This thesis analyses the interface between sustainable development and trade openings and the liberalization of foreign investment in Mexico. The position to be argued throughout this thesis is that the Mexican legal framework, crafted to avoid further degradation of the environment as required by sustainable development, has proven to be limited in meeting the objectives established in the North America Free Trade Agreement and its side accord, the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation. This thesis analyses the provisions intended for the protection of the environment within the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the outcome of NAFTA's Chapter 11 investors dispute resolution mechanism and the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) citizens' submission process concerning Mexico.

This thesis is composed of three essays. In the first essay I identify the effects of imposing a broad range of environmental regulations under different market conditions.. I compare four types of regulatory controls under Perfect Competition, Monopoly, and Cournot Competition: Emission Standards, Design Standards, Concentration Standards, and Output Standards. I rank each of the standards in terms of firm profitability, industry output, abatement costs, and social welfare. I derive sufficient conditions for Design, or Concentration Standards, to dominate Emission Standards. I show how the different forms of regulation can raise industry profits by reducing the degree of inter-firm competition. Further, I show how environmental regulations can enhance competition and yield a "double dividend": higher Social Surplus and less pollution. In the second essay I extend the comparison of standards to an open country. I show how a country's choice of regulatory regime influences the level of environmental protection when governments care about the competitiveness of their industries. I show that the mode of regulation can create a "race to the bottom" if regulators behave strategically. I show that Emission Standards permit the race, as do Emission Charges. Design Standards, on the other hand, avoid the race altogether by breaking the link between environmental stringency and industrial competitiveness. Countries using Design Standards will always regulate emissions. This holds regardless of the environmental stance taken by competitor nations. If countries do not behave strategically, then Emission Standards and Emission Charges always dominate Design Standards. In the third essay I use the concept of home biases in traded goods, or "Border Effects", to rank industries and countries in terms of their openness to trade. I first confirm the presence border effects for individual sectors and individual industries among OECD countries for 1970 to 1985. I also examine whether country-specific border effects are determined by the sectoral composition of a country's production. I find limited evidence to support this. Rather, per capita incomes appear to be the most important factor. The conclusion I draw is that the level of development appears to be the prime factor in explaining the differences in country-specific border effects. What countries produce is of some importance. Therefore, we should see continued, though possibly slow, reductions in home biases as all countries continue to develop. This will partially determine the kind of environmental regulation used as well as their level.

This thesis examines the effects of price and exchange rate volatilities on the volume of trade corn, soybean, wheat and rice. Empirical results indicate that price volatility and exchange rate volatilities do not have effects on Canada’s export of wheat and soybean, and Canada’s import of corn and rice. This thesis also examined the effects of exchange rate and commodity price volatilities on developed countries’ trade and developing countries’ trade separately. Results show that trade between developing countries is more sensitive to exchange rate and commodity price volatilities than trade between developed countries. / Canadian Agricultural Trade Policy and Competitiveness Research Network (CATPRN)

This thesis examines the effects of price and exchange rate volatilities on the volume of trade corn, soybean, wheat and rice. Empirical results indicate that price volatility and exchange rate volatilities do not have effects on Canada’s export of wheat and soybean, and Canada’s import of corn and rice. This thesis also examined the effects of exchange rate and commodity price volatilities on developed countries’ trade and developing countries’ trade separately. Results show that trade between developing countries is more sensitive to exchange rate and commodity price volatilities than trade between developed countries. / Canadian Agricultural Trade Policy and Competitiveness Research Network (CATPRN)

This thesis examines the effects of price and exchange rate volatilities on the volume of trade corn, soybean, wheat and rice. Empirical results indicate that price volatility and exchange rate volatilities do not have effects on Canada’s export of wheat and soybean, and Canada’s import of corn and rice. This thesis also examined the effects of exchange rate and commodity price volatilities on developed countries’ trade and developing countries’ trade separately. Results show that trade between developing countries is more sensitive to exchange rate and commodity price volatilities than trade between developed countries. / Canadian Agricultural Trade Policy and Competitiveness Research Network (CATPRN)

Since the liberalization of international trade intensified in the middle of the XXth century, some States wished that goods and services containing a cultural value be put aside from the process of liberalization by means of a cultural exception. Others, on the contrary, considered that cultural industries constitute commodities entirely subjected to the principles of free trade. This thesis analyzes the present debate in order to determine if the cultural value of certain industries is enough to justify a specific treatment in international trade. For that purpose, the study goes back to the historical origins of the problem and attempts to determine if these industries have a specificity, particularly by analyzing their role in a society and by examining their legal nature. Based on these considerations, during the negotiations of the international trade agreements, some States intended to impose their point of view. Some of the latest agreements hold a specific regime to the cultural sector, whereas others did not refer explicitly to these. However, several governments have implemented support measures for their cultural industries, something other States considered violations to the principles of free trade and attacked them on political and legal grounds. Finally, this thesis examines the recent evolutions of the debate, especially at the time of the new round of negotiations within the framework of the WTO. It analyzes, as well, the new questions given arise by the development of new technologies, the new strategies of the States, and the solutions proposed to solve this debate. Most of these solutions refer to the cultural diversity concept, which, in a sense tend to appear as a political objective, which will make it possible to draw some legal conclusions in the field of international trade.

The main objective of this paper was to explore and evaluate the viability of incorporating the promotion, enforcement and protection of human rights within the WTO agenda, mandate and framework. It further aimed to investigate the viability of accelerating multilateral cooperation amongst international major role players, thus assessing and evaluating the kind of cooperation necessary for the adequate protection and enforcement of human rights by the WTO and major role players involved.

<p>There is an existing conflict between trade and environmental policies. There are different opinions and attitudes in the relation between free trade and environmental protection. Free trade regards environmental factors as part of the comparative advantages that one country may have over another. However, many environmentalists are critical about trade liberalization. The scope of this paper was limited to the interaction between international free trade and the environmental protection. The main objectives of this study was to examine the interaction between trade(free trade) and environment and to analyse the areas of conflict between free trade under the World Trade Organization and environmental protection.</p>

There are many challenges facing business, industry and its operations, the associated service provision and the supply chain management in the global market today. Simon and Sohal (1995, p.14) acknowledge the dramatic and irreversible changes that the South African business environment has undergone over the past five years, from 1990 to 1995. Such changes are mainly shift of focus from inward-looking import substitution with substantial protection to a globally-oriented open economy. Businesses are faced with a challenge to optimise their operations to compete in the new economy. Many organisations have not survived the competition, as they lacked the necessary competitive edge. Challenges faced by these organisations varied from unavailability of suitably qualified management through to challenges with local legislation and the impacts of low-cost production imports, which led to closure of some businesses. From a community standpoint, closure of businesses poses a challenge to the socioeconomy of the inhabitants of the country. This research seeks to establish if the closure of businesses and subsequent impacts on the socio-economic status of communities was as a result of the changes during the globalisation era. Research methodology To address the objectives of the study, a population of tea "experts" was inferred from data received from DTI (2004). This inference was done through use of a ratio of 1 :60 (Manager: Labourers) due to the fact that the industry is labour-intensive. A total of 48 "experts" were identified as an adequate, representative sample for the analysis. These "experts" were from both the private tea industry and the govenunent regulatory departments involved with agricultural activities. A total of 96 questionnaires were sent to the "experts", with a return rate of 50% of these, which equated to the required sample size (of 48 completed questionnaires). Data analysis was carried out through using an Excel spreadsheet and converting frequency of responses to percentages. Objectives The objectives of the study included: • To identify issues and strategic challenges facing the global tea industry in the literature and applying them to the South African tea industry; • Analyse the tea estates in South Africa with specific reference to Magwa Tea Estate in the Eastern Cape, the old Transkei; • Identify appropriate strategies that may enhance the performance of the South African tea industry; • Assess the incentives provided by global governments to tea estates and compare them to the South African conditions; and • Examine the potential of applying some of the global success strategies into the South African tea estate industry. Conclusions While one cannot discount the phenomenon of globalisation, it has been shown that some areas in which business was devoid included capable management teams, flexibility on strategies, strengthening of the Rand and Land Claims against land occupied by the tea estates. The result was a collapse in the tea industry. The recommendations below suggest means by which the tea industry may be revived to carry its original mandate of providing jobs to the rural communities. However, the industry requires the development of sustainable competitive strategies. Recommendations • The organisation should continue to adopt a philosophy m which entrepreneurship is promoted and encouraged; • Ensure employment of a well-trained management team to develop and lead the strategy; • Encourage efficiency of operations; • Encourage government subsidies (especially in the form of regulations on imports to prevent dumping); • Employ appropriate competitive advantage strategies; • Root out corruption and mismanagement of the institution; Development of an interrelationship between the growers and retailers such that the growing of tea is sustainable; • They need to have strong communication skills which must encompass strong negotiation skills. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

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