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How Interest Rates Affect Savings in India

Some banks in India will be raising rates on term deposits in order to mobilize savings and meet rising demand for credit. In the August 8th issue of Financial Express economists Ram Tamara and Madhuri Saripelle of Nathan India explore what could happen if interest rates on savings accounts were...

India’s Banks and the Decline in Household Savings

In the July 17 issue of the Financial Express, economists Ram Tamara and Madhuri Saripalle of Nathan India describe subtle changes in the savings behavior of India’s households. Analyzing  data on savings and deposits in India from 2006 to 2009, they note that household deposits are a big portion...

Indian Gaming Industry Report Cited in Financial Times

The annual report on Indian gaming authored by Principal Economist Alan Meister was recently cited in the Financial Times. The article describes how some Native American tribes are struggling to repay loans used to finance casinos. Dr. Meister's annual study shows that Indian gaming experienced...

Programming for Economic Growth

Does economic growth always benefit the poor and the disadvantaged?  What do we know about how to foster enduring growth that does benefit them? How effective are USAID’s economic growth programs in the context of U.S. foreign assistance objectives?USAID asked Nathan Associates to lead a team...

Food Security is a Continuous Task

Public and private sectors in Southeast Asia to collaborateSINGAPORE. The sharp rise in world food prices of 2007 and 2008 showed that keeping nutritional food available and affordable is a continuous task—for families, communities, businesses, and governments.At their first-ever joint conference...

You Say Tomato, I Say Comparative Advantage

Alex Blumberg of National Public Radio’s Money Talk blog recently spoke to Rose Mary Garcia—a Principal Associate at Nathan Associates—about the cost of tomatoes in Jamaica. Blumberg had come across Nathan Associates’ assessment of Jamaica’s economy and wanted to have a nagging question answered:...

Building Trade Capacity in Peru and the Andean Region

Trade agreements can induce growth throughout an economy if all parties to the agreements have strong capacity for trade. Over the next four years, DNG, a joint venture of Nathan Associates and DAI, will be working to strengthen the human, informational, and institutional resources necessary for...

AEO Handbook to Aid Customs Modernization Worldwide

Customs administrators in developing countries now have a practical, step-by-step guide to improving customs performance: the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Program Implementation handbook.  Produced by Nathan Associates under the TCBoost project and in collaboration with the World Customs...

Nigerian Companies Gearing Up to Expand Exports

If you ask Nigerian exporters what they need to expand their businesses, they say “information.”  How do I sell my product in this market? Who are the buyers? What are the standards for imports? Under a two-year program managed by Nathan Associates and funded by the United States Agency for...

Guyana Slashes Business Registration Time

Other Reforms Accelerated under MCC ProjectAnita felt relieved.  She just had completed the first step of registering her seafood exporting business at Guyana’s Deeds Registry and the records search took less than five minutes rather than the usual seven days. New procedures, digitalization of...

United Way Spotlights Nathan for Excellence

Bill Hanbury, President and CEO of the United Way of the National Capital Area, cited Nathan Associates’ “stellar campaign” in the organization’s e-newsletter for January: Nathan Associates, an Arlington based company, conducted a stellar campaign which consisted of many great events. In addition...

Welcome Jim Wallar, Senior VP, International Development

On January 19, 2010, James Wallar returned to Nathan Associates as Senior Vice President of the firm’s International Group.  From 2006-2008, Mr. Wallar was Chief of Party and resident trade specialist for  the firm’s ASEAN-US Technical Assistance and Training Facility at the ASEAN Secretariat in...

World's First Textile and Garment Service Standards Launched in ASEAN

January 2010—The world's first textile and garment industry service standards have been put in place in the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to help suppliers remain competitive in the post-quota era.  Suppliers that meet the standards will be able to join the...

Planning a Trip to Southeast Asia Made Easy

The Nathan-managed USAID ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) Project, Wego Travel Search Pte Ltd (wego.com), we, and the ASEAN Tourism Association are launching a “one stop shop” for tourism planning in Southeast Asia.   The new website, SoutheastAsia.org, will help tourists map out their trip...

Haiti’s Apparel Industry Offers Hope

On January 12, 2010, an earthquake in Haiti devastated Port-au-Prince and surrounding communities. Even as relief efforts are underway to cope with the terrible losses, now is the time to plan for reconstruction. Rebuilding Haiti’s physical and social infrastructure will take years, resources, and...

Indian Gaming Industry Report, 2009-2010, Released

Recession and Public Policies Curb Industry GrowthDecember 10, 2009—Dr. Alan Meister, author of the annual Indian Gaming Industry Report, attributes the slower growth of Indian gaming in 2008 to the recession. The slowing growth pattern of previous years, however, was the result of public policies...

APEC Ministers Praise Technical Assistance and Training Facility

In a joint statement issued at the 21st APEC Ministerial Meeting in Singapore on November 11-12, 2009, APEC Ministers praised the APEC Technical Assistance and Training Facility (TATF) for its contributions to strengthening the APEC Secretariat."We welcome the contribution to the APEC Secretariat...

First US-ASEAN Leaders Meeting Highlights U.S. Commitment to Regional Integration

At the first ASEAN-U.S. Leaders Meeting on November 15, 2009, President Obama expressed his “strong support for ASEAN’s ambitious goal of creating a community by 2015, including its bold effort to achieve economic integration.”The joint statement issued at the meeting highlighted support provided...

ASEAN Economic Community Holds Great Promise for All Study Concludes

Achieving an integrated economic community will boost general welfare among ASEAN Member States by more than 5 percent—or more than six times the effect estimated for the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. This is the main conclusion of Realizing the ASEAN Economic Community: A Comprehensive Assessment, a...

Morocco in Manhattan

First Ever Retail Promotion of Moroccan Specialty FoodsThe Food Emporium (www.thefoodemporium.com), a high-end grocery with 16 outlets in Manhattan, will begin a two-week promotion of Moroccan specialty foods in September 2010 under a deal arranged by Nathan Associates Inc. A joint effort of The...

Protectionist Impulse Could Worsen Economies in Asia

General equilibrium analysis reveals potential for massive loss If governments in Asia raise protectionism to the maximum levels consistent with trade agreements, $16 billion in GDP and $44 billion in exports could be lost, worsening the effects of the worldwide recession in the region’s economies...

Lazor to Help Lead Professional Services Council Task Force

On April 17, 2009, Nathan Associates’ Gary Lazor was named a chairperson of the International Development Task Force (IDTF) of the Professional Services Council (PSC). PSC is the leading national trade association representing the professional and technical services industry doing business with the...

Iraq’s Economic Growth Rate Up—But From a Low Base

Iraq’s economic growth rate improved in 2008 as oil production neared its prewar peak, but per capita income remains well below prewar levels, and poverty—though the rates are declining—threatens political and economic stability and recovery.In a data-intensive report released under the USAID-...

Clinton Pledges Continued Support for ASEAN-US Technical Assistance and Training Facility

In her first visit to Asia as U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke at the Secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in a press conference with Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary General of ASEAN. Clinton described the new “smart power” approach to diplomacy and...

Expert Reports Influence EPDM Antitrust Litigation Class Certification Motion

On February 13, 2009, Judge Underhill of the U.S. District Court of Connecticut cited the work of Nathan Associates in granting plaintiffs’ motion for class certification of companies that purchased ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) between January 1997 and December 2001. EPDM is a synthetic...

Second Circuit Rules That Small Individual Damages Merit Class Certification

In re: American Express Merchants’ Litigation

In January 2009 the Second Circuit court overturned a decision by a U.S. District Court in favor of American Express (Amex) citing “compelling” arguments delivered by Nathan Associates’ Senior Vice President Gary French that individual small damages do...

Regulation Protecting Right Whales Will Have Economic Impact

On December 9, 2008, a new regulation to reduce the likelihood of ship strikes against migrating right whales in the North Atlantic will go into effect. Northern right whales—one of the most endangered types of large whale in the world—migrate from their calving grounds in Florida and Georgia to...

All Change is Local : Supporting Reform in the Philippines

Supporting Reform in the PhilippinesFor the next four years Nathan Associates will be working with advocacy groups in the Philippines to bring grassroots and local perspectives into the economic development plans formulated at all levels of government.USAID/Philippines has awarded the DAI/Nathan...

Toward a Stronger APEC

Nathan to Support the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum From trade facilitation to structural reform, Nathan Associates will provide a wide range of technical assistance and training to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, one of the world’s premiere organizations promoting regional...

Lakhbir Singh Elected President and Chief Operating Officer

Nathan Associates is pleased to announce that Lakhbir Singh has been elected president and chief operating officer, effective September 15, 2008. As president and COO, Dr. Singh will bring his laser-like focus on client service and technical quality to the daily operations of international and U.S...

Board of Directors Welcomes Four New Members

On August 7, 2008, employee shareholders at Nathan Associates approved the appointment of four new members to the firm’s Board of Directors, three of them new to the firm and one an actively employed shareholder. The board will benefit from the decisive entrepreneurial style and financial...

Nathan India Delivers Insight for Clients

Local businesses benefit from surveys, impact analysis, and econometric analysis

Nathan India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nathan Associates Inc., has opened an office in Chennai, India. Staffed with expert economists and highly skilled researchers, the subsidiary is providing private sector...

Fan Demand Will Drive the Success of India’s New Cricket League

In the May 14, 2008, issue of India’s Business Today, Nathan’s Ram Tamara and one of the firm’s principal consultants, Michael Maloney of Clemson University, share their opinion about what will drive the success of the Indian Premier League, or IPL. Worldwide, the business of sports offers fertile...

Nigeria’s Catfish Farming Value Chain Attracts Investment

Nigerians consume nearly $1billion in fish each year—but most is imported from Europe. That could change once the local catfish farming industry begins to benefit from a development program funded by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) project. Through the two-year, $32 million program,...

Nathan’s Guardian of Quality Profiled in IndUS

IndUS Business Journal, the only national business-to-business newspaper catering to the Indian and South Asian business community in the United States, profiled Nathan Associates’ executive vice president, Dr. Lakhbir Singh, in its April 1, 2008 issue. Calling Dr. Singh the firm’s “right-hand man...

Expert Testimony Important in $21 Million Class Action Settlement

Senior Vice President Stephen A. Schneider’s expert analysis and testimony played an important role in the recent settlement of Wright v. Stern, a racial employment discrimination in promotion case. 

On February 26, 2008, New York City agreed to settle a federal class-action discrimination lawsuit...

ADVANCE Ramps Up With Official Launch and Three New Task Orders

On February 25, 2008, the ASEAN Development Vision to Advance National Cooperation and Economic Integration program was officially launched by Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Scot Marciel, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific, and Olivier...

DAI/Nathan Group Awarded TCBoost

Arlington, Virginia―On January 24, 2008, USAID awarded the DAI/Nathan Group the Worldwide Support for Trade Capacity Building task order under the Global Business, Trade, and Investment (GBTI II) indefinite quantity contract. Known as TCBoost, the task order will support USAID in extending the...

Shedding Light on Zimbabwe’s Economy

 Three Urgent Priorities EmergeUntil now, getting even a snapshot of economic conditions in Zimbabwe amid the country’s political and economic turmoil has been difficult. But thanks to Nathan Associates’ economy-wide assessment, a clear picture is emerging. International donors have already begun...

Nathan Associates Opens Office to Serve Southern New England Clients

Nathan Associates has opened an office in Warwick, Rhode Island, to serve clients in Southern New England in matters involving antitrust, labor and employment, economic damages, intellectual property, and business disputes. The office is managed by Dr. Stephen Schneider, a Senior Vice President...

Economic Club of Washington Recognizes Nathan for Advising on Research Awards

Bruce Bolnick, Chi Leng, and David Merrill of Nathan Associates were recognized by Vernon Jordan, President of the Economic Club of Washington D.C., for advising the club and the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area on the award of two doctoral fellowships and the new...

Nathan Associates Opens Office in California

Nathan Associates has opened an office in Irvine, California. The office will be managed by Dr. Russ Mangum, a Vice President with the firm. Dr. Mangum has more than 12 years of experience as a consulting and testifying expert in the private sector and for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. He and...

Nathan Consortium Awarded Contract to Support ASEAN-US Enhanced Partnership

Award coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-US dialogue  On September 26, 2007, USAID awarded Nathan Associates an indefinite quantity contract to support ASEAN-US Enhanced Partnership activities over the next five to eight years. The project—the ASEAN...

Nigeria’s BDS Providers Raise Profits and Hopes

Through the World Bank-funded Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) project in Abuja, Nigeria, businesses in Abia, Kaduna, and Lagos are benefiting from business development services provided by such local companies as Lateral Links, Nextzon Business Incubator, Toki Mabogunje & Co, and...

Tom Timberg on MSMEs in Nigeria

Principal Associate and Senior Economist Dr. Thomas Timberg talked about the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Nigeria project in an interview in Economic Indicators, a publication of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group. NESG promotes dialogue between private and public sector leaders about...

Nathan Testimony Critical in BAR/BRI Antitrust Suit

U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III of the Southern District of New York repeatedly cited the expert witness testimony of Nathan’s Dr. John Pisarkiewicz in his opinion denying Thomson Corporation a motion for summary judgment. He also cited Dr. Pisarkiewicz’s testimony in his opinion granting...

Auto Parts Manufacturers Visit Morocco on Investment Mission

On March 26 and 27, 2007, potential investors in Morocco’s burgeoning automotive parts and components sector attended a two-day mission in Casablanca and the Tangiers Free Zone. Morocco’s exports of low-cost parts increased on average more than 21 percent per year from 2000 to 2004, proof of the...

How are Corruption and Economic Growth Linked?

Nathan Associates Chief Economist Bruce Bolnick and Managing Associate Alexander Greenbaum gave a presentation March 22 at a USAID-sponsored roundtable discussion on corruption and economic growth. The presentation, Fighting Corruption: Prevention vs. Enforcement, focused on the links between...

Moroccan Textile and Apparel Companies Win Attention at MAGIC

Working with the Morocco’s textile and apparel trade association (AMITH) and export promotion agency (CMPE), Nathan’s New Business Opportunities (NBO) project is helping Moroccan companies take advantage of export opportunities arising from the US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement.On February 13-16,...

Leadership So “Tomorrow will be Better than Today” in Mozambique

From February 28 to March 2, 2007, the Government of Mozambique, with the support of Nathan’s Trade and Investment Project in Mozambique, hosted a seminar for ministers, deputy ministers, and permanent secretaries to build teamwork, exchange ideas and experience, and invigorate leadership and...

DAI–Nathan Group Awarded GBTI II Indefinite Quantity Contract

On March 1, 2007, USAID Washington announced that DAI–Nathan Group was among the nine awardees of the Global Business, Trade and Investment II IQC, a contract vehicle with a ceiling value of $3 billion over the next five years. Through the GBTI II IQC, missions, bureaus, and other U.S. government...

IT-Driven Community Center in Philippines Attracts Ecotourists to Engineering Marvel

After only two months in business, an IT-driven community center in Puggo is having a big impact. The Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement and the Last Mile Initiative–Philippines established the center to attract ecotourists to the Ifugao Rice Terraces, one of the engineering marvels of the ancient...

India’s Growth: Hunting Mushrooms Versus Picking Winners

India has one of the world’s fastest growing economies. But why? Many believe that the economic liberalization and reforms of the early 1990s rocketed India into the orbit of 7 to 8 percent growth rate from the infamous “Hindu growth rate” of 3 to 4 percent. In the 15th anniversary issue of...

Sri Lanka Hopes to Attract “Wildlife” Tourists with New Photo Guide

A photographic guide to animals and plants of the dry lowlands of Sri Lanka will help tourists appreciate the country’s natural heritage. Wildlife writer and photojournalist Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne created the 110-page, full-color Wildlife of the Dry Lowlands with financial assistance from The...

Innovative Impact Assessment Praised as New Best Practice

Have cluster initiatives delivered sufficient benefits to justify foreign assistance? Do they promote economic development? Are particular types of cluster activities successful? Nathan Associates Chief Economist Bruce Bolnick attempted to answer these questions in his paper, The Economic Impact of...

New Center Offers Dominican Apparel Workers Preproduction Training

Preproduction services are a promising market niche for the Dominican textile and apparel industry. A new garment preproduction training center located in the Santiago Industrial Free Zone is teaching apparel workers how to design patterns and make samples and markers so the firms they work for can...

Morocco's Visibility at MAGIC Pays

More than a third of Moroccan apparel exporters attending the MAGIC trade show in Las Vegas, August 28-31, 2006, booked orders worth millions of dollars from U.S. buyers. The Nathan-managed NBO project, which sponsored the attendance of ten exporters, attributes this success to Morocco’s highly...

E-center Aims to Help Preserve Ifugao Heritage

The Ifugao rice terraces are a cultural treasure of the people of the Philippines Cordilleras and a UNESCO world heritage site, but they are endangered. The Last Mile Initiative-Philippines, an activity of the Nathan-managed EMERGE project funded by USAID, recently launched the Puggo Community E-...

Moroccan Auto Parts Manufacturers Gearing Up for Success in U.S. Market

Dozens of Moroccan manufacturers are learning about the competitive dynamics of the U.S. auto parts aftermarket through site visits, seminars, and one-on-one meetings under Nathan’s USAID-funded New Business Opportunities (NBO) programProduct ReadinessAccording to Henry P. Allessio, automotive...

ICT Entrepreneurship Training in Egypt Building Local Capacity

Nathan’s Egyptian ICT Entrepreneurship Program held its first capacity-building session July 22-24, 2006, in Egypt. Dr. Andrew Gershoff, Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Michigan, instructed 23 faculty members of local organizations in training methodology and advanced training...

Training in Cambodia Boosts Efficiency of Three Apparel Makers

A pilot training program of Cambodia’s Garment Industry Productivity Center, a USAID-funded project managed by Nathan Associates, has helped three apparel makers achieve double-digit efficiency gains. The manufacturers sent management teams to the GIPC for training in time study techniques and GIPC...

Morocco New Business Opportunities Project Launched

Turning Opportunities into SalesNathan’s Morocco New Business Opportunities (NBO) was formally launched June 27, 2006 by USAID and Morocco’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Economic Upgrading (MICMAN). A four year project, NBO is expected to create as many as 10,000 jobs and as much as $175...

Open Source Software Kits Bring Free Applications to Philippines

Public schools and community e-centers throughout the Philippines have free access to basic computer applications thanks to the Last Mile Initiative-Philippines (LMIP), a component of the Nathan-managed EMERGE project. LMIP has distributed 500 free and open source software (FOSS) kits, which...

Inspiring Dialogue in Southern Africa

Lisa Yarmoshuk, Nathan’s Chief of Party in Southern Africa, has produced a series of five films that are invigorating dialogue on trade issues among ten developing countries. Each 15 minutes long, the films cover trade preferences, the business environment, private sector advocacy, trade...

Nathan Associates Opens Office in Memphis

On June 1, 2006, Nathan Associates opened an office in Memphis, Tennessee. The office is managed by Dr. David Sharp a managing economist with the firm. Dr. Sharp has substantial consulting and testifying experience. He and his staff will be providing expert services to attorneys and their clients...

Online Search Center Landing Jobs in the Philippines

EMERGE, Nathan’s project in the Philippines, has been working with USAID’s Last Mile Initiative Program to help officials in Bukidnon turn one municipality of Mindanao into an electronic gateway for jobseekers. The municipality of Manolo Fortich has turned a portion of its Public Employment Service...

700 Attend Annual Private Sector Conference in Mozambique

From May 3-5 2006, the Confederation of Mozambican Industries (CTA) convened its ninth Annual Private Sector Conference in Maputo. Opened this year by the President of the Republic of Mozambique, Armando Guebuza, the conference was attended by the Prime Minister, key ministers of the Economic...

Pablo de la Flor Champions US-Peru FTA

April 2006—In Peru, building trade capacity means getting ready to grow. The recent signing of a free trade agreement between the United States and Peru marks the penultimate stage of a long series of negotiations. Final approval should be reached by the congresses of both countries by July....

E-commerce Law in Sri Lanka is Milestone for ICT Development

More Sri Lankans are likely to make online purchases and conduct online banking since Parliament unanimously passed the Electronic Transactions bill in March 2006. That bill marks an important achievement for Sri Lanka’s ICT industry. The purpose of the bill is to eliminate legal barriers and...

Sri Lankan Spice Industry Seeks Quality Niche in U.S. Market

Marketing tour is part of long-term repositioning strategyRepresentatives of Sri Lanka’s spice industry are touring the United States in March 2006, learning about the U.S. spice market and honing their negotiation skills as they seek to expand Sri Lanka’s presence in the U.S. market.The Spice...

An Interview with Ram Tamara

Econometricians wear many hats, according to Peter Kennedy, author of A Guide to Econometrics. As economists they use economic theory to analyze problems; as mathematicians they formulate economic theory appropriate for statistical testing; as accountants they collect economic data; as applied...

How Does an Economist Solve a Problem When No Formula Exists?

Economists Ram Tamara and Robert Damuth were asked to determine whether legislation to limit the amount of debt that a nonfinancial corporation can hold in its capital structure was feasible. Here, they explain how they conducted their analysis in the absence of a formula or an off-the-shelf...

Counter Vulnerability with Productivity

Preparing Cambodia’s Garment Sector for Continued SuccessThe value of Cambodia’s garment exports grew from $26 million in 1995 to $1.6 billion in 2004. The sector now produces 80 percent of the country’s exports, accounts for one-eighth of GDP, and employs 250,000 people directly. Another 2.5...

Boosting Productivity to Raise Competitiveness

Sri Lankan ceramics industry improving at the factory levelOn August 30, 2005, The Competitiveness Program managed by Nathan Associates and JE Austin Associates signed an agreement with the Sri Lanka Ceramics Council to assist with the council’s Factory Improvement Program on a cost-share basis.Sri...

Sri Lanka Gets Help on PR Campaign to Restore Tourists’ Confidence

The Competitiveness Program gets another $ million for a PR campaign to re-attract tourists to the island.

Sri Lanka’s hopes for the return of tourists in 2005 will get a boost from the new Tourism Communications Project. Managed by Nathan Associates and J.E. Austin Associates, the project is...

Partnership Agreement in Croatia

As noted in the Financial Times (March 9, 2005), the Association of Croatian Exporters (HIZ) and USAID signed a partnership agreement on March 9 in Zagreb. This agreement is the latest accomplishment of the Croatia ESP project.Started in September 2004, the project aims to promote job creation,...

India Underinvested in Domestic IT

Released by India’s Planning Commission on April 28, 2005, a recent study by Nathan Associates and Sallstrom Consulting and supported by Microsoft Corp., India, reveals that India’s impressive performance as an IT exporter is not matched in its domestic markets.According to the study, India is...

Weyerhaeuser Ordered to Pay $460 Million in Damages

On April 5, 2005, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Atlanta ordered Weyerhaeuser Corporation to pay Paragon Trade Brands Inc. nearly $460 million in damages. The damages award is based almost entirely on the calculations of Nathan Associates President and CEO John Beyer.Trouble began in 1993 when...

Livelihood of 1,500 Sri Lankan Women Restored After Tsunami

Joining hands with Sri Lanka’s coir industry, the USAID-funded Competitiveness Program managed by Nathan Associates distributed 500 coir spinning reels to village women. —When the tsunami washed away thousands of homes along Sri Lanka’s southern coast last December, hundreds of village women lost...

Nathan Staff and Family Reach Out to Tsunami Survivors in Sri Lanka

The following email message was written by Carmen Varley, wife of John Varley, Nathan’s Chief of Party for the USAID-funded Competitiveness Project in Sri Lanka. The Varleys, who live in Colombo, opened their home to tsunami survivors who had been visiting Sri Lanka.January 11, 2005; 12 pmOn...

Jordanian Students Pursue Careers in Tourism Management

The sun and sea and mountains change color by the hour in Aqaba, Jordan's only port city, and an ideal place to visit any time of the year. But Aqaba has reached only half of its potential as a world-class tourism destination.A shortage of skilled labor to support tourism is one of several...

Jordan’s New Employment Center Matches Job Seekers with Employers

His Majesty King Abdullah’s vision of “a better life for all Jordanians” is finally within the reach of hundreds of unemployed Jordanians. A new National Employment Center that matches job seekers with employers promises to lower the country’s unemployment rate, estimated at 14.5 percent, and boost...

Trade Fairs—Centerpiece of Salvadoran Exports

Under the watchful eye of Nathan trade specialists, 15 Salvadoran companies exporting fruit teas, organic coffee, cashews, honey, nutritional supplements, soaps, lotions, herbal medicines, indigo dye, and other items gathered at Natural Products Expo East in Washington last month “to get to know...

Nathan Trade Adviser Appointed Chief Trade Negotiator for Zambia

Dorothy Tembo, Nathan Associates’ Trade Adviser for the Zambia Trade and Investment Enhancement (ZAMTIE) project, was appointed Zambia’s official Chief Trade Negotiator in the summer of 2004. Since then, Ms. Tembo has established a Department of Foreign Trade in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, and...

The Economic Impact of Protecting Northern Right Whales

As reported in the Washington Post, right whale 1909 was found dead on a North Carolina beach on November 24th, prompting renewed urgency in calls for speed limits for ships traveling along the mid-Atlantic coast. Working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National...

Salvadoran Companies to Seek U.S. Buyers at Natural Products Expo East

Garnering nearly $1 million in sales by attending BIOFACH 2004 in Germany, El Salvadoran companies hope to duplicate their success by attending Natural Products Expo East, the world’s largest natural products trade fair, at the Washington, DC Convention Center, October 14-17, 2004. Since January...

Sri Lanka’s "Champagne" of Rubber Debuts in U.S. and Global Markets

U.S. industrial consumers in search of superior rubber for sophisticated products need look no further than Lankeprene--Sri Lanka's latex crepe and the champagne of natural rubber. Lankeprene is the purest form of natural rubber, lowest in protein, lightest in color, and ideal for manufacturing...

Boosting Small Business Performance in Croatia

Nathan to help create 20,000 jobs  Even as European companies have seized a significant share of Croatia’s domestic market in food products, apparel, housewares, hardware, and furnishings, opportunities abound for Croatian companies to grow and entrepreneurs to prosper by selling to local and...

Franz Wolf, Former Nathan Economist

When interviewed in 2000 as a “centenarian,” Franz Wolf attributed his longevity to deep devotion to family and his love for his work as an economist. Nathan Associates was fortunate to benefit from Mr. Wolf’s formidable skills as an economist ffrom 1953 until 1986, when he stepped down from the...

Nathan to Support Development of Aqaba Special Economic Zone

Jordan’s only port town, Aqaba, has the potential to become a world-class tourist destination.  Building on Aqaba’s long history as a shipping hub and locus of industrialization, Jordan is working to develop the region into the country’s southern economic growth pole. A master plan is already in...

Jordan Committed to Helping its Poor Help Themselves

After months of technical assistance, the USAID-funded Jordan Poverty Alleviation project, led by Nathan Associates’ Chief of Party Janet Hansen, achieved one of its principal goals: reorganization of the National Aid Fund (NAF).  Prime Minister Faisal Fayez announced the government’s commitment to...

Nathan Chief of Party Elected to American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia

The influence of the highly successful Croatian Competitiveness Initiative (CCI) was recognized in the recent election of Charles Conconi, Nathan Associates’ Chief of Party for the project, to the Board of Governors of Croatia’s American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham). A USAID-funded program, CCI has...

Groundbreaking Public-Private Partnership is Model for South Africa

The public-private partnership behind a new campus for South Africa's Department of Industry and Trade is a social and political groundbreaker. The campus is the first new construction under the auspices of South Africa's new government and the first project guided by the Public Finance Management...

Nathan Associates Presents Economic Case for Cyprus Settlement

Politics often trump economics--at least temporarily. In The Hague (Netherlands), Turkish Cypriot leaders rejected the most recent attempt by the international community to settle the Cyprus problem--the state of war between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots that has prevailed since 1974. Between...

Nathan Associates Joins Mongolia’s Civil Aviation Delegation

Roger Manring, Nathan Associates’ team leader for the Mongolia Civil Aviation Policy Development Project, joined Mongolia’s delegation attending the 40th Conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation for the Asia-Pacific Regions. Sponsored by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO...

South Africa's Brain Gain

Mandela Economic Scholars Program provides skilled economists for South Africa's public and private sectors. Newly minted economists launch alumni association to foster debate on economic issues.When Apartheid ended in 1994 few South Africans of color had economics degrees. The shortage of black...

Americans Might Even Prove Useful

The Competitiveness Initiative, managed and staffed by Nathan Associates and partner J.E. Austin Associates, was praised in the May 14th edition of Poslovni Tjednik, a Croatian business weekly, for “achieving what certain governmental or business institutions haven’t been able to achieve in years...

Nathan Associates Co-sponsors Seminar on Islamic Banking

Dr. Thomas Timberg presented “Islamic Banking in Indonesia,” and the “Blueprint for the Development of Shariah Banking in Indonesia” at a seminar March 18, 2003, at Nathan Associates Inc., 2101 Wilson Blvd. Suite 1200, Arlington, Virginia.Sponsored by the IRIS Center and Nathan Associates in...

Former HHS Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Leads Jordan Poverty Alleviation Program

Visionary leader and consensus builder, top-level manager and policymaker, skilled communicator and family advocate. These terms come to mind when colleagues describe Carmen Nazario. A career public servant, Carmen Nazario has spent the past 25 years planning, managing, and directing social service...

Sri Lanka Competing in the Global Marketplace

Did you know that . . . The seat in your Mercedes comes from Sri Lankan coconuts? Your high-end ceramic dishes were designed and produced in Sri Lanka? The cinnamon in your curry is Sri Lanka's finest? The world's best tea is harvested in Sri Lanka's high country?Eight industries in Sri Lanka are...

Accelerating Export and Investment . . . Egypt

Since joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995, Egypt has made steady progress toward participation in the global economy. But before the country can fully benefit from freer trade and speed the growth of exports and investments, it must build its capacity to analyze, negotiate, and...

Measuring Economic Freedom

What is the best way to measure economic freedom in a developing country? Are the most effective measures external or internal? Imposed from outside a society or embraced from within it? The answers to these questions may affect how the U.S. Government implements an ambitious new foreign aid...

New Board Chairman Elected

Joseph R. Gunn has been elected chairman of Nathan Associates' board of directors following a 27-year career with the firm. Mr. Gunn retired in 1994 as a senior vice president, but continued to work for the firm as an economic expert in litigation cases and before federal regulatory agencies. He...

NAFTA Panel Rules on Mexican Truckers' Access

Should Mexico’s trucking firms be allowed to do business in the United States and invest in U.S. trucking firms? A NAFTA dispute settlement panel recently ruled on these issues, offering a qualified “yes” as a final judgment. The ruling is the first substantive analysis of a services discrimination...

Honeywell Settles Litton Lawsuit for $440 Million

Nathan Associates gave testimony on antitrust violations in both damage trialsHoneywell International recently agreed to pay Northrop Grumman Corporation $440 million, ending 11 years of litigation. In the original lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in 1990, Litton Systems (...

Jordan's National Strategy to Alleviate Poverty

4/30/2002The half million Jordanians who wake up each day in poverty have reason to hope. In May His Majesty King Abdullah launched a comprehensive social safety net program to combat poverty at all levels and boost the skills and resources of the country’s most disenfranchised families. Billed "...

Robert R. Nathan, 1908-2001, In Appreciation

Economist, adviser, visionary, humanitarian—Robert R. Nathan, founder of Nathan Associates died September 4, 2001, at the age of 92.A renowned economist who could explain complex economic theories in plain language, Bob Nathan was among the first economists to apply economic theories in the...

Bringing Cashmere to Market in Mongolia

Cashmere prices may go down some day thanks to Cashmere Market Days, a trade fair organized by Nathan Associates' Mongolia Competitiveness Initiative and the Gobi Regional Economic Growth Initiative. Initiated in June 2001, the fair will be repeated in May and June, 2002. First-time ResultsHeld in...

Mandela Economics Scholars in Trade Negotiation Exercise

Nathan Associates led simulated trade negotiations for 35 Mandela Economic Scholars as part of a workshop held May 2-5, 2001, in Arlington, Virginia. The simulated negotiations were led by Lance Graef, Vice President of Nathan Associates' International Trade Policy Group (photo), and C. Michael...

Marketing Mongolia in Chicago

As part of the Competitiveness Initiative, representatives of the Mongolian tourism industry attended the International Adventure Travel and Outdoor Sports Show (IATOS) in Chicago from February 15-18, 2001. This was the first time that Mongolian ground operators had targeted the American market for...

Nathan Associates' Rent Control Study Sparks Controversy

Ending rent control in the District of Columbia would have minimal effects on District residents and "relatively few tenants would be at risk of a [rent] increase." These and other conclusions of Nathan Associates' study of rent control in the District of Columbia met with vigorous and emotional...

Nathan Honored for Role in Commerce Department's Achievement of the Century

On December 7, 1999, the U.S. Department of Commerce honored Robert R. Nathan for his role in developing the most important economic measures of this century—the National Income and Product Accounts and their key component, the Gross Domestic Product.Secretary of Commerce William M. Daley presented...

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