by Brian J. McCormick, guest columnist This is not another April Fool’s story. Finding what we at Chemcost Interactive* call “The New Cheap” – the markets that offer the lowest prices for chemicals commodities – takes digging into the data on global buying and selling...
Growing Trade in Palm Oil Drives Quest for Sustainability
Kellogg’s announcement that all its palm oil suppliers must source the low-trans-fat oil in a way that is “environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable” is a major win for environmentalists. Kellogg will be working through its supply chain...
Russia Sanctions: What about Vodka?
Russians have launched a retaliatory Internet campaign of tongue-in-cheek sanctions against US President Obama, Reuters reports. It includes Twitter users forbidding Obama from Russian vodka under the hashtag “MySanctions” (#МоиСанкции). There’s every chance Obama...
Trade Data Points to Potential Impact of Russia Sanctions
While the early rounds of US sanctions aimed at getting Russia to rethink its Crimea strategy have been confined to a small circle of government insiders and banking institutions, President Obama has signed an executive order that clears the way for sterner measures,...
Comparative Economics: Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance
Call it Latin America’s controlled experiment in economics (as the Wall Street Journal did recently): Along the Western seaboard, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru embrace free trade and are working to lift restrictions on the movement of capital, goods and services,...
Naming Names: Best-Price Alternative Sources for Chemicals
by Brian J. McCormick, guest columnist In past columns, Chemcost has explored where in the world US chemicals purchasers can find the “New Cheap.” This month, we focus on who can deliver lower prices, with a demonstration of how Datamyne’s US bill of lading import...
Will Look South Initiative Yield Results? Potential’s There.
by Bill Armbruster, blog anchor Business executives and trade analysts generally applaud the Obama administration’s new Look South Initiative, I found. (See my related post for details on this program to boost US exports.) “The initiative has the potential to help...
Look South Initiative Aims to Lift US Exports to Latin America
by Bill Armbruster, blog anchor While Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations grab headlines, the Obama administration is launching a program to create export opportunities for US companies in this hemisphere. The new Look South initiative aims to help companies chart...
Care to Share Your Laptop’s Contents with Customs? You May Have to
by Peter Quinter, guest columnist I have been writing for years about US court decisions regarding the inspection of the contents of laptops, mobile phones, and other digital devices by officers of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), US Department of Homeland...
Air or Sea, a Rose by Either Transport Is Still a Sweet Valentine
Buying (or expecting) roses for Valentine’s Day? Your long-stems will be among 196 million roses produced for Valentine’s Day (according to Statistic Brain) and, odds are, they’re just off the plane from South America. There’s a small but growing chance, though, that...