new regulations are expected to eliminate barriers that have increasingly hampered international trade. As commerce among nations grew in the early 20th Century...

On March 15, 2007, the United States and Vietnam signed a shipping agreement that grants U.S. maritime shippers, carriers and port operators greater access to Vietnam’s transportation market. And on March 16, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Susan Schwab and Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem announced the launch of negotiations on a bilateral Trade...

Over time, you’ve probably had an increasing stream of visitors to your website. You’ve also probably generated a growing number of leads and sales. That’s good. But, if you’re like most business people, you probably are not aware that much of this success is attributable to the “optimization” of your website. To get the biggest...

<p>Today's global economic realities are creating tremendous new opportunities worldwide. They also are revealing new risks. As a result, whether you are exporting, importing or investing abroad, it is essential to understand how country risk has changed—and how to protect your international business. Traditional Risk Factors Country risk has been traditionally viewed in terms...

Since China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in December 2001, it has significantly opened its market. This has been accomplished, in part, by reducing tariffs by nearly 40 percent, eliminating import licenses and quotas, and relaxing ownership restrictions. In turn, China has become the world&#8217;s third largest merchandise importer. On the other hand, due..

In October 2006, the U.S. population reached 300 million: 4.57 percent of world population — about the same percentage as in 1900. Demographic shifts in other countries are more sweeping. By studying shifts in world demographics, you can pinpoint where tomorrow’s major populations will live, identify fastest-growing age groups — an important indicator of tastes...

Shifts in the value of the U.S. dollar can be felt in a variety of ways. Old assumptions regarding the impact of a rising or falling currency may not necessary hold true. In this era of globalization and infinite supply chain strategies, new realities are increasingly painting a different picture. Currency Assumptions Fade A weakening...

In just five years, a single Asian port—Singapore—will have more container capacity than the current throughput of all U.S. ports combined. This one startling projection, part of a recent U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) report to Congress, reveals the severity of the problem facing American supply chains. Increased Traffic Ahead Like their West Coast brethren...

The title of this article is the headline of a June 7, 2006 piece in The Straits Times, a Singaporean newspaper. According to a recent survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, senior U.S. executives within the six-nation Asean bloc are reported to be “positively exuberant” about operating within southeast Asia, they are [&hellip;]

The U.S.-Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, referred to as DR-CAFTA or simply CAFTA, includes Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The agreement is anticipated to spur North-South trade and investment while promoting stability and the rule of law in the region. Leveling the Playing Field Prior to the establishment...

World commodities prices remain high, even as they recover from a recent sell-off due to interest rate concerns. Despite the volatility that goes hand-in-hand with commodities, prices have benefited from sky-high energy markets this year and growth in China that has resulted in an almost insatiable appetite for industrial raw materials. The Dow Jones AIG...

In May, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued its much anticipated, semiannual Report to the Congress on International Economic and Exchange Rate Policies. The report’s key conclusion, that China is not a currency manipulator, was met with incredulity on the part of a number of members of Congress, some who suggested that the Treasury’s...

U.S. lawmakers have put off immigration reform for a decade because nobody could agree on how best to regulate the flow. They still can’t, as Washington’s recent scramble to craft a fix attests. But the stark disparity between job opportunities and living standards in America and many poor countries has resulted in such an influx...

For over 50 years, the U.S. and the world have reaped the economic benefits of gradual liberalization in trade and investment. Recognizing the benefits of open trade, the U.S. government has been a leading advocate of trade liberalization. Today however, the place of free trade in American policymaking is far from secure. Rising protectionist sentiment [&hellip;]

Question: Globalization is affecting manufacturing. What’s the good and the bad? Answer: The integration of traditional manufacturing, new technologies, national markets, and improved supply chain management— all spawned by globalization—is transforming American manufacturing. In the process, resources have shifted to sectors with competitive advantages...

It is no secret that world opinion of the United States and its policies is unfavorable. Yet, the Bush administration—with cajoling from Congress—is exacerbating those perceptions with an astonishingly antagonistic trade policy posture. The United States has become an international trade scofflaw...

The U.S. economy is undergoing one of the greatest periods of transformation in history. The convergence of powerful technological, political, economic and cultural forces is shaping the 21st century. But as many U.S. industries seize global opportunities derived from today's economic realities, some are experiencing difficulty. This is causing fear and anxiety among workers similar...

U.S. companies linked to the global marketplace perform better than those that only operate domestically. And the employees and communities of globally-engaged firms prosper more. But surprising to many, the benefits do not just apply to exporters. Companies that import, invest abroad or are recipients of foreign direct investment (FDI) also prosper more than their...

In today's extremely competitive business environment, securing foreign marketshare is essential for many companies to succeed well into the future. But to achieve this, it is imperative to first identify, assess and choose the right markets to pursue. Although market selection may seem obvious to some, selecting the wrong ones can be disastrous...