UTEP Border Economics

Found this site the other day: UTEP Border Economics. 

Lots of unique statistics and papers dealing with cross-border trade between the US and Mexico.

Foreign Country Laws Regarding Business

Researching business law can be tricky.  I recommend that you begin with article that summarizes business law on a foreign country in regards to a certain issue: labor laws, the environment, etc 

Go to these databases:
Emerald  (very useful for laws governing labor)
Lexis Nexis (search either foreign news sources or legal journals)
Academic Search Complete 

You will get material that summarizes how the law is actually applied and what matters. THEN you can look up actual laws here. 

Treaties

Here are some ways to find out which countries have signed what kind of treaties. Also, bear in mind that membership in international organizations de facto carries some kinds of agreements and cooperation (i.e. European Union).

on the internet:

Organization of American States Free Trade Agreements

U.S. Free Trade Agreements

GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). Avoid www.gatt.org, one of the most famous protest sites on the internet.

UN Database of Treaties - All treaties entered into by any member state.

CIA World Factbook - see which international organizations a country belongs to. Choose your country and click on government to the bottom of the screen.

Treaties in Force - Treaties America has signed.

our databases:

Search Lexis Nexis for the full text of lapsed and current U.S. Treaties.  They also have the European Union treaties.
 
In Lexis Nexis, go to 1) International Legal Tab then 2) European Union, Commonwealth and Foreign Nations Tab (even for US treaties) 3) choose your selection from the box.

see below:

Finding International Stats In Passport

Passport database contains a lot of international financial and development statistics, but you have to know where to look.

American and Foreign Companies with Global Operations

Here's a database you may not have heard of. American and Foreign Companies with Global Operations.

Covers over 200 countries and 20,000 industries. A great way to do international business research or how to get a job living abroad.

IPUMS For International Census Data

IPUMS here.

This is a great portal to get international census data. I just heard about this but it seems to be free with registration.

In the past you really had to hunt around for the stuff.

 

Book Review: The Competitive Advantage of Nations

This is crucial reading for any student interested in international business.

This book by Michael Porter explores the reasons why any nation develops a competitive advantage in an industry. The answers often lie in national historical experiences, education, the nature of government regulation, access to capital, and geographic necessity.

Fascinating studies of why certain countries export chemicals, some excel in container ships, still others make the best appliances and more. Colorful analysis too of that elusive thing "national character" that will teach you how to approach this seemingly vague construct with analytical tools. The levels of trust, competitiveness (both good and bad), collaboration, openness to innovation and more traits are discussed.

After you identify and use an advantage, you must defend it! Author Michael Porter consistently stresses education as crucial in developing and maintaining competitive advantage. There are some case studies of some industries in Great Britain and United States losing their advantage, so pay attention!

Learn to analyze a country (including America) and then identify advantages.

Texas Exports

See specifically what Texas exports and to where. You can search by industry and where the products end up.
Exports by metropolitan area.

Also check out our database USA TRADEONLINE (available only in the library unfortunately).

Book Review: And The Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)

In the early 2000s, middle class Argentinians regularly awoke to find scavengers going through dumpsters looking for plastic bottles. In many cases, these scavengers had once lived in the same neighborhood or one like it. Looting, fires and civil disturbance were regular features on the evening news.

The culprit? Argentina's currency had collapsed and set loose a disastrous inflation rate that decimated the savings of normal people. Read the book for the gory details of a too large government, national debt, and an ill-thought basis for currency exchange.

The situation is not completely analogous to the issues the United States faces now. Argentina's problems were caused by pegging its weakening national currency to the dollar. Nevertheless, the episode does show what lurks under the delicate threads of currency valuation, debt and ultimately savings and societal trust.

And the Money Kept Rolling In is recommended as a lesson in national finance policy. For any student of Latin American economic history, it's a must read.

Critical View of TTIP: Democracy Vs. Corporations

Boring title, but the TIPP is one of the more significant laws of the last 25 years. Many people note it has the effect of raising corporations over national democracy.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Is Democracy Bad for Business?

Sometimes corporations and democracy can come into conflict.  The Trans-Pacific Partnership is an example.  The proposed treaty is controversial because it would give corporations the right to overturn national regulations.  This would actually formally elevate corporate power above sovereign democracy.

Basically, democratically elected leaders could no longer regulate their own country.  An unelected, international panel of experts would do that. And if any country manage to pass regulations that impacted a business, it would be assessed a fine.

Those in favor of the TPP argue that it would allow American competitiveness in emerging markets by extending patent laws, among many other details (more info in the links below).  Their overall point is that national regulations are misguided and damage corporate competitiveness which slows economic growth and prevents rising living standards for all.

Articles below require sign in with Texas State ID.

Anti-TPP article

Here is a pro-TPP article.

CIA World Factbook and Ranked Lists

Ever use the CIA World Factbook?

Look up data like purchasing power parity, growth, per capita GDP, investment, inflation, credit, etc... by individual country or generate lists of rankings.

The link to get rankings is here. Select economy and scroll down.

New Database: Import Genius Tracks Shipments

Import Genius

International trade database providing detailed information on ocean freight shipments entering the United States with names of American importers for almost any product, descriptions of what they're buying and the contact information for their suppliers overseas. Also includes shipping in and out of several Latin American countries and imports into India.

Search by product, country of origin, port, bill of lading and more.

 

Business Customs in Different Countries

Here's the way to research the business customs and/or psychology of different countries.

Country Watch has a link called Cultural Etiquette. Once you've selected your country, look at the left side of the screen:










Culture Grams is another option. Super easy to use. Sample screen shot below.

Market Share Reporter

I like Market Share Reporter - it allows you to see brand shares or the size of a market. Could be anything: chocolate, mobile phones, diapers, internet service providers, you name it. It's culled from various business and industry news sources and covers different countries.

EXAMPLE:

Once you get to the database, there's a simple search feature.

It works OK - but, if you have problems, go to advanced search, highlight Market Share Reporter, and do your search (you get the option of searching by SIC or NAICS in advanced search).

EXAMPLE:

Countrywatch Has Good International Agricultural Data

Countrywatch Database has good agricultural import and export data for all countries.

After selecting your country, click agricultural data on left side of screen.



You will see consumption, production, imports and exports for major agricultural products. Plus prices. 
Example: