In The News

Elizabeth Becker February 21, 2004
Five years ago, the Northwestern city of Seattle made news when anti-globalization protests shut down a meeting of the World Trade Organization. Now, the city is back in the center of a national storm over trade imbalances and job loss. Seattle, the most trade-dependent city in the United States, earns more per capita from trade than any other area in the country. Yet with the US trade deficit at...
Katherine Q. Seelye February 20, 2004
As the race for the US Democratic Party's presidential nomination narrows down to just two candidates – Senators John Edwards and John Kerry – a significant change in strategy is underway. Both candidates, clearly capitalizing on public sentiment stemming from the loss of US jobs to overseas competition, are attacking international trade agreements and generally siding with US labor leaders...
February 4, 2004
As more humans are infected by the avian flu in Asia, Thailand's chicken exports are not faring well. Many countries, including Japan, are rejecting Thai chicken exports until they are assured that the avian flu is no longer a problem. Larger-scale commercial farms and some Thai officials are promoting the use of modern, covered chicken houses to contain the spread of the virus. But the...
January 29, 2004
After much outside pressure and great internal dissent, South Korea has announced its willingness to consider liberalizing rice imports. The country currently allows only a small percentage of its domestic rice demand to be met by imports. Yet to comply with rules set by the World Trade Organization, the government in Seoul must either incrementally increase rice imports or liberalize the...
Susan Ariel Aaronson January 20, 2004
Has the US led the world in promoting a pro-free trade agenda? Looking at the rhetoric emanating from Washington in the early days of the Bush administration, one may think so, says globalization scholar Susan Ariel Aaronson. But looking at Washington's actions over the past two years, we must reach a different conclusion, she argues. US intransigence on decreasing subsidies to its...
Mark Tran January 15, 2004
Just days after US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick called on other countries to renew global trade negotiations, the US is under fire for failing to comply with the trade rules it helped establish. Last year, the World Trade Organization (WTO) declared that the 'Byrd Amendment' put the US in breach of the organization's rules. The amendment allows the US to distribute funds...
January 12, 2004
With only one free trade agreement signed, Japan may lose out to its more aggressive competitors, including China and the United States. Although Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi claims, "Japan cannot continue a policy of agricultural isolation," says this editorial in the Japan Times, action has yet to follow his words. At present, Japan has an agreement inked with Singapore...