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Nov 26, 2024 | 
cato.org | Gabriella Beaumont-Smith
In a world beset by increasingly pessimistic news, digital trade provides an important feel-good story about the value of free enterprise. November 26, 2024 • Policy Analysis No. 985 In a world beset by increasingly pessimistic news, digital trade provides an important feel-good story about the value of free enterprise.
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Nov 24, 2023 | 
thehill.com | Gabriella Beaumont-Smith
Cyber Monday is the biggest online-shopping day of the year. In 2022, Americans spent $11 billion dollars on Cyber Monday alone. But a number of new proposals seeking to restrict trade could increase price tags, limiting the bargains of those Cyber Monday deals. While Cyber Monday and holiday sales in general provide consumers with substantial discounts, processing packages requires sophisticated and efficient logistics, especially at U.S. ports.
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Nov 1, 2023 | 
memo.com.ar | Gabriella Beaumont-Smith |Gabriel Conte
El pasado Halloween escribí sobre cómo el diabólico programa estadounidense del azúcar encarece los caramelos. Este año, como titula The New York Times, los caramelos de Halloween son aún más caros. El artículo del New York Times cita factores no controlables como el mal tiempo y los elevados costos de los fertilizantes, entre otros problemas, pero curiosamente omite el programa azucarero estadounidense como razón que contribuye a elevar los precios del azúcar.
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Oct 20, 2023 | 
cato.org | Gabriella Beaumont-Smith
In December 2020, Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), issued a decree banning genetically modified (GM) corn for human consumption. Mexico is the US’s third top trading partner for agricultural products and the number two export market for US corn. The ban poses concern for many American corn farmers because more than 90 percent of US corn is genetically modified.
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Oct 10, 2023 | 
cato.org | Johan Norberg |Donald Boudreaux |Nicholas Anthony |Gabriella Beaumont-Smith
In East Asia, the developing region that has globalized the most, the share of workers in extreme poverty was just 0.5 percent in 2022. In contrast, the region with the least foreign investment and participation in supply chains, sub-Saharan Africa, had a rate of 38 percent.
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Sep 22, 2023 | 
cato.org | Gabriella Beaumont-Smith
While Barbie herself is produced in China and Indonesia, her home, the “Dreamhouse,” is made in Mexico. Manufacturing the Barbie doll in Asia is ideal because the production is intricate and requires careful handiwork that is well‐established in the region. Moreover, the doll’s predictable demand, small size, and light weight make it easy and cheap to transport in bulk.
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Sep 21, 2023 | 
cato.org | Gabriella Beaumont-Smith
Today, I published a piece in Real Clear Policy highlighting Mattel’s Barbie supply chain and why manufacturing products in multiple countries is positive. Here’s a summary:The toymaker behind Barbie’s brand, Mattel, is one of the largest in the world and it exemplifies today’s global supply chains. Despite being known for her Malibu Dreamhouse, Barbie and her accessories come from all over the world—and for good reason. Different countries—much like different stores—offer different advantages.
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Sep 12, 2023 | 
cato.org | Donald Boudreaux |Johan Norberg |Nicholas Anthony |Gabriella Beaumont-Smith
Most simply, comparative advantage refers to a person’s ability and willingness to supply other people with a good or service that these other people cannot otherwise acquire at a lower cost. Described this way, comparative advantage appears trite: To say that Ann has a comparative advantage at supplying fish to Bob is to say only that, at least for Bob, the lowest-cost supplier of fish is Ann.
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Jun 5, 2023 | 
cato.org | Gabriella Beaumont-Smith |Alfredo Carrillo Obregon
On May 31, 2023, legislation was introduced to lower U.S. barriers to imports of infant formula and infant formula base powder. As we and our colleague Scott Lincicome have explained (repeatedly), eliminating tariffs is one of several smart policy reforms that would not only help American babies and parents, but also ensure a more stable U.S. market in the future.
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May 8, 2023 | 
nationalreview.com | Gabriella Beaumont-Smith
If you scratch the surface of virtually any supply crisis, you'll likely find myriad trade restrictions preventing the flexibility that businesses need to adapt to emergencies.
