Saturday, April 26

Global Trade

What Happens When China Buys Up Europe’s Ports?
2Nov By Patti MohrNo Comments
Europe, EU, Eurozone, Geopolitics, Global Trade, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Types of News: Analysis

What Happens When China Buys Up Europe’s Ports?

China's Xi Jinping has a stake in developing relations with Greece and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Photo: Li Xueren/Xinhua China's State-Owned Cosco To Buy Stake In Another European Port November 2, 2022—Greece may be a pioneer and champion of democracy, but in the business of trade it owes a great deal to communist China. In fact, its largest port, Piraeus, is owned by a Chinese state-owned shipping company called Cosco Shipping. That's the subject of a fine piece of reporting by Kaki Bali for Germany's DW, called "In Greece's Largest Port of Piraeus, China Is The Boss." Bali looks at the implications on trade and geopolitics as China's Cosco buys up ports in Greece, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands and Brussels. Noting the modernization of the port and jobs, ...
Read More
Migrant Workers At U.S. Military Bases Face Forced To Stay By Private Contractors
31Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Arms Sales, Military Industry, Human rights, Migration, Immigration, Borders, Types of News: Brief

Migrant Workers At U.S. Military Bases Face Forced To Stay By Private Contractors

Photo NBC Complaints Of Forced Labor Linger While Private Firms Continue To Win U.S. Contracts October 31, 2022—In an irony of ironies, the U.S. government opposes to human trafficking and forced labor at the same time that its Defense Department hires private contractors that routinely conducting those practices.  Migrant civilians working on U.S. military bases in the Persian Gulf are subject to trafficking and abusive labor practices, according to a groundbreaking investigation conducted by a team of international journalists. The team included investigative reporters from the Washington Post, NBC News, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, and Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalists to uncover the story. Their findings came to light late last...
Read More
3 Things That Cross The U.S.-Mexican Border: Drugs, Guns, And Migrants
19Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Arms Sales, Military Industry, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Diplomacy, Types of News: Analysis

3 Things That Cross The U.S.-Mexican Border: Drugs, Guns, And Migrants

October 19, 2022—The United States and Mexico have at least three things in common: drugs, guns and migrants. The U.S.-Mexico border is porous, and trafficking of all three runs rampant. In the United States, deadly drugs from the South kill Americans. Conversely, in Mexico, illegal firearms from the North empower cartels and endanger society. Meanwhile, migrants from around the world risk their lives to make it across the border. A Shared Border, Shared Problems Leaders in both governments recognize the problems. Their presidents are making plans to address them. Speaking by phone late Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador reviewed plans to improve security along the border, prosecute gun traffickers, reduce illegal migration, ...
Read More
U.S. Treasury Assesses Impact Of Sanctions On Russia
17Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Arms Sales, Military Industry, Sanctions, Types of News: Brief

U.S. Treasury Assesses Impact Of Sanctions On Russia

U.S. Government Warns About Secondary Sanctions To People Or Entities Supporting Russia's War October 17, 2022—As Russia has waged war against Ukraine and Ukraine fought back, Western governments have carefully weighed in on the battle through the global financial system. It's a powerful economic coalition that comprises 37 countries. The U.S. government alone issued roughly 1,500 new sanctions and amended 750 more. They target Russia's defense industrial base, the aerospace sector, the microelectronic industry, financial institutions, elites and oligarchs, luxury goods, and oil refining. The sanctions are having an impact on the Russian economy. But is it enough to have an impact strong enough to end the war? Impact of Sanctions On Friday, the U.S. Treasury Department rele...
Read More
NATO Reaffirms Support For Ukraine, Strengthens Air Defense
13Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Arms Sales, Military Industry, Geopolitics, Types of News: Brief

NATO Reaffirms Support For Ukraine, Strengthens Air Defense

Photo by Kongsberg October 13, 2022—As NATO ministers met in Brussels yesterday and today, Russia's bombardment of Ukraine's capital and nine other cities was fresh on their minds. The war intensified, and NATO and the G7 nations of Western countries strengthened their support for Ukraine. Ukraine has asked the military alliance of 30 countries to fast track its request for membership. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that would lead to World War II. And many NATO-member leaders took heed. "We do not want world war," French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter. Germany, meanwhile, is leading the effort to strengthen Europe's military defense. Air Defense System While NATO treads lightly on expansion. Today, 14 NATO members agreed to jointly develop an air de...
Read More
New U.S. Ban On Xinjiang-Made Products Goes Into Effect
22Jun By Patti MohrNo Comments
Global Trade, Human rights, Types of News: Brief

New U.S. Ban On Xinjiang-Made Products Goes Into Effect

Source: WSJ June 22, 2022—A new U.S. law banning products made in Xinjiang, China goes into effect today. It requires U.S. importers to pay close attention to goods that might have been produced by forced labor in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The list of products impacted includes cotton and textiles, hair products, and silicon. Some of the companies named in the import ban are already on the U.S. sanctions list. Last year, for example, the U.S. government ban solar products made in Xinjiang. The complaint by the United States is that the products are made with forced labor by the Chinese government of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other minorities. The region is known, according to a statement by the State Department,  for ongoing practices by the Chinese government...
Read More
WTO Ministers Reach Multiple Agreements
17Jun By Patti MohrNo Comments
Global Trade, Types of News: Brief

WTO Ministers Reach Multiple Agreements

WTO concluded its 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva on June 17, 2022 Geneva Summit Concludes With Trade Accords On Fisheries, Vaccines, Food Safety, AND WTO Reform June 17, 2022—Delegates at the World Trade Organization reached multiple deals on trade this week. At the conclusion of an in-person ministerial summit held in Geneva, the WTO announced agreements on fisheries subsidies, intellectual property, digital trade, rules for COVID-19 vaccines, food safety and agriculture, and WTO reform. "The outcomes demonstrate that the WTO is, in fact, capable of responding to the emergencies of our time,” said WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. “They show the world that WTO members can come together, across geopolitical fault lines, to address problems of the global commons, ...
Read More
INTERVIEW: Mexico’s Case Against The Gun Industry
9Jun By Patti MohrNo Comments
Arms Sales, Military Industry, Types of News: Videos

INTERVIEW: Mexico’s Case Against The Gun Industry

June 9, 2022--As attention grows in the United States about gun laws, America's neighbor on its Southern border is awaiting an outcome of its lawsuit against U.S. gun makers. Mexico is asking for injunctive relief. This is Part 1 of 2 videos where GER's Editor Patti Mohr discusses the case with Bill Slomanson, professor of law at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. He currently teaches International Human Rights Law for San Diego State University’s Osher Institute and the University of San Diego’s University of the Third Age. https://youtu.be/UfTXSsR8N24
Read More
SNAPSHOT: UK-China Trade
6Jun By Patti MohrNo Comments
Global Trade, Types of News: Bit, Types of News: Infographic

SNAPSHOT: UK-China Trade

June 7, 2022—Trade in goods and services between China and the United Kingdom remained strong in 2021, with $79 billion in goods (£63.6 billion) from China reaching the U.K. and $23.6 billion in goods (£18.8 billion) flowing the other direction. The U.K. Office of National Statistics released the data this week. The figures include trade in services.
Read More
‘Choice of Law’ Comes Into Play In Mexico’s Civil Case Against U.S. Gun Makers
6Jun By Patti MohrNo Comments
Arms Sales, Military Industry, Types of News: Brief

‘Choice of Law’ Comes Into Play In Mexico’s Civil Case Against U.S. Gun Makers

Photo by Sebastion Pichler June 6, 2022—Massachusetts's "choice of law" rules come into question in the civil case that Mexico brought against U.S. gun manufacturers. The Mexican government started the case against U.S. firms Smith & Wesson, Barrett Firearms, Beretta U.S.A, Colt's Manufacturing, Glock Inc., and Century International Arms, among others. While the manufacturers are headquartered in various U.S. states, Boston, MA is a hub for the distribution of firearms. "Defendants' willfully blind, standardless distribution practices aid and abet the killing and maiming of children, judges, journalists, police, and ordinary citizens throughout Mexico." Case 1:21-cv-11269-FDS, initial filing Cost to Mexico The government's attorneys filed it as a personal injury lawsuit...
Read More

Contact Us