The US-Mexican ‘”frontera” is a hot spot for turf rumbles and tariff tussles, on a personal and national scale. At this month’s Leaders Summit in Guadalajara. Presidents Calderon and Obama and Prime Minister Harper classically ducked the thorny subject of NAFTA’s stalled agreement for bi-national trucking reciprocity for Mexico. I suppose Mr. Harper got smartRead… Read more »
Timing is everything, and I wonder how much more water the pending free trade agreement (FTA) between Colombia and the US must tread before its ratification by the US congress. And today’s political waters are shark-infested, indeed. Signed and ratified just before Thanksgiving 2006, as reported in Wall Street Journal, the FTA yet remains aRead… Read more »
Branding a nation, location or city in Asia is not just advertising. AsiaPac cities must develop a global reputation of creating and adding value and yet concurrently command emotional resonance as part of their unique selling proposition. Those which do not invest enough to build the relevant and visible brand equity will not be effectiveRead… Read more »
Nineteenth-century San Francisco went from a rough-and-tumble boomtown to a Victorian city with cosmopolitan ambitions. Its development was controlled by a small group of oligarchs: miners, industrialists, financiers and real estate speculators who hoped to forge a world-class metropolis in a single generation, enriching themselves in the process. The private sector is made up ofRead… Read more »
ADB reports that in 1950, the Asia and Pacific region was mostly rural with only 17% or 232.0 million of its 1.4 billion people living in towns or cities. The United Nations (UN) estimates that by 2030, 55% of 4.9 billion Asians, or 2.7 billion people, will live in urban areas. Starting in about 2015,Read… Read more »
2009 is the Year of the Ox, according to the Chinese zodiac. The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. Many Asians expect 2009 to be the Year of the Skinny Ox. Asia’s political leaders, civil service, businesses and citizens are preparing for the worst year since the 1997 Asian crisis.Read… Read more »
Two of Asia’s problems are now reduced FDI inflows and too much trade export dependency on the US and Europe. In 2008, FDI inflows to Asia and Oceania decreased by 2.2 percent to US$313.5 billion. For South, East and South-East Asia, there was a marginal increase of 3.3% to US$256.1 billion. This region is theRead… Read more »
2009 World Trade Week events in the southern California/US-Mexico border region: Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce & U.S. Commercial Service co-hosted The Americas Business Forum in Los Angeles May 27-28. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke reminded guests to tap the US & Foreign Commercial Service’s myriad resources. LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa shared his vision ofRead… Read more »
Lately I’ve been asking government employees what magazines/blogs/websites to get information on the government community and tips on their jobs. I usually get a puzzled look or maybe an apology saying they know they should read more. I actually read way too many magazines, blogs, newsletters about the federal government. I am here to giveRead… Read more »