World

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.

A steep fall in global oil prices has reinforced strong downward pressure on the ruble. This was triggered in 2014 by massive outflows of foreign capital in response to sanctions imposed by the U.S., the EU, and other western countries to punish Russia for the annexation of Crimea and hostile actions in eastern Ukraine.

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 […]

President Dilma Rousseff won a runoff election held in late October with 51.6 percent, after failing to win an outright majority at a first-round of voting earlier in the month. The PT-led coalition retained its majorities in both congressional chambers at legislative elections held simultaneously with the first round of presidential voting. And the trimming […]

Security will remain high on the Saudi agenda amid concerns over the rise of ISIL, a Sunni jihadist group that has gained control over large sections of Syria and Iraq. ISIL militants overwhelmed Iraqi military forces following the launch of major offensive in June. And while the advance was largely halted with the help of […]

In 2013, the United States exported merchandise to Mexico valued at $226.2 billion, nearly the same amount as U.S. exports to China, Germany, the United Kingdom and Russia combined. This surprises many since Mexico, the second largest U.S. export market, has an economy less than one-tenth the size of the United States’ and its population...

In March 2014, the 612-member National Assembly approved an overhaul of the 1995 foreign investment law. This was a key step forward in the program of economic liberalization initiated by President Raúl Castro as part of a strategy for laying the foundation for a smooth transfer of political control to a younger generation of leaders […]

In his new book, Markets over Mao: The Rise of Private Business in China, Nicholas R. Lardy, one of the world’s leading China experts and a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, makes a strong case that the market — not the state — has been the key factor in the country’s...

In this age of technology, progressive manufacturers are buying into the concept and seizing the benefits derived from the connected enterprise. These benefits include more control of costs, improved operations and better customer satisfaction. Here are a few ways manufacturers can achieve these goals using the Internet, and how some manufacturers are already making the […]

If a business truly wants to understand its competition, it needs to be aware of its context. It should study the government the competition operates within and the industries being promoted by that government. Fortunately, for those interested, the Canadian government offers many resources to help businesses understand what sectors it prioritizes and emphasizes. As […]

I came across a fascinating article in The Wall Street Journal recently that reported that due to Germany’s aggressive promotion of vocational schools and skills training, the German unemployment rate for young people is below 8 percent...

U.S. elected local officials seeking to create and sustain solar industry job growth in their Congressional districts should be aware of and advocate accordingly on a current piece of U.S. trade policy toward China that is in the making — the International Trade Commission (ITC) investigation: Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products from China and Taiwan […]

Special Report — North American defense, Arctic security, and Russian imperial delusions are large interlocking topics. My purpose here is to provide context, linkages, and a broad analysis with some key specifics. In the space permitted, the assessment cannot be comprehensive. But I will examine some of the crucial actual and potential threats to Canada […]

Markets that are suitable for manufacturing alone will never compete effectively in today’s global, knowledge-based economy. That’s why Malaysia’s leadership embarked in 2010 on its Economic Transformation Programme, which aims to elevate the country to high-income status by 2020. It will do this chiefly through implementing 12 National Key Economic Areas (11 critical industry sectors […]

As of this writing, separate military offensives by Syrian government forces and jihadist militants from Islamic State (IS) were advancing rapidly on the city of Aleppo, the key remaining urban stronghold of the secular rebel FSA, which was forced to relinquish control of the city of Homs earlier this year. The loss of Aleppo likely […]

Brazil’s hosting of the World Cup soccer tournament in June through July 2014 was a trial of sorts for President Dilma Rousseff, who will stand for re-election in October. Any serious problem during the games could have turned the upcoming election into a referendum on whether she is the best person to head the government […]

Until mid-July, the diplomatic crisis generated by Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March and Moscow’s ongoing indirect support for a pro-Russia separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine appeared to have settled into a state of equilibrium. Powerful EU members resisted pressure from the U.S. for an expansion of economic sanctions targeting strategic government agencies and powerful […]

Experts estimate the Chinese have developed more than 1,700 projects in Africa between 2000 and 2011.(1) And National Public Radio recently aired a report detailing China’s growing ambition there, indicating that the continent is not only a place with abundant natural resources, but now a potential giant market for Chinese consumer goods. American businesses should […]

<p>These days, America competing with China is like an American runner competing against a Chinese runner, except that the American runner has to carry an anvil. It may be against the rules, but there&#8217;s little anyone can do about it. The Chinese have the advantage. But let’s not delude ourselves about China&#8217;s aims.</p>

<p>With all the barriers stacked up against American entrepreneurs, a bright spot has been access to working capital through the Export-Import Bank, which is essential if American exporters are to compete in the global marketplace. Ex-Im provides working capital guarantees, insurance and direct loans to American manufacturers, helping to open new foreign markets that allow [&hellip;]</p>