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Byline: David R. Francis The Great Recession has had many victims, including the stock market, housing, and the jobs market. There's also a lesser-known casualty, yet one important to American [...]

Byline: David R. Francis Staff Writer Would a touch of protectionism do the United States some good? Protectionism is generally taboo among policymakers and economists. "Being called a protectionist is […]

Byline: David R. Francis Many officials in the United States and abroad fear the global economic slump will revive protectionism. The immediate cause for concern is a 'Buy American' clause [...]

Looks at how terrorism has affected international trade. Idea that a combination of a world economic slump and terrorist attacks in the United States has slowed globalization; Decrease in international trade and foreign investment; Long-term rise of global trade and investment which may be unstoppable; Heightened security systems at borders and in corporate mailrooms which may help slow trade.

Discusses the outlook for negotiations concerning world trade to be held in Qatar and the outlook for protesting at the event.

Discusses the debate concerning the imbalance of foreign trade between China and the United States.

Reports on efforts of United States president Bill Clinton to launch a round of world-trade liberation talks of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Examines the implications of the use of the euro as of January 1, 1999. Symbolic and practical implications for the world; Impact on Western Europe and the United States; Value of the euro; Stocks and bonds that are expected to be priced in euros; Extent of the challenge to the US dollar; Euro available in paper currency by 2002; Euro expected to encourage more trade.

Discusses the United States trade deficit. Advantage in trade negotiations; 1998's deficit; Inability to accuse the US of being protectionist; The weight behind US threats to impose restraints on imports; Prediction of 1999's deficit; Economic virtue of the trade deficit; Comments of Charles McMillion, chief economist of MBG Information Services in Washington; Measure of US international activities; Development in two trade areas; Forecasting.

Focuses on United States media coverage of the so-called banana war between the US and the European Union (EU). The real issue of goals for president Bill Clinton in the short time that is left in his administration; Forecasted revival of talks over trade disputes; Why the EU insists on restricting the sales of Dole and Chiquita bananas, despite disapproval of the World Trade Organization.

Comments on the surge of steel imports into the United States. Indiana Congressman Peter Visclosky sponsoring a bill to roll back steel imports to their level prior to July 1997; How the Stop Illegal Steel Trade Act runs against world trade agreements; Background on steel imports and the American steel industry; Opposition to the bill by Aaron Lukas of the libertarian Cato Institute; Two economists who oppose the Cato view.

Examines the impact that the global economy of 1997 is having on the economies of individual countries. Cheap labor and its impact on inflation in wealthy countries; Potential concerns about deflation; Countries experiencing deflation; How trade between the United States and China is responsible for the steady inflation rates in the US; The role of peace in stabilizing inflation; Outlook. INSET: Could inflation drop too low?..