These days, the amount of data available about anything, anywhere, is growing much faster than our ability to process and really understand it. This is true in many fields, but especially in matters of international trade. Statistics on trade flows are available in over 5,000 product categories for all countries, and even more detail for many. Tariff rates, non-tariff barriers … [Read more...] about How can we understand the complexity of trade data?
Could connectivity become an engine of development in South America?
We are now more connected than ever. Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and other apps are part of our daily lives. They allow us to share experiences, move closer to each other, and keep us informed. Nonetheless, there is also a connection that is not from a virtual world but it is instead from a physical reality. This is the connectivity that brings countries together through … [Read more...] about Could connectivity become an engine of development in South America?
What do three Nobel Prize winners think about Latin American integration?
There’s an exception to every rule, and the old saying about “two economists, three opinions” doesn’t always turn out to be true. The Nobel Prize-winning economists Robert Solow, Edmund Phelps, and Alvin Roth agreed on the importance of regional integration for Latin America’s development, and all three believe innovation to be a key driver for trade. The three experts were … [Read more...] about What do three Nobel Prize winners think about Latin American integration?
A New Trade Agenda: How Latin America Can Engage Beyond Traditional Free Trade Agreements
When people talk about integration in Latin America, the discussion is abuzz with talk of the Pacific Alliance (PA), an integration initiative among Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico that has become a model of a modern approach to regional integration. Not only has the PA removed traditional trade barriers — the group eliminated tariffs on 92 percent of traded goods and … [Read more...] about A New Trade Agenda: How Latin America Can Engage Beyond Traditional Free Trade Agreements
7 lessons learned on business process reengineering and improvement
When electricity was first popularized at the beginning of the 20th century, there was a huge wave of factories that replaced their steam engines with electrical engines in an effort to increase productivity and modernize operations. However, the initial productivity gains from the electrification were barely noticeable - a phenomenon known in the economics literature as the … [Read more...] about 7 lessons learned on business process reengineering and improvement