How Section 122 Tariffs Are Being Challenged

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At least two separate cases have now been filed at the Court of International Trade seeking to stop the Trump administration from utilizing Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act to impose tariffs on all imports into the U.S.

Learn more about Section 122 and ST&R's update.

Obstacles to SME Participation in Global Trade

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A key finding in this section of a very robust report is that all types of trade costs, whether they are fixed or variable, adversely affect the ability of SMEs to participate in trade, to a greater extent than large enterprises.

Since SMEs are more sensitive to trade barriers than large firms, removing obstacles to trade benefits SMEs disproportionately. It is therefore important to understand what these major obstacles are.  You can find out here.

Is Your Startup Ready to Go Global?

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While the most successful companies tend to follow the money, that shouldn’t be your sole motivation for going global. 

There are five main indicators for determining if your startup is ready to go global. If one or two of the indicators here apply to your business, you’re definitely headed in the right direction. 

But before you take the leap, you need to be aware of the challenges and risks. Start by asking yourself these questions.

The Challenges of Global Growth are Varied and Difficult But Through Perseverance, Rewards Are Worth the Struggle

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Phil Hall is Chief Growth Officer at LXT, an emerging leader in global AI training data with executives on three continents.  He's helped grow one particular global business from a startup to a worldwide success with more than $1 billion in annual revenue.

The challenges to global growth are varied and difficult, but for the companies that persevere and reach that level, the rewards are very much worth the struggle, both in the ability to serve a highly discerning customer base with limited options at that scale, as well as in the experience it brings to the entire workforce along the way.

Learn more from Phil on a few of his key insights.  For example, how flexibility is key where high growth meets global business.

Cushioning the Financial Blow for Global Small Businesses

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Developing-market small and midsize enterprises (SMEs), which have long competed for funding against bigger corporations, are counting on help from governments and multilateral lenders to keep afloat. 

Full recovery from the Covid-19 crisis will be critical for three developing regions – Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East and it will come with challenges. 

According to a 2018 research paper by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), SMEs accounted for 96% of all businesses and provided two out of three private sector jobs in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. And in that region, SMEs generated 42% of GDP in 2015. These companies are especially important players in APAC cross-border trade, accounting as of 2015 for over 40% of export values in China and India, 26% in Thailand, 19% in South Korea and 16% in Indonesia.

Learn more about global small businesses and the big challenges they face.