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Should Ports Get Smart?
Ports are trying to become smarter. At least, that’s what I took away from a recent conference in Seoul, where I spoke at a government-sponsored forum on smart ports. Smartness…
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Taking Taxpayers for a Ride
Even if you don’t ride the subway, a startling new report on the cost of building transit systems deserves the attention of anyone interested in infrastructure. This report, the result…
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The Value of Value Chains
Usually, the action at the American Economics Association’s annual meeting revolves around weighty pronouncements by prominent economists. What I found striking about this year’s meeting, which was held in New…
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Carbon Border Adjustments and Trade
The European Union is on the way to taxing many imports based on their greenhouse-gas emissions. The plan, which was agreed by the European Commission and the European Parliament on…
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Digits Aren’t Always Free
On a recent road trip, after yet another cup of tasteless hotel coffee, my wife and I ordered lattes at a trendy roastery. “That’s $10.36,” the cashier told me, turning…
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Locked In
Standardizing the shipping container in the mid-1960s was a pivotal step in globalization. Up until that point, containers came in a multitude of designs, so one ship line’s containers might…