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International Commerce

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International trade—business conducted across national borders—drives GDP and directly and indirectly affects global alliances, globalization, and the economic health of nations. RAND research has examined international trade in contexts as diverse as arms trafficking, the drug trade, international nuclear commerce, trade unions, the U.S.-China trade deficit, and economic investment in Ukraine.

Report

How Diplomacy Could Be Used to Discourage Russian Arms Sales

Nov 18, 2021

Countering Russian arms sales could reduce Russia's influence on other nations as well as revenue that indirectly enables its irresponsible international behavior. The United States and its allies need to provide credible diplomatic and military alternatives, and work with countries to address their security needs.
Report

Investment in Languages Education Could Return Double for UK Economy

Feb 21, 2022

Languages play a significant role in international trade, and not sharing a common language acts as a non-tariff trade barrier. Benefit-to-cost ratios for increasing Arabic, Mandarin, French, or Spanish education in the UK are estimated to be at least 2:1, meaning that spending £1 could return £2.

Explore International Trade

Report

Business Community Support for U.S. Policies Toward China

Policies implemented by the Trump administration were designed to confront China over its problematic behaviors, such as theft of technology and intellectual property. U.S. businesses agreed with the policies, but questioned some of the tactics used. How can Washington address corporate concerns and still compete against China?

May 16, 2022
Commentary

Russia Does Not Seem to Be After Ukraine's Gas Reserves

There seems to be very little reason to believe that the true stakes of the war in Ukraine are the country's natural gas reserves, as some have speculated. Ukrainian gas fields appear too small to justify the costs of the invasion, too hard to keep, and almost impossible for Russia to exploit.

Apr 11, 2022
Report

Advancing Global Citizenship in America

Concerted international action is required to address climate change and sustainability, pandemics, global security, and economic growth. But such action requires a sense of common destiny and shared responsibility among people across nations. What are Americans' attitudes toward global issues, and what could encourage them to become citizens of the world?

Mar 24, 2022
Research Brief

Talking business: How increasing languages education in the UK could benefit the economy

Findings show that investing in languages education in UK secondary schools will return more than the investment cost. The benefit-to-cost ratio is about 2:1, meaning that every £1 spent on extra language provision could return £2 for the economy.

Mar 2, 2022
News Release

Investment in Languages Education Could Return Double for UK Economy

Investing in languages education in the UK will return more than the investment cost, even under conservative assumptions, according to a new study from RAND Europe and the University of Cambridge, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Feb 22, 2022
Journal Article

Blockship Tactics to Trap Enemy Fleets

The U.S. Navy should initiate a blockship program to counter potential threats.

Feb 8, 2022
Journal Article

Decoupling from China: How U.S. Asian Allies Responded to the Huawei Ban

The paper analyzes how Australia, Japan, and South Korea responded to Washington's expectations of mutual support on the decoupling of Chinese technology companies from global supply chains.

Jan 6, 2022
Report

How Does North Korea Evade Sanctions?

The United Nations has imposed increasingly restrictive sanctions on North Korea after each of the six nuclear weapons tests that it conducted between 2009 and 2016. Enforcement has been mixed, and North Korea has become adept at several techniques to evade sanctions.

Sep 23, 2021
Commentary

Russia Engine Troubles: Is Putin's Behavior Catching Up with Him?

Actions taken to curb Russian malign activities around the globe appear to be affecting Russia's marine and aerospace engine sector. Efforts to arrest Russia's bad behavior might gain momentum if more countries followed the lead of Norway, which chose supporting sanctions over short-term economic gain.

Jun 15, 2021
Commentary

Depoliticizing Russian Gas in Europe

At their June 16 Summit in Geneva, Presidents Biden and Putin might consider how to reduce the sharp tensions over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. Cooperation among governments and companies may offer potential.

Jun 11, 2021
Commentary

An Economic Blueprint for North Korea

It would be simplistic to think that developing detailed blueprints for economic development in North Korea could on its own cut through decades of conflict and mistrust, triggering political and economic reform. But by expanding the terms of the debate it might move the needle on peace.

Jun 4, 2021
Report

From Hermit Kingdom to Open for Business

When the situation in North Korea becomes conducive to foreign investment and development, what might it take to kick-start the country's economy?

May 25, 2021
Journal Article

The Flag Lags but Follows: The PLA and China's Great Leap Outward

This chapter explores how China may protect its overseas interests, analyzes PLA thinking about the security dimensions of the Belt and Road Initiative, and considers three case studies on what securing China's overseas interests involves in concrete terms.

May 18, 2021
Journal Article

Improving Preferential Market Access Through Rules of Origin: Firm-Level Evidence from Bangladesh

This paper studies how rules of origin in potential export markets influence the export behavior of firms in least-developed countries.

Mar 23, 2021
Journal Article

Rules of Origin and Trade Preference Utilization Among Least Developed Countries

This article assesses how the utilization of trade agreements responds to rules of origin revisions that allow for more foreign content in exported products.

Mar 23, 2021
Report

The Abraham Accords Could Have Wide-Reaching Economic Benefits

The Abraham Accords between Israel and Muslim nations represent a possible new chapter in the region's development—away from conflict and toward a shared vision of economic prosperity. Israel's partners could gain 150,000 new jobs. And that could grow to 4 million new jobs over a decade if other nations join.

Mar 18, 2021
Commentary

RCEP Forms the World's Largest Trading Bloc. What Does This Mean for Global Trade?

In November, 15 nations signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free-trade agreement of economic and political significance eight years in the making. Why have some heralded RCEP as a landmark agreement?

Dec 9, 2020
Report

The Geopolitics of South Korea–China Relations

As Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific increases, U.S. allies and partners are adapting their strategic posture. But even as a key U.S. ally, South Korea seems different. How is Beijing’s growing influence in regional affairs affecting relations between South Korea and China? And what effect do they have on U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific?

Nov 18, 2020

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RAND Topic:
International Trade

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