Publications

June 1996 (Revised November 1996)
Background Note

Economic Gains from Trade, The: Theories of Strategic Trade

The theory of competitive advantage is one of the most widely accepted economic principles among economists. The theory, as well as substantial historical evidence, suggest that free trade raises national income, while government intervention in trade relations... View Details

Keywords: Competitive Advantage; Trade

06 Dec 2006
Op-Ed

India Needs to Encourage Trade with China

similar, as is the relationship between Brazil and Argentina, just to pick a couple of other examples. Note that China is now among India's most important trading partners, but the importance that India... View Details

Keywords: by Tarun Khanna

September 2019 (Revised January 2022)
Teaching Note

The U.S. – China Trade War

By: Alberto Cavallo

Teaching Note for HBS No. 719-034. View Details

April 2011 (Revised June 2012)
Background Note

Note on U.S. Pension Accounting

By: Robert C. Pozen and Brij Khurana

The purpose of this note is to describe the manner in which publicly traded corporations and local governments in the United States account for their pension plans. View Details

Keywords: Retirement; Accounting; United States

March 2001
Teaching Note

Creating the International Trade Organization TN

By: David A. Moss

Teaching Note for (9-798-057). View Details

March 2013
Article

Financial Development, Fixed Costs and International Trade

Exporting firms face significant up-front costs in product design, marketing, and distribution, which likely would be difficult to finance externally. We argue that a developed financial system can facilitate exports, and we test three implications. First, a more... View Details

Keywords: Trade; Finance

Find at Harvard

April 2011
Teaching Note

Carbon Trading Simulation: Green Cement Inc. (TN)

By: Peter A. Coles

Teaching Note for 911051. View Details

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; Trade; Decisions; Risk and Uncertainty; Production; Pollutants; Price; Sales; Profit

May 2010 (Revised September 2020)
Background Note

A Note on Real Estate Research

By: Arthur I Segel, Griffin James, Ann Cullen, Kathryn FitzGerald and Austin Haley

This note provides a comprehensive research guide for real estate students, professionals, and executives. It includes lists of real estate industry trade organizations, publicly available research resources, books, and journals relevant to a wide range of financial... View Details

Keywords: Real Estate; Property; Investment; Research; Personal Development and Career; Real Estate Industry

Web

Commodities, Currencies, and Balancing of the Trade Deficit - A Chronicle of the China Trade

of the China Trade Introduction Doing Business with China Augustine Heard & Co. The Canton Trade Commodities & Currencies Treaty Ports & Compradors Clippers & Steamships Exploring View Details

March 2011
Teaching Note

The Political Economy of Carbon Trading (TN)

By: Forest L. Reinhardt and J. Gunnar Trumbull

Teaching Note for 710056. View Details

Keywords: Climate Change; Globalization; International Relations; Problems and Challenges; Agreements and Arrangements; Risk Management; Developing Countries and Economies; System; United States; China

20 Aug 2010
News

Bashing Beijing Will Not Help Our Trade Deficit

February 1988 (Revised November 1994)
Background Note

Note on Fundamental Parity Conditions

By: W. Carl Kester and Richard P. Melnick

Provides a simple framework for analyzing expected exchange rate movements. Basic parity and equilibrium conditions are presented including purchasing power parity, forward parity, interest rate parity, the domestic Fisher effect, and the international Fisher effect... View Details

Keywords: Currency Exchange Rate; Situation or Environment

December 1982 (Revised November 2006)
Background Note

Note on Futures Contracts

By: David E. Bell

Provides an introduction to futures contracts, what they are, what their use in hedging is, and their usefulness in providing forecasts. Also covers basic risk. Includes a list of commodities currently traded in futures markets and the necessary properties of a... View Details

Keywords: Futures and Commodity Futures

July 1992 (Revised May 1996)
Background Note

Note on Commodity Futures

By: Kenneth A. Froot, Jay O. Light and Nancy Donohue

Describes how commodity futures work, what products and exchanges are available, and who the players in the commodity markets are. Also presents a careful discussion of the pricing of futures in commodity markets, focusing on cost of carry and risk premium approaches,... View Details

Keywords: Futures and Commodity Futures

05 Nov 2012
Research & Ideas

What Wall Street Doesn’t Understand About International Trade

firm trade decisions, even 60 years later," Cohen says. Analysts Take Note Having determined a causal effect, the team went on to look at the financial results of companies having View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

September 2002
Background Note

Note on WTO Disputes: Five Major Cases

By: David A. Moss and Nick Bartlett

Summarizes five major trade disputes before the World Trade Organization (WTO): (1) the Brazil-Canada aircraft dispute, (2) the European Union/United States foreign sales corporation dispute, (3) the Asian/United States shrimp and sea turtle dispute, (4) the United... View Details

Keywords: Trade; Conflict Management; Negotiation; Brazil; Canada; European Union; Asia; United States

January 1995
Background Note

Note on Foreign Direct Investment

By: Debora L. Spar

Between 1985 and 1990, the global economy witnessed an unprecedented surge in flows of foreign direct investment (FDI). This sudden increase called back into prominence the range of questions that have long surrounded FDI. What causes firms to expand or contract their... View Details

Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment