globalEDGE International Business Blog

New Global Business Model: Turning Waste into Energy

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:36:13 -0400

The international trade of consumer products is a regular occurrence and nearly everyone in the world is aware of its role in the global economy. However, how many people are cognizant of the fact that cities use imported garbage from neighboring countries and turn this waste into energy? I am guessing that not many people have heard of this phenomenon. This is exactly what is happening in the city of Oslo, located in southern Norway. Oslo is city marked with an environmentally responsible...

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Digital Currency

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:46:11 -0400

As the world migrates ever more so to the internet it seems like a logical step that a currency would develop for those online. Known as alternative, or more specifically, digital currencies, these relatively new creations have become more popular as internet connectivity has expanded and is also seen as a safe haven for some when more traditional currency markets take a hit. The variety of alternative currencies is many. From Linden Dollars to QQ Coins to Facebook Credits there is an...

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Growth Forecasts Cut for France and China

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:57:41 -0400

The International Monetary Fund releases a yearly forecast for countries that will predict the growth of the country. For France and China, the IMF has recently lowered their growth forecast due to a number of different reasons. For France, Paris has lacked a competitive economy and been slow to reform in recent times. For China, credit has been rising too fast along with the debt, and also slow growth economically will coincide with a slower growth in China. These two countries will have to...

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Business Travel on the Rise in Emerging Markets

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:29:58 -0400

From the hustling cities of Asia to the scorching desert cities of the Middle East, business travel is booming in emerging countries. Last year business traffic in the emerging markets of Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East grew substantially and major infrastructure projects are underway to accommodate the rapid growth in these markets. Most emerging cities are experiencing an expansion of airports, hotels, and highway. This trend is further testament to the dynamism and growth prospects...

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The Cloud Rush

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:23:59 -0400

It is almost undeniable that cloud computing is the future. And when it comes to technology the future is now. Cloud computing is the ability to store, manage and process data in a remote server that is hosted on the internet. Essentially, it is your hard drive but out on the internet so you are able to access it anywhere from any device that is outfitted with internet. The possibilities of this technology are seemingly endless and multinational businesses want in. This seems to have driven...

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International Business Institute for Community College Faculty

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:42:05 -0400

As May crawls to a close, the team here at the International Business Center at Michigan State University is gearing up for a highly anticipated event for faculty. Held at our renowned Kellogg Center every other year, the International Business Institute for Community College Faculty is an incredible learning environment for faculty nationwide to expand their institutions on the international spectrum. Over forty participants from around the country are gathering at MSU on Sunday to kick off...

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A World of Debt

Wed, 29 May 2013 11:16:46 -0400

A few weeks ago we briefly wrote about the shortage of talent that businesses need and rising educational costs associated with that. Today, we take an in depth look at student debt around the globe and how countries tackle the growing problems that are associated with student loans . Regardless of location there seems to be a few trends that most regions have in common. The first is that governments are increasingly reluctant to provide funding for universities. This has been highly...

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Three Reasons to Attend an International Trade Show

Tue, 28 May 2013 11:30:23 -0400

Generating international sales is a difficult task for many small businesses around the world. However, there are a countless number of strategies and opportunities that allow businesses of all sizes to accomplish this challenging feat. In fact, one of the best ways to drive intentional sales for your business is to attend international trade shows where you can display your product to interested buyers. The video posted below by the United States Department of Commerce uses the Health Show in...

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How the United States Oil Boom Will Change the World

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:10:10 -0400

International Energy Agency (IEA) reported on Tuesday that the shale oil recently found in the United States will help meet most of the world's oil demand in the next five years. It is significant to the world market as well as to the U.S. itself because it eliminates the threat of future energy shortage and reshapes the U.S energy market and its relationship with other countries. It has been predicted that developing countries are set to consume more oil than developed countries, led by...

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International Oversight

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:51:59 -0400

Today the shareholders of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. prepare for one of the most contentious stockholders votes of recent memory. One of the main issues centers on Jamie Dimon, who is the CEO of the company as well as the Chairman of the board of directors. Many of those who hold stock believe that these roles should be separated; in the vote last year the proposal was rejected but still received the backing of 40% of stockholders, which is nothing to take lightly. The arguments in favor of...

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2013 Emerging Market Outlook

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:27:23 -0400

Every year globalEDGE publishes its Market Potential Index (MPI) in order to assess a market’s attractiveness for international business. The Market Potential Index provides a detailed ranking of 26 emerging countries. With the MPI, determining which international market to enter is no longer an overwhelming task. Emerging markets are ranked based on several dimensions, allowing appropriate marketing strategies to be developed for each particular country. This year the MPI highlights...

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China's Investment in the Middle East

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:09:17 -0400

Until now, China has never shown much interest in Middle Eastern investment. If it is able to establish a relationship with the Middle East, it can take advantage of arguably one of the most volatile areas in the world. In an area where westerners have long feared to go, China seems very interested in the diplomacy, economics, soft power and security. Upon helping in the war in the Middle East, China has begun to fully immerse themselves in the Middle East in an effort to increase their...

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How Important is Debt?

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:38:55 -0400

The past five years has seen an increased importance placed on a country's level of debt. Trying to deal with this problem can differ greatly by country. From the gradual debt reduction approach seem to be preferred by the United States to the austerity measures that became a popular tool by Eurozone governments, countries are waking up to the realization that too much debt is a bad thing. What is too much debt? The groundbreaking academic paper released by Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth...

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China's Food Safety Scandals

Tue, 07 May 2013 11:02:06 -0400

Back in February, a colleague of mine wrote a blog post regarding the European horsemeat scandal in which horsemeat was advertised as beef in supermarkets. He described the implications that this might have concerning the global supply chain. One quote of his that proved to be shockingly accurate was, “…that the recent events involving horsemeat are only the tip of the iceberg.” Yet another food safety scare has arisen in China, where people are getting served rat meat for...

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A New, Stimulating Political Attitude - or More Austere Politics?

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:10:31 -0400

One of the most significant trends of the past several years has been austerity measures taken by governments all over the world in order to try to keep their budgets in control. Much of the support for these actions came from a 2010 paper by Ken Rogoff and Carmen Reinhart of Harvard entitled Growth in a Time of Debt. This paper claimed to have found that over the last 200 years, countries whose debt levels were above 90% of GDP experienced significantly lower growth rates than those...

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Globalization: The Early Years

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:13:53 -0400

Globalization is the worldwide movement to increase the flow of goods, services, people, real capital, and money across borders in order to create a more integrated world economy. Previously, I wrote of international trade in antiquities, but let take a look at trade during antiquity and how it has affected today’s economy. Trade networks have always followed the trends of politics, economics, technology, and most importantly culture. Exotic luxury goods demanded by...

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Japan Joins Talks on Asian Pacific Free Trade Agreement

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:47:49 -0400

Japan is the world’s third largest economy and the United States is the largest economy in the world ranked by GDP. But, these two huge economies do not have a free trade agreement, which strikes the question – why not? Obviously, there are a lot of reasons why these two great nations have not struck a deal yet, but one could be on the horizon. The effects of free-trade agreements have had a substantial impact on reducing barriers to trade and bettering all nations as a whole,...

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Young Prospects

Wed, 01 May 2013 10:05:41 -0400

Jobs, a word that stirs up many emotions, and as of late mostly worry. For those of all ages the economy is worrisome. From those who have been loyal employees at the same company for thirty years to those stepping off of campus this month with the ink still wet on their diplomas. All are troubled with what the future holds for them. Every year, at this time, the discussion resurfaces and as graduation inches closer for us here the thought of life after school becomes ever more prominent. As...

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Education in an Increasingly Global Age

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:56:39 -0400

No matter where you are in the world, the sustainability of almost every economy depends on one critical idea. Young and highly educated workers must be able to fill the void created by an aging population leaving the workforce. In the competitive global economic landscape of today, even highly developed countries cannot afford to slide into downward educational trends. One can obtain great foresight into the future outlook of the global economy by simply comparing international education...

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United Kingdom's Recovery from the European Financial Crisis

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:06:00 -0400

While the unemployment rate of Spain and Greece roaring extremely high these days and economies in the European Union rest down in the trough, good news has finally arrived from the Office of National Statistics. Recent statistics showed that the United Kingdom's economy grew 0.3% during the first quarter of 2013, which relieves the fear of the British economy falling into a triple-dip recession. Is this a sign that United Kingdom is getting itself out of the European Financial Crisis?...

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