scholarly journals South America's biophysical involvement in international trade: the physical trade balances of Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil in the light of ecologically unequal exchange

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Dorninger ◽  
Nina Eisenmenger

International trade is becoming increasingly important in the strategies of industrialized economies ('core' countries) to meet their physical needs and maintain their social metabolism. Less industrialized ('non-core') countries, in particular those with low population densities such as countries in South America, provide a large share of the natural resources currently being used by the 'core' countries. This article analyzes the relations of biophysical exchange of Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil with global 'core' and 'non-core' countries in order to add to a discussion of possible relations of different national economic policies, such as import substituting industrialization or neoliberal adjustment, on the countries' physical trade balances (PTBs). By that we will provide a biophysical reading of ecologically unequal exchange; by investigating whether there is a physical net trade flow from 'non-core' to 'core' countries, whether primary products dominate exports of 'non-core' countries in exchange for processed products from 'core' countries, and whether the notion of unfavorable mass-to-price relation for the trading 'non-core' countries applies (Hornborg 2012; Martinez-Alier 2007). The magnitudes, type of material, stage of processing and monetary value of the traded goods are analyzed for the time period from 1962 to 2011. The evaluations have been carried out for trade relations with the 'core' and the 'non-core' countries separately. Additionally, in order to trace the so-called China Effect, which led to the period of new extractivism, the quantities exported to China are shown separately. The results indicate that the three countries examined are net exporters of physical quantities. The physical involvement in 'core'- and 'non-core'-related international trade differs greatly, but at the same time the relative importance of the 'core' as trading partner has decreased steadily over the five decades. Still, 'core'-related trade involves the most unfavorable mass-to-price relation. These conditions, i.e. high importance of unprocessed export commodities, low average unit prices, and an unfavorable monetary trade balance (MTB), reveal many characteristics of an ecologically unequal exchange. This is especially true for Argentina and Brazil. Due to its lower economic performance and limited involvement in international trade, Bolivia to some extent represents an exception.Keywords: Ecologically unequal exchange, physical trade balance, South America, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil.

2008 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1481-1512
Author(s):  
Isabel Feichtner

A common language is indispensible for reaching and maintaining understanding in all inter-subject relations, including international relations. One element of today's common language in the field of international trade in goods is the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (the Harmonized System/HS) which is maintained by the World Customs Organization (WCO). The HS provides for a common vocabulary by classifying all traded goods according to a nomenclature. This common vocabulary facilitates, and avoids misunderstandings in, communications about products. It thus reduces transaction costs and consequently is of eminent economic importance for today's globalized trade relations. Take for example WTO tariff negotiations with respect to chocolate: While one party might assume that the product commonly referred to as white chocolate is included in the negotiations on chocolate, the other trading partner might assume that it is excluded for the reason that it does not contain cocoa and thus does not qualify as chocolate. Reference during the negotiations to specific positions of the HS nomenclature reduces the probability of such misunderstandings. If during the exemplary tariff negotiations parties would refer to the HS heading Chocolate no party could later claim that the negotiated tariff should also apply to white chocolate since the HS classifies the product which is commonly referred to as white chocolate under the heading Sugar Confectionary (and there under a specific sub-position) whereas chocolate containing cocoa is classified under the heading Chocolate. The vocabulary of the Harmonized System is a point of reference for many legal norms which relate to international trade in goods – in my example the legal obligation to comply with the negotiated tariff concession (Art. II GATT) and not to discriminate against like products (Art. I, III GATT). While the HS provides the vocabulary, these norms provide the grammar of a common language of international trade.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1000-1021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingyue Wang ◽  
Rui Kong

This paper studies the evolutionary characteristics of international trade of potassium salts. We construct a weighted and directed complex network model of potassium salt trade, analyze the scale and activity, trade relations, trade flow distribution and the importance of trading countries using UN Comtrade2000-2016 data. Results show that potassium salt trade is more dynamic, resource allocation is more convenient. Some countries have formed trade groups. The relationship between small and major countries is growing. The resource flows of countries with large degrees are conducive to balancing resource’s distribution. Besides Canada is a leading trade country, and the US, the Russian Federation, China and Brazil are trade-led countries. China, the Netherlands, the US, France and India are important hubs. Finally, using Porter's national competitive advantage theory, it proposes countermeasures for forming the international competitive advantage of potassium salt enterprises in different countries.


Author(s):  
Bernard Hoekman

The World Trade Organization constitutes the core of the international trade order. It provides a framework for nations to address the negative spillover effects of trade policies and for subsets of countries to engage in deeper integration of markets through preferential trade agreements. Chapter 1 examines how the trade order has been successful in supporting economic growth of developing countries and accommodating the reintegration of China into the world economy. It now confronts the challenge of managing the consequences of success, including disagreements between major trading powers, especially China and the USA, regarding the balance of rights and obligations and the effects of “behind-the-border” economic policies.


2000 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 79-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elif Akçetin

The effects of the Great Depression of 1929 on peasants in Turkey is an area of study that has remained neglected, despite the fact that peasants then constituted 75 percent of the population. The reason why the condition of peasants has not attracted much attention is the dramatic change between the economic policies of the 1920s and those of the 1930s. The immediate consequence of the stock-market crash and the sudden drop in prices was the shrinkage of international trade. Governments dealt with the depression by implementing quotas on imports, and liberal economic policies were no longer considered successful. Protectionism became the most popular policy for the management of economies in difficulty. The change in economic policies during this period constituted a break with the past and therefore has been the principal focus of studies on the Great Depression.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 201 (3) ◽  
pp. 240
Author(s):  
María Paz Catanzaro ◽  
Marisa Graciela Bonasora ◽  
Pablo Rafael Speranza ◽  
Marcelo Medina-Nicolas ◽  
José F.M. Valls ◽  
...  

Paspalum chilense, a new species from Chile belonging to the informal Notata group, is described and illustrated on the basis of morphological, cytological and molecular evidence. Our evidence supports its affinity with P. barretoi and P. nummularium, from Brazil, from which it probably diverged by vicariant speciation. The limited available material of the new species was previously identified as P. pumilum or P. minus. A new key to the species of the core Notata group is provided.


Author(s):  
Rafail R. Mukhametzyanov ◽  
◽  
Nikolay G. Platonovskiy ◽  
Akhmed M. Khezhev ◽  
Tatiyana V. Ostapchuk ◽  
...  

In the context of the modern global financial world order, an important element of the stability of the national monetary unit of the overwhelming majority of countries in the world, especially developing countries, is foreign exchange earnings. For some countries with favorable natural and climatic conditions, the production, processing and export of agricultural products plays a significant role in the overall structure of foreign exchange earnings in the country. The constantly increasing demand from consumers for fruits, berries, nuts and their processed products allows economic entities of national fruit and berry subcomplexes to increase the volume of growing and exporting these types of products. This study analyzes the change in the volume of exports and imports of fruit and berry products in value terms for the period 2010-2019. It is revealed that some states, being the largest exporters of fruits, berries, nuts and products of their processing, occupy significant positions in the import of these types of products from abroad. Based on the author’s calculations, the top 30 countries of the world have been compiled in terms of net foreign exchange earnings from international trade in this type of product. According to this indicator, the first line with a level of $ 7.506 billion was occupied by Spain, while it increased it by $ 1.675 billion over 10 years. As for Russia, despite the counter-sanctions against the countries of the European Union and some other countries of the world, as well as the ongoing policy of import substitution, including in domestic gardening, it continues to be one of the main importers of fruits, berries, nuts and their processing products in the world. Thus, our country supports both foreign producers and other commercial structures that carry out the processes of commodity circulation of fruit and berry products, and the receipt of foreign exchange earnings in these powers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-156
Author(s):  
I. A. ZHURAVLEVA ◽  

Customs payments are an important regulator of the country's economic presence in foreign economic relations and trade relations. Customs receipts serve as a landmark indicator that provides the revenue side of the budget in its significant income, and also determine the place of the state in the system of the interna-tional division of labor and its corresponding place in the value chain. Customs duties (CD) act as a kind of regulator of the amount of goods imported into the territory of the state, taking into account the state and conditions of the domestic market and the country's balance of payments. The positive financial and economic multifactorial nature of CD is manifested in stimulating the optimization of the structure of imports of goods and services, and in addition, it can act as a tool to protect domestic producers from external competitors, and strengthen the state's trade balance.


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