If you want to understand what microfinance really does for rural economies, it helps to get beyond the feel-good stories and look closely at the numbers. The narrative of small loans transforming lives is powerful, but the mechanisms—who’s borrowing, what kinds of businesses they’re running, and how those ventures fare—deserve closer scrutiny. Here, ISIC codes […]
In February 2022, Executive Order 14067 was signed, marking a significant pivot in how the United States government approaches digital assets and the ecosystems that underpin them. Much of the immediate media focus fell, understandably, on its implications for consumer protection, financial stability, and the potential development of a central bank digital currency. But tucked […]
The European Union’s Conflict Minerals Regulation, which came into force in January 2021, was already considered by many to be a landmark in the global effort to reduce the trade in minerals that fund violence and human rights abuses. But as with so many regulatory frameworks, the first year of implementation revealed gaps—practical ambiguities that […]
The International Trade Council (ITC) recognizes the recent approval of a $700bn ( £577bn) economic package by the US Senate, encompassing major legislation on healthcare, tax, and climate change. This comprehensive bill seeks to decrease the cost of certain medications, elevate corporate taxes, and reduce carbon emissions. The passage of the bill, a cornerstone of […]
The International Trade Council is concerned about the recent trade restrictions imposed by China on Taiwan. In response to Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, Chinese commerce and customs authorities announced on Wednesday that they would halt exports of sand, imports of Taiwanese citrus fruit, and some types of fish. The Council recognizes China’s status […]
If there’s one thing the pandemic made unmistakably clear, it’s that the way people work has changed—maybe for good. Telecommuting, once a niche arrangement or a perk reserved for a select few, became the norm for whole sectors almost overnight. But now, as the dust settles, the challenge for analysts and policymakers is figuring out […]
When the US Cybersecurity Disclosure Act was signed into law in March 2022, many in the policy and business communities welcomed it as both overdue and, frankly, daunting. The Act’s core requirement—that companies report significant supply-chain-related cybersecurity incidents—was born of growing concern over vulnerabilities that ripple outward from seemingly minor nodes in complex vendor networks. […]
The International Trade Council (ITC) commends US President Joe Biden’s commitment to address the climate crisis, as exemplified by the announcement of a $2.3bn ( £1.9bn) investment plan to enhance infrastructure resilience against extreme weather and natural disasters. As an organization deeply invested in fostering international trade that aligns with sustainability, the ITC supports […]
The International Trade Council is pleased to announce that the Go Global Awards will be held in Tallinn, Estonia in October 2022 in partnership with Enterprise Estonia. The Go Global Awards celebrate companies that drive the global economy forward through their innovative technologies and strategies. Enterprise Estonia, which won last year’s gold award for Best […]
The International Trade Council is pleased to announce that the Go Global Awards will be held in Tallinn, Estonia in October 2022 in partnership with Enterprise Estonia. The Go Global Awards celebrate companies that drive the global economy forward through their innovative technologies and strategies. Enterprise Estonia, which won last year’s gold award for Best […]
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, revised in 2018, has had no shortage of commentary over the past few years. But with the release of the first full year of reporting data through the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) in 2021, the conversation shifted—from theory and regulatory text to data, and what that […]
The International Trade Council (ITC) welcomes the decision of the Canadian government to ban the manufacturing and import of “harmful” single-use plastics. The new regulations, announced on 20 June 2022, will be effective from December 2023 and will prohibit the sale and import of checkout bags, utensils, food-service products with plastic that is difficult to […]
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), signed into law in December 2021 and taking effect on June 21, 2022, represents one of the most sweeping efforts by the United States to tackle forced labor concerns in global supply chains, particularly with respect to Xinjiang-origin goods. For apparel importers, this law imposes not only a […]
The International Trade Council acknowledges the importance of the ongoing high-level meeting held by the World Trade Organization (WTO) — the first in 4-1/2 years — which brings together over 120 ministers from the organization’s 164 member countries. The meeting is set to address significant issues such as pandemic preparedness, food insecurity, and overfishing. […]
Circularity in fashion is the kind of idea that gets a lot of attention—endless conference panels, glossy brand campaigns, hopeful talk about closing the loop. But if you want to move beyond slogans and really understand whether the fashion industry is changing, you need to know where to look and how to measure. This is […]
When the Tariff Accountability Act was signed into law in December 2021, it was, in many respects, a formal acknowledgment of something industry participants and economists had been pointing out for years: that tariffs, though often wielded as blunt instruments of trade policy, generate complex and sometimes unintended ripple effects throughout supply chains. The Act […]