Monthly Archives: October 2013

The EU regulation harmonization and the story of lawnmower decibel limits

An article in the Financial Times titled “Why Europe needs cross-border lawnmower regulations” (October 16, 2013) describes a law setting the maximum noise level generated by lawn mowers. The limits were in response to German laws demanding lower decibel levels … Continue reading

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The US govenment shutdown, US imports delays, and local production impact

An article in the New York Times titled “Shutdown’s quiet toll, from idled research to closed wallets” (October 11, 2013) describes how lack of EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) inspectors at ports has delayed goods at US ports. Chemicals held at … Continue reading

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The Nike vs New Balance disagreement regarding import tariffs for Shoes made in Vietnam

An article in the Wall Street Journal titled “Nike, new balance highlight thorny issues in trade talks” (October 7, 2013), describes the disagreement between Nike and New balance regarding the 10% US tariff on shoes made in Vietnam. The tariff … Continue reading

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Walmart ‘s Made in the USA goal and impact

An article in the Wall Street Journal titled “Pitching to Walmart – Made in the USA” (October 7,2013) describes plans by Walmart to increase their US sourcing by $5 billion each year. But the company wants to hold customer prices, … Continue reading

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Understanding and fixing the 244% inflation for onion prices in India

An article in the Financial Express titled “Dousing the vegetable fire” (October 11, 2013) describes the 244% price rise between between August 2012 and 2013. The authors highlight that 50% of the onion production in India is in two states … Continue reading

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