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Cozy warm sweaters, plaid and cup of hot chocolate are on sofa in living room

Cozy Up to Trade This Winter

As we bundle up for the remainder of the winter season, we can give thanks to global trade for gifting us with some of today’s trendiest and coziest items – Sherpa wool coats, Mongolian lamb fur pillows and cashmere sweaters, Giza cotton sheets, and Turkish towels.

Amused teen girl using tablet in the science studio

The Maker Movement Can Flourish Thanks to Trade

We long ago stopped having to make everything we need: forging tools, handcrafting shoes from hides and weaving textiles for clothing. The expansion of global trade is affording us the opportunity to rediscover and reinvent the art of “making” itself, which could in turn profoundly impact what we make and what we trade.

Human Hand And Robot Making Fist Bump

Automation Won’t Destroy Trade — It Might Even Boost It

Many industry observers are sounding alarms about the looming impact of automation, robots and 3D printing, which they fear will destroy jobs, disrupt value chains and maybe even reduce the need for international trade. But data and evidence don’t support the hype.

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Pomegranates are Symbolic Even for Trade

Pomegranates figure prominently every Jewish New Year. Thanks to trade we can enjoy them nearly all year-round. But in order to continue enjoying a variety of foods – and sustain basic crop production – growers must have access to a variety of high-quality seeds.

Factory worker using application on mobile smartphone to operate automation for modern trade. Checking order in large warehouse. Import and export the shipping cargo.

Small and Medium-Sized Global Traders Are Banking on Blockchain

80 percent of all global trade is transacted through third-party lenders and cargo insurers, but the process is complex, can be costly and many banks find it too risky to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Blockchain has the potential to increase transparency, speed and accuracy in assessing risk across the trade finance process, which in turn could expand the supply of credit available for SMEs.

Provenance.org screenshot as feature image

Where Have You Been? Blockchain for Tracking Goods in Trade

Blockchain technologies will play an increasing role in international trade. Using blockchain to track the origins of raw materials and follow domestic and international supply chains can help meet the increasing demand for consumer information about globally produced goods, providing more transparency and accuracy about a product’s long journey to the store.

Life Sciences in MA Feature

One Square Mile in Cambridge: A Prescription for Global Investment in the U.S. Life Sciences Sector

Cambridge is a major hub in Massachusetts’ life sciences ecosystem. What makes up the DNA of vibrant biopharma and medical device industries? Trade associations, overseas governments and investors, and U.S. government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels are all part of the prescription for economic growth.

Young corn growing in dry environment

Water Scarcity Threatens Global Agriculture Trade

Over 70 percent of water consumed globally is poured into crop and livestock production. But the water we need to drink, to grow food, and to produce industrial goods is under stress and becoming scarcer in parts of the world. What kinds of solutions offer better opportunities for managing scarce water resources to ensure we can continue growing enough food?

Japanese-KitKats

Cherry Blossom KitKats, Bubble Tea, and Pocky Sticks: Trade Spreads Asian Twist on Snacks

Cherry blossom, green tea, and red bean are popular flavors in Asia used in a wide variety of snack foods. The core ingredients of some of these snack foods were not native to Asia. But global trade spread access to non-native plants and ingredients, enabling other countries to put their own flavor spin on new products.

Alipay

Will China’s Big Techs Overtake Silicon Valley?

Tencent and Alibaba are names you need to know. They are leaders among China’s five Big Tech firms. They are growing fast and starting to rival American giants Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Facebook. Whoever among these giants acquires the most consumer information on habits, preferences, spending patterns, and financial behaviors stands to win in our growing global digital economy.