It’s easy to take for granted our accessibility to products native to or manufactured in countries on the other side of the world. International trade makes it possible to enjoy a dinner of Kobe beef from Japan, tropical fruits from India and a bottle of wine from France, without having to wait days (or weeks) for all the ingredients to arrive. From the days of the Silk Road between Europe and Asia in the 1200s, international trade has facilitated the exchange of goods and services between nations. As transportation evolved to make doing business internationally more practical, the result has been a global economy where events in one county can impact product supplies, demand and prices in countries thousand of miles away. For consumers, global trade means more business competition, which (despite tariffs and other additional costs that do not apply to domestic trade) typically results in lower prices for the products they want to purchase. It also opens up more markets where countries can sell the goods that are more abundant within their borders. The Cycle of Global Trade Relationships International trade can, over time, change the nature of relationships between two countries. One familiar example is when a poorer nation provides labor and facilities to more developed trading partners, acquiring wealth that can then be channeled into greater domestic productivity. When that happens, it could eventually result in a reversal of roles, where the product importer becomes an exporter. One sees elements of this in the trade relationship between the U.S. and China.
Global Commodity Prices Plateau, Threatening Inflation Targets Amid Geopolitical Tensions
Global commodity prices, which sharply declined last year contributing to a reduction in global inflation, have now stabilized, posing challenges… Read More
Congress Missed an Opportunity to Reform Corporate Taxes
The centerpiece of the new tax law is a cut in the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21… Read More
China’s Arctic Policy
The government of China has issues a white paper on its Arctic policy, staking out its strategic interests in the… Read More
Global Regulatory Trends—2018
Dentons, the global law firm, recently released its Global Regulatory Trends to Watch in 2018, available here. In this six-part… Read More
WATCH: After Brexit
Policymakers and government officials in the UK are reshaping policies in the wake of Brexit. As the UK’s Secretary of… Read More
TSA Mandates Additional Security On Middle East Airfreight
Citing the increased threat of a bomb being smuggled on board an aircraft bound for the United States, the Transportation… Read More
Garbage Time
Having given notice in July of last year, China has followed through on its pledge to turn away “foreign garbage”… Read More
Toyota/Mazda $1.6-Billion Investment in Alabama: Four Takeaways
Amazon is not the only global company making major investment decisions. In January, Toyota and Mazda announced a joint $1.6-billion… Read More
OECD: Chile Needs Renewed Pact Between Government, Business, and Civil Society
To reap the benefits of global changes, Chile needs to update its economic model, according to the OECD Production Transformation… Read More
Is the US the New Saudi Arabia?
In its January Oil Market Report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts “explosive” growth in US oil production, in reaction… Read More
World Bank Report Finds Rise in Global Wealth, but Inequality Persists
Global wealth grew significantly over the past two decades but per capita wealth declined or stagnated in more than two… Read More
New Digital Supply Chain Finance Solution Opens Working Capital Opportunities For Bank Clients
Intellect Global Transaction Banking, a transaction banking and technology specialist, has implemented a comprehensive supply chain finance platform for Bank… Read More
« Previous 1 … 98 99 100 101 102 … 279 Next »