World

The tragic London bombings in July 2005 revived a nagging question, "What if terrorists place a bomb in a container headed for a Northeast U.S. port?...

<p>If there is one thing about America that inspires the rest of the world, it is its level of economic freedom. Or at least it used to. According to the 2005 Index of Economic Freedom, published jointly by The Heritage Foundation and &#8220;The Wall Street Journal,&#8221; the U.S. is no longer among the world’s 10 [&hellip;]</p>

China’s practice of pegging its currency, the yuan (also known as the renminbi), to the U.S. dollar has created much speculation in corporate board rooms and controversy among policymakers. Unpegging the yuan from the dollar, a solution advocated by many, may not be so easy. And, it may not achieve what it is intended to

Some time ago, China realized that in order to grow and prosper, it would have to become globally integrated and make fundamental adjustments. It also understood that to do so meant becoming a full member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

<p>Increasing economic opportunity and strengthening homeland security are the two major goals of the U.S. government. Advancing free trade is essential to reaching both of these goals. Hence, the Bush Administration and Congress should be praised for significantly advancing free trade with Australia, Morocco, Chile and Singapore. The U.S. now has an even more important [&hellip;]</p>

The United States always has been a leading proponent of free trade. However, many now believe this leadership position is at stake—especially since U.S. willingness to accept World Trade organization (WTO) rulings is questioned. For example, both WTO and NAFTA committees have ruled that Canadian lumber subsidization evidence is insufficient. Nevertheless, the U.S. continues...

Are the U.S. government’s new antiterrorism policies and regulations for cross-border commerce serving, in effect, as non-tariff barriers? If so, are they trumping the long-standing objective of maintaining a relatively open and easily crossed international border between the U.S. and Canada? What are the principal costs involved in complying with the new security mandates? And, [&hellip;]

<p>This article is not only about expanding your business. It also is about expanding your thinking. Leaders expanded thinking creates expanded possibilities for their businesses. It is critical to understand the latest trends and shifts in the world, and to postulate how they might impact your organization. It&#8217;s also important to ask what the implications [&hellip;]</p>

What will global trends and likely U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) actions mean to supply chain managers in the years ahead? And how should they prepare? First, assuming a constant terrorist threat to commerce, the number of container inspections will increase significantly around the world. CBP’s goals of expanding CSI and making container targeting [&hellip;]

Amid this geopolitical backdrop of the coming decade, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issues to contend with that hit close to home. In the urgency of adoption, the 24-Hour Rule and container targeting inherited a number of weak points that the agency must shore up if it is to achieve its goal [&hellip;]

It’s daybreak at a major Asian seaport and there’s a dirty bomb in a shipping container. The sealed container looks exactly like the thousands of worn boxes that move in and out of the port each day on truck and train. And aside from a single lead-lined crate that conceals the deadly explosive, there is [&hellip;]

After the tragedy of September 11th, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and its government partners implemented several intermodal cargo security initiatives to defend against an attack that could devastate the U.S. economy. Chief among these initiatives is a system designed to pinpoint and inspect cargo containers that may pose a terrorist threat. The system [&hellip;]

Decisions that shape the future of Western New York are made every day in Washington, D.C., but few will have as much impact on the economic well-being of local companies, employees and their families as Trade Promotion Authority legislation. TPA is the legislative mechanism that gives our trade negotiators credibility at the international negotiating table [&hellip;]

What is the single most important act that our government can perform this year to assure the continuation of the record economic prosperity we&#8217;ve enjoyed throughout most of the past decade and into the new century? You might say tweak the prime rate or cut taxes. However, there is one thing upon which we can...

A new economic era is quickly replacing the old, affecting virtually every aspect of Canadian life. Many assumptions no longer seem to apply — yet new realities still need to be defined. These ambiguities are causing Canadian companies to question their business tactics and reassess their strategies...

The emerging North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will have a considerable effect on manufacturing in both Mexico and Canada. Contrary to popular belief, the primary NAFTA effect on manufacturing in Mexico does not involve inexpensive Mexican labor or preferential access to U.S. markets. U.S. firms have enjoyed easy access to Mexican labor for two decades. Instead, the greatest changes brought about by NAFTA are on Mexican foreign direct investment and intellectual pro