This paper examines the composition of China’s trade from 1980 to 1996, with a focus on agriculture and a view towards understanding its changing structure relative to other sectors. We analyze the time series behavior of individual goods at the SITC three-digit level, categorized into three groups: agricultural commodities, “other primary” commodities, and manufactures. We find that agricultural trade has expanded along comparative advantage lines in a very modest way, compared to manufactures and other primary commodities.

Genetic modification of crops has revolutionized food production, but it remains controversial due to food safety concerns. A recent food safety scare provides a natural experiment on the market's willingness to accept an increase in perceived risk from genetically modified (GM) food. We analyze the market impact of contamination of the U.S. food-corn supply by a GM variety called StarLink. We find that the contamination led to a 6.8 percent discount in corn prices and that the suppression of prices lasted for at least a year.

Trade remedy law is viewed as a major vehicle for protection in U.S. agriculture. The objective of this paper is to summarize the use of trade remedy law by U.S. agriculture and to highlight examples of where the use of these laws conflicts with free trade agreements such as NAFTA. Empirical evidence is presented of the effects of U.S. trade remedy laws on agricultural imports. We find evidence that is consistent with trade diversion on positive rulings and an "investigation effect" on negative rulings.

The role of agriculture in Northeast Asian cooperation has been important for many years. However, the end of the Cold War and the recent security concerns in Northeast Asia have made this issue more urgent. In addition, recent developments in international agricultural relations have changed the context in which nations of the region are now making agricultural and food-related policy. These broader issues provide the context for this paper.

It has long been understood that food and agriculture are vital to the security of any nation or region. However, the nature of this relationship is sometimes misunderstood: it is easy to overlook the fact that a goal of food and agricultural security is consistent with a goal of economic progress and overall economic security. It is now more widely accepted that liberalized trade and privatization of agriculture are critically important for economic development and income growth, whereas restricted trade and food self-sufficiency objectives diminish economic growth and security. This theme underlies the argument of the present paper.

The overall objective of the paper is to describe the current agricultural situation in North Korea, South Korea, China, and Japan with reference to the issues of food security and agricultural cooperation. The paper will succinctly describe trends in agricultural supply, demand, and trade for each of the four countries. In addition, where important for understanding supply and demand trends, there will be a brief explanation of the impact of recent developments in domestic agricultural policy. A discussion of future subregional cooperative possibilities concludes the paper.

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Why is There So Much Interest in Trade Remedy Laws?; Emerging Hothouse Industry Poses Challenges for California's Fresh Tomato Industry; The Impact of Global Warming.

E. coli in Spinach, Foodborne Illnesses, and Expectations about Food Safety

Economics of the California Processing Tomato Market

Why We Should Be Willing to Devote More Resources

to Avoid Climate Change