A readily measurable aspect of globalization is the increasing exchange of capital, products and services across national boundaries, spurred by expanded use of container shipping and other technological improvements as well as falling barrier. The interdependence is most apparent with global supply chains, as manufactured goods like vehicles and electronics are assembled with components produced around the world, and it’s increasingly rare for any country to be the sole source of any one complex product. Countries aim to increase exports but worry about too many imports and trade imbalances, even as their consumers pursue low prices. Disagreements on subsidies, tariffs, quotas or unfair practices are debated by the World Trade Organization.

The Creative Evolution of World Trade

In groundbreaking move, WTO dispute panel opens to public
Susan Esserman
August 23, 2005

A Trade Fiction

What if the Doha Round were a smashing success?
Ernesto Zedillo
September 8, 2005

Mugabe Sells Bankrupt Zimbabwe's Assets to China

Do the new Sino-Zimbabwean trade ties constitute "colonial extraction?"
Rochelle Mutton
August 1, 2005

Free Trade and Poverty

As China's example shows, Latin America needs more, not less, globalization to reduce poverty
Joachim Bamrud
August 3, 2005

Is Iraq War Fueling GCC's Economic Boom?

The "Iraqi factor" does not fully account for rising oil prices, writes Emilie Rutledge
Emilie Rutledge
August 12, 2005