For many academics, students, and professionals, the field of commodities is a black box. This book explores commodities in a holistic manner, presenting concepts from a multidisciplinary business and financial perspective, and offering a panoramic view of the global commodity business and markets. In this book, the author presents core issues related to global commodities with recent data including COVID-19. The book introduces the key physical commodities traded globally and some related issues such as the global supply chain, global trading, transportation, storage, and how to finance global commodity trades. Then, it discusses how global commodity businesses and traders manage global risks related to commodity production (generation or extraction), transportation, storage, the final delivery, and currency exchange. Additionally, the book discusses financial commodities, the origins of global commodity derivatives and exchanges, the rationale behind the birth of commodity futures and trading, hedging, speculation, financialization, and manipulation of commodity markets, and how financial trading is executed in real life. In the last section, the author also discusses sustainability issues related to global commodities and the financial valuation aspects of the global commodity businesses supported by examples from real cases with recent data.

This new book brings together contributions from recognized experts in trade policy, discussing and evaluating economic integration in the Western Hemisphere, the alternative trade strategies being pursued in this area and Latin American relationships with United States and Canada.

These essays provide progress reports concerning the different regional and sub-regional groupings that have developed within the hemisphere and discuss the inter-relationships of Western Hemispheric trading arrangement with the multilateral trading systems. The difficulties encountered in hemispheric trade negotiations and the implications for the countries involved are also considered.

This book will be of great interest to students and researchers engaged with international trade and economic policy, as well as policy specialists in business organizations and government.

'Baum's book provides a wealth of heretofore unavailable information on marketing in the strawberry industry. It contains invaluable insights by an insider gleaned from many years of experience. It is required reading for anyone with an interest in the industry. -Dr. George Tolley, professor emeritus, University of Chicago 'Quest. is an important resource for anybody involved in production and marketing of strawberries. It] provides a needed analysis of commodity board marketing plans, but it also chronicles much history of California agriculture by recording the development of the strawberry industry from a localized, fragmented small farm economy into a corporate age production system. -Tom Am Rhein, strawberry grower and Vice President of Operations, Naturipe Berry Growers 'The history of the California strawberry industry, captured by Herb Baum, must be studied to appreciate the economic dilemma of California farmers and the seemingly inadequate support of commodity boards and university research programs. Ten years from now, as a new generation becomes farmers and industry leaders, Quest will be even more important.

The world is changing rapidly. The global economic crisis has called into question the political decisions that have been made by all countries for decades and has led to a re-formulation of tools and aims. Adjustments to the new situation are necessary and entail considerable economic and social costs. The Balkan and Black Sea area is an important reference point for the European and global economy. Accordingly, the study of the economic development in the area is of great interest, engaging politicians and scientists alike. Under this framework, the matter of the relation between the area's countries and the E.U., the role of the banking system and the importance of the primary sector of the economy as an important developmental factor for the countries' economies are of great importance. "

Do countries benefit from their Membership in the WTO? This book addresses this question and examines the role of the WTO in the process of economic development of emerging markets and other developing countries.

In the past twenty years the clusters of small enterprises proved to be among the most dynamic ways to promote the endogenous growth of local economic systems. However, the case of 'survival clusters' in developing countries is more controversial, as many international organizations and specialized government agencies have verified over their long-term experience. This book offers a new interpretative key, which we call 'a stage and eclectic approach' to the development of clusters. This approach supports public efforts to increase the effectiveness of policy-making and development operations in local contexts.

Many risks face the global insurance industry today, including the aging populations of developed countries, competition from other financial institutions, and both disparate and quickly changing regulatory demands, to name a few. The book's contributors offer their unique perspectives on challenges confronting the insurance industry and how attendant risks can be most effectively managed.

This book aims to explore the social and cultural issues within the economic changes that have given rise to service work. Written by specialists in their respective fields, this book draws together authors from interdisciplinary areas that are carrying out significant research into gender and service work within an international context.

Competition between companies tends to be beneficial for the general public, but is this also true for competition between States in a world with global financial markets, low transport costs, and increasing migration? In this book, Sinn provides a solid economic analysis of the competitive forces at work and addresses how we should organize competition between systems so they will enhance the efficiency of these systems, as opposed to acting destructively on them.Provides a thorough economic analysis of the competitive forces at work between nations and governments.Analyzes a wide range of state activities, including taxation, public goods provision, income redistribution, environmental policy, safety standards, and competition policy.Addresses ways to organize competition so it will enhance the efficiency of these systems.

As firms from East Asia gain global market share they are stirring trade disputes with import-competing firms in the West. Jessica Liao analyzes the role played by government-business collaboration in determining how effective East Asian governments are in helping their exporters gain an edge over western competitors through WTO litigation.

Economic globalisation is a long-term international process in which the roles of the EU, ASEAN, Korea, Japan and China are of increasing importance. Trade dynamics and foreign investment, as well as regional policy cooperation in Europe and Asia, are discussed here along with historical developments. Moreover, the book highlights links between European Community law and WTO regulations. The key challenges posed by China's economic expansion are part of the analysis; specific issues concern international outsourcing and off-shoring as well as regional economic integration in a period of financial globalisation. Based on historical dynamics, theoretical analysis and global shifts, policy solutions for Europe, Asia and the world economy can be arrived at: The book offers clear policy options and also reveals crucial issues in terms of the welfare analysis of regional integration.

The only student textbook covering this frequently-taught subject Fully updated new edition includes updates in case law and the ongoing impact of the Insurance Act 2015 and a revised chapter on smart contracts to include discussion of Blockchain First two editions extremely well received and adopted by the market

"The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was launched amid great hopes and controversy in 1994. More than a dozen years later, progress toward economic integration has stalled. Mexico's economy remains far behind those of Canada and the United States, and such pressing issues as energy security remain unaddressed. In Requiem or Revival? scholars and policymakers from all three nations dissect NAFTA's failure to fulfill its early promise and evaluate the prospects for further integration. The authors explore the interaction between regionalism and multilateralism, the impact of the ""new trade"" agenda, and NAFTA's unresolved problems-migration, security, and energy. Recognizing the limits of the NAFTA framework, they examine its relationship to the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas negotiations and the Doha Development Round, and they discuss various ways in which NAFTA could be revamped or improved. The result is an intriguing volume offering important insights on the future of economic integration in North America and beyond. Contributors include Chantal Blouin (North-South Institute), Theodore H. Cohn (Simon Fraser University, emeritus), I. M. Destler (University of Maryland), Charles F. Doran (Johns Hopkins University-SAIS), Christina Gabriel (Carleton University), Sergio Gomez Lora (IQOM, Inteligencia Comercial), Jerry Haar (Florida International University), Laura Macdonald (Carleton University), Gordon Mace (Universite Laval), Isidro Morales (University of the Americas), Glauco Oliveira (University of Southern California), Antonio Ortiz Mena (CIDE), Jeffrey J. Schott (Peterson Institute for International Economics),Anne Weston (North-South Institute),Tamara Woroby (Towson University, Johns Hopkins University--SAIS), and Jaime Zabludovsky (Soluciones Estrategicas). "

The tariff policies of the 1890-1922 led to the development of tariff rates that launched the United States on a path that led to later trade wars. The Republican Party and Porter McCumber took the lead in promoting these policies, claiming that the tariff would protect new and struggling industries. In many instances, items subjected to high tariffs were not in conflict with industries in the United States. In addition, although the tariff covered agricultural products, it was not sufficient to halt an agricultural decline. This work traces the course of U.S. policy through five tariffs which preceded the Fordney-McCumber tariff of 1922, when the tariff was used for both protection and revenue. McCumber's economic nationalism combined with his internationalism in other areas is detailed in the work.

"Governing Global Finance "examines the evolution of financial globalization and the attempts that have been made at the international level to establish a system of global financial governance (i.e. the international financial architecture) to safeguard the functioning of the international financial system. It explains how the international financial architecture has come to take the form that it has, and why it was unable to prevent the recent global financial crisis. The book considers a number of reforms that have been proposed to minimize the risk of future financial crises, as well as others that need to be implemented.

Corporate governance, namely the relationship between the ownership and control of firms, takes on new dimensions in the case of international joint ventures operating in the special context of China. The present study contributes a new examination of this relationship, firstly through its conceptual refinement, and secondly through original empirical research. It develops the concept of ownership as suited to joint ventures, in which account is taken of non-capital resourcing by foreign and Chinese partners.

This book analyzes key international monetary issues from a macro-foundations perspective. It proposes novel frameworks to interpret macroeconomic and financial linkages for globally integrated economies, examining global imbalances, exchange rates, interest rates, international capital flows, inflation, foreign and public debt.

To bring this volume together, the editor asked leading scholars in the field of globalization to outline a "research framework" that reflects their own approach to the subject. The resulting book presents a broad spectrum of analytical approaches to globalization. Theoretical reviews are complemented by substantive chapters and methodological analyses. Contributors include scholars in the fields of sociology, anthropology, history and political science. These writings have been organized into four sections: theoretical perspectives and cultural globalization, economic globalization, political globalization, and methodological approaches.

With the globalization of economic activity bringing about the expansion of markets and deepening of economic interdependency beyond state-borders, a new political challenge arises: how to effectively integrate the interdependent economies into a harmonious unity through the creation of new super-state institutions? This book applies a spatial economics perspective to the understanding of the recent dynamism of the global economy, with particular focus on East Asia. In addition, it examines the prospects of regional integration in East Asia.

Will China eventually be able to eliminate its socialist animal spirits? Highlighting the importance of China's investment booms and busts for both the Chinese and the world economy, Animal Spirits with Chinese Characteristics describes the origins and evolution of the investment cycle during the command economy period.

The Eurasian continent, which has for over a century lagged behind in global markets, is currently gaining economic and political momentum. This book investigates emerging economic linkages in the area, examining the factors shaping this integration, the benefits and risks involved, and the future of these states on the global stage.

In this study, labor economist Henry Schechter concludes that there is a need for greater international prohibitions and for keeping open channels for collective bargaining for higher wages. He presents an analysis of recent changes in the United States and elsewhere, highlighting the spread of automated production technology to lesser developed, low-wage areas of the world, which leads to global demand-supply imbalances and downward pressure on wages. This circumstance, he charges, is aggravated as multinational corporations affiliate with one another, lessening competition and increasing monopolistic influences worldwide. This work will be of interest to the scholars and policymakers in academia, government, business, and the labor movement concerned with fiscal and labor economic policies.

Productivity growth is vital for wealth creation. It is fashioned by a number of factors including international trade and foreign direct investment. This volume examines the nature of the links between the globalisation process and productivity growth whilst including empirical analyses of these links. Other subjects covered include how exporting and productivity interact; the relevance of ownership to productivity growth; and potential spillovers from multinational firms to indigenous firms in their host country. This volume offers the most complete collection of studies available on this key issue.