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The forces shaping the “new Europe” are many and varied. The changes will test food manufacturers to the limits. If appropriate strategies are to be developed, a clear understanding is needed of the forces driving change and their likely effects. Outlines the forces driving change, including: the prospect of further EU enlargement; the liberalization of trade in central and eastern Europe; the GATT and CAP agreements. Suggests ways in which manufacturers need to adjust to the changes and the issues they need to be aware of.

I should begin by saying that in addressing the Social Sciences Group of Aslib I feel not only a sense of pleasure but also that I am perpetrating the act of carrying coals to Newcastle. Having said that I should add that what I have to say consists of my own personal views. They reflect my research interests which lie in the fields of industrial economics—specifically monopoly and restrictive practices policy—and international economics—specifically the European Economic Community. Let me finally put you on your guard by pointing out that it is a notorious fact that no two economists think alike on any topic.

This article analyses the welfare implications of the customs unions in the presence of multinational corporations for a less than fully employed small open economy. The traditional two‐sector model, with a specific factor for the multinational corporation, is employed for this purpose. This article suggests that both trade creations I and II improve the social welfare and employment of the small open economy if the multinational sector is relatively capital‐intensive. However, the welfare and the employment effects of trade diversion I are ambiguous whereas trade diversion II affects employment level negatively. These results are in contrast with the previous studies on the theory of customs unions.

The international textiles and apparel trade has been one of the most contentious trade issues between the developed and developing countries. Restrictions have been imposed in terms of quota and tariffs on imports since the 1950s. In January 2005, after the phasing out of the multi fire arrangement, the quantitative restrictions will be removed, allowing for free competition between countries for market access. The biggest share of the market will be occupied by countries having a competitive advantage in terms of cost, product quality, responsiveness to market requirements and manufacturing flexibility. Developing economies in the African region which will have to adapt to new market conditions for sustained competitiveness; failing to do so will force them out of the market. This paper provides a review of the international apparel trade policies and focuses on the challenges that African economies involved in apparel exports will face in the wake of world apparel trade liberalisation.

Oxazolidine moisture scavenger for polyurethanes. A leading oxazolidine manufacturer, Industrial Copolymers Limited, has launched Incozol 2, a monocyclic, bifunctional oxazolidine moisture scavenger which claims to offer fornicators of one‐ and two‐component polyurethane systems a highly effective, low hazard alternative to conventional drying agents.

During the banking crisis of October 2008, Iceland became the first developed country in decades to seek the assistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Iceland’s IMF programme provided a measure of stability at a time of intense turbulence. The IMF’s credibility was helpful during this period of collapse not just of the banks but also of the public trust towards almost all Icelandic institutions. Importantly, the IMF implicitly supported Iceland’s policy of letting institutional creditors of the banks rather than Icelandic taxpayers bear the costs of their collapse; this provided credibility for the policy and limited repercussions. In a reversal of previous IMF policy, capital controls were imposed. The controls helped stabilise the exchange rate, and inflation subsided. The controls also helped recovery after the crisis by shielding the economy from international financial shocks. The direct fiscal cost of the Icelandic crisis was very high, but the considerable and painful fiscal tightening that was a part of the programme was needed to avoid a sovereign debt crisis. This helped in regaining trust from international markets. Mistakes were made in the design and implementation of the IMF programme, but overall, we judge that its contribution was positive. The programme provided one of the elements for restoring trust in Iceland when it was most needed, both domestically and internationally, during the depth of the crisis in 2009–2010.

To properly assess the relative places of China and the United States in the world system, the fact of the transformation of old, and the emergence of new, centers of capital accumulation needs to be established, and some attempt made to develop means of measuring these developments. This paper, working within the framework of Uneven and Combined Development, will suggest a new metric by which we can assess the geography of capital accumulation in the world economy, a metric with three components. The first component examines national income, both per capita and as shares of the world total. The second component refines the latter to an examination of share of world manufacturing, with a specific examination of distribution of the key sector of high-technology manufacturing. The third and final component examines the distribution of large corporations through the world economy, and introduces a new term – the relative weight of large corporations. All components of this metric suggest that key aspects of the modern economy remain “territorially bound” and clearly reveal the steady, long-term decline of the United States as the dominant center of capital accumulation, and the simultaneous emergence of new centers of capital accumulation in an increasingly multi-polar world economy.

Markets for public contracting are in the process of transition. Various public/private partnership arrangements replace conventional purchasing, especially within the local and regional government area. Municipal entities may not be in a position to define their needs up-front because they would not have the overview of what the market may have to offer. So one should ask: Is the traditional ban-on-negotiations in mandatory tender procedures (sealed bidding) - such as it is in EU public procurement law - counter-effective to genuine best value for public money? The article displays significant differences between European Union (EU) law, U.S. law and other regimes such as United Nations Model law, The World Trade Organisation’s Government Procurement Agreement (WTO/GPA), The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). New avenues for public/private demand a new agenda and the recent EU 2004 directive scheme attempts to respond to the market challenges. The author accepts that the new directive on public contracting facilitates a more smooth approach than in current EU law with regard to high-tech complicated contract awards, but questions whether the ’competitive dialogue’ really can afford tailor-made solutions to cope with long-term public/private partnership arrangements of the kind now spreading all over Europe

Let me begin with a word about the scope of this paper. Although billed as talking about ‘Government and official sources’ of information I shall not try to be quite so comprehensive. Instead I shall concentrate on describing the types of information provided by the Department of Trade and Industry.