In The News

Caixin: China Trade Surplus With US Grows Despite Tariffs

Wu Gang September 11, 2018
Despite tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, China’s trade surplus with the United States continue to swell. “Exports to the U.S. grew 13.2% in August from a year earlier to $44.39 billion, with the growth rate accelerating from 11.2% in July,” reports Wu Gang for Caixin, adding that China’s growth worldwide slowed for the month. “The Trump administration began levying a 25% tariff on $34...

Financial Times: The Fatal Attraction of a No-Deal Brexit

Gideon Rachman August 28, 2018
Great Britain’s deadline for arranging a deal with the European Union is March 29 and analysts anticipate disruptions including shortages of certain foods and supplies as well as new tariffs and confusion over regulations. Gideon Rachman describes three groups for the Financial Times: Hardliners relishing the notion of self-reliance regardless of costs, Remainers hoping for chaos that prompts...

Reuters: US, Mexico Reach NAFTA Deal; Pressure on Canada

Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason August 27, 2018
The United States reached agreement on revising the North American Free Trade Agreement, and Reuters reports that puts “pressure on Canada to agree to new terms on auto trade and dispute settlement rules to remain part of the three-nation pact.” The US president said he could put tariffs on Canada if the nation does not join the agreement. The three countries conduct more than $1 trillion in...

Japan Times: Japanese Firms Face Tough Choices as Trade War Drags On

Cory Baird August 24, 2018
The US-China war is disrupting global supply chains, and companies must decide if they will relocate assembly lines away from China, temporarily or permanently, or wait for a compromise. Companies with long supply chains have more adjusting to do, and one petrochemical industry expert warned that recovery will require more time than the period the tariffs are in effect. China and the United...

Forbes: Will Tariffs Cause the US Fish Industry to Flop

Maisie Ganzler August 23, 2018
Another round of tariffs in the US-Chinese trade battle go into effect in September and will increase US seafood prices. About $900 million worth of US seafood is “first caught or raised in the U.S., sent to China for processing, and then subsequently imported back into the U.S. by companies that sell it to American consumers,” explains Maisie Ganzler for Forbes. “The fish was caught in Alaska,...

The Conversation: How Globalization Transformed Mecca Pilgrimage Market

Seán McLoughlin August 22, 2018
Islam requires adherents to travel at last once for the annual Hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Modern transportation made the journey more feasible, and the number of pilgrims increased from 100,000 in the 1950s to more than 3 million in recent years. Saudi Arabia has imposed restrictions in recent years: Muslim-majority nations are subjected to a Hajj quota of 1,000 pilgrims per million of...

BBC News: Why Only 1% of the World’s Vanilla Is Real

Nancy Kacungira August 20, 2018
The island of Madagascar is the world’s largest producer of vanilla beans. Farmers protect their crops with patrols and mark individual pods while on the vine. The vanilla orchid, a native plant of Mexico, can grow 300 feet tall, but there are challenges: The orchid requires high humidity, shade and moderate temperatures and new plants produce pods after three years. Each flower must be...