In The News

Kedah to Boost Fish Exports Via Genetics Project

Leslie Lau April 8, 2003
The world's fish market is huge, and Malaysia aims to take a piece of the profit pie. Working together with the World Fish Centre, the government in Kuala Lumpur is closely controlling breeding practices to boost its commercial production of the tilapia fish. The Malaysian project might match the 85% size increase recently achieved in the Philippines, but it will need to emphasize taste to...

China’s Workers Risk Limbs in Export Drive

Joseph Kahn April 7, 2003
In recent years, China has become the “world’s factory” for labor-intensive goods. However, the factories producing these goods often lack safe machinery or appropriate oversight. As a result, accidents that result in a lost limb or a life have increased, especially among the migrant laborers who work at these factories. Even though statutory laws are in place governing safety and compensation...

SARS Virus Begins to Take Toll on Global Economy

Jacqueline Thorpe March 31, 2003
Fears over the war in Iraq, aftereffects of September 11th, 2001 and high rates of unemployment in the US have already taken their toll on the global economy. Making matters worse, the recent outbreak of the SARS virus, an acute respiratory illness, is hitting hard at an already struggling travel industry. SARS has kept people at home in the worst-affected Asian countries. In Hong Kong, for...

Using Tariffs to Discourage Movie Production Outside US

Bernard Simon March 29, 2003
Following the lead of American manufacturers, American moviemakers are moving their operations abroad in search of cheaper labor. Canada, especially, has become a hotspot for filming, offering attractive tax incentives and a cheap dollar. United States film crews – and the governor of California – are increasingly alarmed at the growing trend, however. Fed up, members of the American film...

WTO Rules Against U.S. on Steel Tariff

Elizabeth Becker March 27, 2003
The World Trade Organization made an interim decision that the steel tariffs imposed by US President George Bush last year were illegal, and the decision is not likely to be overturned on appeal. Last spring, Mr. Bush imposed tariffs on most types of steel imported from Europe, Asia and South America. The tariffs received support from the US steel industry, but also protests from US industries...

Antismoking Measures Gain in Tobacco Country

David M. Halbfinger March 4, 2003
For some it is simple economics - cheap labor and fewer restrictions on pesticide use can easily lure US cigarette manufacturers to Brazil, Argentina, or Zimbabwe. But US tobacco farmers see it as a betrayal at the hands of the same people they stood by during the tobacco wars. Now their surprise switch to the anti-smoking lobby camp could mean major victories for health issues in the very heart...

McDonald’s Strives to Regain Ground

Sherri Day March 3, 2003
McDonald’s is often considered the ultimate American business success, and, with restaurants in over 50 countries, a symbol of American cultural dominance. Changing tastes in America and many failed menu items have contributed to a long, slow decline for McDonald’s in the US, however, and the chain plans to stop operating in three countries. Owning a McDonald’s franchise is not the instant...