In The News

Kazakhstan Entertains Grand Economic Development Plan

Melvut Katik April 17, 2006
Oil-rich Kazakhstan has a goal to become a major global economic force. Its strategy to drive growth depends on regional cooperation, particularly with Russia and to a certain degree China. Another major goal for Kazakhstan is accession to the WTO. Kazakhstan already possesses immense oil and gas resources, and global financial experts are bullish on the nation, with one analyst noting that the...

Stitching Labor Change in Italy

Jennifer Clark April 17, 2006
Italy’s economy relies on traditional industries such as textiles and shoes—the type of products that China manufacturers have targeted as well. Facing rising foreign competition, more than 2000 Italian firms closed in 2005. But rather than fight outsourcing, Italian fashion-textile union leader Valeria Fedeli contends that the industry must “adapt or die.” Fedeli supports more tax breaks for...

A Nation of Immigrants Clashes Over the Future

Georg Mascolo April 12, 2006
In 2005, the US arrested 1.2 million people attempting to cross the US-Mexico border in Arizona’s Arivaca Valley. About half that number were successful journeying through the treacherous desert, encouraged by words on the Statue of Liberty that welcome immigrants from the world over – “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free.” The US estimates that 11 million...

Visa for Cream

Sanjay Suri April 12, 2006
Historically, Britain relied on immigrants from India for factory help and other jobs that the British didn’t want to do. Immigration resulted in a British community of 2 million Indians, many who met with great success. But now the UK has tinkered with its immigration rules to reject poor workers from former colonies Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and elsewhere and target workers with information-...

In France, an Economic Bullet Goes Unbitten

Floyd Norris April 11, 2006
Most European politicians recognize the grim truth – that economic reform is necessary for global competition and that youth cannot expect the many benefits now enjoyed by elders. Generous retirement and other social benefits correlate with high unemployment among youth. Corporate executives have suggested that politicians must make the difficult decisions that lead to economic reform, likely...

Has Globalization Gone too Far?

Nagesh Kumar April 11, 2006
Developed nations express growing resistance to foreign takeovers of national enterprises – from Mittal Steel’s bid for Archelor based in Luxembourg to Dubai Ports World plan to take over terminal operations of six US ports. The resistance contradicts WTO proposals from the West that would have allowed foreign investors to establish or acquire any business entity in any country. Developing...

China Curbs Magazines from Foreign Publishers

Geoffrey A. Fowler April 10, 2006
All kinds of international firms look eagerly to booming China as the world’s largest market, particularly its growing urban class. Competition requires not only preparing a product, but also knowing Chinese regulations. China has long taken steps to control what its citizens can buy – and publishers have discovered that the government will limit lifestyle magazines for Chinese shopping lists....