Industry

Mexico Rises on Influential FDI Index

February 19, 2010
Mexico has substantially improved its ranking on an influential list of destinations for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The 2010 A.T. Kearney Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index, produced by A. T. Kearney, a global management consulting firm, indexes the outlook of senior executives at many of the largest companies in the world.

Signs of Hope in US-Mexico Trucking War

February 17, 2010
Recent activity by the Obama administration points to the possibility of a breakthrough in the ongoing cross-border trucking dispute between Mexico and the United States.  Following his two-day visit to Mexico on February 8 and 9, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk had optimistic predictions for the settlement of the dispute.  In an interview with Reuters, the Representative noted that President Obama had successfully persuaded Congress to remove a clause in the 2010 appropriations bill that had effectively prohibited the movement of Mexican transport trucks into the United Sta

The Cost of Climate Change Commitments: How Have Canada and the US Moved Forward Since Copenhagen?

February 11, 2010
The Fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP-15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) concluded on December 19, 2009 without long-term targets after a 31-hour negotiating marathon. The conference, which saw the creation of the Copenhagen Accord, has been criticized as "a predictable disappointment" due to fears of economic repercussions, high domestic political stakes, and political finger-pointing.

Measuring Up in a Changing Economy: A Look at New U.S. Service Sector Data and Why It Matters

March 12, 2010 10:00 am - March 12, 2010 11:30 am at The Brookings Institution, Saul/Zilkha Rooms, 1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC
Access to timely economic information is crucial for policymakers as they respond to booms and busts. While services industries have grown to account for more than half of U.S. output, until recently, the nation has lacked up-to-date information on this sector's activity, making it more difficult to detect turning points in the economy.

Recall Rattles Toyota While Other Automakers Rebound

February 5, 2010
Toyota Motor Corporation is the latest automotive maker to be confronted with production woes; unlike several of its competitors however, it is not centred on a bailout. The massive Toyota recall which has captured the attention of consumers, as well as transportation regulators, began in 2009 and has since grown to include 270,000 vehicles in Canada and 2.3 million in the United States. Several problems have been identified in recent months, from poorly fitted floor mats which threaten to jam pedals, to defective accelerator pedals that stick and cause sudden, unintended acceleration.

2010: Consumer Optimism’s Return to America?

January 19, 2010
On an annual basis, January in the United States is highlighted by two of the country's largest trade events of the year: The North American International Auto Show in Detroit and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Both events are regularly used as a measure of future technological innovations, and the level of economic optimism existing in the market as seen through the number of conference attendees and the type of goods present. January 2009, for instance, showed dramatic signs of economic decline at both CES and the Detroit Auto Show.

Relief for the Tar Sands Proposed amid Copenhagen Summit

December 17, 2009
Currently in Denmark’s capital city of Copenhagen, the leaders of the world are uniting in an effort to eradicate the causes of anthropomorphic climate change. The forum is said to be the largest climate summit in the world’s history, with 119 world leaders in attendance at one point or another. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was late to announce his intention to attend the summit. In fact it was only after U.S. President Barack Obama announced his own intentions that the Canadian Prime Minister followed suit.  

Making Milk: The Practices, Players, and Pressures behind Dairy Supply Management

November 23, 2009
The Conference Board of Canada published a report by Danielle Goldfarb that examines, in practical and accessible terms, how Canada's dairy supply management system works, as well as its origins and effects.

Detroit: The Great American Laboratory

October 26, 2009
In September, Time Inc. purchased a house near downtown Detroit as part of its year-long project, Assignment Detroit, to cover the region, "a great laboratory for studying American society, politics and business": "Because we believe that Detroit right now is a great American story. No city has had more influence on the country's economic and social evolution. Detroit was the birthplace of both the industrial age and the nation's middle class, and the city's rise and fall - and struggle to rise again - and a window into the challenges facing all of modern America.

Government Occupation of Electrical Company Causes Waves of Protest

October 23, 2009
President Calderon ordered Mexican federal police to close the offices of Luz y Fuerza del Centro (LyFC) late on the night of Saturday October 10, citing gross inefficiencies in the operation of the country's second largest energy company. Fearing labour protest, riot gear-clad officers occupied dozens of the company's offices and distribution centres in the middle of the night. The government argued that Mexican law obligates the federal police to protect state-owned property considered important to its national interests.