Thesis (M.A. (International Politics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The foreign policy of the Republic of China (PRC) has been a considerable subject for debate in the past two decades. This is because China has turned its attention towards Africa, seen with the establishment of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in the early 2000s. Another reason for this debate is found in the fact that after FOCAC’s initiation, China has managed to become the largest trade partner of the African continent and the second biggest economy in the past two decades. Generally, China-Africa relations are largely a by-product of economic and political orientations. In the context of the above, this study uses a case study design to critique the foreign policy of China towards Africa. This case study design uses Zambia as a test case to critique the post-2010 Chinese foreign policy towards Africa. This is done by constructing and analysing China’s Africa policy and subsequently, locating China’s International relations with Zambia. To a great extent, this study imparts historical sensibility as it locates China’s international relations with Zambia from as far as during the colonial period. The consideration of historicity in this study draws fundamentally from the fact that the past always provides a resonate basis for comprehending the present and the future. In this study, the researcher advocate for the utility of Afrocentricity as a substitute theoretical framework important in apprehending China’s foreign policy towards Africa. The adoption and utility of this paradigm in this study are informed highly by its ability in spotlighting and highlighting the Asian tiger (China)’s international relations with Zambia. It is believed in this study that a profound comprehension of China’s Zambia policy can be realised when such interpretations and analysis are deeply found in the continental context of the African continent. Equally important are the objectives of this study which were realised, methodologically, through the use of document review. In consideration of the case study of Zambia, It is important to highlight that China ground-roots its engagement with Zambia on several factors of which the leading are: investment, international legitimacy and market drive. To add, Zambia’s stable political and economic environments continue to play a key role in the two countries' interrelations. This is so, even though some of the Chinese companies operating in Zambia are still unfamiliar with the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Overall, the concept of CSR should be in the leading front when it comes to the operations of Chinese companies in Zambia’s economic stakeholders.

There is a pattern of growth throughout agribusiness in North Dakota in which agricultural products ranging from commodities to machinery have all seen growth since 2000. Exports have contributed to most of this production increase. Agribusinesses across North Dakota are exporting to many areas of the world. With the help of the North Dakota Trade Organization (NDTO) many companies have developed trading relationships with clients in other nations. The purpose of this research is to measure the value of NDTO export promotion on North Dakota agribusiness [through the use of marketing, export programs, and counseling]. If the data supports the use of the NDTO, firms may be encouraged to use the services provided by the NDTO when export issues arise. This thesis uses a Tobit left censored model to bring the data together to produce empirical results which can be associated with the NDTO and its impact on a firm's total exports. Firm-level export promotion was found to be insignificant. However, small and medium firms were shown to benefit from the use of the NDTO through an average increase in 2008 export revenue of about $16,095 and $269,317, respectively. Furthermore, this is a $6.44 and a $107.73 return on dollar investment for small and medium firms investing in the services of the NDTO, respectively.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Export processing zones (EPZs) are policy instruments that are aimed at achieving the goal of economic development through boosting the manufacturing industry in a bid to increase and promote export. This is achieved by setting up or designating various areas or warehouses as free zones in which an environment that is friendly to manufacturing for exports, is established. Incentives such as tax exemptions for the import of required raw materials are given in these zones. EPZs are also known by other names but the most commonly used are free trade zones, industrial free zones, maquiladoras, export free zones, duty-free export processing zones, free zones and privileged zones, to mention a few. Similar to many other developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Zambia has a bias towards export orientation as a tool of economic development. This culminated in the formulation of EPZ legislation in 2001. The EPZ act was similar to EPZ legislation in various other countries and provided for the development of an industrial park in which manufacturing for export purposes would take place for both the public and the private sector. After awarding a few companies EPZ status, the government abandoned the act and embarked on more research, resulting in the development of the multi-facility economic zone (MFEZ) in 2007. Recognition of the role of non-traditional exports (NTEs) in increasing export earnings has been important in the justification for EPZ’s development in the country. There has been a drive to attract investment into this sector by means of export-promoting policies. However, and notwithstanding the fact that numerous cost benefit studies have been undertaken to determine actual benefits of zone erection, Zambia has not yet undertaken a comprehensive synopsis of the country’s specific policies which would need to be established in order for the zone to be successful.

From early colonial times the Canadian economy, highly dependent on exports, has developed a pluralist economic system in a generally congenial international environment. Since 1970 however, the Canadian economy has been challenged, albeit at the margins, by unfamiliar impacts largely originating in the Pacific economy. The institutional reactions of relevant Canadian export interests - defined as the federal government, provincial governments and a small number of Canadian firms - have, on the whole, proved inadequate to these challenges. This inadequacy threatens Canadian domestic prosperity and constrains economic and political options internationally. This study hypothesizes that an adequate response to these new challenges depends on institutional adaptation within and among Canadian export interests. Six principles are advanced to promote this adaptation: 1. the priority of economic considerations; 2. the legitimate role of government; 3. full provincial participation; 4. coordination by the national government; 5. an authoritative voice for each interest; 6. better sharing and use of information. The six principles are applied in three case studies. The first concerns the international marketing challenge posed by the Japanese general trading company (soga shosha), and the Canadian government's initiative to create a Canadian trading corporation. The application of the six principles suggests an alternative proposal, the Canadian Commercial Centre, in which Canadian export interests develop and share information in a way which recognizes the appropriate role of each and the obligation of all to attain a greater coherence. The second case study concerns the recent Western Liquid Natural Gas (WLNG) project which featured a new form of investment (the minority interest joint venture coupled with a long-term supply contract) in which a consortium of Japanese buyers represented by a Japanese general trading company sought to reach agreement with an uncoordinated collection of Canadian firms and governments. The lack of coherence among these Canadian interests was at least a contributing factor in the loss of an opportunity to expand and diversify Canadian LNG markets. The application of the six principles to the WLNG case yields an alternative Canadian approach involving the early establishment of a committee of authoritative officials from the relevant Canadian interests, and a new coordinating role for a federal agency like the (now disbanded) Ministry of State for Economic and Regional Development and the Federal Economic Development Coordinator. The final case study concerns the challenge to trade and investment represented by the movement to a Pacific economic community, notably the Pacific Economic Community concept (PECC). The current reactions of such institutions as the Canadian committee of the Pacific Basin Economic Council and the federal Department of External Affairs are assessed, leading to the recommendation that the Canadian government should involve a wider constituency of current and potential Canadian export interests in an educational policy process which may bear on Canada's future prosperity and political resilience. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Thesis (LLD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is generally recognised that diversity of laws may act as a barrier to the development of trade, both at international and regional level. In a globalised era, trade is necessary for economic development and ultimately for the alleviation of poverty. Although the WTO has done extensive work towards the removal of tariff barriers, there is also a need to focus on addressing non-tariff barriers which include legal barriers to trade. Institutionalised legal harmonisation at an international level has provided the necessary impetus for the development of harmonised laws in the area of international trade. The creation of regional economic communities within the purview of the WTO has also given rise to the necessity of legal harmonisation to facilitate intra-regional trade. A number of regional economic communities and organisations have noted legal harmonisation as one of their areas of regional cooperation. This study focuses on the need to harmonise the law of international sale within the SADC region in order to facilitate cross-border trade. The study points out that the harmonisation of sales laws in SADC is important for the facilitation of both inter-regional and intra-regional trade with the aim of fostering regional integration, economic development and alleviating poverty. Although the necessity of harmonising sales laws has been identified, no effort to this end exists currently in the SADC region. This study addresses the mechanisms by which such harmonisation could be achieved by analysing three models which have been selected for this purpose, namely the CISG, the OHADA and the proposed CESL. The main issues addressed include whether SADC Member States should adopt the CISG, join OHADA, emulate the CESL or should use any of the other instruments as a model for creating a harmonised sales law for SADC. In conclusion, it is observed that SADC has its own institutional and operational mechanisms that require a process and instrument tailor-made for the unique needs of the region. It is recommended that SADC should create its own common sales law based on the CISG but taking into account lessons learnt from both the OHADA system and the CESL. A number of legislative, institutional and operational transformative and reform mechanisms are recommended to enable the creation of such a community law and ensure its uniform application and interpretation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit word algemeen aanvaar dat regsdiversiteit die ontwikkeling van internasionale en regionale handel kan strem. In 'n geglobaliseerde ekonomie is internasionale handel noodsaaklik vir ekonomiese onwikkeling en die uiteindelike verligting van armoede. Alhoewel die Wêreldhandelsorganisasie reeds belangrike werk doen om handelsbeperkinge te verlig, is daar ook 'n behoefte om, afgesien van tariewe, ook ander nie-tarief beperkinge op internasionale handel aan te spreek. Regsdiversiteit is een van hierdie beperkinge. Geïnstitusionaliseerde regsharmonisering op 'n internasionale vlak het reeds elders die nodige stukrag verleen vir die harmonisering van die reg van toepassing op internasionale handel. Die totstandkoming van regionale ekonomiese gemeenskappe binne die raamwerk van die Wêreldhandelsorganisasie noodsaak egter verdere regsharmonisering ten einde inter-regionale handel te kan bevorder. 'n Aantal streeksgemeenskappe en –organisasies hanteer reeds regsharmonisering as een van hul areas van samewerking op streeksvlak. Hierdie studie fokus op die behoefte om die internasionale koopreg binne die SAOG streek te harmoniseer ten einde oorgrenshandel te fasiliteer. Die studie toon aan dat harmonisering van die koopreg in die SAOG belangrik is ten einde beide inter-regionale asook intra-regionale handel te fasiliteer met die oog op die bevordering van streeksintegrasie, ekonomiese ontwikkeling en die verligting van armoede. Alhoewel die noodsaaklikheid van 'n geharmoniseerde koopreg geïdentifiseer is, is daar nog geen poging aangewend om dit binne die SAOG streek te bewerkstellig nie. Die studie spreek die meganismes aan waardeur harmonisering bereik kan word deur drie modelle wat vir hierdie doeleindes gekies is te ondersoek, naamlik die Internasionale Koopkonvensie (CISG), OHADA en die voorgestelde gemeenskaplike koopreg-regime van die Europese Unie (CESL). Van die kwessies wat aangespreek word is of the SAOG lidlande die Internasionale Koopkonvensie moet aanneem, by OHADA moet aansluit, alternatiewelik die Europese koopreg of enige van die ander instrumente as model gebruik vir die skep van ‟n geharmoniseerde SAOG koopreg. Ten slotte word daarop gewys dat die SAOG sy eie institusionele en operasionele meganismes het wat vereis dat die proses en instrument pas gemaak moet word vir die streek se unieke behoeftes. Dit word aanbeveel dat die SAOG sy eie gemeenskaplike koopreg moet skep wat op die CISG geskoei is, maar wat ook die lesse geleer uit die OHADA en die EU in ag neem. Ten einde so 'n gemeenskapsreg te kan skep en die uniforme toepassing en interpretasie daarvan te verseker, word 'n aantal wetgewende, institusionele en operasionele hervormingsmeganismes aan die hand gedoen.

It is commonly believed about sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that the region has a comparative advantage in primary resources as reflected by its high share of primary exports to total exports. In acknowledging the region's comparative advantage, the study tries to put the determinants from the Wood and Mayer (1998, (999) (W-M) Heckscher-Ohlin based model in the context of two relatively diversified countries (South Africa and Mauritius) and two commodity-export-dependent countries of sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria and Cô̌̌te d'Ivoire). The study finds that the skill and land resource measures used in the W -M (1998, 1999) thesis do not explain why Nigeria, having a similar level of skill per worker ratio to South Africa, has not diversified. Further, Mauritius having relatively the highest skill per land ratio specialises in low-skill textiles and clothing, while South Africa specialises in the more human capital-intensive "other manufactures" group. The other measure, a low land per worker ratio that explains Mauritius' relatively higher share of manufacturing exports, also fails to apply to Nigeria. The thesis thus concludes that the W-M land and skill measures could only be rough proxies in determining comparative advantage in manufacturing exports. However, employing the Dutch disease hypothesis recognises the potential of land abundance as a natural resource, namely minerals in South Africa, oil in Nigeria, and cocoa in Cǒ̌te d'Ivoire. The Dutch disease is a dynamic process of structural economic and political development that will permit an understanding of why natural resource abundant countries do not have a comparative advantage in manufacturing, at least in the short to medium term. The study therefore investigates commodity dependence and the Dutch disease effects to examine whether primary resource- based industrialisation offers an escape from underdevelopment. It establishes that South Africa, a mineral resource rich country, diversified based on a broad mineral-energy-complex (MEC) reinforcing the notion that land abundant countries will first invest in capital- intensive primary resource processing. However, the thesis concludes that in Nigeria and Cǒ̌te d'Ivoire where external shocks are more predominant probably because of single commodity export reliance, the manufacturing sector lags behind more due to resource and spending effects that a natural resource boom generates in these economies.