In The News

Key US-EU Trade Pact Under Threat After More NSA Spying Allegations

Ian Traynor, Louise Osborne, Jamie Doward July 1, 2013
A new release of documents from Edward Snowden, a low level contract employee for the US National Security Agency, suggests that the US bugged EU offices in Washington, New York and Brussels, including one operation directed from NATO headquarters. Europe is stunned by the disclosure of intercepted phone calls and compromised fax machines of key officials, which if true, appear to have no...

Smoking Gun in Malaysian Hands

Rizal Harahap, Nurfika Osman June 27, 2013
Smoke drifting toward Singapore and Malaysia from Indonesian forest fires has started a tussle among the nations. Following a preliminary investigation, Indonesia’s environment minister suggested that eight Malaysian-owned palm-oil companies are at fault for using illegal slash-and-burn techniques, the quickest and cheapest way in the short term to clear land. Six other companies, yet to be...

Mexico Eyes China as New Tequila Market

Wenqian Zhu June 26, 2013
A new challenge awaits Mexican tequila producers who want to export their product: studying the spirits, culture and customs of the Chinese upper middle class. China had long restricted imports of foreign liquors with more than 2 grams of methanol per liter, such as tequila, citing harmful health effects, but has since reversed that stance. During a visit to Mexico, Chinese President Xi Jinping...

Nicaragua Canal Plan Not a Joke

June 25, 2013
After denying connection to Chinese authorities or the Communist Party, Wang Jing is promising transparency in a $40 billion dollar project to build the Nicaragua canal. The only public face of the project, Wang is offering few details about himself. At a news conference in Beijing, he mentioned not wanting the Nicaragua canal to become “an international joke” or an example of “Chinese investment...

Paris Threatens to Block EU-US Talks

Hugh Carnegy, George Parker, Peter Spiegel June 12, 2013
France is threatening to block talks on a transatlantic free-trade zone if its demands to exclude music, film and other cultural industries are not met, reports the Financial Times. France issued the ultimatum even as China and Europe are exchanging charges over unfair trade practices in solar panels and wine. The US likewise demands that all industries start on the negotiating table, pointing...

Lessons From Dhaka

Nayan Chanda June 10, 2013
More than 1100 workers lost their lives in a Dhaka building collapse, and the target for blame is widespread, suggests Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal’s editor, in his column for Businessworld. The apparel industry has long depended on supply chains, with large corporations seeking out low-cost materials and low-wage workers – at every link, managers compete, applying pressures to reduce costs and...

China Says EU Must Recognize Its Decline Amid Trade War

Kathrin Hille June 7, 2013
Editorials in official Chinese media have urged Europe to “recognize its power is declining” and to avoid retaliatory trade tactics, reports the Financial Times. “Beijing is hitting out after Brussels imposed duties this week on solar panels imported from China… the Chinese government responded by launching an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation against European wine,” reports Kathrin...