Private Equity Gone Public

Having long sailed beneath the regulatory radar, private equity firms all of a sudden find themselves the target of congressional attention. The June 21 initial public offering (NYT) of the buyout behemoth Blackstone Group drew headlines, not least for the massive payouts the IPO brought the company’s cofounders Stephen Schwarzman and Peter G. Peterson.

By CFR, USA.

International Trade Policy Resource.

A Raw Deal for Rice Under DR-CAFTA. The Free Trade Agreement between the United States and the Central American countries together with the Dominican Republic (DR-CAFTA) threatens the livelihoods of thousands of rice farmers in Central America. It opens the door to massive subsidized US rice exports at prices below the cost of production. If the Agreement is ratified and implemented, a flood of subsidized rice will displace thousands of Central American producers from the market. Only a few export and import companies will reap benefits. The dependence on food imports that DR-CAFTA will provoke may also worsen current levels of food insecurity for Central American countries. Oxfam fears that the implementation of DR-CAFTA will have a negative impact on poverty reduction in the Central American region.

By Oxfam USA, US.

International Trade Policy Resource.

Small Scale Gold Mining in Cambodia. Oxfam America has published Cambodia's first ever report on small-scale gold mining in Cambodia. The report was written by Mr. Sieng Sotham, the Director of the Department of Geology, General Department of Mineral Resources, Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy. This report examines four of the nineteen known gold deposits. Using these four case studies the report illustrates the issues involving the use of toxic chemicals, the socio-economic factors and the lack of effective legislation.

By Oxfam USA, US.

International Trade Policy Resource.

Dumping: the Beginning of the End? Implications of the Ruling in the Brazil/US Cotton Dispute. Despite their WTO commitments to reduce trade-distorting subsidies, the European Union and the United States have used loopholes and creative accounting to continue dumping products on world markets. In the case of US cotton subsidies, the dispute settlement body of the WTO concluded that such practices hurt developing countries and are in violation of WTO rules. This landmark case sends hope to millions of impoverished cotton farmers in West Africa. And it might be the beginning of the end for US and EU dumping.

By Oxfam USA, US.

International Trade Policy Resource.