Having spent a chunk of December and a good part of January recovering from the flu and its lingering symptoms, this just seemed a relevant topic on which to return to my blog posts. Flu epidemics can reach global proportions and have a negative effect on trade. This...
For decades, it would have been almost impossible for a US company to sell anything to Cuba. Today, a slight easing of the embargo allows the sale of agricultural, food, and medical products to the island. However, even trade with Cuba in these areas remains...
“Second Opportunity” reads this headline from La Vanguardia, one of Spain’s leading daily newspapers, the morning after President Obama was re-elected to a second term. This theme was repeated in the coverage of U.S. election results which received front page...
I recently followed a LinkedIn conversation among customs specialists. The posted question: In the USA, what is the number one problem for Customs Compliance Managers? The number one answer among these very experienced individuals was getting upper management/company...
Our last post began a two-part examination of President Obama’s trade policy which highlights three areas: Expanding market access through trade agreements Enforcing trade rules in favor of US businesses Expanding exports through an SME Initiative and the National...
As President for the past 3 years and 9 months (as of September, 2012), President Obama leaves a track record that allows interested observers to assess his accomplishments on trade and what his trade policy will be if he is re-elected. As required by law and...
With Mitt Romney about to accept the nomination to be the 2012 Presidential candidate for the Republican Party, this seems an appropriate time to revisit the issue raised in a previous post about the trade platforms, or lack thereof, of the four main candidates in the...
Last week’s post discussed the growing attention being paid to addressing the need of small businesses to access capital, particularly if they are to play a role as engines of economic growth. Apart from headlines calling attention to this issue, we are also...
It’s questionable how much attention one should pay to headlines in order to understand the world and emerging trends. Headlines have a tendency to either change erratically from day to day or to get stuck on one theme until the next big issue comes along. However, a...
Small businesses doing business internationally need to understand their legal obligations so that they don’t become another ING, the bank recently levied with 619 million USD in fines. The fines penalize ING for its failure to abide by US trade laws. ING to pay $619...
In another example of how our globalized economy makes the concept of U.S. vs. “them” obsolete, recent news broadcasts have announced that it may soon become more expensive to get our clothes dry-cleaned. Why? The cost of steel wire hangers may soon go up. Why? The...
President Obama has declared the week of May 20th – 26th National Small Business Week, 2012. The Presidential Declaration refers to small businesses as the backbone of the US economy. It also uses the opportunity to highlight two key initiatives begun by the Obama...
Earlier this year, I was asked to write an article that would anticipate Jamaica’s place in the global economy in 2030. What would the trade rules look like then, and what would Jamaica be trading? It was supposed to be a very futuristic approach. As I wrote, however,...
Wal-Mart is accused of having paid out over US $24 million in bribes to Mexican officials in order to acquire the over 2,000 stores located in Mexico. If true, Wal-Mart has violated the U.S. anti-bribery law, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which makes it...
Trade negotiators and policymakers of the developed world seem to have very short memories. They have apparently already forgotten the lessons of the failed 1999 WTO Seattle Ministerial when anti-globalization demonstrations played their part in delaying the start of...
