Trade

2021November 2021FocusGlobal PariahsMiddle East

FOCUS on Pariah Leaders: Bashar al-Assad

In early October, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received a phone call from King Abdullah II of Jordan, their first since Abdullah called for Assad to step down in 2011 during the Arab Spring, according to Al Jazeera. Jordan is not alone in normalizing relations with their estranged Arab neighbor—Egypt and the UAE have both contacted the Syrian government. Jordan and the UAE have come to agreements to improve economic ties and resume trade with Syria, despite U.S. sanctions.

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2021March 2021OpinionAmericas

Legalizing Marijuana in Mexico Creates a Power Triangle Involving Transnational Drug Companies

Mexico is positioned to become the world’s largest legal marijuana market in the world. On March 11, 2020, the lower house of Mexico’s Congress passed a bill legalizing recreational marijuana. This bill would “let users with a permit carry up to 28g and grow as many as eight plants at home for personal use,” according to BBC News. Currently, it is illegal to carry more than five grams in Mexico. This promising bill does not come without warning though, as it fails to address the violent history of Mexico’s cartel-led market.

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November 2020Opinion2020

Will Australia- China Trade Tiff Turn into a Trade War?

Australia’s relationship with China, its largest trading partner, is increasingly strained as a result of a row over new Chinese trade restrictions. Relations between the two nations have been tense for years due to a series of policy disputes. When Australia supported an international inquiry into China’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, their ties officially began to sour.

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September 2020Opinion2020

Where Has Free Trade Gone? 

Tariffs have led to devastating results throughout history. Alexander Hamilton’s tariffs attempted to protect fledgling American businesses from British competition, resulting in higher domestic prices, inefficient business models, and finally the War of 1812. Another example is the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff; duties on all goods were raised to a whopping 60 percent. According to PRI, it just so happens that the highest tariff in history was implemented on the eve of the Great Depression. They simply cause economic pain. 

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