In The News

French's Unmentioned British Flavor

Floyd Norris March 28, 2003
American resentment over political issues has begun to take its toll on goods and services imported from countries such as France and Germany. French’s Mustard's ‘All-American’ publicity campaign aimed to distance its company (British-owned, in fact] from any connection to France – except the name. On French’s website, however, there were no American flags waving in the background, so as to...

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...

Iraq Rift Could Threaten US-EU, Global Economy

March 19, 2003
A new study out from an American university says that the EU-US rift over military action in Iraq could do great damage to the cause of global free trade. "The US and the Europeans have to collaborate and lead the way, or else there's really no other real incentive for other countries to put things on the table" in global trade talks, said the author of the study. He also warned...

More Japanese Saying Sayonara to Düsseldorf

Stephan Finsterbusch March 14, 2003

Protection of Native Resources Demanded

Pennapa Hongthong March 13, 2003
Intellectual property rights experts and farmer's rights activists in Thailand are up in arms over their government's proposed native-resources protection bill. The bill, designed to protect the country's native animal and plant species, has been drafted to help Thailand comply with the World Trade Organization's agreement on trade in intellectual property. The main fault in...

Canada Tackled on Internet Drugs Sales to US

Christopher Bowe March 13, 2003
The flood of drug sales from Canadian pharmacies to US consumers raises many ethical, political, and trade questions. In response, American and Canadian health authorities have begun discussions on the flow of price-controlled drugs into the US. This growing cross-border business illuminates many loopholes in US health care policies and the problem of insufficient drug coverage for many elderly...

EU to Rule the High Seas?

David Hughes March 12, 2003
Why should a Singapore-based business daily express concern over a proposal drafted by the European Commission (EC) on pollution violations in EU waters? David Hughes argues that the new proposal is noteworthy precisely because it does not take geography or nationality into account. Therefore, he posits, "a Singapore flagged ship putting into Rotterdam could be prosecuted for an alleged...