It would be difficult, perhaps even reckless, to talk about modern economic policymaking without at least mentioning the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) system. Admittedly, it’s an arcane topic at first glance—a rigid, hierarchical code system, dense with numbers and nomenclature. But scratch beneath the surface and it becomes clear: ISIC codes are something like […]
The International Trade Council (ITC) acknowledges the recent proposal by Mexico’s economy secretary for further talks with the United States regarding the ongoing dispute over Mexico’s energy sector. The ITC supports the commitment of both nations to engage in dialogue to resolve their differences and avoid a full-fledged trade complaint under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. […]
The International Trade Council (ITC) acknowledges the recent meeting between President Joe Biden and President Emmanuel Macron, where they reaffirmed their shared commitment to unity against Russia and engaged in discussions regarding trade concerns. During their meeting, the leaders emphasized the importance of standing together against Russian aggression in Ukraine. President Biden reiterated the […]
The International Trade Council (ITC) applauds the decision of the German parliament to approve the free-trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Canada, taking an important step towards the full implementation of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The CETA, signed in 2016, has been provisionally applied since 2017, with most of […]
International Trade Council announces the UK-Ukraine digital trade agreement, in a move to boost Ukraine’s economy amid challenges from the war and infrastructure damages. The deal was struck at a London meeting between the UK Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch and Ukraine’s Minister for Trade and Economy Yulia Svyrydenko. The agreement aims to facilitate cross-border flows […]
The International Trade Council (ITC) acknowledges the ongoing commercial dispute between Mexico and the United States concerning Mexico’s ban on imports of genetically modified (GM) yellow corn. The ITC urges both parties to engage in constructive dialogue to find a mutually beneficial resolution to the issue. Mexico’s President, Andrà©s Manuel Là³pez Obrador, has […]
When Canada’s Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business and the wider federal supplier diversity framework incorporated enforcement of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) reporting requirements in 2022, it represented a quiet but significant shift in the landscape of supply-chain accountability. These principles, adopted back in 2017 and often seen as aspirational guidelines, took on a more […]
The International Trade Council is delighted to announce that the Australian Parliament has passed bilateral free trade agreements with India and Britain. This important step will enable both Australia and its partner nations to diversify their trade relations, as Australia seeks alternatives to the Chinese market and Britain continues to establish new bilateral trade partnerships […]
The International Trade Council is pleased to announce that the agreement enabling safe and secure export of grain, foodstuff, and fertilisers from Ukraine has been extended for an additional four months. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a cooperative venture involving Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the United Nations, has proven crucial in curbing the global […]
The Biden Administration’s Executive Order 14017, issued in February 2021, came at a moment of acute concern over the resilience of the United States’ semiconductor supply chain. It was not just a reaction to the visible disruptions that dogged the auto sector, consumer electronics, and even defense contractors as the pandemic rippled through global manufacturing. […]
The International Trade Council (ITC) commends the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, for raising concerns about trade “blockages” with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their recent face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia. The bilateral meeting between the leaders of Australia and China marks an important step […]
For all the breathless headlines about robots replacing workers, the reality of automation—and its effect on labor—unfolds in slow, uneven waves. It isn’t a matter of robots suddenly flooding every shop floor, but a patchwork of change that plays out sector by sector, year by year. If you want to see what’s really happening beneath […]
The EU’s Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD), in force since 2013, has been something of a slow-burn regulatory force. For much of its early existence, companies affected by it—large public-interest entities mainly—treated the obligation as a disclosure exercise that could be satisfied by assembling environmental, social, and governance (ESG) information in a fairly general way. There […]
Australia’s National Plastics Plan, first introduced in 2021, has always had an ambitious edge, though some would argue its ambition has at times outpaced the practical tools available to those on the front lines of implementation. The 2022 open-data pilot, launched quietly but with considerable significance, marked the government’s first real push to operationalize transparency […]
Anyone who’s spent time in both a city and the countryside knows the gap isn’t just about scenery or pace of life. Increasingly, it’s about digital opportunity—who’s wired in, who’s building online businesses, and who’s left waiting for a signal. The so-called “digital divide” is talked about often, but when it comes to actually measuring […]
The 2021 amendments to the US Tariff Act didn’t exactly make headlines the way that sweeping trade agreements or high-profile tariff battles do. Yet, for economists, policymakers, and—critically—supply chain professionals, these changes have quietly reshaped how firms are expected to document and disclose the knock-on effects of Section 301 tariffs. The amendments introduced a novel […]