International trade and commerce Books

Book SynopsisThis book focuses on U.S. trade building with developing countries; a heterogeneous group of low and middle-income countries that have become an increasingly significant factor in U.S. trade flows and trade policy over the last two or more decades. The growth of developing countries'' economies and foreign trade presents the United States with opportunities and challenges. The imports from many developing economies provide U.S. consumers with an ever widening range of choices of products at lower prices, raising real incomes and contributing to a higher U.S. standard of living. A number of the developing countries have also become robust markets for U.S. exports because of rapid economic growth and trade liberalisation. This book describes trade with developing countries, which also raises a set of virtually unique issues regarding labour rights, environment protection and intellectual property rights that have become fixtures on the U.S. trade agenda. This book also describes trade capacity building and discusses the history of Trade Capacity Building (TCB)in foreign assistance. There is also a discussion of legislation affecting TCB, including appropriations and legislative restrictions on foreign assistance.

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Book SynopsisA major issue on the agenda of the ongoing Doha Round of multilateral negotiations by members of the World Trade Organization concerns how and to what extent policies that affect agricultural trade should be liberalised. This book reviews the current status of agricultural negotiations for domestic support, market access, and export subsidies, and their potential implications for U.S. agriculture. This book gives a more complete presentation of the numerical results as well as additional explanation concerning their interpretation.

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Book SynopsisSeveral emerging market economies have experienced large and persistent trade deficits following the liberalisation reforms of the late 80s and early 90s. The Argentine experience has endorsed the extent to which trade imbalances in the 1990s resulted from income and relative price movements were associated with structural changes from shifts in foreign trade elasticity during the reforms period. One of the studies on Latin American trade issues emphasises that openness involves more than just trade liberalisation. The increasing importance of international capital flows and especially foreign direct investment (FDI) seems to be another relevant component of outward oriented policies. This book will encompass these matters and bring light to the trade relations current status.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents and discusses the economic and trade relations between the United States, Canada and Mexico. Topics discussed include Canada-U.S. relations; the United States-Canada trade and economic relationship; NAFTA and the future of commercial trucking across the Mexican border and the Cuban migration to the United States.

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Book SynopsisU.S. exporters are hitting their stride in the global economy, with record exports making an increasingly important contribution to overall U.S. economic growth. The prospects for U.S. exports are better than any time in recent memory across sectors and for U.S. companies large and small, due to the rapid growth of foreign markets and favourable terms of trade. The services sector continues to make an outsized contribution to growth in exports and improvements in the trade balance. American firms are maintaining their innovative and competitive edge in the world while developing their own new culture of exporting. This book explores the U.S. export strategy as it now relates to not only local Main Street USA, but the access to the new global Main Street.

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Book SynopsisIn the last few years, the U.S. has considered bilateral and regional free trade areas (FTAs) with a number of trading partners. FTAs could raise some important policy issues if the 111th Congress considers implementing legislation as it monitors ongoing negotiations as part of its oversight responsibilities. This book examines the complex issues of trade policy in a rapidly changing economic landscape, the issues that the 111th Congress faces in the political and economic context in which these issues are being debated, and the future form and role of trade policy.

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Book SynopsisAlthough the United States has complied with adverse rulings in many past World Trade Organization (WTO) disputes, there are currently 10 cases in which rulings have not yet been implemented or the United States has taken action and the dispute has not been fully resolved. Under WTO dispute settlement rules, a WTO Member will generally be given a reasonable period of time to comply with an adverse WTO decision. While the Member is expected to remove the offending measure by the end of this period, compensation and temporary retaliation are available if the Member has not acted or taken sufficient action by this time. This book provides an overview of WTO dispute settlement procedures, focusing on the compliance phase of the process, followed by a discussion of U.S. laws relating to WTO dispute proceedings; and then lists pending WTO disputes in the compliance phase with a discussion of major issues and the U.S. compliance history in each.

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Book SynopsisThe United States has a long history of employing various types of trade incentives to encourage specific trade activities. Motivated by commercial, political, and security interests at times, the U.S. Congress has created multiple unilateral trade preference programs that promote developing-country exports, but are often structured so as to limit the negative economic effects on U.S. producers and workers. Over time, bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade agreements have come to eclipse the importance of many preference arrangements, a trend that a review of these developments will show has been particularly visible in the Caribbean Basin. This book reviews unilateral preference programs for the Caribbean, and discusses how they have been affected by free trade agreements (FTAs) in the region.

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Book SynopsisThe Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a proposed regional free trade agreement (FTA) currently under negotiation between Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam. The negotiating partners have expressed an interest in allowing this proposed "living agreement" to cover new trade topics and to include new members that are willing to adopt the proposed agreement''s high standards. This book provides a comparative economic analysis of the (TPP) countries and their economic relations with the United States. It suggests that the TPP negotiating partners encompass great diversity in population, economic development, and trade and investment patterns with the United States. This economic diversity and inclusion of fast-growing emerging markets presents both opportunities and challenges for the United States in achieving a comprehensive and high standard regional FTA among TPP countries.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an overview of the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) which covers a wide range of bilateral economic activities, including trade in manufactured goods, agricultural products and services; foreign investment; government procurement; intellectual property rights; and worker rights and environmental protection. The United States and South Korea entered into the KORUS FTA as a means to further solidify an already strong economic relationship by reducing barriers to trade and investment between them and to resolve long-standing troublesome economic issues. The United States specifically sought increased access to South Korean markets for agricultural products, services, and foreign investment. For South Korean leaders, the KORUS FTA is a mechanism to promote reform in its own economy and also to gain a competitive advantage in the U.S. markets for autos and other manufactured goods.

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Book SynopsisOn 5 August 2004, the United States entered into the Dominican Republic-Central American-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). Congress passed the implementing bill on July 28th, 2005, and CAFTA-DR entered into force with El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, thereafter. This permanent, comprehensive, and reciprocal trade agreement eliminates tariff and non-tariff barriers to two-way trade, building on unilateral trade preferences begun under the 1983 Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). It enhances rules and other standards for services, intellectual property rights, government procurements, investment, and other disciplines. It also reinforces Congress''s historical support for trade as a foundation of broader foreign economic, political, and security policies in the region. This book provides an analysis of the trade and investment trends since CAFTA-DR entered into being.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an overview of the concerns of U.S. companies, farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers, who increasingly encounter non-tariff trade barriers in the form of product standards, testing requirements, and other technical requirements as they seek to sell products and services around the world. As tariff barriers to industrial and agricultural trade have fallen, standards-related measures of this kind have emerged as a key concern. Governments, market participants, and other entities can use standards-related measures as an effective and efficient means of achieving legitimate commercial and policy objectives. But when standards-related measures are outdated, overly burdensome, discriminatory, or otherwise inappropriate, these measures can reduce competition, stifle innovation, and create unnecessary technical barriers to trade.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an overview of the National Export Strategy and U.S. government agencies that are involved in export promotion. The National Export Initiative (NEI)lays out ambitious new plans of the Federal Government, including partnering with metropolitan areas and improving outreach and service delivery to small businesses. It also examines the targeting of infrastructure projects and global markets in such regions as Asia and Africa, and the support for the work of SelectUSA to attract and retain more investment and the new Interagency Trade Enforcement Center to identify and address unfair trade practices. Thanks to America''s strong reputation for innovation, quality, and safety, U.S. goods and services remain the gold standard. For its part, the Federal Government is committed to helping U.S. businesses build things here and sell them everywhere, with the NEI complementing other Administration initiatives on advanced manufacturing, innovation, and protection of intellectual property.

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Book SynopsisThe origin of the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers program can be traced back to a 2000 Department of Labor report recommending that a separate program be enacted "to assist agricultural producers and workers affected adversely by imports" if the objective is to assist them to remain in their current occupations. The report described the existing trade adjustment assistance (TAA) programs that provided (1) limited technical assistance to help business firms (including some that produced agricultural and food products) regain economic competitiveness or to shift into producing other goods, and (2) training assistance to workers (including those employed by some agricultural firms) to facilitate their transition into other occupations. It noted that the provision of direct financial assistance (such as income supplements) to farmers, or efforts to financially enable them to continue producing the commodity adversely affected by imports rather than help them adjust to employment in other sectors, would be inconsistent with the objectives of the then-existing TAA programs. Observers stated that farmers and ranchers typically did not qualify for the TAA workers program because they were self-employed (and thus rarely were eligible for unemployment benefits) and were less likely to want to be retrained for a new occupation (particularly if earning income from producing other crops or from non-farm sources). This book examines the TAA programs elements and effectiveness.

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Book SynopsisThe United States has been the world''s largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) since 2006. Every day, foreign companies establish new operations in the United States or provide additional capital to established businesses. With the world''s largest consumer market, skilled and productive workers, a highly innovative environment, appropriate legal protections, a predictable regulatory environment, and a growing energy sector, the United States offers an attractive investment climate for firms across the globe. This book focuses on the foreign direct investment in the United States. It provides an economic analysis of foreign direct investment in the United States, discusses federal statutory restrictions, analyses economic considerations on foreign investment and national security, and finally, focuses on the committee on foreign investment in the United States.

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Book SynopsisFrom automobiles, electronics, and plastics, to software development or clothing, many goods and services today are provided via global supply chains. Instead of carrying out everything from research and development (R&D) to delivery and retail within a single country, many industries are dividing this process into stages or tasks (or "fragments") that are then undertaken in many countries. Global supply chains have spread widely across both industries and countries. The global restructuring of production has led to faster growth in trade, new patterns of trade, and new benefits from trade. This book examines the evolution, and the effect of global supply chains on the U.S. The book also describes how U.S. manufacturers in the 21st century are taking advantage of services in new and innovative ways to manage global supply chains, cut costs, improve efficiency, and strengthen customer relationships.

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Book SynopsisThis book discusses developments in the United States'' exports and imports of professional services, with a focus on education, healthcare, and legal services. The United States continues to be a world leader in professional services, which generated a cross-border trade surplus of nearly $50 billion in 2011. The expansion of professional services trade in recent years has been driven by a number of factors. Globalisation, including businesses setting up operations in foreign markets, has created trade opportunities for diverse professional services providers, such as legal and management consulting professionals. This book focuses on United States trend reports from 2012 and 2013.

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Book SynopsisThe European Union (EU) is a political and economic partnership, built through a series of binding treaties, that represents a unique form of co-operation among sovereign countries. The EU is composed of 28 member states, including most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and has helped to promote peace, stability, and economic prosperity throughout the European continent. The United States and the EU have a dynamic political partnership and share a huge trade and investment relationship. This book catalogues trade-related barriers that U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) perceive as disproportionately affecting their exports to the European Union (EU) relative to large exporters to the EU. This book also serves as a primer on the EU and provides a brief description of U.S.-EU relations that may be of interest to Congress.

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Book SynopsisHigh-frequency trading (HFT) is a broad term without a precise legal or regulatory definition. It is used to describe what many characterise as a subset of algorithmic trading that involves very rapid placement of orders, in the realm of tiny fractions of a second. This book provides an overview of HFT in the equities and derivatives markets regulated by the SEC and the CFTC. It also examines the Flash Crash of 2010 and the role that HFT may have played, as well as recent regulatory developments.

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Book SynopsisTrade capacity building (TCB) is a form of development assistance provided by the United States and other countries to help developing countries participate in and benefit from global trade. Congress and the executive branch have identified TCB assistance as an important tool for U.S. trade and development policy based on evidence of the effectiveness of trade in reducing poverty and generating economic development and growth. From 2005 to 2010, 24 U.S. agencies provided more than $9 billion in trade capacity building assistance to help more than 100 countries reduce poverty, increase economic growth, and achieve stability through trade. This book discusses the extent to which U.S. Agency for International Development''s (USAID) 2003 strategy guides USAID''s TCB activities; and describes methods USAID uses to coordinate TCB efforts with other U.S. government agencies at home and abroad.

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Book SynopsisPartner countries of free trade agreements (FTA) that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) selected -- the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) and the FTAs with Colombia, Oman, and Peru -- have taken steps to implement labour provisions and other initiatives to strengthen labour rights. This book examines steps that selected partner countries have taken, and U.S. assistance they have received, to implement these provisions and other labour initiatives and the reported results of such steps; submissions regarding possible violations of FTA labour provisions that DOL has accepted and any problems related to the submission process; and the extent to which U.S. agencies monitor and enforce implementation of FTA labour provisions and report results to Congress.

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Book SynopsisFiscal policy is an important factor influencing the growth performance of countries. However, compared to the large empirical literature on the effects of monetary policy on economic activity, fiscal policy has received less attention. In this book, the authors present current research in the study of fiscal policy and the macroeconomy as well as the challenges of fiscal policy in the current global environment. The book brings a global perspective to the practice of fiscal policy by presenting case studies from the United States, the European Union, and the Caribbean. Topics discussed in the book include international dimensions of fiscal policy, public debt and the economy, austerity versus stimulus and economic growth, the correction of economic imbalances in Europe, the long term impact of fiscal devaluation, the cyclicality of fiscal policy, the appropriate debt ceilings for small states, lessons from the banking union framework in the Euro Area, fiscal policy and competitiveness, policy lessons from debt restructuring in Jamaica, estimating the structural fiscal balance in small islands and fiscal policy rules and fiscal performance.

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Book SynopsisTrade, particularly exports, is critical to the vitality of American agriculture. On average, foreign markets absorb about one-fifth of U.S. agricultural production, thus contributing significantly to the health of the farm economy. The positive economic effects of trade in farm products are felt well beyond the farm gate. Farm product exports make up about 10% of total U.S. exports and contribute positively to the U.S. balance of trade. The economic benefits of agricultural exports also extend across rural communities, while overseas farm sales help to buoy a wide array of industries linked to agriculture, including transportation, processing, and farm input suppliers. Moreover, most of the future growth in food demand is expected to occur in developing countries. This book discusses major agricultural trade issues in the 114th Congress, as well as provides the reader with a background and issues of agricultural exports and the 2014 Farm Bill programs. It concludes with alternative policies to agricultural export taxes that are less market distorting.

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Book SynopsisThe Evaluation of the Impact of Natural Monopolies on the National Economy and Competitiveness provides an original approach and develops an original model for analyzing and evaluating the impact of energy market liberalization on competitiveness of Lithuania. The main scientific objective of this monograph is to develop a model for the assessment of impact of natural monopolies on competitiveness and apply this model in the energy sector. It is the hope of the author to define the best measures for mitigating negative impacts of monopolies in the energy sector. The structure of the monograph is determined by its objectives and consists of four chapters. Chapter One is dedicated to setting the theoretical background and explain the relationship between natural monopolies and countries'' competitiveness, analyzing concept, features of natural monopolies and reasons for their regulation, as well as its relation to economic subjects in the country. Chapter Two presents the broad review of the Lithuanian energy sector and natural monopolies in electricity, natural gas and district heat sectors; it discusses their liberalization processes and stages of market opening. Chapter Three analyses and systematizes results of studies dealing with the impacts of the energy market opening on energy prices and competiveness. Chapter Four presents the model for multi-criteria assessments of the impact of energy market liberalization on competitiveness of Lithuania and its empirical testing on the Lithuanian power sector.

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Book SynopsisFrom the early 1980s, China entered into an age of rural-urban migration. Millions of farmers have flooded into cities and towns for work and significantly reshaped the character of Chinese society. This book is the first to examine the social exclusion of rural migrant workers from the perspective of institutionalism. It integrates several disciplinary areas institutionalism, international business and HRM in one study through combining both the process and variance approaches. It contributes to the literature of institutionalism and institutional analysis, as well as the scarce research on the strategic responses of MNEs to the institutional characteristics of host countries at the subsidiary level. The findings of this study have implications for HRM research, workforce diversity management, MNEs'' legitimacy management and the improvement of employment governance in China.

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Book SynopsisAccording to Department of Energy (DOE) and industry expectations, in the next few years the United States is expected to change from a net importer of natural gas to a net exporter, with those exports destined for different regions of the world, especially Asia. More than 30 companies have received approval from DOE for large-scale exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) -- natural gas cooled for transportation -- beginning in 2015 or 2016 via specialized LNG carriers. Congress is considering whether to propose legislative language that would require U.S. LNG be exported via U.S.-built-and-flagged carriers with the goal of supporting U.S. shipbuilders and mariners. This book discusses DOE and industry expectations for the market for U.S. LNG exports and how the proposed requirement could affect jobs in the U.S. maritime industry and the broader U.S. economy.

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Book SynopsisThe book provides a comprehensive approach to the assessment of the nature of exporting activity, combining well-established theoretical reasoning with empirical evidence, and also signalling important economic policy recommendations. It is suitable for a wide range of recipients, ranging from scholars and students, to policy-makers or local/regional authorities engaged in the process of designing/implementing regional policies. Regional authorities show more interest in export potential because globalisation makes the regional economies more open and vulnerable to external economic shocks. The international trade channel has become an important factor influencing the region’s economic performance, including dynamics and volatility of economic growth as well as labour market performance. Due to economic transition and the accession to the EU, Poland’s regions have become more open than ever. For regions of both Poland and Spain (an EU country similar to Poland in terms of size and the number of administrative units), being part of the EU’s internal market with a free circulation of goods and capital – exerts competitive pressure, which can be regarded a stress test showing the regional adaptive capacity and competitiveness. Apart from the in-depth review of the regional export activity of Poland and Spain, the book also provides similar insights for Canada and Australia, in terms of their regional export performance and trade policy. About authors: Stanisław Umiński (PhD), professor at the University of Gdansk, Department of International Economics and Economic Development. Co-founder and vice-president of the Institute of Development. BI consultant, ABSL, Poland. Participant and head of research projects on FDI, foreign trade and regional development, carried on for instance for European Commission, National Bank of Poland, Ministry of Regional Development, National Science Centre. Author and co-author of publications in the fields of FDI, competitiveness, the foreign trade of regions and special economic zones. Jarosław M. Nazarczuk (PhD), assistant professor at the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. Participant of research projects concerning: operation of special economic zones, regional export activity, the role of institutions in firms’ location decisions, economic development of selected regions, evaluation of regional operational programmes, high-tech clusters, regional marketing, financed from National Science Centre or carried for regional marshals’ offices and other public entities. Author and co-author of publications on SEZs, regional export performance, FDI, smart specialisation, location determinants, public aid effectiveness.

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Book SynopsisIn Exchange-Traded Funds and the New Dynamics of Investing, Ananth Madhavan examines the quiet transformation of asset management through the rise of passive or index investing. A closely-related phenomenon is the rise of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). An ETF is an investment vehicle that trades intraday and seeks to replicate the performance of a specific index. ETFs have grown substantially in size, diversity, and market significance in recent years. These trends have generated considerable interest, especially from retail and institutional investors and increasingly from academics, regulators and the press. ETFs have the power to be a disruptive innovation to today''s asset management industry because many traditional active managers and hedge funds deliver a significant fraction of their active returns via static exposures to factors like value. Indeed, for the first time ever, assets in global ETFs exceeded $3 trillion in 2015, passing the amount in hedge funds.Trade Review"Exchange-Traded Funds and the New Dynamics of Investing is an essential reference and a thought-provoking commentary for professional investors in all asset classes. Readers will be able to incorporate what they learn from reading the book into immediate practice, either through modeling and backtesting or through actual active investing using passive instruments." -- Financial Analysts Journal "Ananth Madhavan delivers a clear, accessible, and authoritative exposition of modern investment theory and the role of exchange-traded funds. His treatment integrates the perspectives of investors, investment managers, ETF producers, ETF arbitrageurs and regulators in a unified framework. The analysis draws on well-founded principles of financial economics, but also the real world experience and insights of a seasoned practitioner. Investment professionals, academics, and regulators will find here a thorough reference and guide to the active use of passive strategies and the exchange-traded fund universe." -- Joel Hasbrouck, Kenneth G. Langone Professor of Business Administration and Professor of Finance, Stern School of Business, New York University "ETFs are the fastest growing segment of the mutual fund industry. Madhavan's comprehensive and accessible book delivers a structured framework for understanding the ETF market, with a perfect balance of academic rigor and practical value. This book is an essential guide to one of the most important investment vehicles in today's markets, and will be a valuable resource to academics, individual investors, and the most sophisticated institutional investors." -- Donald B. Keim, John B. Neff Professor of Finance, and Director, Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research, The Wharton School, University of PennsylvaniaTable of Contents1. The Current Landscape 2. Structure and Mechanics 3. Price Dynamics and Arbitrage 4. Valuation 5. Performance and Benchmark Tracking 6. Liquidity and Transaction Costs 7. Uses of ETFs 8. Fixed Income 9. Commodities 10. Foreign Currency 11. Investing in Volatility 12. Alternatives and Multi-Asset Strategies 13. Active Strategies 14. Smart Beta and Factor Investing 15. Flows 16. Leveraged and Inverse Products 17. Systemic Risk 18. Public Policy Issues 19. Future Opportunities

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Book SynopsisThe Silk Road was the current name for a complex of ancient trade routes linking East Asia with Central Asia, South Asia, and the Mediterranean world. This network of exchange emerged along the borders between agricultural China and the steppe nomads during the Han Dynasty (206BCE-220CE), in consequence of the inter-dependence and the conflicts of these two distinctive societies. In their quest for horses, fragrances, and spices, gems, glassware, and other exotics from the lands to their west, the Han Empire extended its dominion over the oases around the Takla Makan Desert and sent silk all the way to the Mediterranean, either through the land routes leading to the caravan city of Palmyra in Syria desert, or by way of northwest India, the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, landing at Alexandria. The Silk Road survived the turmoil of the demise of the Han and Roman Empires, reached its golden age during the early middle age, when the Byzantine Empire and the Tang Empire became centers of silk culture and established the models for high culture of the Eurasian world. The coming of Islam extended silk culture to an even larger area and paved the way for an expanded market for textiles and other commodities. By the 11th century, however, the Silk Road was in decline because of intense competition from the sea routes of the Indian Ocean. Using demand and supply as the framework for analyzing the formation and development of the Silk Road, the book examines the dynamics of the interactions of the nomadic pastoralists with sedentary agriculturalists, and the spread of new ideas, religions, and values into the world of commerce, thus illustrating the cultural forces underlying material transactions. This effort at tracing the interconnections of the diverse participants in the transcontinental Silk Road exchange will demonstrate that the world had been linked through economic and ideological forces long before the modern era.Trade ReviewA welcome addition to the New Oxford World History series...Any general reader interested in silk or textiles will enjoy this book, but so too will one who is captivated by any other aspect of the Silk Road, for it provides a quick but fascinating historical narrative. As a textbook for a world history class, its appeal lies not only in the romance of the Silk Road but also in its use of material culture to write world history by connecting economic and political activities with the religious values of various traditions. * Journal of Asian Studies *A carefully constructed narrative and analysis...This is an excellent text that will be useful for orientating students and introducing them to the sources and interpretive problems of ancient and medieval Central Asian history. * World History Bulletin *Table of ContentsChapter 1: China looks west ; Chapter 2: Rome looks east ; Chapter 3: The Kushan Empire and the Silk Road ; Chapter 4: The golden age: The Byzantine Empire (310-1453 CE) and Tang China (618-906 CE) ; Chapter 5: The coming of Islam ; Chapter 6: Religions, languages, and artistic styles of the Silk Road

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisHe argues that, contrary to previous scholarly opinion, nearly half of the Portuguese-Asian trade was controlled by New Christians-descendants of Iberian Jews forcibly converted to Christianity in the 1490s.Trade ReviewIn a superbly researched work, rich in provocative and revisionist interpretations, whose sources, ideas, and references will be mined by many scholars, Boyajian adopts a comparative approach to study Portuguese commercial links to Asia, reassess crown involvement in trade vis a vis private participation, place the Cape trade within the context of global trade, and throw new light on Portuguese merchant families. Canadian Journal of History Concentrates on the flourishing Portuguese private trade with Asia during the period of Spanish rule... A new turn in the historiography of European expansion. English Historical Review Portuguese Trade in Asia under the Habsburgs illuminates complex trade and social networks within an emerging global system. It is essential reading for those concerned with the interplay of state goals and private enterprise, as well as the influence of the Inquisition on global trade in the early modern era. -- Joan Meznar Renaissance Quarterly 2008Table of ContentsList of TablesPrefaceA Note on Spelling, Usage, and CurrencyIntroduction: Portugal's Asian Enterprise to 1580Chapter 1. The "Prudent" King as Merchant-King, 1580-1598Chapter 2. The Private Trade of the Carreira da Índia, 1580-1598Chapter 3. A Complex Relationship: Carreira and Casado Trade, 1580-1598Chapter 4. The Royal Monopoly and the Advent of European Competition on the Cape Route, 1599-1619Chapter 5. Private and Company TradeChapter 6. The Zenith of the Carreira Trade, 1599-1619Chapter 7. The Struggle for Asian Trade, 1599-1619Chapter 8. Trade, Inquisition, and Economic Growth and Stagnation in PortugalChapter 9. War and Experimentation with the Cape Monopoly, 1620-1640Chapter 10. Crisis of the Carreira da Índia, 1620-1640Chapter 11. Private Trade in Asia: New Pressures, New Alternatives, 1620-1640Conclusion: Portugal's Asian Enterprise in 1640AppendixAbbreviationsNotesGlossaryBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe days of rapid economic growth in China are over. Mounting debt and rising internal distortions mean that rebalancing is inevitable. Beijing has no choice but to take significant steps to restructure its economy. The only question is how to proceed. Michael Pettis debunks the lingering bullish expectations for China's economic rise and details Beijing's options. Beijing must increase household income and reduce its reliance on investment to avoid a fall.

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Book SynopsisThe extraordinary tale of the wildfire spread of a drink which is embedded in our history and our daily cultural life – and which provides a compelling allegory for corporate greed, mercantile ruthlessness and global expansion. Arguably the most valuable legally traded commodity in the world after oil, coffee's dark five-hundred year history links alchemy and anthropology, poetry and politics, and science and slavery. Revolutions have been hatched in coffee houses, secret socities and commercial alliances formed, and politics and art endlessly debated. With over a hundred million people looking to it for their livelihood, the coffee industry is now the world's largest employer and the financial lifeblood of many third-world countries (or the blood with which they feed the global capitalist vampire, depending on your point of view). But with world prices at a historic low, the future looks uncertain. In this thought-provoking exposé, Antony Wild, coffee trader and historian, explores coffee's dismal colonial past and its perilous corporate present, revealing the shocking exploitation at the heart of the industry. To many people, coffee has become largely just another commodity. Black Gold restores our faith in the mystery of this unique beverage.Trade Review'an aromatic blend of colonial history and globalisation criticism' Ecologist 'an impressive mix of historical overview and contemporary analysis' Time Out 'Perfect ammo for destroying your Starbucks-guzzling workmates' Arena ‘an elegantly written, witty book, so wide in scope, so rich in detail, so thought-provoking in the subtle way that it develops its central thesis, that it is a challenge to do justice to it’ Joanna Blythman ‘This adrenalised swipe through the story of the mightiest of elixirs is written by a genius with all the economic facts and figures at his fingertips’ Good Book Guide ‘full of fascinating anecdotal detail about our favourite stimulant’ Geographical

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Book SynopsisWe are constantly being told that globalisation is good for the economy and good for us, but it’s actually the opposite, argues bestselling author Jeff Rubin in this provocative, timely book. In the pre-coronavirus world, governments and economists bragged that GDP was growing and unemployment was down. But even then, real wages had been stagnant for decades, union membership had collapsed, and full-time employment no longer guaranteed you could pay the bills. When we emerge from the virus, it would be nice to think that living in a country that’s getting richer means that you’re getting richer too, but that’s not the way it works anymore. Falling tariffs, low interest rates, global deregulation, and tax policies that benefit only the rich have all had the same effect: the erosion of the ‘expendable’ middle class. The result, growing global inequality, is a problem of our own making. And solving it won’t be easy if we draw on the same ideas about capital and labour, right and left, that led us to this cliff. Articulating a vision that, remarkably, dovetails with the ideas of both Naomi Klein and Donald Trump, The Expendables is an exhilaratingly fresh perspective that is at once humane and irascible, fearless and rigorous. Trade Review‘A forensic study of globalisation … rigorous.’ -- David Kernek * Irish Examiner *‘[A] snappily written work.’ -- Fiona Capp * The Age *‘Rubin … leverages his firm grasp of geopolitics and economics to offer not only a primer on macroeconomics, but also on how globalisation — that is, the process of opening up international markets — has routed the middle class and propped up the elite.’ * Winnipeg Free Press *‘The latest from the author of Why Your World Is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller continues his disruptive ways in this analysis of how the collapse of union membership and the near obsolescence of full-time employment is squeezing out the middle class … [Rubin] is a fiercely independent thinker.’ * NOW *Praise for Why Your World Is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller: ‘Rubin’s argument is powerful.’ —Newsweek ‘One of the year’s best.’—Financial TimesPraise for The Big Flatline: ‘[Rubin] states unequivocally that the reason economists and politicians have failed to reverse the current recession is that they are relying on outmoded world views … Clearly written and smartly argued.’ * Kirkus Reviews *Praise for The Carbon Bubble: ‘Jeff Rubin at his finest. Thought-provoking. Meticulously researched. Intelligent without pretension. I highly, highly recommend it!’ -- Michael Hlinka * CBC Radio *

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Book SynopsisThis book explains the definition, concepts, practices and procedures of Free Zone operations; how they are created, how they operate, and their benefits to the global and national economy.Readers will be able to understand why Free Zones exist, their role in the development and maintenance of international trade, and how they contribute to national and global economic development and wellbeing, especially in developing nations. The author explains the processes in the establishment of Free Zones, and how government legislation and initiatives assist in this process. The book comprehensively but accessibly covers the topics of Freeports, Free Zones, Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and Special Economoic Zones (SEZs), as well as issues such as Customs requirements, Free Zone law and government initiatives, including the new UK Freeport initiative. It analyses the role of such Zones in global economic development and considers the challenges and issues related to Free Zone develoTable of ContentsPart 1 1. Introduction and Background 2. Free Zone History and Overview 3. Overall Definition and Purpose 4. Fiscal and Legal Status 5. Specific Zone Definitions, Location and Comparisons 6. Customs Clearance 7. Rules of Origin and Freeports 8. Business Clustering and Economic Development 9. Tax Incentives, Duty Deferral Savings and the Supply Chain 10. Financial and Service Free Zones 11. WEPZA 12. Free Zone Security and Risk 13. The Political Perspective 14. Sustainability and the Future 15. Challenges and Secrets to Success 16. The UK Perspective 17. Conclusions Part 2: Specific Global Free Zone Examples 1. North America 2. Latin America 3. Middle East and North America (MENA) 4. European Union 5. Russia 6. Asean (South-East Asia) 7. China 8. UK Freeport Initiatives Appendix 1. UK Free Zones: Proposed Guidelines Appendix 2. UK Freeport Operations Applicant Questionnaire

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