"Contrary to the conventional wisdom, the historical fact is that the rich countries did not develop on the basis of the policies and the institutions that they now recommend ..." [more inside]
posted by edguardo on Jan 9, 2011 - 77 comments

This past March, former US President Bill Clinton acknowledged to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that tariff policies his administration championed in the mid-1990's helped destroy Haiti's rice production and contributed to the impoverished nation's inability to feed itself. But while most of the world has stopped paying attention to Haiti's woes, Mr. Clinton has become the de facto leader of the effort to rebuild it after the catastrophic earthquake this past January. Will his influence be enough? Reports from the UN Office of the Special Envoy to Haiti indicate that the reconstruction progress has been slow. [more inside]
posted by zarq on Jul 21, 2010 - 35 comments

The Obama administration has reversed the past administration's plan for retaliatory import tarriffs on various luxury commodities, such as Rocquefort cheese and gourmet Spanish hams. The tarriffs were a response to the EU's ban on imports of hormone treated beef from the US.
posted by longsleeves on May 7, 2009 - 59 comments

Trade Wars Bush imposes import tariffs on steel, something I didn't really expect coming from the administration. Dangerous precedent or useful bulwark against laissez-faire globalization?
posted by kliuless on Mar 5, 2002 - 46 comments

Last week, the WTO ruled against a corporate welfare program for US exporters (again). This week, a Canadian hemp company claims the US owes them US$20m under NAFTA for harrassment and impinging on future returns.
posted by raaka on Jan 23, 2002 - 10 comments

Is 'lumpy sauce' a vegetable? EU officials are meeting today to decide this burning question. (more inside)
posted by mr_crash_davis on Jan 9, 2002 - 13 comments

"We have always maintained that we have the right to decide the way in which we distribute our products to best serve our customers." (Especially at a 100% markup.) Levi Strauss celebrates an EU judgement on parallel imports that protects their ability to sell $40 jeans for £50 in the UK. In an era of online storefronts, transatlantic shopping trips, and continental car sales, can these new brand-based tariff barriers really hold up?
posted by holgate on Nov 20, 2001 - 26 comments