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Introduction: Distinguishing and categorizing the origin of garlic are highly significant, considering its widespread use as a flavoring agent. With billions of dollars annually in global trade, garlic is frequently susceptible to fraudulent practices. Methodology: Paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PS‐MS) was employed to quickly analyze garlic samples from distinct geographic origins: China and Brazil. The so‐generated PS‐MS data were treated with metabolomic multivariate approaches, and the garlic samples from these different geographic regions were easily discriminated. Results: Brazilian garlic was characterized to contain higher levels of amino acids, such as arginine, proline, and valine, and organosulfur compounds, such as allicin, alliin, and l‐γ‐glutamil‐S‐allyl‐l‐cysteine, compared to Chinese garlic. The PS‐MS data were treated employing multivariate approaches, typically used in the metabolomics field, and this protocol was promptly able to discern among both types of samples. Conclusion: Hence, this combined strategy holds promise not only as an effective tool for the authentication of the geographical origin of garlic but also as a powerful means for biomarker discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste generated from developed states often ends its journey inside the waste management facilities of developing states and, ultimately, their landfills. Developing states end up bearing the risk of devastating their own ecological systems and poisoning their populace, while developed states are unequivocally better off. Recognizing this problem, the international community responded by adopting the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (1989), the most significant international treaty governing the global waste trade. However, the Convention has not resolved the problem of fairness posed by the global waste trade. This Note argues that the Basel Convention erroneously assumes that consent is meaningful in a transaction between a developed state and developing state--when the developing state is instead incentivized to weaken its own environmental protections to participate in the global waste trade. Although the Basel Convention requires that waste be disposed in an environmentally sound manner, the Convention's explanation should go into further detail to fulfill the objectives of the Convention. Specifically, the Convention should set explicit standards for different types of waste to ensure that they are disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. Additionally, the parties to the Convention should provide more resources to developing states who participate in the global waste trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to examine the changes in global value chains (GVCs) in the years 2020–2022 (times of the COVID-19 pandemic) compared to 2019 (last year before the pandemic). GVCs are illustrated by diagrams based on the statistics on international trade measured by value-added exports and imports. In this paper, the final demand approach is applied to measure international trade by value-added exports and imports and they were computed based on inter-country input-output tables delivered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The catchphrase "Made in the World" makes an impression, but in reality, value chains are rarely global. They are rather regional with three centers. "Factory Europe", "Factory Asia", and "Factory America" can easily be identified in the years 2019–2022 as there were three large regional supply hubs in GVCs: Germany, China, and the United States. When the years 2020–2022 were compared to 2019, "Factory Asia" with center in China elevated their position in GVCs at the expense of "Factory Europe" with center in Germany and "Factory America with center in the USA." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of integrated transport and logistics systems for sustainable global trade. It highlights recent disruptions to global supply chains caused by events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and trade wars, which have led to the need for supply chain reconfiguration and increased resilience. The article also emphasizes the role of decarbonization and digitalization in shaping the functions and roles of international transportation and logistics. It presents three research papers that explore various challenges and opportunities in transport and logistics integration, including inland terminal location selection, international logistics policies, and the optimization of air-rail freight transportation. The article concludes by suggesting future research directions, including the incorporation of decarbonization indicators and the use of IoT and big data for real-time modeling of greenhouse gas emissions. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, I estimate a gravity model that provides strong evidence that border effects are heterogeneous by region and test for the presence of the spatial attenuation effect and international market access costs. I introduce GDP, importer population density, and importer metropolitan statistical area count as determinants of the border effect. I find the strong and robust result that border effects are decreasing in the GDP of the importing and exporting region: a 10% increase in importer GDP results in a 3.24% to 3.67% increase in international trade relative to domestic trade while a 10% increase in exporter GDP results in an increase in international trade relative to domestic trade by between 2.41% and 2.68%. These results are robust to a variety of specifications and indicate the existence of the spatial attenuation effect. However, this paper finds no indication of market access costs differing significantly when trade crosses the U.S.-Canada border. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tests the predictions of various conflicting theories on international trade and development by examining the impact of exporting and importing on economic level and basic needs in two developing countries of two different developing regions of the world; one in Latin America & Caribbean, and one in Sub-Saharan Africa. The two countries are Brazil and South Africa, respectively. Using fifteen-year lagged data that spanned 1984-2019, the paper finds that exporting tends to have negative and significant impact on both economic level and social basic needs in these two countries. Importing, on the other hand, was found to have positive and significant impact on economic level, and social basic needs in both countries. Implications of these findings for public policy and international trade theory development are discussed, and directions for future research are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important foundation of cargo transportation, logistics plays a vital role in developing international trade. Based on the international logistics performance index (LPI) and the sample data of the "Belt and Road" initiative countries from 2011 to 2022, this paper uses the extended trade gravity model to explore the impact of the logistics performance of the "Belt and Road" initiative countries on China's import and export trade. The empirical results show that the improvement of the logistics performance level of the countries along the "Belt and Road" Initiative has a certain role in promoting the growth of China's trade volume to the country, and the improvement of LPI has a more significant positive impact on China's import and export to large-scale countries along the route. Finally, according to the analysis of empirical results, this paper puts forward specific suggestions to promote the development of logistics performance and import and export trade, which provides some reference value for implementing the "Belt and Road" initiative and improving national logistics and trade level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the South African Revenue Service and National Treasury firm-level panel data for 2009–2017, this paper investigates how trade related to the global value chain (GVC) affects the performance of manufacturing firms in South Africa. The paper uses extant classifications of internationally traded products to identify different categories of GVC-related products and compares the productivity premium of international traders for these different categories. Also, the paper investigates possible differences in learning-by-exporting effects across the identified categories of GVC-related products by estimating the effect of exporting before and after entry into foreign markets. The results confirm that GVC-related trade is associated with a higher productivity premium compared with traditional trade. However, within the categories of exporters, only the firms that trade in GVC-related products and simultaneously engage in research and development in the post-entry periods appear to learn from exporting. Our results underscore the gains of GVC integration in terms of the associated productivity premia and highlight the need for GVC-integrated firms to invest in building technological capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gravity model is widely used to estimate the effect of a reduction in trade costs on international trade flows. Researchers face many analytical decisions in their choice for an empirical strategy. This paper uses a specification curve analysis method to study the effect of these choices on estimated trade effects. I find that despite significant heterogeneity in estimated trade effects, the distribution in the empirical international trade literature overlaps fairly well with the estimates in this specification curve analysis. However, individual decisions have a significant impact on average estimated trade effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intersection of trade openness and national security in the realm of international trade law constitutes a nuanced and intricate landscape. This paper endeavors to unravel the complexities inherent in this delicate equilibrium, examining legal frameworks within the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)/World Trade Organization (WTO), Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs), and emerging global trends. The foundational principles outlined in GATT, particularly Article XXI, acknowledge the sovereign right of nations to take actions necessary for their essential security interests. However, the broad and permissive nature of this provision introduces challenges related to potential misuse and a lack of robust scrutiny mechanisms. The proliferation of RTAs, each housing unique national security clauses, adds layers of complexity to the overarching legal framework. Divergent standards, conflicting obligations, and the risk of fragmentation highlight the intricate balancing act that nations must perform to reconcile regional commitments with the principles of the global trade governance structure. The paper delves into practical applications and case studies, dissecting the challenges nations face as they navigate the fine line between economic integration and strategic safeguarding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of exchange rate changes on India's trade. The drivers of exports and imports (income, exchange rate including sectoral differences, and exchange rate variability) are estimated for the short and long run including a structural break. Using annual data from 1994 to 2022, the results of dynamic fixed effects estimation show that both exports and imports are income-elastic in the short and long run, but income elasticity is far stronger for exports. Moreover, exports are responsive to the real effective exchange rate in the short run but not in the long run, and the reverse is true for imports. Furthermore, exchange rates have asymmetric effects for high-volume and primary sectors for exports and imports. The combined impacts show the ineffectiveness of using currency depreciation to address trade imbalances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon emission reduction is an important means of achieving climate policy goals. However, the literature has neglected consideration of the carbon emission reduction mechanism from the perspective of technology risk spillovers in international trade. To explore this mechanism, this paper expands the classical linear model of foreign trade technology risk spillovers into a nonlinear spatial Durbin model. We construct a novel technology risk spillover index to forecast the magnitude of carbon emissions in agricultural trade across different regions. To validate our model, we consider the dual connotation of the spatial diffusion of disembodied technology communication (DTC) to map the relationships between different geographic and economic regions that are adjacent. The results suggest that disembodied technology risk spillover could promote carbon emission reductions. Specifically, technology risk spillovers from agricultural trade reduce agricultural carbon emissions by 0.79–1.16% in the local region. Disembodied technology risk spillovers also reduce agricultural carbon emissions by 2.85–11.57% in geographically adjacent regions and 4.9% in economically adjacent regions. Based on these conclusions, this paper proposes improving the closed and backward situation of rural areas in China's central and western regions, promoting the transition toward the high end of the global agricultural industry chain and developing productive agricultural services and the rural cultural tourism industry to expand rural employment channels and stabilize farmers' income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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