In The News

When Life, and Not Just Carnival, Is a Gas

Andy Webb-Vidal January 26, 2005
With the discovery of large natural gas reserves, Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean island state, has transformed into the biggest supplier of liquefied natural gas in the Americas. Already, foreign companies like British Gas are building the largest natural gas production units ever constructed. With foreign investment pouring in at an unprecedented rate, the Trinidadian government must wisely...

Driven by Costs, Fertility Clients Head Overseas

Felicia R. Lee January 25, 2005
Most Americans seeking fertility treatment stay close to home. Yet for many, the procedure is unaffordable in the United States. A single in vitro treatment can cost over US$10,000, and insurance rarely covers the procedure. Despite concerns about quality and safety, middle-class couples are increasingly heading overseas. "For the price of one I.V.F. cycle in the U.S.A. the patient can come...

Beyond Cheap Labor: Lessons for Developing Economies

Diana Farrell December 21, 2004
The specter of China and it's massive fleet of low-cost laborers haunts developing economies worldwide. However, for middle-income countries, focusing on cheap labor is not the answer for sustained economic growth, according to The McKinsey Quarterly. Using Mexico as a basis for discussion, this report offers alternative strategies for successful competition. More effective routes to...

Bush Needs Decisive Change of Course

Fred Bergsten December 14, 2004
As US account deficits deepen and global oil prices escalate, President George W. Bush will face some serious challenges in his second term. According to economist Frank Bergsten, neither the US nor world economies can afford an extension of Washington's economic and energy policy status quo. A combination of strong domestic fiscal action - deficit reduction to enhance savings - and...

South America Seeks to Fill the World's Table

Larry Rohter December 12, 2004
Though the United States remains the world's largest exporter of agricultural goods, it faces a stern challenge from Brazil. Agriculture has boomed in Brazil in recent years thanks to market-friendly economic policies and increasingly sophisticated methods of cultivation. Many Brazilian farmers have settled what has been termed Brazil's "untapped frontier" – its vast tracts of...

Latin America's family remittances -- heading south?

Andres Oppenheimer December 10, 2004
Every year, more than $30 billion in family remittances flows from the United States to Latin America. This money encourages economic growth, and many countries actually get more in remittances than from foreign investment. In addition, this money goes to those who need it most, helping to lift people out of poverty. However, a recent Columbia University study warns these countries against...

Bush Backs US Tariffs on Shrimp

Martin Crutsinger December 2, 2004
In a victory for beleaguered US shrimp producers, the Bush administration yesterday upheld the penalty tariffs imposed on Chinese and Vietnamese shrimp imports. The ruling came in a case brought by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, which says that artificially low prices from foreign importers have almost ruined the US shrimp industry. But foreign shrimp producers say the US needs imports to meet...