In The News

Pursuing Politics or Perfection?

Nayan Chanda December 11, 2013
The agreement reached in Bali at the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting relied on a draft proposal from India, permitting temporary price supports and famer subsidies until WTO rules are reformed. Critics agree that intentions behind such food guarantees are well-meaning, but India’s program is riddled with inefficiencies, distorting what farmers choose to grow. The Bali agreement is...

Bali Boost: WTO Lives, Snatched for Now From Jaws of Defeat

Jean-Pierre Lehmann December 10, 2013
A round of congratulations is in order for the WTO, after agreement in Bali on a package that promises a spirit of global cooperation and level playing field for developing nations, particularly in agriculture, commodities and labor-intensive manufactured goods. But the agreement is essentially a package of promises. Ultimate success requires leadership and vision, warns Jean-Pierre Lehmann,...

Say It With Numbers

Nayan Chanda February 6, 2013
Manufacturers, especially on high-priced items like cars or electronics, are offering a bit more detail on the source countries for their products. More detail reveals the integration of the global economy and how globalization contributes to job growth. A new database from the World Trade Organization and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development – Trade in Value-Added, or TIVA...

Research Rewrites Global Trade Data

Chris Giles, Claire Jones January 22, 2013
Cars made in one country include parts from all over the world. Labels could end up being larger than products if companies went into detail about the origin of every ingredient and component. Still the labels would be more accurate and could transform perceptions of trade deficits, according to a joint study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Trade...

The Fallacy of Protectionism

Pascal Lamy October 31, 2012
The economic crisis of 2008 and the uncertain recovery that has followed did not result in large-scale protectionism as some expected. There have been worrying signs of the traditional propensity of nation-states to turn inwards when the global economic outlook is bad, but for the most part, countries have exercised restraint. If unemployment and economic stagnation persist, however, this...

China Play in US Election

Edward Gresser October 15, 2012
US politicians often gripe about China, but campaign promises to “get tough” aren’t easy to keep. China is the third largest export market for US products. The Obama administration has already heightened enforcement of trade laws and filed more trade complaints than the previous administration. Even so, Mitt Romney’s website suggests that the Obama administration extends “acquiescence to the one-...

Economic Nationalism Rises in Indonesia

John Berthelsen June 5, 2012
In Indonesia, as foreign investors express interest in a project – purchasing a bank or building a port – the government steps in with new regulations that thwart the deal and reinforce state-controlled enterprises. Taxes discourage exports of raw materials, minerals or palm oil, and encourage refining inside Indonesia. While globalization and foreign direct investment have fueled Asia’s...