European and South Eastern Exports

Coffee is globally traded commodity. It is the second-most traded commodity with oil being the first. Coffee is generally traded in financial instruments known as futures contracts, and this is mainly done through the New York Board of Trade. In recent years, countries producing coffee has been increasing. Established producers like Colombia have faced bigger competition from these countries seeking to enter the market. Because of increasing number in countries it makes it harder for coffee producers to influence prices. Over the last few centuries, coffee has grown into one of the world’s most popular drink. There has been strong growth for coffee as it has become a fashionable drink. Coffee has replaced alcohol as a drink of choice for workers

Chatterjee (2008) points out that the cheap rice imported from the USA caused Haitian national rice production to plummet. Because of advanced agricultural technology, American rice has many advantages such as lower price and higher nutrition. Large quantities food imports from the US

When comparing trade and commerce differences between Western and Eastern Europe, Islamic items of worship such as The Sunnah, encouraged trade and commerce in Eastern Europe in the late 8th and 9th century. This led an increase in the Eastern European economy, thus leading to the increased importation of Eastern goods into Western Europe. This increase in exotic goods ultimately enhanced the wealth of Western Europe and boosted its economy. While Western Europe improved economically, Northern Europe’s economy deteriorated, causing Scandinavian men to turn elsewhere for profit. Western Europe’s swelling trade network ultimately attracted the Vikings to pillage and raid their communities in order to increase their own wealth, and return it back to Northern Europe. A major difference between Eastern European and Northern European attitude towards trade and commerce was due the Viking’s lack

Along with the second biggest part of the equation are the consumers of the products, not only the countries that import the goods. In the last six months, the European Union fluctuated, but did not falter being the leading importer of coffee with 9,994 units in july 2017, 10,439 units in September 2017, and 9,509 units in December of 2017. The United States imported 2,453 units in July 2017, 2,255 units in September 2017, and 2,328 units in December 2017. Japan imported 580 units in July 2017, 607 units in September 2017, and 460 units in December 2017. The Russian Federation imported 476 units in July 2017, 446 units in September 2017, and 467 units in December 2017. All units in thousand 60 kilogram bags (“Trade Statistics Table”). Within the European Union is the biggest coffee market as well as the oldest coffee market, which are the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Both countries’ fair trade sales increased by 24% in 2011 and continue to increase as more producers become Fair Trade certified (Ladhari,2015). The United States fair trade sales increased by 12% in that same year. While these statistics were acquired, it was also noted about the consumer’s purchasing trends compared to their personal values. According to Pelsmaker, consumers’ ideal purchasing trends are not completely reflective of their actual buying behavior (Pelsmacker, 2005). Therefore, the

There is an excessive demand and cost for gasoline nowadays, coffee is believed to be the following utmost exchanged product in the global market place succeeding to oil. Coffee is developed way more than fifty nations in a stretch everywhere around the equator and offers an income for more than twenty million growers. Overall, estimation is about one hundred million societies universally that are included in the spreading, releasing, interchanging and selling of the production. During 2001, coffee growers and farms created around fifteen billion pounds of coffee whereas the global market place merely acquired thirteen billion pounds. The overstock in the coffee business is not a typical mechanism and is one of the

Coffee is one of the most profitable and most traded commodities on the planet. It is second in trade to that of oil and gas. There are so many issues that surround this product, otherwise known as black gold. Coffee growers typically only get around three cents from over $1.50 cup of coffee that is sold in the United States. The world surrounding coffee is not fair. There are so many problems that arise because of its lack of fair trade. According to the United Nations, women do around two thirds of the work are only rewarded five percent of the world’s income and own less than one percent of the world’s real property. Coffee is a luxury food that many people take for granted and because of that, a large portion of coffee growers and their workers are exploited leading to the lack of fair trade.

As far back as 1860, coffee had become the major export in Colombia (Equal Exchange). By the 1920s, however, the coffee industry in the country was undergoing difficult times as a result of unstable international market forces. Thus, coffee growers were not guaranteed a steady income. Out of these circumstances arose an

In an article “The Coffee Crisis: Is Fair Trade the Solution?” written by Fuzhi Cheng, it describes that coffee funded a large amount of finances in poorer regions, such as schools, hospitals, and infrastructures. Coffee overall heightened the income and educational levels of these developing areas (2007). “But all these benefits have evaporated since the late 1990s, when the world coffee price slumped to unprecedented low levels. The collapse of coffee prices has led to a humanitarian crisis with devastating effects on coffee growers, communities, and countries” (Cheng 2007). But why the “slump” in

From the ICA collapse bringing forth Vietnam’s entrance into the coffee market to the quality degradation, the coffee crisis affected more than just the market. With a drop in coffee prices, the farmers not

The crisis in the coffee sector continues. Its impact cannot be understated, since coffee constitutes the livelihood of an estimated 25 million families around the world. In world trade, coffee is the second leading commodity, after petroleum. The worldwide coffee market spans some 71 countries, of which 51 are significant producers and 20 are key consumers. Prices have not kept up with production costs to the extent needed to make participation in the coffee business profitable for most producers, even though the crop year 2003-2004 witnessed a worldwide decrease in production. (Central America - The Coffee Crisis: Effects and Strategies for Moving Forward, 1992)

Coffee and Ethiopia have shared a lengthy and highly tumultuous relationship. According to some, their history dates back to the fifteenth century, but it is widely acknowledged that extensive trade didn’t begin until the late eighteenth century (Aregay 1988, 19). As world coffee consumption skyrocketed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Ethiopia’s economy grew increasingly dependent on the industry. By the mid 1970’s, it’s estimated that coffee accounted for a staggering 55% of all Ethiopian exports. This figure has since declined, and today it’s estimated to be somewhere around 35% (Daviron, Ponte 2005, 61-62).

Taiwan’s economy ranked the 20th largest in the world in 2014 on a purchasing power basis, and 26th in nominal terms according to IMF data. IMF projected Taiwan’s economy to rank 21th on a purchasing power basis and 22rd in nominal terms in 2016. Its economy is well developed and it’s growing at a stable rate. Since 1992, Taiwan’s GDP growth has an average 4.5%. Its GDP per capita raised from $9,116 in 1992 to $19,762 in 2012. Taiwan has experienced rapid expansion in international trade. In 1992, Taiwan’s total trade was over $180 billion and represented 82% of GDP. In 2012, Taiwan’s trade was over $650 billion and represented 140% of GDP. In 2012, over 77% of Taiwan imports were of agricultural goods and raw materials due to limited arable land and natural resources. While only around 1% of exports were from agricultural goods, the rest 99% of exports were from industrial sector (Meltzer, 2014). Therefore, agricultural goods are highly demanded in Taiwan.

From the discovery of small, brightly colored red berries on trees in Ethiopia came the largest imported commodity in the world, second only to oil. The coffee bean provides a livelihood for over 20 million people worldwide with an estimated worldwide retail sales expected to grow by a compounded rate of 6.9% from 2005-2010, reaching $48.2 billion by 2010, according to The U.S. Market for Coffee and Ready-to-Drink Coffee. [1]

How is it possible that I can go to a supermarket and buy products from Africa, Asia, Latin America or from any other country? Today, this is possible thanks to international trade.

Much of the history of international relations and trade concerns efforts to promote free trade among nations. The 17th century saw the growth of restrictive policies that later came to be known as mercantilism. The mercantilists held that economic policy should be nationalistic and should aim at securing the wealth and power of the state. Governments were led to impose price and wage controls, promote exports of finished goods and imports of raw materials, and prohibit the exports of raw materials and the import of finished goods.