Reasons Why The Memberships Of Trade Blocs, Such As The EU, Has Changed Over Time

Memberships of trade blocs changed over time because countries realized that there are a huge amount of benefits to joining a trade bloc union. Benefits such as Free trade within the bloc which means that they have free access to each other’s markets, members of the trade bloc are encouraged to specialize. This means that at the regional level there is a wider application on ability to carry out a particular economic activity e. g. making a specific product more efficiently than another activity.In addition countries have Market access and trade creation which is when countries have easier access to each other's markets meaning that trade between members is likely to increase. Trade creation exists when free trade enables high cost domestic producers to be replaced by low cost and also allow more efficient imports. Because low cost imports lead to lower priced imports, there is a ‘consumption effect', with increased demand resulting from lower prices.Also Producers from the member country can benefit from the application of scale economies, which will lead to lower costs and lower prices for consumers. Jobs may be created as a consequence of increased trade between member economies. There is increased protection. Firms inside the bloc are protected from cheaper imports from outside, such as the protection of the EU shoe industry from cheap imports from China and Vietnam. There are other long-term political and social benefits to trade blocs.The countries’ economies become more intertwined also the political reasons for close cooperation within the bloc increases. Countries understand that they have a stake in each other and make greater efforts to get along. In that same way, increased business contacts usually mean that people must learn the culture of their trading partners. Many must learn new languages and different business practices. In short, more people will come into contact with each other and will need to learn more about each oth er. This breeds increased understanding amongst people.Another reason for the change is as for consumers are that there is often a greater variety of goods and services available in free trade blocs. Products like beer, detergent, clothing, and machine tools are often produced in all the countries after the free trade agreement they are often stocked in many stores. Products like satellite hook ups for televisions, computers and telephones are usually made more available to developing countries. Internet service providers are now able to sell to larger markets and more consumers have opportunities to purchase or use these services.

The Global Trade Distribution Processes of marks and spencer Essay

The Global Trade Distribution Processes of marks and spencer - Essay Example It has 766 stores in the UK in major shopping centres, airports, railway stations, retail parks and service stations (Brook Intelligence Centre, 2013). The company has a huge presence in the international market and has stores in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. M&S sells through different channels including in store ordering, telephone, home catalogue and online. Operating Segments The company specialises in various forms of trade. First, the company sells home products, clothing as well as food that are sourced from over 2000 suppliers from different parts of the world. (Brook Intelligence Centre, 2013) The entity is also the leading retailer in lingerie, women wear, and its market share has grown rapidly in all other market segments. The company aims to become a multi channel retailer will various sources of revenue ranging from mobile to internet channels in the UK and across the global market. The company also offers financial services through the M&S Bank that was started in 2 012 including loans, travel, cards, insurance, savings and investments (Brook Intelligence Centre, 2013). Shop Formats The company’s outlets are designed in an attractive way and since they are spacious, the shopping experience is simply amazing. There are core shops that include M&S Food Halls and a collection of the company’s clothing line. ... Finally, M&S Simply Foods supply groceries and home ware (Brook Intelligence Centre, 2013). Company’s Global Trade Strategy The company came up with a three-year strategy in November 2010 to change the company from a conventional retailer into a global multi- channel retailer. The first phase of the plan was from 2010 to 2013 that focuses on the UK market (Brook Intelligence Centre, 2013). The second phase focused towards developing the company’s presence in the international market. In November 2010, the company set out to increase its revenue by ?1.5billion to ?2.5billion over the next three years (Brook Intelligence Centre, 2013). However, due to the decline in the economic environment, the company expects to achieve a decline in revenues (Brook Intelligence Centre, 2013). Focus on the UK As earlier explained the company’s plan for 2010-2013 focused on business in the UK. This involves enhancing the brand name in its areas of operation. Branding takes centre s tage of all advertising campaigns. Owing to the fact that the market is becoming increasingly competitive, the brand is meant to draw attention to the value and quality offered in their product. The women swear sector has been underperforming as shown in the SWOT analysis discussed later in the paper. The company has come up with new store designs at the end of 2013. With regards to the food section, the company mainly focuses on freshness, convenience and freshness. In 2012, M&S started working on delivering a better shopping experience for their customers through the new store layouts (Brook Intelligence Centre, 2013). The new store designs offer improved navigation and better brand differentiation. The stores have been designed according to local demographics. Multi-Channel The company aims at

LAW OF INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE CONTRACT Coursework

LAW OF INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE CONTRACT - Coursework Example The insurance also covers some liabilities that arise in cases where there is a collision with another ship and also the liability for colliding with other objects (FFO-Fixed and Floating Objects). Typically, claims under Hull and Machinery insurance include, total loss of the ship; damage to ship, engines and equipments; explosions and fires; groundings; collisions; and striking other objects. The scope of the type of damages covered by Hull and Machinery Insurance has been defined by International Hull Clauses (IHC). In clause 2.1.6, it states that HM & I covers the losses caused to the ship due to â€Å"contact with land conveyance, dock or harbor equipment or Installation.†1 There are certain risks and liabilities that are not covered under Hull and Machinery insurance. A prudent ship-owner may look to get insurance cover for liabilities to third parties. Such liabilities might arise due to a third party’s legal or contractual claim against the ship. P & I insurance is arranged by entering the ship into a mutual insurance association which is usually referred to as a â€Å"club†. All the members of this club are ship-owners. Therefore, the P & I club is only answerable to its members. A Marine Insurance company, on the other hand, is answerable to its shareholders. P & I clubs provide insurance covers for much broader risks than the Hull and Machinery insurance schemes. When a ship has an accident due to the perils of the sea, Hull & Machinery insurance provides cover for the loss that has occurred to the ship. There are many other things that are connected with the ship. The crew of the ship, the employees, may also get hurt and claim compensation for their injuries. Also, the owner of the cargo that may have been carried in the ship would also claim for his loss against the ship-owner. Hull & Machinery insurance does not provide cover for such liabilities to third parties. However, the ship-owner can get protection from such claims by pursuing P & I insurance. As far as the liability to the owner of the cargo is concerned, the cargo owner has a first claim against the carrier. The cargo owner may not succeed in his claim because either the ship-owner was not responsible for the loss or he is protected under Hague-Visby2 rules. In such cases, the cargo owner claims compensation from his insurer under Cargo Insurance. By the right of subrogation, the insurer, after compensating his client, would be able to pursue the claim in his own right against the carrier. To avoid this claim against him, the carrier seeks the services of P & I club. This means that the same cargo can be insured twice. P & I clubs also settle the claims against the ship-owner when the crew is injured. There can be other â€Å"Third† parties that can have legal or contractual claims against the ship-owner. P & I insurance addresses all of those claims. There are risks that are not covered by P & I insurance because they are covered by an other form of insurance. In relation to Hull & Machinery Insurance, P & I insurance is able to cover almost all the risks that H & M leaves out. Even for the claims that are not fully covered by H & M insurance, the portion of the claim that is left out can be covered under P & I insurance. Therefore, P & I insurance complements Hull and Machinery insurance as the risks that are not covered by one are covered by the other. When both forms of marine insurance are

Comparative Politics 4 Current events Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Comparative Politics 4 Current events - Essay Example She had criticized the opinion polls for giving wrong information. She wanted to convince her supporters that she was only the right candidate for the post as the other two candidates were only fit for other big business. The major thing that she wanted to bring out was the monopoly the banks and financial systems had experienced. Marine Le Pen reminded the supporters about the collapsed government of Holland earlier that week. The collapse was based on detestation of immigrants and Islam. The article continues to bring out Wilders and Le Pen as people who joined the right parties that propelled them to victory. Economic crisis is influencing politics in many parts of the world. It is shown the many factors that influence voters during election time. These range from debts and globalization. Popular people who were considered the right candidate for a similar financial position come from nations that have well established welfare states such as Austria, Denmark or Finland. Such popul ar people like Pia Kj?rsgaard from Denmark make promises of availing public spending and introducing immigration controls. Such measures cannot be welcomed easily in America. Americans expect to hear proposals about tax that penalize the deprived and favor the affluent. Americans are used to listening to high expending on bombs and social issues like gay marriage in election time. The Americans were awakened by the 2008 crash and the Tea Party. The working class people are no longer fooled by empty promises on social security issues. They now understand business and the role of the government. Capitalism is witnessed by even the poor as they differentiate between donated money in commerce and the associated cost when things do not work out. The Americans need to stop fearing Islam and stop focusing more on constitution of the government so as to understand factors that Europe base on when they campaign for elections. Europe base more on economic decline or growth, globalization and political stability. The importance of this current event to world politics is that it enables people to appreciate the main factors that are based on within politics. Supporters came to understand the factors Europe puts upfront: economic growth, globalization and political stability. At the same time, Americans came to hear only of proposals on tax favoring the rich, high spending on bombs and usual social issues. This makes them to stick to principles that are conservative and tend to be enduring in every aspect. If American politicians could understand the same parameters as those Europeans, public sectors will be saved from destruction. And even the corporations will aim at benefitting the voters more than the politicians. Obama, Romney skip taxpayer money for campaign obtained from: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/04/mitt-romney-public-financing-presidential-campaign-/1 This article presents this current event as one of its kind in the entire world . The author states that ever since 1976, all campaigns for the post of the president in United States of America will not use money raised by the taxpayer. The two major parties in United States of America; Republican Party as well as Democratic Party have decided to use other means of financing their nominated Presidential aspirants. Republican National Committee’

How media artefacts affect our conception of reality Essay

How media artefacts affect our conception of reality - Essay Example We are placed in a consumer society and media, which brings in the importance of learning how to interpret, understand, and criticizing its messages and meanings. They participate in contributing to educate us on what we feel, fear, think, desire, and how to behave. They also show us how to consume, look, dress, avoid failure, and be successful/ popular (Verbeek & Slob, 2006). Cultural is one on itself that is focusing on the mass and media marketing. Due to extensive advertising and publicity, all the cultural products, which include human beings, are treated as commodities who share little to no meaning. This industry provides a reason to believe individual is an illusion manipulated by the authority of those in dominant class. Horkheimer and Adorno define cultural industry through its focus on the mass and media marketing. Technology, Monopoly, and Mass Production are three specific ideas of characterising cultural media. Horkheimer and Adorno addressed how big corporations contro l culture industry due to their large vertical and horizontal integration. Our society is representing a society which is heavily induced by cultural media and mass marketing. Cultural industry theory explains the concept of consumers selling out to the dominant cultures. In some aspects this is true but Adorno and Horkheimer gave much power to the class ruling and their abilities of producing ideal consumers. Media give us directions on ways to avoid failure, and conforming to various dominant systems of values, institutions, norms, and practices (Bishop, 2005). It is important to gain critical media literacy as a resource for citizens and individuals when learning to cope up with cultural environment. It is important to learn how to criticize, and read, socio-cultural manipulation to help in empowering in relation to the dominant culture and forms of media. It enhances sovereignty of individual as well as media culture by giving people power in cultural environment. The essay will feature most on contributions of cultural perspective to media literacy and critique. Recently, cultural studies have emerged as the best approach to study of society and culture. A project study was conducted in the University of Birmingham, which is the centre for cultural studies. This led to the development of various critical methods for the interpretation, criticism, and analysis of cultural methods. In 1960s and 1970s, there were internal debates and respondents to social movements and struggles. The group focused on interplay of ideologies and representations of gender, ethnicity, class, nationality, and race in cultural texts, which include media culture (Hillis, 1999). This group was among those who studied the effects of television, radio, film, newspaper and other cultural forms on audiences. The group also focused on the use of media culture and interpretation differently by various audiences. They analyzed on the factors, which made audiences respond to various media texts in contrasting ways. It is demonstrated by British cultural studies on how culture constituted distinct forms of the group and identity membership through the study of youth subcultures. Materials, which are used to construct views of identities, world, and behaviour, are provided by media culture for cultural studies. Those who follow the dictates of cultural media uncritically will mainstream themselves and thereby conforming to the dominant behaviour,

Circumcision in the United States Research Paper

Circumcision in the United States - Research Paper Example All the reasons summed up result to a conclusion that circumcision is a normal practice that should take root in the American culture. Circumcision in the United States Circumcision is a procedure known and practiced by millions of people across the globe. It is the removal of a penis’ foreskin in males or removing of clitoris or labia minora in females. However, this paper relates to male circumcision. In the United States majority of males are circumcised and they form about 85 percent which is a figure derived from states like California, Texas and Georgia among others. It is important to note that the rate of newborn circumcision has increased by 12.8 percent according to Schoen (2007). Many men are also being circumcised at later stages in life owing to personal, medical or religious reasons. Circumcision in actual sense has more benefits than risks and should be a normal and required practice in the United States. Reasons for circumcision As stated above men or male chil dren are circumcised based on three main reasons namely: religion or culture, medical reasons and personal reasons. Religion or culture It is the norm in many cultures for male children to be circumcised after being born. In others circumcision takes place at the onset of puberty. Jews and Muslims are the notable groups of people who uphold strict circumcision traditions based on religion and culture. Circumcision that is carried out at puberty mostly acts as a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood especially in many African cultures. Christians on the other hand are divided on whether to take circumcision as a norm or let an individual decide. Catholic Church for example presently holds a neutral ground in as far as medical reasons are concerned. Medical reasons Medical side to circumcision holds a great deal of controversy with experts staging conclusions from both ends i.e. some favoring the practice while others refuting it on medical grounds. Schoen, Wiswell and Moses (20 00) state that American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for example, claimed back in 1971 that it was hard to prove validity of circumcision of newborns. They also termed it as a non-essential for the newborns’ well-being. Contrastingly, studies by Wiswell et al. showed that newborns are 10-20 times protected from Urinary Tract Infections through circumcision. In addition, AAP in 1999 provided a list of six benefits and one risk i.e. surgical mishap which was also indicated to be rare at 0.2 percent. Some of the benefits include reduced chances of acquiring HIV, UIT, penile and cervical cancers and Chlamydia among others (Castellsague, Peeling, & Franceschi et al. 2005). In general, medical benefits of circumcision far outweigh the risks involved in both children and adults. The first major benefit is the reduced chances of contracting certain diseases and infections for example the UTI and HIV (Zorc, Levine & Platt, 2005). A circumcised man is also less likely to result to cervi cal cancer in women. It is also less likely for one to contract syphilis. It is also 3 times less likely for a circumcised man to carry human papilloma virus. It is therefore empirically true that circumcision has more benefits than it has risks and as such it should be encouraged at national level. Personal experiences (under personal reasons) I know of two boys who were circumcised at birth. My nephew was forced to undergo circumcision due to medical

Land law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Land law - Essay Example contract for the sale of freehold land, there is a presumption that the contract will automatically include everything which legally constitutes â€Å"land†2. Accordingly, whether or not Ming was entitled to remove the sign depends on whether the sign can validly constitute land or whether it constituted a chattel, which doesn’t fall within the scope of â€Å"land†3. The classic definition of a fixture is anything which is physically (but not necessarily legally) removable and makes a permanent improvement to the land4. Conversely, a chattel is an item brought onto the land, which doesn’t become part of the land5. The general rule regarding fixtures is that whatever is attached to the soil becomes part of the soil6. In determining whether the sign is fixture or a chattel, it will be necessary to apply the two factual tests as extrapolated by Blackburn J in the case of Holland v Hodgson7, namely the degree of annexation test and the purpose of annexation test. The degree of annexation test requires that the object be fastened to or connected with the land in some way for there to be a presumption that it is a fixture8. For example, in the case of Hamp v Bygrave9 it was held that patio lights that were attached to the wall of the house were fixtures. Moreover, if an object is not fixed, but merely rests on its own weight, there will be a presumption that it is a chattel10. If we apply this by analogy to the current scenario, the sign had hung from a post, which if resting on its own weight will lead to a presumption of it being a chattel. However, the presumption can be rebutted on the basis of the purpose of the annexation test. In the case of Elitestone Limited v Morris11 Lord Clyde asserted that this test involved a consideration of â€Å"the purpose which the object is serving and not the purpose of the person who put it there12†. As such, the test is objective and is concerned with the intention of the person who put the object on the land. It further