Multinationals are increasingly taking internationalised approaches to the ways in which they generate new knowledge and develop innovative new products from it in the pursuit of global competitiveness. These new perspectives in MNEs' technological behaviour open up important additional possibilities for those countries that play host to operations of these companies. This book analyses in detail the new dimensions in MNEs' approach to global competitiveness and the role played in this by overseas R & D units, and discusses the implications of this for host countries' growth and welfare.

The Political Economy of Trade Policy: Theory, Evidence and Applications is a collection of sole-authored and co-authored papers by Devashish Mitra that have been published in various scholarly journals over the last two decades. It covers diverse topics in the political economy of trade policy, ranging from the role of modeling lobby formation in the context of trade policy determination to its applications to the question of unilateralism versus reciprocity and trade agreements. It also includes the theory and the empirics of the choice of policy instruments. Finally, the book presents the empirical investigation of the Grossman-Helpman "Protection for Sale" model as well as the Mayer "Median-Voter" model of trade policy determination.

The rapid development of Asian countries has met with mixed reactions among economists. Most economists understand that a genuine development is underway; but, since the process has been a complex one, each has been able to apply favorite explanations to the situation. In Eastern Asia, regional interdependence has been important to developing countries. This work discusses the interaction between the regional economies through trade and foreign direct investment, relating interaction to economic growth and development.

An Inside View of the CAP Reform Process is about EU decision-making, in particular for the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). From its formation in the 1960s through to 1992 the CAP was almost immune to change; but from 1992 a series of major reforms took place. Many authors have asked why and how this change came about, including academics writing from political economy and political science traditions, and EU officials themselves. With the benefit of Arlindo Cunha's intimate insider's knowledge, this book delves into the mysteries of the policy making process by assessing the MacSharry, Agenda 2000, and Fischler reforms, explaining how, and why, CAP reform became part of the political agenda, and the decisions that were taken. It focuses in particular on the role of the Commission and the Commissioner for Agriculture, the Council of Ministers and its Presidency, and the European Parliament. Drawing upon the economics and political science literatures as appropriate, the book adopts a heuristic political economy approach.
The MacSharry reform was much influenced by the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations, and the 2003 Fischler reform by the Doha Round of WTO negotiations. A Delphi survey of key decision-makers, assessing their perception of the drivers of policy reform, and an analysis of subsequent CAP reform, including the Health Check in 2008 and preparations for the post-2013 CAP review, round-off the discussion. The former EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Franz Fischler, contributes a Foreword.

International Exchange in the Early Modern Book World presents new research on several aspects of the movement and exchange of books between countries, languages and confessions. It considers elements of the international book trade, the circulation and collection of texts, the practice of translation and the diffusion and exchange of technical and cultural knowledge. Commercial and logistical aspects of the early modern book trade are considered, as are the relationships between local markets and the internationally-minded firms which sought to meet their expectations. The barriers to the movement of books across borders - political, linguistic, confessional, cultural - are explored, as are the means by which these barriers were surmounted.

Asia and Oceania are close geographically, have complementary trade and investment opportunities, and have developed strong business relationships during recent decades. The rapid growth of Asia has provided huge two-way opportunities in trade and investment for businesses in these areas. In the coming decades, continued strong growth in East Asia is likely to be accompanied by even stronger growth in South Asia. Businesses in Oceania are generally better placed than those of Western Europe and North America to take early advantage of the burgeoning opportunities in Asia. Emerging Business and Trade Opportunities Between Oceania and Asia is a comprehensive reference that comprises research on the latest business ventures and developments that are being forged between countries that include Australia, China, and India. This book provides insight into general knowledge about the trade and investment policies and patterns of the two areas and specific knowledge about more targeted trade and investment opportunities. Covering a plethora of topics such as economic development, knowledge management, and start-ups across a wide range of industries that include tourism and hospitality, elderly care services, and information technology sectors, it is ideal for existing and new business entrepreneurs in Oceania and Asia; economic and political commentators; and researchers, academics, and students working in the fields of economics and business-oriented disciplines. Additionally, business professionals and financial investors can use the book to gain a deeper understanding of investment opportunities in areas such as health and tourism, and business consultants can utilize it to develop road maps for their clients of future business opportunities in what will continue to be the largest and most rapidly growing part of the world economy.

This book explores the role of cities in the trade liberalization process in the global economy and their efforts to enhance the competitiveness of cities. Cities have become the primary actors in the trade liberalization process, both in North America and Europe. It is their efforts to design strategic responses, to create city networks, to influence priorities for public expenditures, and to enhance their own competitiveness that are vital to the realization of the potential for increased efficiency and higher incomes which free-trade promises.

This work examines the impact of trade liberalization on the urban economy through case studies of urban areas along the U.S.-Canadian border, in the European Community, and in Scandinavia. The findings will be of interest to scholars in development economics and international trade and to practitioners and policy-makers involved in urban economic development.

International trade is now almost universally regarded as an important stimulus to growth and economic development, but while many aspects of international trade are regulated by international agreement, most nations retain some important specific trade policies for manufactured goods. In this work, the second volume of Greenwood's Handbook of Comparative Economic Policies, Dominick Salvatore presents an overview of national trade policies in the world's most important countries. As the only detailed comparative study of international trade policies, this volume will be an increasingly useful reference tool as international trade becomes more and more important in the years to come. The work brings together contributions on twenty-two different countries plus four chapters on overall trade policies and helps to shed light not only on each nation's specific trade policies but also on the effect of various policies on the growth of developed countries, the rate of economic development, and the progress of restructuring in the former centrally planned economies. The book is divided into six basic sections: the first provides an introduction to international trade policies and tariff and trade agreements, while the remaining five sections detail leading industrial countries, other industrial countries, Latin American nations, the countries of Asia and Africa, and the USSR, Poland, and China. Each chapter within these sections offers an easily accessible overview of trade policies as well as a list of references that identify the most important sources of additional information. This handbook will be an effective resource and reference tool for students of comparative economics and for economists and international policymakers.

This book covers diverse areas in which nanoscience and nanotechnology have led to significant technological advances and practical applications, with special emphasis on novel types of nanomaterials and their applicability into a new generation of nano- and micro-devices. Different nanomaterials are reviewed with a focus on several practical application areas and their commercial utilization. Production technologies of nanomaterials are presented as one of the challenges today. Sectors where nanotechnology has already significantly contributed are presented, along with specific nanotechnology solutions: energy related sectors, NEMS/MEMS, micro power generators, spintronics and healthcare. The basic properties and applications of nanostructured thermoelectric materials, ferroelectric and piezoelectric nanomaterials are reviewed. Examples of several developed thin-film thermogenerators are shown. A review of existing solutions and developing challenges are given regarding sustainable energy production, photovoltaics, solar cells, hydrogen economy and improved classes of batteries as contributions to green products and circular economy. Novel, highly promising areas in nanotechnology, are shown, such as voltage-driven nano-spintronics. Recent advances in friction characterisation at the nano level are described. Several proven nanomaterials have been reviewed pertaining to biomedicine. The use of nanomaterials in ophthalmology and cosmetic industry are reviewed, and the potential for silver nanoparticles and iron-based nanomaterials in biomedicine, also with recognised challenges and possible threats of non-controlled use of nanomaterials. This work is the result of joint efforts of different companies, academic, and research institutions participating in WIMB Tempus project, 543898-TEMPUS-1-2013-1-ES-TEMPUS-JPHES, "Development of Sustainable Interrelations between Education, Research and Innovation at WBC Universities in Nanotechnologies and Advanced Materials where Innovation Means Business", co-funded by the Tempus Programme of the European Union.

The past several years have brought economic, commercial, and investment revolution to China where a consumer society is beginning to emerge. By putting China's trade and economic relations into global and regional perspectives, US-China Trade examines how this phenomenon will affect trade with the United States. The contributors come from a wide range of scholarly and business fields, giving the book a unique combination of breadth and specificity. Among the issues covered are China's changing economic role; the legal environment surrounding investment; the problems and resource opportunities associated with doing business with China; and negotiation strategies. The volume also focuses on the practical business techniques, strategies, and practices peculiar to China, making it informative reading to scholars and students of China's trade relations and economic policies.

A Basic Guide to International Business Law is an introduction to those parts of European and international law that are relevant to business. Having read this book, students will come away with a broad understanding of the international rules of law within the EEC, institutional rules of the European Union, international contract law, rules of competition and the four freedoms within the EEC. The edition includes student friendly features, such as summaries of statements and references to relevant case law, making the book an ideal introduction for those on law and/or business programmes.

In the emerging post-Cold War new world order, the economics and politics of the oil industry will be quite different. New approaches and mechanisms are under way to deal with new challenges and old difficulties, such as environmental imperatives and the uncertainty of prices and availability. This edited volume provides an authoritative and comprehensive view of changing oil markets through informative discussions on global oil reserves, production and consumption trends, futures markets, refining, the political economy, and global environmental concerns. A very useful tool for researchers, scholars, and businesspeople in energy and environmental policy economics, political economics, economics of natural resources, and regional economics.

This book examines the role of mercantile networks in linking Asian economies to the global economy. It contains fourteen contributions on East, Southeast and South Asia covering the period from 1750 to the present.

This timely book examines the quiet revolution that is currently unfolding in Latin America and its likely consequences for U.S. trade and investment with and within that region. Receiving meager coverage by America's media, a virtual sea of change has taken place in Latin America during the past few years. Democratically elected leaders have labored to extricate their economies from the debt-laden stagnation of the lost decade by pursuing far-reaching stabilization and liberalization reform programs. Under President George Bush's proposed Enterprise Initiative for the Americas (EAI) and negotiations toward the formation of a North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) with Mexico, U.S. economic policy toward Latin America is now in the midst of a dramatic revision that seeks to rectify the neglect of the past and replace it with active encouragement of economic and political change. The authors investigate the forces behind the lost decade in Latin America, the adjustment efforts that have emerged in its wake, and the enhanced potential of Latin economies as trade partners and investment outlets under the EAI and NAFTA. They look at these developments in the light of regionalizing trends afoot in the global economy at large and argue that stronger ties with Latin America are essential to the future well-being of the United States.

After outlining the emergence of global economic regionalism and its likely impact upon the United States and Latin America, the authors trace the origins of the latter's lost decade to the debt crisis of the early 1980s, the inadequacy of past international strategies to manage it, and the adoption of strenuous adjustment programs by Latin nations to deal with both debt repayment and the legacy of misguided development approaches. They show how the EAI is meant to accelerate the movement toward reliance upon free-market forces in Latin America and how the United States is likely to benefit from closer economic ties with the countries of that region. A full account of NAFTA's proposed liberalization of trade between the United States and Mexico follows, as the authors investigate its origins, examine Mexico's adjustment record, and list the gains that both nations are likely to realize under a free-trade accord. They then look at two sets of Latin economies, the first of which is formed by Chile, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Colombia and the second comprised of Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. While the former are prepared for economic integration with the United States, major problems impair the ability of the latter to become full-fledged participants in an economic pact with the United States. The analysis presented in the book should be of substantial value to businessmen, students of world affairs, as well as those with a specific interest in U.S.-Latin relations.

The monograph Actors of Globalization portrays a group of New York businessmen engaged in global trade from 1784 to 1812. It follows their businesses around the world and shows how through wit, flexibility, and the help of a worldwide net of business partners the merchants were able to quickly rise to global entrepreneurs speculating on wars, food crises and slave revolts. The ramifications of their commerce were felt at home, where the merchants invested in land and city development, established new financial institutions and contributed to a rising consumer culture. This book brings together global and local history, arguing that private actors played an important role in the economic and social development of the young United States.

This work covers trade policy from 1923 to 1995 taking the history of American tariffs from the Prelude to Trade Wars to the present. It begins during the period of high tariffs and discusses the arguments for and against protectionism. Cordell Hull and the Reciprocal Trade Agreements of the 1930s are discussed along with the increase in trade revenue from these agreements. The major changes in trade policy including GATT, the European Community, and many more are discussed in the work. It is part of an on-going debate among economic historians over the supposed movement of the United States toward protectionism since the 1980s.

The Korea-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (KSFTA) is Korea's first comprehensive FTA involving any ASEAN member country and provides a framework for building a strong strategic and economic partnership between Korea and the ASEAN countries. It is therefore designed to be a building block in the process of community building efforts towards an East Asian Community in the long run as well as towards global free trade. This book analyses and documents the rationale behind the agreement and its impact on the economies of Korea and Singapore, underpinning the growing economic linkages between the two countries that have become stronger since the enforcement of the agreement.

This innovative book offers help to managers and firms as they deal with cross-cultural issues in their operations. As newly independent nations offer new market opportunities for international firms, cross-cultural issues are presenting new competitive problems. Increasingly, both new and experienced firms are encountering difficulties and often committing costly blunders as they attempt to deal with the cultural issues. In an insightful text that is both theoretical and practical, the author offers an interesting staffing and structural alternative to help firms regain and maintain their competitive edge.

An in-depth look at the cultural environment of the emerging global economy provides insight into the cultural-issue problems facing all businesses. While the problems are crucial for internationally operating business firms, domestically operating firms are also beginning to encounter critical cross-cultural problems. Maddox notes a number of costly blunders made by firms and analyzes the different reasons for these blunders. The critical role of the cultural integration function in organizations in dealing with these problems is explored, along with the inadequacy of continuing or merely increasing past efforts. A new organizational structure response is proposed as an alternative to the old way of dealing with the problem.

Economics and Politics of Trade Policy brings together a set of 16 papers that focus primarily on the political economy of international trade. What sets these papers apart is the recurrent theme of developing and extending political economic analysis beyond details commonly considered when the papers were written. The book takes a deeper look at institutional and behavioral details that researchers have formerly overlooked, delving into issues such as administered rather than legislated protection; incorporation of unemployment; and behavioral considerations such as fairness. Together with a few other papers that consider theoretic issues of trade, this book will provide a thought-provoking overview of the most important research on international trade, political economy and policy over the past decades.

This contributed volume examines the far-reaching effects of the weakening of OPEC's cohesion and influence in the 1980s, the resulting decline of oil prices, and the accompanying economic reversals. These events resulted in both fortune and misfortune for oil users and producers and dramatically changed energy economics worldwide. Moreover, as revealed in this volume, the decade of the 1980s demonstrated that oil producers and oil importers can prosper in an atmosphere of mutual respect, cooperation, and moderation.

The work examines major oil-related topics such as the experiences of OPEC and non-OPEC oil suppliers in the 1980s, adjustment and response of oil importers to changes in the oil market, the impact of oil price changes on both the developed and developing world, and possible future developments in the global oil market. This volume will be of interest to scholars of energy and international economics, as well as professionals in the area of energy development and markets.

This second volume of the ""Handbook of International Trade"" focuses on the economic and legal analysis of international laws and institutions as they impact trade.

Containing chapters written by both economic and legal scholars, this volume encourages cross-discipline discussion with writing that is accessible to those approaching the material from any background.

Central issues to those studying international trade are addressed, including:
labor, environmental rights, and preferential trade agreements
antitrust policy
patent rights
trade liberalization
foreign direct investment.

Trade disruption and industrial organization are the subject of this penetrating look at the effects of the new protectionism in international trade. This volume provides five case studies of threats and protection in particular industries as a basis for discussion of the political economy of quota threats. Stockhausen analyzes the effects of quota threats on countries with competition in the export industry, on countries with monopoly in the export industry, and on those with duopoly or oligopoly in the export industry. Consideration is given both to large--and small--country cases under varying cost structures. The effects of relaxing some of the assumptions in the model, especially allowing for consumers and suppliers from third world countries, are also discussed.

This book is the first in eight years to address the purposes, patterns, and prospects of Chinese arms transfers, and the only book to address China's recent and provocative rise to prominence as an arms trader since the mid-1980s. Focusing on the 1980s and the prospects for the 1990s, the work analyzes the principal arms trade relationships of the People's Republic of China to provide a greater understanding and more nuanced insight into the arms trade policies and goals of the world's fourth largest arms supplier.

This study finds that the economic motive for arms exports--the generating of foreign currency--while important, does not fully or even adequately explain why the Chinese export arms. Rather, Chinese arms exports should be seen in the light of political and strategic motivations, which are often more important. This book should appeal to both scholars and policymakers in the field of international relations.

Harold Crookell focuses on a major North American response to globalization: the U.S. - Canada Free Trade Agreement which became effective on January 1, 1989. Writing for executives of U.S. and Canadian businesses with activities in one another's countries, Crookell is particularly concerned with the effects of the agreement on parent-subsidiary relationships in the U.S. and Canada and on North America's ability to compete in the global economy. He provides a comprehensive overview of the history of free trade between the two countries, offers a clearer understanding of the agreement itself and how it differs from Europe 1992, shows how globalization is affecting parents and subsidiaries in the U.S. and Canada, and offers recommendations for transforming subsidiaries into integrated, contributing affiliates who will be effective global competitors in their own right.

Crookell begins with a brief discussion of the history of Canada-U.S. dialogue on free trade over the past 130 years, showing how a dramatic change in the competitive environment finally led to passage of the current agreement. He then examines some important aspects of the Free Trade Agreement contrasting them with the key thrust of the Europe 1992 initiative. The third chapter deals with the ideology of free trade and the different challenges it poses for the two countries. He then turns to an extended examination of the issues of globalization and parent-subsidiary relations under the new agreement. Special attention is given to how American subsidiaries in Canada respond to the challenge of free trade and the role they can play in the competitive strategies of their parents. In the final chapter, Crookell looks at the many unresolved issues still being negotiated and the societal adjustment each country will have to make in order to ensure the success of the agreement. Anyone involved in U.S.-Canadian trade will find this book an important first step toward that end.