The release of the first parliamentary review of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act (2018), published towards the end of 2021, marked an important, though perhaps somewhat sobering, milestone in the country’s effort to combat forced labour and exploitation in supply chains. For those of us tracking the Act’s implementation, the review’s findings were hardly surprising, yet […]
International Trade Council expresses its support for Ukraine amidst the catastrophic impact of the ongoing war on the country’s economy. The World Bank recently warned that the war in Ukraine would cut global economic growth, and the president of the World Bank, David Malpass, has called it “a catastrophe” for the world. The International Trade […]
The International Trade Council stands in solidarity with Ukraine in the face of ongoing attacks from Russia, as Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announces the country is stripping Russia and Belarus of their status as “most favoured nation” trading partners. “We strongly condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and support Canada’s move to impose […]
The 2021 introduction of the Farm to Fork Act into the U.S. legislative pipeline was, for many in the agri-food sector, a long-anticipated signal that supply chain traceability was about to become more than just a voluntary best practice. Though still a proposal at this stage, the Act’s underlying ambition—mandating comprehensive traceability for produce supplied […]
For all the talk about the transition to green energy, real progress is measured in projects on the ground—wind farms going up on rural hills, solar panels stretching across rooftops, new hydro stations along rivers that barely made the news. If you want to know how a country or region is moving toward renewables, you […]
Risk is the business of insurance. For centuries, underwriters have weighed the likelihood of loss—whether from fire, theft, accident, or natural disaster—to set premiums that are both fair to policyholders and financially sound for the insurer. The evolution of this process, particularly in an era of big data and complex supply chains, has made industry […]
The International Trade Council welcomes the decision of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to lift the ban on Mexican avocado imports to the US. The ban, which was triggered by a threat to a US food inspector, had halted the primary supply of avocados to the US. The import ban had a […]
The International Trade Council acknowledges the decisions made by the Philippines and New Zealand to reject the inclusion of Myanmar in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s largest free trade agreement. This move broadens international opposition to the military takeover in Myanmar, which has led to violence, democratic setbacks, and trade and diplomatic […]
The European Union’s Plastics Strategy, formally adopted in 2020, was ambitious from the outset. By setting out targets like the requirement for 30% recycled content in all PET bottles by 2030, the EU signaled that voluntary commitments were no longer sufficient. It was always going to be about moving the market, not merely nudging it. […]
The International Trade Council expresses concern over China’s suspension of beef imports from Lithuania amid the growing trade spat with the Baltic nation and its Western allies over Taiwan. The suspension took effect on Wednesday, and the General Administration of Customs did not give a reason for the suspension. However, the agency typically halts imports […]
The International Trade Council welcomes the truce between the United States and Japan, which allows most steel shipments from Japan to enter tariff-free for the first time since 2018. The agreement will remove the 25% levy on incoming steel imports from Japan, up to 1.25 million metric tons a year, and will take effect from […]
Digital transformation is no longer just a buzzword. It’s reshaping the very structure of economies, affecting everything from GDP composition to the rhythms of everyday consumer life. Yet for all the rhetoric, measurement remains a challenge. Where does one locate “digitalization” in national statistics, and how can policymakers—or analysts—track its trajectory with any confidence? Here, […]
Japan’s efforts to manage electronic waste have always stood out for their structure and precision, but with the 2021 amendments to the Act on Promotion of Resource Circulation for Plastics and Electrical Appliances, a new phase began. The amendments, in effect from February 2021, made it unmistakably clear: manufacturers can no longer afford to look […]
In much of Latin America, the boundaries between formal and informal work are blurry at best. On paper, government statistics might present a tidy division, but anyone familiar with street life, microenterprise, or professional freelancing knows the reality is more tangled. For policymakers, researchers, and advocates, the question isn’t just how many people are working […]
Canada’s mining sector is no stranger to public scrutiny. But with the federal government’s 2021 ESG transparency guidelines now in effect as of 2022, metal producers face a fresh imperative: map and disclose their supply chains in far greater detail than before. These aren’t just nice-to-have disclosures anymore. They’re fast becoming the baseline for credible […]
The International Trade Council is pleased to announce the launch of negotiations between India and the United Kingdom on a free trade deal. This ambitious agreement is expected to significantly boost bilateral trade, marking one of the most notable negotiations for the UK following Brexit. British International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan met with India’s Minister […]