Commercial shipping between the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean begins to see more normal patterns, as once-looming Houthi rebels suspend their unconventional, if not deadly, toll practices at Bab al-Mandab. The head of the Suez Canal Authority affirms that as many as 50 vessels adjusted their itineraries to pass through the […]
Continue readingCategory: Economic Diplomacy
Economic diplomacy helps to safeguard the global marketplace. How will regulatory shifts in one nation effect trade activity? Will the strategy decisions of a sovereign wealth fund impact financial markets? Can sanctions by one country on another have a ricochet effect on an industry? The trend toward bilateral agreements, in tandem with diminished globalization, means that multilateral organizations may have less of an impact than they once did, but they remain potent in setting the pace of economic reform.
This City Becomes the Pentagon’s Sandbox
El Segundo, California is trend forward in the innovation business. The near-LAX city is an unlikely spigot for the next generation of American startups. Venture capitalists find fresh opportunity there in military-related projects, channeling patriotism. Silicon Valley once considered investing in defense to be taboo. A confluence of circumstances has […]
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Mexico Is the Cornerstone of US Manufacturing
American politics and American business converge at the Mexican border. In the popular imagination, we find it peculiar that the crossing is viewed as some sort of national liability. The obvious rebuttal is that Mexico is now the largest US trading partner. Many border issues should be dissected, if not […]
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Washington Deploys Marines to Safeguard Oil Tankers
An unfolding policy of stationing US Marines onboard commercial oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz seems dangerously theatrical. The approach threatens a direct confrontation between the US and Iran. That analysis, however, may be too simple. As the world’s largest oil producer, the US has diminished interest in protecting […]
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