by Andrea | Mar 18, 2012 | CSME, Recent Trends in Trade, small business financing, Trade and Development, world financial crisis
Here’s just one example of why it matters that the people and institutions setting economic and trade policy actually know what they’re talking about. Americans have been experiencing sticker shock at the gas pump. Knowing how much cheaper gas is in the United States...
by Andrea | Mar 2, 2012 | access to finance, small business financing
The U.S. Congress has begun its work on the 2012 Farm Bill which will shape US agricultural and food assistance policy between 2013 and 2108. The US Farm Bill is the primary agricultural and food policy tool of the U.S. government, and is passed every five (5) years...
by Andrea | Feb 17, 2012 | cap and trade, Recent Trends in Trade, small business financing, Trade and Development
Carbon trade programs developed by countries in an effort to address climate change are entering the arena of cross-border trade, with potentially serious implications for developing countries, particularly those whose economies are dependent on tourism. These...
by Andrea | Feb 6, 2012 | small business financing, Trade and Development, world financial crisis
This time last week, the attendees at the 2012 World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland (held January 25th – 29th) were just recovering from their jetlag and round of meetings. The Davos meeting brings together the world’s top business leaders,...
by Andrea | Jan 29, 2012 | Admin
Trade ministers from around the world met at the World Trade Organization’s Eighth (8th) Ministerial Conference in Geneva (December 15th – 17th, 2011). They left the meeting with no clear path toward concluding the Doha Development Round, launched in November, 2001...
by Andrea | Jan 27, 2012 | Trade and Development, world financial crisis
The World Trade Organization (WTO) estimates that, as of January 15, 2012, it has been notified of the existence of approximately 511 Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs), 319 of which are in force. A number of these agreements have been formed among the developing and...
by Andrea | Jan 20, 2012 | CSME, Recent Trends in Trade, small business financing, Trade and Development
An earlier post discussed the reality behind the proliferation of “Made in China” (or other countries) labels on the goods that we purchase. The product of outsourcing of the manufacturing processes, these labels can nevertheless hide the origin of other often more...
by Andrea | Jan 13, 2012 | CSME, Recent Trends in Trade, small business financing, Trade and Development
Today’s (Friday, January 13th, 2012) Foreign Policy Brief contains a slideshow that aims to show a side of life in Haiti that is rarely, if ever, depicted in the media. It shows a glimpse into the lives of Haiti’s “one-percent”. As the country marks the second...
by Andrea | Jan 6, 2012 | Recent Trends in Trade, small business financing, Trade and Development
The labels on our purchased items that purport to tell us where the products were made are often misleading. They are the result of labeling laws that ignore today’s reality of global supply chains. This is why I find the series on ABC News which challenges its...
by Andrea | Dec 31, 2011 | new ways to finance business, small business financing, Trade and Development
“Never in history have so many nations owed so much money with so little promise of repayment,” wrote Time Magazine in the mid-1980s. Total world debt soared from approximately $100 billion in the early 1970s to nearly $900 billion dollars by the mid-1980s. (Origins...
by Andrea | Dec 19, 2011 | small business financing, Trade and Development, world financial crisis
To no one’s surprise, the Ministerial Conference of WTO Ministers concluded on Saturday, December 17th without any breakthroughs on any of the contentious issues facing the organization (see Day One Highlight). Instead, the meeting concluded with a Chair’s Summary...
by Andrea | Dec 17, 2011 | small business financing, Trade and Development, world financial crisis
• Day Two of the Ministerial (December 16th, 2011) saw the continuation of plenary sessions during which other members made their own statements regarding the issues facing the WTO. • The plenary also approved accession of the Russian Federation to the WTO. The more...
by Andrea | Dec 16, 2011 | small business financing, Trade and Development
The Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is the organization’s highest decision-making body and convenes every two (2) years. An issue of key concern for this 8th Ministerial is the future of the Doha Development Round which is now openly...
by Andrea | Jun 17, 2011 | small business financing, Trade and Development, World Trade Organization
President Obama has designated June as Caribbean-American Heritage month. This seems the appropriate time to examine the status of US-Caribbean trade relations. The following is a background brief prepared for the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) 13th annual...
by Andrea | Mar 10, 2011 | CSME, Recent Trends in Trade, small business financing
Investing in women and girls has a multiplier effect on productivity and sustained economic growth. Investing in women is not only the right thing to do. It is the smart thing to do. Ban Ki Moon, Secretary-General, United Nations. On March 8th, we celebrated the 100th...
