The history of the economic contacts between Asia and Europe dates back to at least the early years of the Common Era. But it was only after the overcoming of the transport technology barrier to the growth of trade between the two continents following the discovery by the Portuguese at the end of the 15th century of the all-water route to the East Indies that these contacts became regular and quantitatively significant. The Portuguese were joined at the beginning of the 17th century by the Dutch and the English East India companies. The Europeans operated in the Indian Ocean alongside the Indian and other Asian merchants with no special privileges being available to them. The present collection of essays by Professor Om Prakash first deals with the Indian merchants' participation in the Indian Ocean trade on the eve of the Europeans' arrival in the Ocean. The subsequent essays include a discussion of the Portuguese involvement in the Euro-Asian and the Indian Ocean trade. Attention is then turned to the trading activities of the Dutch and the English East India companies. The volume also contains essays on textile manufacturing and trade as well as on coinage and wages in India. The concluding essay deals with trade and politics in the province of Bengal.

Published in 1997, this book is about the link between trade and the environment which has become a very important national issue for all countries, in particular, those countries which have been undergoing lengthy periods of trade and investment liberalization programmes recently. This has also become an international issue of tremendous current interest given its implications on the global environment and trading system. International organizations such as WTO, OECD, the UN and regional trading arrangements such as NAFTA, EEC and APEC have been actively involved in the policy debate. Despite the critical importance of trade-environment issues, less is known about the linkages between the two. This book presents a New Zealand perspective as a case-study of global interest for two reasons: firstly, many countries, both developed and developing, are taking the New Zealand economic reforms as a model for restructuring their economies. Secondly, New Zealand is going to become a member of APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation), together with 17 other countries in the area by 2010 (developed countries) and 2020 (developing countries). The book is expected to contribute significantly to the current debate and to assist in the process of reconciliation of trade and environmental policies for sustainable development within the context of APEC integration.

Originally published in 1917, this book is an investigation of industrial and social conditions in the British West Indies in the effort to reach a better understandinf of the part those islands played in the growth and dissolution of the British empire, including chapters on white labor in the sugar islands, the slave trade, and foreign markets for British sugar.

With the accession of Afghanistan in 2016, the World Trade Organization (WTO) numbered 164 members with nineteen other states in line to join. The WTO is certainly not alone in its growth though; the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the European Union (EU) are all expanding with dozens of states continuing to negotiate their potential membership. What impact does membership in international organizations really have? Why do some states have a seemingly easy path to joining international organizations while others find the process nearly impossible? What implications do these difficult accession processes have on the domestic and international politics of the acceding states? The author presents the two-level theory of accession, which highlights factors at the domestic level and international organization level, to explain how accession processes in the WTO and EU vary from state to state and the impact of these variations. In so doing, this book provides a unique perspective on the topic of membership in international organizations.

The customary treatment of Mediterranean trade from the 11th to the mid-15th century emphasizes the predominance of western merchants and the commercial exchange of spices and eastern raw materials for western woollens and other finished products. The studies in this collection, the sixth by David Jacoby to be published in the Variorum series, adopt a different perspective. They underscore the economic vitality of various countries bordering the eastern Mediterranean, their industrial capacity, the importance of exchanges between them, and the important contribution of the merchants based in that region to trans-Mediterranean trade. They also illustrate the role of hitherto neglected commodities, such as timber, iron, silk and cheese, in that trade.

First published in 1997, this volume contributes to the knowledge for the trade of vegetables, fruits and tubers (so-called horticultural commodities). As African policy makers try to keep pace with new developments in private food trade, they require knowledge of the structures of private trade systems and the factors that govern their long-term development. The study analyses the structure and development of horticultural marketing channels in Kenya. It is based primarily on surveys of some 500 farmers in four districts and 750 horticultural traders in 18 market places. Commercial horticultural farmers, domestic traders, export traders, agents, facilitators, marketing cooperatives and processors are all reviewed. The study devotes special attention to the efficiency of collecting wholesalers, and to the development of rural assembly markets. It develops a model which can elucidate vertical differentiation processes in the Kenyan horticultural channels. The analyses show that marketing channel theory can be of great relevance to the developing world. The proposed vertical differentiation model can aid in predicting future changes in horticultural marketing systems, in Kenya as well as in other African countries.

First published in 1999, this volume applies Professor Michael Porter's diamond framework (1990) to the Turkish glass, construction, leather clothes, automobile and flat steel industries. OEzlam OEz aims primarily to contribute towards an improvement of this framework, and thus towards a better understanding of the sources of competitive advantage. Her research presents a new approach to evaluate the competitiveness of the Turkish economy, given that alternative studies usually focus on factors like exchange rates and the cost of labour and raw materials as the determinants of competitive advantage. The author begins her book by providing an evaluation of the diamond framework linked to the debate created by the publication of The Competitive Advantage of Nations. She then identifies the pattern of advantage in Turkey by specifying the internationally competitive industries and clusters. This is followed by a detailed examination of the five Turkish industry case studies - glass, construction, leather clothes, automobile and flat steel industries. The findings are generally supportive of Porter. The results suggest, however, several major areas in the framework - especially domestic rivalry and the role of government - where one or more of the Turkish cases question Porter's hypothesises. The book ends with the implications of the study for the sources of competitive advantage in general and for the Turkish economy in particular. Porter and his diamond framework are both unquestionably influential. Improvements upon it forwarded in this book will be of use to academic readers as well as strategic planners and policy makers.

This volume brings together a selection of papers that were prepared as background analyses for a collaborative research capacity-building project, focusing on the WTO negotiating agenda.
Contributors review the results of the Uruguay Round negotiations, discuss developing country concerns relating to the operation of the WTO and assess implementation of WTO agreements.
Contributors quantify the potential benefits of further global liberalization of access to markets for industrial and agricultural products, and assess the relative merits of expanding multilateral disciplines into new areas such as investment, competition, and labor and environmental policies.

This book aims to analyze Lesotho's prospects for economic advancement, and examines the influence of the policies and economic development of South Africa on Lesotho's own potential for development.

An analysis of the major securities, derivatives and money markets from an operations point of view, 'Understanding the Markets' takes the reader through the major features and characteristics of the markets and the products. The relationship between the trading and dealing functions and the operations functions is examined and the issues discussed.
This book looks at the financial markets from the viewpoint of the person working in the operations functions that support the trading, dealing and investment processes, and as such is essential reading in order to fully understand the industry - an industry which has gone, and is still going through, much change.
As the markets undergo change so too do the administration, clearing and settlement functions, as the clearing houses, securities depositories and custodians merge and diversify. This is going to impact on the operations teams that support the trading, sales and retail business. A failure to be aware of and to understand the impact of changes in the markets will create massive problems, greater risk and ultimately financial losses. And yet the sheer size and diversity of the global markets, together with the rapid pace of change and expansion, and the increasing volume of transactions needing to be processed, presents a massive challenge to operations teams and managers.
Knowing how the markets work and what impacts on the operations team is crucial for managers and supervisors. In this book the author provides a full explanation of the markets and their impact in operations terms. So if you are about to embark on a career in operations 'Understanding the Markets' is essential reading. Alternatively, if you are planning a career as a dealer it will prove very useful in explaining the process that occurs after you have traded.
The definitive series of professional references for those finance professionals concerned with "Back office" or operations management unique to this industry.Presents concise references on the essential management functions such as technology, client services, and risk management for financial operations management professionals.A comprehensive resource from a leading financial management consultant for global banks and institutions.

This volume brings together original essays by leading historians of the Atlantic World, representing recent developments in historiography of the period. These essays present the argument that coercive imperial authority has been vastly overrated. Distance, the primacy of trade over politics, and the refusal of colonized peoples to recognize European authority resulted in de-centralized "American empires".

This edited collection explores issues surrounding the provision of collective goods within the context of post-crisis East and Southeast Asia. It includes case studies on Korea, Indonesia, China, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore among others.

This innovative volume brings together original essays by leading historians of the Atlantic World, representing the latest developments in historiography of the period. These essays present the argument that coercive imperial authority has been vastly overrated. Distance, the primacy of trade over politics, and the refusal of colonized peoples to recognize European authority resulted in de-centralized 'American' empires.

First published in 1999, this work of economic history explores the evolution of the single market and of economic and political integration in Europe since World War II. Beginning with European integration and the genesis of the Customs Union, Bill Lucarelli then proceeds through the Trans-Atlantic Rivalry, the European Monetary Union (EMU) the European Monetary System (EMS) and on to Maastricht. The study intends to be a critique of the prevailing theories of negative integration, weighting economic integration against political integration, with a particular focus on the concept of 'spill-over'. Lucarelli argues against prevailing functionalist and neo-liberal interpretations of the process of economic integration. The conclusion is critical of the strategy toward European Monetary Union. The book is informed by Marxian and Post-Keynesian Economic theories.

First published in 1998, this volume focuses on the special category of countries popularly referred to as 'transition economies' through an analysis of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and their role in Asian economies, with a view to assessing whether they could or should provide a model for African countries. The present volume explores the institutional peculiarities displayed by 'transition economies'. These are economies which are undergoing a comprehensive and fundamental societal transformation with a view to creating a utopian communist society within the frame of a centrally administered economy, then a pluralistic society based on a market economy and the rule of law. Much of the debate on the economic performance of African LCD's has focused on informal sector activities or on the imperative to achieve structural adjustment. By highlighting instead the challenges facing two of the least successful among the African economies - Ethiopia and Tanzania, both of which share a socialist past - this book moves beyond the above issues. It argues that institutional adjustment is critical to the prospects for success in developing transition economies. As such the book investigates the transaction costs environment within which small-scale industrial activities are set. By drawing extensively on the Asian experience, (predominantly China and Vietnam but also India and Taiwan), it identifies sources of transaction costs by examining not only the transactional disadvantages of small-scale production, but also the past and present sources of institutional inefficiency.

First published in 1998, the objective of this book is to provide a detailed examination of steel production, consumption and trade in East Asia. Specifically, it addresses steel trade and investment environment in East Asia and forecasts steel price movement in the future. In addition, a major focus in this book is the investigation of the metals industry in China, Asia's emerging steel giant. Finally, one chapter of the book also documents the resource sector in Western Australia, one of the world's major sources of iron ore. Rapid economic growth over the past decade has significantly changed the gravity of Asia in the world economy. This trend has particularly been strengthened by the awakening giant, China, whose economy has been growing continuously at a two-digital rate since the late 1970's. Asian countries together have now consumed as much as steel as the developed economies. As a result, Asia as a region has become the key to the expansion of the global steel industry in the future.

Transnational tendencies have led to a pluralistic legal environment in which emerging and established legal actors, regulatory levels and types of legal norms co-exist, compete and interact in complex ways. This challenges and changes not only how legal norms are created, applied and enforced but also when these actors, norms and processes are considered legitimate. The book investigates how states and non-state actors interact in transnational settings and pays attention to the understudied question of what effect transnational tendencies have on the legitimacy of legal actors, norms and processes. It seeks to confront three fundamental questions: Has legitimacy significantly changed? Who creates norms and with which consequences for legal procedures and norms? The book considers the question of legitimacy from a broad range of legal perspectives, including environmental law, human rights law and commercial law. It maps out the contours of legitimacy today with an emphasis on the reactions of central actors like states and courts to transnational tendencies. The book thereby provides a conceptually powerful structure within which to further debate the complexity of transnational tendencies in law and proposes innovative approaches to problem solving while designing pathways for further reflection on the development of law in a transnational context.

Trade and the environment has become a major area of international political dispute. This study investigates the interdependencies between environmental policies and international trade policies. * Does liberalization of international goods and factor markets cause environmental disruption and welfare losses? * Will countries institute lax ecological regulations to favour their domestic producers? * Should trade restrictions be used for environmental reasons and can environmental policy instruments be used to achieve trade-related objectives? * Should there be what the author terms a `green GATT'? The approach is mainly theoretical, and uses traditional trade models like Hekscher-Ohlin as well as non-competitive models of the `new' trade theory and public choice. Some other important but often neglected aspects, such as trade in hazardous wastes and the foreign debt problem, with the possibility of debt-for-nature swaps, are also considered. Finally International Trade, Factor Movements, and the Environment addresses institutional issues on both national and international levels. The book will be essential reading for all international and environmental economists.

This book examines the subtle ways in which rhetorics of sacrifice have been re-appropriated into the workings of the global political economy in the 21st century. It presents an in-depth analysis of the ways in which ritual practices are deployed, under a diverse set of political and legal contexts, as legitimation devices in rendering exploitative structures of the prevailing political-economic system to appear inescapable, or even palatable. To this end, this work explores the deeper rhetorical and legal basis of late-capitalist governmentality by critically interrogating its mythical and ritual dimensions. The analysis gives due consideration to the contemporary incarnations of ritual sacrifice in the transnational neoliberal discourse: from those exploitative yet inescapable contractual obligations, to calendrical multi-billion dollar 'offerings' to the insatiable needs of 'too-big-to-fail' corporations. The first part of the book provides a working interpretative framework for understanding the politics of ritual sacrifice - one that not only accommodates multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary knowledge of ritual practices, but that can also be employed in the integrated analysis of sacrificial rituals as political rhetoric under divergent historical and societal contexts. The second conducts a series of case studies that cut across the wide variability of ritual public takings in late-capitalism. The book concludes by highlighting several key common doctrines of public ritual sacrifice which have been broadly observed in its case studies. These common doctrines tend to reflect the rhetorical and legal foundations for public takings under hegemonic market-driven governance. They define 'appropriate and proper' occasions for suspending pre-existing legal protections to regularize otherwise transgressive transfers of rights and possessions for the 'greater good' of the economic order.

Contents:
Introduction
1. The Legacy of the Communist Past and its Impact on Foreign Trade in Transition
2. Foreign Trade Adjustment in Early Transition
3. Successes of Trade Reorientation and Trade Expansion: An Enterprise-Level Approach
4. Institutions and Foreign Trade Reorientation: How Much Impact upon Performance?
5. Post-Transition Foreign Trade Problems and Prospects: The Economics and Political Economy of Accession

The growth of world trade has been stagnant in recent times; trade liberalisation now has been challenged. The recent rise of anti-globalisation calls for a better integration in East Asia. How should East Asia manage its openness? This book provides profound analyses on rules of origins, non-tariff measures, restrictiveness in services and investment. It gives insight into how East Asian countries should shape its trade, investment and industrial policies. This book helps to answer what kind of a better integration it should be, and how East Asia can realise it. "The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/10.4324/9780429433603, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license."

Originally published in 2004. This comprehensive collection provides an innovative analysis and a comparison between economic and financial integration in Europe and Latin America, addressed from a global, regional and country-specific perspective. It constitutes a valuable overview focusing on three topics: regional integration and monetary cooperation in Europe and Latin America, exchange rate strategies and financial sector structure. The collection is the outcome of a Workshop and high-level Seminar organized by the Banco de Espana and the European Central Bank that brought together senior European and Latin American central bankers, as well as senior representatives from international institutions. The 31 contributors presented high quality papers, allowing the reader to take advantage of a rigorous economic analysis that uses first-hand information and draws useful lessons for the future.

International trade policy, including the trade policies of the European Union (EU), has become controversial in recent years. This book illuminates the politicised process of the EU's contemporary trade negotiations. The book uses the notion of 'contentious market regulation' to examine contemporary EU Free-Trade Agreements (FTAs) with industrialised countries: the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the USA (TTIP), the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada (CETA), the EU-South Korea Agreement (KOREU), and the EU's agreement with Japan (EU-Japan). It also analyses cross-cutting issues affecting trade policy, such as business dimensions, social mobilisation, parliamentary assertion, and investment. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of European Integration.

Oil makes up one-third of Venezuela's entire GDP, and the United States is far and away Venezuela's largest trading partner. Relations between Venezuela and the United States, traditionally close for most of the last two centuries, began to fray in the last decade as the end of the Cold War altered the international environment. The United States and Venezuela attempts to place the events of the past ten years in historical perspective and to explain the reasons why the changes occurred. It also examines the impact of new actors on the international scene: drug traffickers, common citizens, human rights and environmental activists and the media.

This well-documented book analyzes the possibilities and constraints of regulatory cooperation between the EU and the US (particularly California) with a specific focus on environmental protection, food safety and agriculture, biosafety and biodiversity. Transatlantic Regulatory Cooperation features eleven original essays by leading academics of regulation on both sides of the Atlantic. They explore topics such as the impact of federalism on regulatory policies both within the US and Europe, the transatlantic dynamics of water policy, climate change, pesticide and chemical regulation, and biotechnology. A primary focus of this timely study is on the shifting roles of California and the EU as regulatory leaders and ITS impact on future regulatory cooperation across the Atlantic. This informative book will appeal to graduate and postgraduate students, as well as academics and researchers in international relations, business, law and economics who are working on regulatory issues. The policy community which focuses on regulation and transatlantic regulatory relations will also find it an important resource.