In The News

R & D: India's New Star Industry

Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar April 10, 2004
American multinational companies are setting up research and development (R & D) centers in India, participating in a new trend in the contemporary era of global capitalism - the outsourcing of production activities.. No longer content to only look overseas for low-wage service sector jobs like call centers, large US corporations are tapping into the technical expertise and specialized...

Kenya: Globalizing with Flowers

Jean-Pierre Lehmann April 9, 2004
Although Kenya has attracted some foreign dollars through tourism and export-based flower and tea industries, a majority of Kenyans remain mired in poverty. Jean-Pierre Lehmann, founding director of the Evian group, argues here that although its future could be bright, Kenya has not yet exploited its substantial political and economic assets in a way that will allow it to fully tap into...

US Recovery, Asian Surge Will Boost World Trade 7.5%: WTO

Ravi Kanth April 6, 2004
The US economic recovery and Asian trade growth should push global trade higher this year, according to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Yet such growth is susceptible to three risk factors: the level of the US current account and budget deficits; the extent of European economic growth and the value of the Euro; and the volatility of oil prices. With the US current account deficit set to reach...

EU Food Rules Test African Development

William Wallis April 6, 2004
New food safety regulations, implemented by the European Union (EU), will make it mandatory "for all fruit and vegetable products arriving in the EU to be traceable at all stages of production, processing and distribution." These new regulations are intended to ensure against potential public health scares such as the mad cow disease that have plagued the EU in recent years. Yet, the...

US Recovery, Asian Surge Will Boost World Trade 7.5%: WTO

Ravi Kanth April 4, 2004
The US economic recovery and Asian trade growth should push global trade higher this year, according to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Yet such growth is susceptible to three risk factors: the level of the US current account and budget deficits; the extent of European economic growth and the value of the Euro; and the volatility of oil prices. With the US current account deficit set to reach...

Australia's Greedy Oil Deals in East Timor

April 1, 2004
Ownership and control of the rich gas fields in the East Timor Sea – the subject of recent bilateral discussions between Australia and East Timor – provides a "harsh" but valuable lesson in international relations, says this editorial in Thailand's The Nation. Australia played a critical role in ending violence in East Timor and in ensuring the country's independence from...

Jobs Can Be Outsourced, Not Politics

Harold James March 24, 2004
The American outcry about outsourcing stems not just from job loss, but also from the politician's favorite platitude - trade. According to Princeton historian, Harold James, ascribing job loss to trade is fraught with complications. Moreover, from a historical point of view, it is a recurring theme that often ends terribly. As James notes, throughout the latter part of the 19th and early...