What a Strawberry and a Chicken Say About Free Trade

More than governments negotiating agreements, free trade is about the variety of strawberries, chickens, pickup trucks and pencils that we can buy.

The Lobster War Between Sweden and Maine

The future of North American lobster exports to the European Union was threatened when 32 “surly” reddish green lobsters were found in Scandinavian waters.

Searching For an Accurate Statistic

Whether looking at the height of Mount Everest or at the rules of origin that will be renegotiated during the NAFTA talks, we have a statistical accuracy problem.

A Lot For a Latte?

We can get the most latte for our loot in Cairo. At the equivalent of $1.53, a Cairo tall latte is close to one-half the $3.45 price of one in the U.S. On the other hand, a tall latte in Zurich…

The Travels of a Cashew

We seem to be going nuts for cashews. You can see below that the U.S. and India are eating the most. We like our nuts as a snack, in protein bars and as cashew milk. In India, a growing middle…

Why Tomatoes are Controversial

Texas and Ohio call the tomato their state fruit. But in New Jersey, it’s the state vegetable. Where are we going? To why people care about what we call a tomato. A Supreme Court Decision Because of the Tariff of…

Why the Panama Canal is Bigger and Better

Enabling the newest massive container ships to travel to the East Coast, the Panama Canal expansion changed the world’s transportation infrastructure.

Fracking and India’s Guar Bean Bubble

Used in ice cream, India’s guar gum is also so necessary for fracking that the rise of oil prices created a guar bean bubble.

Looking at a Global Supply Chain With a Smile (Curve)

A smile curve is a handy way to see that the global supply chain for technology is much more complicated than a Made-in-China label.

Where Smartphones Have to be Clever

Targeting a less literate, poorer population, developing nations’ smartphones are different from their “sisters” in industrialized countries.