Building International Construction Alliances is the first book to address the challenges of international cooperation between medium-sized construction firms. Despite the considerable press coverage of international trade and cooperation, very little has been written on the specific topic of such strategic alliances among construction firms. The shrinking construction market in highly developed economies will force many firms to expand their capabilities and diversify their services in order to survive. The practice of partnering and strategic alliances and seeking cooperative agreements with foreign firms is one strategy which is generating increasing interest in the corporate planning departments of construction firms throughout the world. By presenting a case study of the historical evolution of Fratelli Dioguardi S.p.A and Beacon Construction Company, and reperesentative projects, Roberto Pietroforte offers the reader an uderstanding of * the way sucessful firms adjust their strategic,

This book provides an alternative approach to analyzing Western Europe's much-debated dependence on Russian natural gas. The actual and potential consequences of this dependence have in recent years become a growing concern both in individual importing countries and at the level of the European Union. Russian gas exports have come to decisively influence EU-Russia relations and there is nowadays hardly any aspect of these relations that can be discussed without, directly or indirectly, taking into account natural gas. But despite the central importance of Russian natural gas exports in present-day European and Russian affairs, little attention has been paid to the political and economic decisions that - starting in the late 1960s - paved the way for large-scale imports of Russian gas. Applying a systems and risk perspective on international energy relations, author Per Hogselius investigates how and why governments, businesses, engineers and other actors sought to promote - and oppose- the establishment of an extensive East-West natural gas regime that seemed to overthrow the fundamental logic of the Cold War.

This book offers insight into international trade and foreign direct investment competitiveness in Africa. It examines two policies frequently used to enhance international competitiveness in Sub-Saharan African economies: exchange rate policy and productivity-related policy.

The last decade has witnessed important developments in international trade policy, both at the multilateral and regional levels. "International Trade Policy" provides an extensive, in-depth analysis of the theoretical and policy considerations which underlie these developments.
Topics covered include key theoretical and policy issues such as voluntary export restraints, anti-dumping and unfair trading practices, agricultural protectionism, and regionalism; the results of the Uruguay round of negotiations and their effect on policy; the issues which govern many current trade disputes, including trade-related intellectual property rights; the major issues involved in setting up regional trading areas; the likely future agenda for the newly created World Trading Organization. As trade negotiations become increasingly complex, this volume will be essential for all those who want to understand what governments do, in terms of trade policy, and how they do it.

This book provides a new source of data and analysis on the role of multinational companies in U.S. international trade over the past two decades. Developed from benchmark surveys of foreign direct investment conducted by the U.S. Government, it contains 96 tables and companion analyses covering affiliate trade, intrafirm trade, bilateral trade, ultimate beneficial owners, commodity (SITC) trade, and affiliate industry groups. The book is intended for researchers and analysts in international business, international trade, and international finance.

This book provides a new source of data and analysis on the role of multinational companies in U.S. international trade over the past two decades. Developed from benchmark surveys of foreign direct investment conducted by the U.S. Government, it contains 96 tables showing MNC-related trade for 1975, 1982, and 1989. Tables and analysis cover affiliate related trade, intrafirm related trade, bilateral trade with major trading partners, the role of ultimate beneficial owners, commodity (SITC) trade, and trade by affiliate industry groups. The data and analyses in the book will be equally useful to academic researchers and policy analysts in the fields of international business, international trade, and international finance.

This book presents a comprehensive view of recent developments in the theory of international trade agreements and political economy, by focusing on research by Raymond Riezman. This pioneering work introduced terms of trade effects and strategic behavior to the theory of international trade agreements. This is complemented by a careful analysis of how politics affects international trade agreements.The book brings together work which focuses on the question of why international trade agreements occur and what forms they take.

Product counterfeits and other brand infringements represent a growing and substantial risk to firms, consumers, and society. While policing such illicit activity is important, there is much that firms can do to protect themselves and their customers. Grounded in field research and practice, this book presents a total business solution approach to brand protection that enables firms to prevent infringement from occurring and respond efficiently when it does. This total business solution provides a framework for building and advancing brand protection programs that are strategic, comprehensive, and evidence based. Coupling perspectives and illustrations from several academic disciplines and industries, this book serves as a road map or blueprint for companies to develop and implement a proactive strategy to protect their brands. It serves as a guide to help firms continuously learn, innovate, and efficiently allocate resources in a way that maximizes brand protection performance. Graduate and executive education programs and scholars in business, law and criminal justice will benefit from adopting Brand Protection and the Global Risk of Product Counterfeits as course reading, research or a valued addition to their personal library. Brand protection practitioners in firms large and small, working in brand protection, security, supply chain, legal, quality assurance, packaging, C-suite, marketing, sales, and related areas will find this book essential in helping them develop a roadmap for establishing a robust brand protection program and take their existing brand protection to the next level of effectiveness and efficiency.

Latin America has a pivotal role to play in international trade negotiations. This book focuses on the key issues for Latin American countries' participation in trade negotiations on the shifting ground of expanding trade agendas, diversifying negotiation fora, and emerging coalitions. Through analysis of the management of sectors, the management of competition and conflict, and the interplay of interests and coalitions, Diana Tussie and a team of local and international experts unravel the strands of the complex web of trade negotiations.

New economic conditions in the developed and newly industrializing world increasingly force us to question the foundations of existing international economic relationships. This study sheds some light on the complex relationship between law and economics. Beginning with the historical evidence of market structure, trade, and law, the work progresses to discuss transportation, export finance, marine insurance, and technology transfers. The author provides some interesting insights into and discussion on the future of international trade and the untested relationship between social and political chaos and the law.

The third edition of EU Customs Law provides a fully updated treatment of legislation, new treaties and cases in the two courts of the EU especially but also in Member States. This volume also includes commentary on the Union Customs Code and secondary legislation, and increased coverage of areas such as the wider role of customs authorities apart from the collection of customs duty, such as security of goods and post 9/11 developments generally, the history of customs unions and their implications for governments, non-EU customs unions to which EU law is relevant, and the inter-relation between customs duty and direct tax.

With the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the U.S. proposal for the widening of NAFTA to include the whole of the Western Hemisphere, there is now a greater mutuality of interest between the U.S. and the rest of the hemisphere than at any time in the recent past. Mexico, Canada, and the United States continue to deepen and refine their understanding of the practical implications of NAFTA. Latin American and Caribbean countries--most now democracies--have altered their development philosophy, placing greater stress on the workings of the market and opening their own markets to import competition. North America and other hemispheric subregions are seeking greater economic integration behind lowered trade barriers. Under this new philosophy, what other countries of the hemisphere most want is assurance of access to the markets of each other and the United States. This common thinking is what makes the present a most propitious moment for hemispheric cooperation.

The twelve papers in this volume provide information on and analysis of trade flows among developing countries (which are mostly in the Southern Hemisphere). In the early 1980s the worldwide recession brought about a slowing of trade among the South-South countries. Subsequently, given the slower growth of the developed countries, the authors of these papers believe there is hope for economic growth, increased trade, and improved balance of payments in trade among the developing nations. The papers included here are the result of a research project initiated by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). This is a relatively new field, and these papers are a major source of information. They go beyond the confines of neo-classical theory, discussing the dynamic role of trade in the development and industrialization of developing countries.

"South-South Trade" presents a diversity of topics and approaches. On the supply side, the work is on identifying the determinants of the shifting comparative advantage over time of newly industrializing countries (NICs) and their impact on directions of trade. On the demand side, changes in the global patterns of income distribution, especially relating to the capital surplus oil exporting countries supplying the south, are explored. In manufacturing trade, the changes in organization of production and trade, including the corporate strategies of transnational corporations (TNCs), are assessed. Specific papers deal with agricultural and manufactured products and investment-related technological services. This work analyzes South-South trade within the framework of a world undergoing growth and structural change, where developing countries have attempted to diversify both the composition and geographical destination of their imports.

In Europe, Africa is often called the forgotten continent. The collapse of states, violent conflicts and natural disasters shape the public perception of Africa in Europe, while the political perspectives tend to be grossly neglected. This book wants to challenge this image in the eyes of many people through a profound analysis of main aspects of African-European relations.

The Soviet Union and its Republics have immense business potential. Industrial sectors are in need of modernization and development, a domestic market of over 280 million people is hungry for consumer goods, and there is a largely untapped resource of intellectual property. In addition, there is a huge capacity for exportable raw materials.;Despite political manoeuvring, perestroika has created a framework for foreign investment and much work is going on behind the scenes to develop enabling legislation at all-Union and Republic level. Over 3000 joint ventures in the Soviet Union involving foreign firms have been registered. Joint stock companies are being set up and there is talk of privatization. Soviet citizens are learning how to run businesses in a market economy and Western firms are finding that they too have much to learn about trading in the USSR. This book is designed to help the learning process and provide working knowledge of foreign investment in the Soviet Union. It provides practical advice, from East and West, with chapters on business law, taxation, banking, foreign exchange and more.

This book discusses the economic interaction and interdependence that has arisen amongst nations in the contemporary world economy, the nature and significance of the pattern of trade balances that have resulted from them and the question of what, if anything, should be done by national governments about that pattern. The need for international coordination of economic policies is also investigated.

Globalization presents a paradox in light of the tendency toward regionalization in world trade and investment, and the emergence of the three economic super blocs--the Asia-Pacific Rim, North America, and the European Economic Community. The Third World countries and regions in Africa, Latin America, and elsewhere are left out of the action. This work states the fundamental problems that face Africa, draws the attention of the world policy makers to the problems, and proposes answers and solutions.

'Powerful' - Silvia Federici It's in our food, our cosmetics, our fuel and our bodies. Palm oil, found in half of supermarket products, has shaped our world. Max Haiven uncovers how the gears of capitalism are literally and metaphorically lubricated by this ubiquitous elixir. From its origins in West Africa to today's Southeast Asian palm oil superpowers, Haiven's sweeping, experimental narrative takes us on a global journey that includes looted treasures, the American system of mass incarceration, the history of modern art and the industrialisation of war. Beyond simply calling for more consumer boycotts, he argues for recognising in palm oil humanity's profound potential to shape our world beyond racial capitalism and neo-colonial dispossession. One part history, one part dream, one part theory, one part montage, this kaleidoscopic and urgent book asks us to recognise the past in the present and to seize the power to make a better world.

The book examines the economic performance and commercial prospects in the ASEAN economies. It provides a soundly researched and concisely presented analysis of (a) current economic growth, development and performance in the major economies (the economic tigers and dragons) in the ASEAN in the recent years, and (b) the prospects of these on investment, trade, and business between these economies and other countries in a global context via both bilateral and multilateral international economic relations.

With the increasing integration of the major economies of the world, trade frictions have also increased. The Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, once scheduled for completion in December 1990, has been slowed over the issue of agricultural subsidies. The U.S.-Japanese trade relations have continued to be a source of friction between the two countries. At issue in all these disputes is whether the United States and other countries are playing ""fairly"" in the international trade arena.The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) outlines a variety of rules designed to ensure fairness. The United States, like other GATT signatories, has enacted statutes designed, for the most part, to be consistent with the GATT requirements. In this book, Richard Boltuck and Robert E. Litan, joined by a team of attorneys and economists with direct experience in ""unfair trade"" practice investigations, provide the first study of how one of the U.S. governmental agencies charged with implementing the U.S. laws governing unfair trade the Department of Commerce has actually discharged its statutory mission. In particular, the book focuses on the antidumping and countervailing duty statutes, provisions allowing the United States to impose offsetting duties on imports that are sold here at prices below those charged by the producers in their home countries that benefit from subsidies provided by foreign governments to encourage exports. Although these provisions may have once been obscure parts of the U.S. trade laws, they have figured importantly in many recent celebrated trade disputes, including those involving the import of foreign-made semiconductors, steel, lumber, screen displays for laptop computers, word processors, and minivan vehicles. All but one of the authors in the volume are highly critical of the procedures used by the Department of Commerce to calculate margins of dumping and export subsidization. Specifically, they find that at many points in the investigations, both through substantive and procedural requirements, there is a bias toward higher margins, and therefore higher import duties, than is warranted by economic theory; and in some cases by the GATT antidumping and subsidy codes themselves. Significantly, these authors contend that most of the biases can be removed without legislative change, but rather through changes in administrative practice.

Transforming NATO: New Allies, Missions, and Capabilities, by Ivan Dinev Ivanov, examines the three dimensions of NATO s transformation since the end of the Cold War: the addition of a dozen new allies; the undertaking of new missions such as peacekeeping, crisis response, and stabilization; and the development of new capabilities to implement these missions. The book explains these processes through two mutually reinforcing frameworks: club goods theory and the concept of complementarities. NATO can be viewed as a diverse, heterogeneous club of nations providing collective defense to its members, who, in turn, combine their military resources in a way that enables them to optimize the Alliance s capabilities needed for overseas operations. Transforming NATO makes a number of theoretical contributions. First, it offers new insights into understanding how heterogeneous clubs operate. Second, it introduces a novel concept, that of complementarities. Finally, it re-evaluates the relevance of club goods theory as a framework for studying contemporary international security. These conceptual foundations apply to areas well beyond NATO. They provide useful insights into understanding the operation of transatlantic relations, alliance politics, and a broader set of international coalitions and partnerships. This update in April 2013 covers new developments related to NATO s transformation after this book was originally published: http: //homepages.uc.edu/ ivanovid/pdfs/book_update.pdf"

Since 1985, the process of European unification has accelerated. Physical, technical, and fiscal barriers that separate the 12 countries are being removed, creating the largest mass market in the world. However, the market is not a homogeneous one. Cultural differences still exist; language barriers remain. If there is a Euro-retailer it will be a Euro-retailer that communicates in many languages, anticipates the unique tastes of countless cultures, and maximizes the economies of scale in production to offer the most attractive and unique merchandise at competitive price points.

Distribution logistics within each country are presented along with case studies of major retailers. Internationalization strategies and strategic alliances of retail companies are analyzed. The return of German retailers to the former GDR and distribution opportunities within Eastern Europe are highlighted. Extensive use of on-line financial reports produced by major security offices provide the most current information about this dynamic industry.

Agriculture has been the unruly horse of the GATT/WTO system for a long time and efforts to halter it are still ongoing. This Research Handbook focuses on aspects of agricultural production and trade policy that are recognized for their importance but are often kept out of the limelight, such as the implication of national and international agricultural production and trade policies on national food security, global climate change, and biotechnology. It provides a summary of the state of the WTO agriculture negotiations as well as the relevant jurisprudence, but also, and uniquely, it focuses on the new and emerging issues of agricultural trade law and policy that are rarely addressed in the existing literature. With contributions from a multi-disciplinary team of leading analysts from around the world, this Research Handbook will appeal to trade negotiators, international trade law and policy academics as well as postgraduate students in the field. Contributors include: K. Anderson, D. Blandford, M. Cardwell, I. Carreno, M.G. Desta, G. Dutfield, C. Haberli, L.A. Jackson, T. Josling, E. Laurenza, A. Matthews, J.A. McMahon, F. Smith, S. Switzer

The trade in spices is one of the oldest and, at one time, one of the most important forms of commerce. While taken for granted today, spices have been coveted, plundered, fought over, and hoarded throughout history. The Age of Exploration was fueled in part by the desire to find direct routes to the spice-growing regions of Asia. Fortunes were made, battles fought, and countries conquered to satisfy the Western spice trade. This book is the first comprehensive bibliography on the economic and historical aspects of the spice trade. Arranged in broad chronological categories, the bibliography lists monographs, periodical articles, and other miscellaneous sources, including pamphlets and maps.

The first chapter includes sources covering more than one time period or the entire history of the spice trade. Chapter two covers the period from Biblical times through the fall of the Roman Empire, c. 400 A.D., including ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the Holy Land. The Dark Ages and Middle Ages, from c. 400 to 1500, are covered in chapter three. Chapter four covers the Age of Exploration and Colonialism, including the European voyages and the colonization of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The final chapter provides selective coverage of the post-World War II era. Sources listed in all chapters are in Western languages and available in U.S. libraries.