This is the first in-depth study of the early trial-and-error experiences of contracting between Japanese and western merchants trading in the Japanese Treaty Ports in the eighteen year period immediately following the opening of the ports in 1859. Fundamental to the equation were the inevitable east-west cultural and legal ambiguities that impacted on the traders. The learning curve for both westerners and Japanese regarding the nature and application of western contracting law was predictably difficult, tortuous and open to constant misunderstanding. Nevertheless, it was within such a framework that the principal benchmarks for trade with Japan were set down and which, in essence, have lasted to the present day.

The African Continental Free Trade Area is expected to be a game changer for development ambitions in Africa. The design of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area reflects an explicit commitment to create a framework for deeper socioeconomic integration and improved cooperation that enables trade, investment and the mobility of people, to support industrialization and the development of a dynamic services sector. Such achievements could ultimately generate decent jobs and increase revenue and thereby contribute to inclusive growth on the continent. A greater emphasis on deeper intraregional trade, cross-border investments in infrastructure and fostering 'made in Africa' trade and industrialization policies is key to the continent's future prosperity and resilience to global financial, food-related, climatic and pandemic-related shocks. For the African Continental Free Trade Area to be a game changer, countries in Africa need to adopt policies that enhance consistency between trade measures, diversification objectives and inclusivity. Unless this is accomplished, the Free Trade Area may be restricted to a trade liberalization agenda and thereby not fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people of Africa. If effectively implemented, the African Continental Free Trade Area can help address challenges emanating from the excessive reliance in Africa on the supply of primary commodities and goods embodying limited value added to world markets

"Developments of International Trade Theory" offers the life-long reflections of a distinguished Japanese scholar who pioneered the application of general equilibrium theory to international trade. Written in a style that makes it easily accessible to scholars and students, the book combines standard topics on international trade with a discussion of the evolution of the theory and as well as recent discussions on topics such as immiserizing growth.

This book consists of two parts. Part I examines the historical progression of international trade theory, and Part II addresses the modern theory and recent developments of international trade. In this way the book offers a comprehensive evaluation of the non-monetary problems of international economics.

Taking advantage of the publication of this new edition, the author includes two new chapters, Adam Smith and Disequilibrium Economic Theory and Complete Specialization in Classical Economics, which readers will profit from reading after they have studied the basic theories of international trade in the main part of the book."

This volume focuses on Central and Southeast Europe, and explores the dynamic and complex area of distributive trade on markets which have recently undergone a huge transformation. Papers in the volume employ both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and focus on retailing, international trade, relationships between retailers and suppliers, sustainability, private brands, loyalty programs, e-commerce and retailing strategies. Challenges For Trade in Central and Southeast Europe offers insights that will assist retailers, wholesalers and logistics companies in their decision making, as well as exploring macro topics that consider the effects of trade on the economy as a whole. There is much of value for a broad international readership, including academics, practitioners and policy-makers.

This book analyzes the competitive forces which dominate this major sector, and traces how the nature of competition has evolved during the last two hundred years. Through an analysis of key factors, including demand, related and supporting industries, firm strategy, structure and national rivalry, chance and government policy, the author explains how and why the locus of competitive advantage in textiles and apparel has moved from country to country, particularly in the period since 1945.

The History of Mitsubishi Corporation in London examines the culture clashes, the friendships and the changing businesses that Mitsubishi Corporation's London branch oversaw in the eighty-five years following its foundation. It examines the paradox of how Mitsubishi Corporation could operate internationally for nearly a century, and still remain resolutely Japanese. With the slowdown in Japanese economic growth however, this book asks whether the corporation needs to change its mission, as well as controversially questioning whether information technology is in fact a barrier to, rather than a driving force for, successful globalization. As a long-term employee of Mitsubishi both in Tokyo and London, Pernille Rudlin has a unique perspective on the world of Japanese corporate culture in Britain. No other corporate history has examined a Japanese subsidiary in such detail, including interviews with more than thirty employees past and present.

Researchers have been addressing social judgment from a cognitive perspective for more than 15 years. Within recent years, however, it has become increasingly clear that many of the models and assumptions initially adopted are in need of revision. The chapters in this volume point out where the original models and assumptions have fallen short, and suggest directions for future research and theorizing. The contributors address issues related to judgment, memory, affect, attitudes, and self-perception. In addition, many present theoretical frameworks within which these different issues can be integrated. As such, this volume represents the transition from one era of social cognition research to the next.

Delays in approving genetically modified crops and foods in the European Union have led to a high profile trade conflict with the United States. This book analyses the EU-US conflict and uses it as a case study to explore the governance of new technologies. The transatlantic conflict over GM crops and food has been widely attributed to regulatory differences that divide the EU and the US. Going beyond common stereotypes of these differences and their origins, this book analyses the conflict through contending coalitions of policy actors operating across the Atlantic. Governing the Transatlantic Conflict over Agricultural Biotechnology focuses on interactions between the EU and the US, rather than on EU-US comparisons. Drawing on original research and interviews with key policy actors, the book shows how EU-US efforts to harmonise regulations for agricultural biotechnology created the context in which activists could generate a backlash against the technology. In this new context regulations were shaped along different lines. Joseph Murphy and Les Levidow provide new insights by elaborating critical perspectives on global governance, issue-framing, standard-setting and regulatory science. This accessible book will appeal to undergraduate and post-graduate students, academics and policy-makers working on a wide range of issues covered by political science, policy studies, international relations, economics, geography, business management, environmental and development studies, science and technology studies.

If you care about food security in Asia and particularly rice and world trade, buy this book. The best authors in the business (legal, academic and private sector) have contributed to its success with 12 treatises on core issues. I complement the editors of this compendium, Michael Ewing-Chow and Melanie Vilarasau Slade, for their intellectual courage in bringing these experts to contribute to one book. The technical side of these issues have been kept at a minimum wherever possible for the general reader. Each chapter relates to the others and guides us to some conclusions and a call to action.' - Milo Hamilton, Firstgrain, US'This is a complete recipe for global food security as the most credible way forward in a world of continuously uncertain food supplies. Today the overall intact agricultural production potential appears mainly threatened by location-specific climate change challenges and by both national and international food policy governance failures. Hence, the role of trade and of trade rules is all the more important, as credibly emphasised by the authors' consequent advocacy for a removal of food trade barriers as part of a more coherent poverty strategy and towards collective food security.' - Christian Haberli, Bern University, Switzerland 'Food security is one of the key challenges the world faces. The demand for food will increase as our population goes up from 7 billion to 9 billion. Global warming and an increasingly erratic weather pattern will have an impact on food production. It is in this context that I welcome this important book. The editors have rightly invited us to refocus our minds from self-sufficiency to collective food security.' - Tommy Koh, Chairman of the Governing Board Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore Food security is one of the greatest challenges of our time. The food price crisis of 2008 exposed the vulnerabilities of the global food system. Governments across Asia acerbated the crisis by imposing export restrictions based on a policy of self-sufficiency. This book assesses whether self-sufficiency is an adequate response to the food security challenges we face. Pricing volatility drives isolationism at a time when climate change and increasingly uncertain weather patterns make it difficult for any single nation to guarantee adequate food production for itself. Through a collection of commissioned studies which draw upon the experience of leading experts and scholars in trade, investment, law, economics, and food policy, this book analyses the impact of this trend on the most essential crop in the Asian region rice. It suggests that food security policy should be reconceptualised: from the national to the regional and even the global level. It also provides its own proposals as to how this new paradigm of collective food security should be understood and developed. The book calls for a new conversation in the region, acknowledging that the challenges we face are global and the solutions must be found in collective action. This state-of-the-art study will appeal to lawyers, economists and political scientists, as well as trade and food security specialists by providing expert analyses and enlightening solutions for the future. Contributors: C. Boonekamp, R.M. Briones, R. Clarete, D. Dixit, M. Ewing-Chow, L.A. Jackson, J. Jackson Ewing, J. McVitty, E. Rogerson, J. Tijaja, C.P. Timmer, M. Vilarasau Slade

First published in 1978. This book provides a simple, systematic, yet rigorous treatment of the key aspects of the pure theory of international trade and distortions. The opening chapter presents the standard two-factor, two-commodity barter model of international trade and a comprehensive treatment of the important properties and relationships. The rest of the book consists of four sections: parts One and Two are devoted to an analysis of factor market imperfections, and Parts Three and Four consider the trade-theoretical consequences of product market imperfections. A concluding chapter presents some generalised theorems. This book would be of interest to students of economics.

In recent years economic activity has become increasingly globalized. One of the main instruments behind this process is the multinational enterprise. In The Globalization of Business, first published in 1993, John Dunning explores the latest issues in the world of international business and looks ahead at the remaining years of this century identifying the likely challenges of the future. What are the challenges posed by the technological, political and economic developments of the 1990s for international business? What are the implications of the opening up of new territories such as in Central and Eastern Europe and parts of China? To what extent are the competitive advantages of nation states increasingly coming to depend on the presence of multinational activity? What are the implications of the globalization of markets and production for the domestic economic policies of governments? This collection of essays will be vital reading to students of international business.

Elizabeth Emma Ferry traces the movement of minerals as they circulate from Mexican mines to markets, museums, and private collections on both sides of the US-Mexico border. She describes how and why these byproducts of ore mining come to be valued by people in various walks of life as scientific specimens, religious offerings, works of art, and luxury collectibles. The story of mineral exploration and trade defines a variegated transnational space, shedding new light on the complex relationship between these two countries and on the process of making value itself.

The eleventh volume in the series India's National Security Annual Review 2011 concludes from a detailed analysis of India's security environment that there are some major security threats, but not of such magnitude as to impede its economic growth and political stability. On top of the list of India's external security concerns is China's growing military and economic power, its assertiveness vis-a-vis countries on its periphery and its endeavour to contain India, manifest in its strategic nexus with Pakistan and incursions into India's borders. Added to these is the intractable boundary dispute, a persistent destablising factor in the bilateral relations. India nevertheless is trying to cope with China's pressures by improving its defence capability and engaging China diplomatically. Pakistan remains another major security threat because of its covert policy of exporting terrorism into India despite its loud rhetoric on containing terrorist outfits, and the increasing radicalisation of its society, politics and security forces with worrisome implications of a possible jihadi take-over of the state. On the other hand are such positives as India's enduring strategic partnership with Russia and a growing one with the US, and its promising engagements with ASEAN, Africa and neighbouring countries which are either conflict-ridden (Afghanistan, Sri Lanka), or undergoing significant political transformation (Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar). India's internal security situation offers a mixed picture with a lull in insurgent movements in the northeast and popular unrest in the Kashmir valley, but persisting challenges posed by left-wing extremism in tribal areas. Addressing such and other issues, this book would be indispensable for policy makers, members of the strategic community, and students of defence studies, international relations and political science.

This volume seeks to examine the evolving contours of Asian multilateralism through emerging China and how it is likely to impact on the growth trajectories of Asian countries. From this perspective, it explores the prospects for 'partnership' in Asia, especially in terms of China's engagement with its principal Asian neighbours, especially India. A substantial part of the volume is devoted to debating China-India relations, highlighting their mutual stakes through their economic and security cooperation as well as their engagement with other countries and regional forums. The book furthers the understanding of the rise of China from an Indian perspective while simultaneously locating China's rise in the economic dynamics of an emerging Asia. The volume offers illuminating viewpoints, analyses and insights from multiple perspectives, mixed with academic rigour and up-to-date information. It will be of interest to those engaged in economics, politics, trade relations, Indo-China relations, foreign policy, area studies, public policy, and strategic studies.

This book provides fresh insights into the theory and policy of regional and multilateral trade from the perspective of developing countries. With the collapse of talks at the WTO Doha round, regionalism has proliferated in the form of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs). This in turn has raised a number of critical issues in global trade policy debate. Given the implication of RTAs and WTO negotiations on economic development, the book emphasises that it is essential to examine the macro and micro effects of international trade flows on welfare, revenue, poverty and environment, particularly in the light of diversities, heterogeneities and limited financial capacity of developing countries. It discusses various issues of trade, investment, poverty, gender and legal dimensions in the regional and multilateral framework and is a useful guide to formulation of trade and economic policies for the benefit of developing countries. The book will be of primary interest to those in economics, commerce and management, and will be a useful reference for alternative research in this area.

This collection of research papers explores the impact of the Arab uprisings on the politics and political economy of foreign aid provision in the MENA region. Contributions focus on the foreign assistance policies and strategies of key donors (United States, Europe, Gulf countries and Turkey), and on the relationship between donors and recipients of foreign aid in a select set of MENA cases (Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine and to a lesser extent Morocco). Despite widespread rhetoric among lead donors pledging to support the transformational potential of the Arab uprisings, the contributions find a more complex pattern in foreign aid provision since 2011. Among Arab donors, who have played a significant role as providers of aid to states most affected by mass protests, trends in foreign assistance reflect the competing priorities of donors, and their willingness to politicize aid provision in pursuit of their strategic interests. Among Western donors, authors find a high degree of continuity. Chapters that focus on Western donors seek to account for continuity on the part of Western governments and the EU at a moment of profound transformational potential. Two factors, bureaucratization and securitization, capture most of the explanations provided, which take into account a variety of local dimensions as well. Contributions also discuss the changing assistance environment, namely the globalization of foreign assistance, the complex bureaucratic arrangements presiding over the delivery of European and US aid, and the role of regional and international non-democracies in the provision of foreign assistance. This book was published as a special issue of Mediterranean Politics.

Foreign direct investment in the natural resource industries is fostered through the signing of concession agreements between the host State and the investor. However, such concessions are susceptible to alteration by the host State, meaning that many investors now require the insertion of stabilization clauses. These are provisions that require the host State to agree that they will not take any administrative or legislative action that would adversely affect the rights of the investor. Arguing that it is necessary to have some form of flexibility in concession agreements while still offering protection of the legitimate expectations of the investor, Resource Nationalism in International Investment Law proposes the insertion of renegotiation clauses in order to foster flexible relationships between the investor and the host State. Such clauses bind the parties to renegotiate the terms of the contract, in good faith, when prevailing circumstances change. However these clauses can also prove problematic for both State and investor due to their rigidity. Using Zambia as a case study, it highlights the limitations of the efficient breach theory to emphasise the need for contractual flexibility.

Rapidly growing investment in Southeast Asia poses a major strategic and organizational challenge for European transnational corporations. In addition to establishing and maintaining profitable businesses in these strongly local markets, transnationals now have to integrate their Southeast Asian operations into their global strategies and operations. Transnational Corporations in Southeast Asia presents an institutional economic approach which describes and explains the local and regional organization of seventeen European transnational corporations in Southeast Asian markets in relation to their worldwide organization. Focusing on the period from 1984 to 1991, the book also includes a detailed account of the establishment strategies of these corporations and their major operations in the region. Professor Jansson utilizes a transaction-cost theory to explain behaviour within the European transnational corporations. Providing researchers, students and business analysts with detailed information on the experience of key transnational corporations in Southeast Asia, this important book also offers an assessment of the effects of marginal activities on multinational corporations in areas far away from their home base.

Maritime transport is one of the most ancient supports to human interactions across history and it still supports more than 90% of world trade volumes today. The changing connectivity of maritime networks is of crucial importance to port, transport, and economic development and planning. The way ports, terminals, but also cities, regions and countries, are connected with each other through maritime flows is not well-known and difficult to represent and measure, even for the transport actors themselves. There is a strong, urgent need for reviewing the relevant theories, concepts, methods, and sources that can be mobilized for the analysis of maritime networks. With contributions from reputable scholars from all over the world, this book investigates the analysis of maritime flows and networks from diverse disciplinary angles going across archaeology, history, geography, regional science, economics, mathematics, physics, and computer sciences. Based on a vast array of methods, such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS), spatial analysis, complex networks, modelling, and simulation, it addresses several crucial issues related with port hierarchy; route density; modal interdependency; network robustness and vulnerability; traffic concentration and seasonality; technological change and urban/regional economic development. This book examines new evidence about how socio-economic trends are reflected (but also influenced) by maritime flows and networks, and about the way this knowledge can support and enhance decision-making in relation to the development of ports, supply chains, and transport networks in general. This book is an ideal companion to anyone interested in the network analysis of transport systems and economic systems in general, as well as the effective ways to analyse large datasets to answer complex issues in transportation and socio-economic development.

This book uses Alan Winters' analytical framework to investigate the effects of trade liberalisation on economic growth and poverty in Vietnam. The country launched a programme of economic and trade reforms, known as Doi Moi, in the mid-1980s which placed the economy on a transitional path from central planning to a market economy. Since then Vietnam has attained a number of remarkable achievements in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction. Although some formidable problems (such as inequality and inflation) remain, it is apparent that trade liberalisation has been associated with a big reduction in poverty. The analysis in the book focuses on the microeconomic (household) level, and there is an emphasis on tracing the effects of trade liberalisation through the four separate channels identified by Winters. Such in-depth and micro-level analyses yield new insights that support important policy lessons and recommendations for Vietnam in particular and, more generally, for similar developing countries.

Traditional historiography describes the "repartimiento de mercancias" as a forced system of production and consumption in which officials of the Spanish crown compelled Mexican Indians to produce goods marketable in the Spanish economy and to purchase expensive and undesired Spanish products. The author challenges this conventional portrayal of Indian-Spanish economic relations by arguing that Indian market behavior was economically rational and voluntary. He further argues that the "repartimiento" was an institution designed to overcome market imperfections inherent in Mexico's colonial economy and to facilitate the extension of credit in a cross-cultural environment.
Examining "repartimiento" production of cochineal, a dyestuff produced exclusively by Oaxacan Indians and representing Mexico's most valued export after silver, this study shows that Indians produced cochineal for the market voluntarily because it provided them with needed income. The primary role of the "repartimiento" was to provide Mexico's indigenous peasantry with credit, without which they could not have participated in the market as extensively as they did. Owing to the difficulty of collecting debts, credit provision was monopolized by agents of the Crown, the alcaldes mayores, who alone possessed the legal leverage needed to enforce the payment of debts. Though Spanish officials profited from the "repartimiento, " their economic gains were not so great as traditionally believed.
Overall, the book demonstrates that Mexican Indians were much more actively engaged in the market than customarily imagined, and were adept at promoting their interests despite the discriminating policies of colonialism. The book rounds out its account of the "repartimiento" by examining the transatlantic trade in cochineal, especially in its late colonial decline.

Trade finance is of great importance in the commercial world, for both students (undergraduate and postgraduate) and practitioners. The choice of countries in export trade is often perception-based: trade with government departments or public institutions is seen as much safer than with private entities and the choice of countries is often based on that perception of risk. Legal Aspects of Trade Finance provides a comprehensive approach to the issues relating to export trade and the methods of raising finance for such trade. The obstacles that traders may encounter in providing trade across national boundaries are clearly identified, as are the risks parties to a trade contract should take into account. It explains the various methods of payment and types of finance, such as: - Letters of credit; barter; bills of exchange - Factoring; forfeiting; export credit guarantees It also examines the role of international organizations and statutes, such as: - ICC Uniform Rules for Collection - UNIDROIT Conventions of International Factoring This title is illustrated with examples from case law relevant to both developed and developing countries. This book is suitable for both undergraduates and graduate students studying the interaction between law and commerce, and for transnational trade practitioners.

The World Trade Organization (WTO), the successor to GATT, is rapidly establishing itself as the third pillar of the Bretton Woods institutions alongside the World Bank and the IMF. The prolonged international negotiations which led to its establishment have produced a complex set of agreements which not only constitute the most profound revision of the rules governing world trade, but extend these rules into a range of issues and economic sectors not hitherto regarded as falling within its ambit. This book, by an author who was intimately involved in the Uruguay Round which led to the creation of the WTO, is an indispensable and concise explanation of what the WTO agreements actually provide for. It deals with the full range of technical provisions and issues, explaining where necessary the background, terms involved, and implications of the new provisions. Together with its companion volume which criticizes the Agreements from the point of the view of the developing countries, it provides public officials, NGO leaders and economists in general with an essential explanation of the new rules governing world trade.