World Perspectives

UnCOOL and Greedy in Bali

Greedy in Bali: Roberto Carvalho de Azevedo of Brazil is the new WTO Director General. While there is initial hope that he can guide the organization to successful early accomplishments at the ministerial in Bali later this year, don't bet on it. The OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) says that an agreement on trade facilitation will reduce trade costs by 10 percent for rich countries and by 13-15.5 percent for developing countries. The result is that income would increase by $40 billion, mostly in developing counties. But now it is reported that India and some other developing countries are seeking to use the new impetus toward a Bali agreement to demand concessions by the U.S. and Europe to limit their lev...

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From WPI Consulting

Weighing in on strategic realignment

WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.

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