In The News

China Hits Out at New US Textile Quota

Richard McGregor May 16, 2005
The expiration of textile quotas on January 1, 2005, saw a slight shift in global garment trade. Though not as drastic a change as many had feared – some of the smaller producers have managed to keep pace with the quota-free market – China's exports increased significantly. Responding to the spike in Chinese exports, the European Union and United States both launched separate...

Tangled Threads of Protectionism – Part III

Linda Lim May 10, 2005
One of the textile industry's oldest problems is again under focus: how to adjust in the face of changing technology, tastes, and economic fundamentals. Politicians are calling, not surprisingly, for a populist solution – protect jobs by raising walls against imports. In a three-part series, trade experts examine the issues surrounding the post-quota state of the textile industry. With the...

Third World Gets Help to Help Itself

Doreen Carvajal May 6, 2005
A late-1980s campaign to help small coffee growers has blossomed into a US$500 million industry. Fairtrade goods, from bananas to cotton, aim to appeal to Western consumers' consciences by supporting above-market compensation for third-world growers. Though the industry has indeed flourished in the past few years, as the International Hereald Tribune writes, "the business of...

Tangled Threads of Protectionism – Part II

Edward Gresser May 5, 2005
One of the textile industry's oldest problems is again under focus: how to adjust in the face of changing technology, tastes, and economic fundamentals. Politicians are calling, not surprisingly, for a populist solution – protect jobs by raising walls against imports. In a three-part series, trade experts examine the issues surrounding the post-quota state of the textile industry. With the...

Business: A Jack Welch of Communists

Sarah Schafer May 3, 2005
While China is already a world economic powerhouse, it has produced virtually no global companies. Haier, arguably China's most respected business leader, aims to change this. With over US$10 million in debt in the early 1980s, the firm started from humbled beginnings. Today, though, Haier is one of the world's top five producers of household appliances, with 30,000 employees and more...

Tangled Threads of Protectionism – Part I

Pietra Rivoli May 3, 2005
One of the textile industry's oldest problems is again under focus: how to adjust in the face of changing technology, tastes, and economic fundamentals. Politicians are calling, not surprisingly, for a populist solution – protect jobs by raising walls against imports. In a three-part series, trade experts examine the issues surrounding the post-quota state of the textile industry. With the...

Germany Profits from International Division of Labor

Patrick Welter April 29, 2005
Recent WTO announcements suggest that Germany is effectively handling with the forces of globalization to maintain a flourishing and beneficial trade position, writes F.A.Z. Weekly. Germany's exports have increased steadily, especially compared with other euro countries whose exports have declined due to the falling dollar. Though countries like China have seen dramatic leaps in their trade...