In The News

China Expresses Anger at G7 Statement on East, South China Seas

April 12, 2016
G7 foreign ministers issued a joint statement calling on countries to avoid “intimidating, coercive or provocative unilateral actions" in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. The statement also asks countries to refrain from land reclamation activities. The statement did not mention China by name, but the country has engaged in heavy construction to expand islands and patrols areas...

Yemen Conflict: Clashes Rattle Shaky Truce

April 11, 2016
A UN ceasefire is holding in Yemen as parties plan peace talks to end the 13-month civil war that has displaced more than 2 million. Yemen has a population of 27 million. “More than 6,000 people have been killed since a Saudi-led coalition began a military campaign to defeat the rebels and restore the exiled government,” reports the BBC News. “”The UN says most of those killed have been civilians...

Going Global? Study Tata Steel First

Rajrishi Singhal April 8, 2016
Tata Steel is among a number of Indian firms selling foreign assets to repay debt or discontinue less profitable ventures, and the trends may signal India’s troubles with globalization, suggests Rajrishi Singhal. “Economic reforms and competitive pressures forced many Indian companies to expand operations overseas through acquisitions with either (or a combination) of three objectives in mind –...

Natural Capital: What Is the True Cost of Food?

Anna Behrend April 8, 2016
Food prices may not reflect the full costs to the environment, including pesticides during the growing phase or wastewater after processing. The loss of clean water, fertile soil and other features of nature can exacerbate droughts, food shortages and wildfires. Trucost is using mathematical models and “attempting to identify the value lost when companies destroy or pollute the environment,”...

US Adds China’s Internet Controls to List of Trade Barriers

Paul Mozur April 8, 2016
The internet represents 6 percent of the US GDP, contributing to economic growth and jobs, more so than the construction or food-service sectors, reports a 2015 study for the Internet Association. Previous studies by McKinsey Global Institute suggest that most economic benefit, 75 percent, goes to companies in traditional industries. Such is the rationale for the Obama administration to add China...

Globalization’s Toll: Tata Steel’s Expansion Dream

Dilip Hiro April 7, 2016
Executives in the mining and steel industries miscalculated by expecting rapid growth to continue in China. China's leaders instead shifted the direction of their economy to rely less on manufacturing and more on services. Slowed growth led to a downturn in demand for commodities like iron ore and coal along with overcapacity in the steel industry. That increased China's exports,...

Down, But Certainly Not Out

Nayan Chanda April 6, 2016
The United States is gradually lifting restrictions on trade with Cuba and abandoning the lingering hostility after the end of the Cold War. Cubans, after enduring decades of a controlled economy and hardship, have pent-up demand and look forward to diverse products and business opportunities associated with trade. Nayan Chanda, founding editor of YaleGlobal, reports his observations during a...