Integration into the production and marketing arrangements of multinational corporations may offer many benefits to transition economies that, after a long period of isolation, have liberalized trade and investment. The fragmentation of production offers a unique opportunity for producers in developing countries to move from servicing small local markets to supplying large firms abroad and, indirectly, their customers all over the world.

Integration into the production and marketing arrangements of multinational corporations may offer many benefits to transition economies that, after a long period of isolation, have liberalized trade and investment. The fragmentation of production offers a unique opportunity for producers in developing countries to move from servicing small local markets to supplying large firms abroad and, indirectly, their customers all over the world.Not until the end of the twentieth century, the quot;second globalization,quot; has the ratio of trade to GDP been comparable to that during the first globalization, which took place at the end of the nineteenth century and was interrupted by World War I. Technological progress has increased the importance of the international division of labor and of global production and distribution networks. Multinational corporations have been a driving force behind these developments. As a transition economy, Poland provides an interesting case for study, as its sudden opening to foreign investment after a long period of isolation allows the process of integration into global networks to be studied more clearly.Using Poland as a case study, Kaminski and Smarzynska study multinational corporations' role in integrating a host country into the increasingly international division of labor. They provide evidence that inflows of foreign direct investment are increasing Poland's participation in global production and distribution networks. They conclude that because of the large volume of foreign direct investment inflows expected in Poland in the near future, Poland's exports - driven by fragmented production - will continue to expand at even faster rates than observed there recently.This paper - a product of Trade, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to study the effects of foreign direct investment on economic activity.

The practice of trading across international borders has undergone a series of changes with great consequences for the world trading community, the result of new trade agreements, a number of financial crises, the emergence of the World Trade Organization, and countless other less obvious developments. In International Trade in East Asia, a group of esteemed contributors provides a summary of empirical factors of international trade specifically as they pertain to East Asian countries such as China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Comprised of twelve fascinating studies, International Trade in East Asia highlights many of the trading practices between countries within the region as well as outside of it. The contributors bring into focus some of the region's endemic and external barriers to international trade and discuss strategies for improving productivity and fostering trade relationships. Studies on some of the factors that drive exports, the influence of research and development, the effects of foreign investment, and the ramifications of different types of protectionism will particularly resonate with the financial and economic communities who are trying to keep pace with this dramatically altered landscape.

Foreign Direct Investment and the Global Economylooks at the pattern of FDI and its impacts on the global, regional (trade block), national and sub-national scales.

This volume addresses some of the critical issues now demanding the attention of International Business teachers and researchers. From several angles, the contributions analyze factors which may explain, and/or influence the relationship between the competitiveness of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and the countries in which they operate. More particularly, the four main issues address: the recent advances in the determinants and strategy of multinational business activity; the determinants of location competitiveness of countries; the competitiveness of emergent and developing countries and the locational responses of both indigenous and foreign-owned firms; and the policy challenges raised by the highly fragmented, and often uncoordinated international regulatory framework on government FDI. It is hoped the contents of the volume will be of interest to international business scholars, senior executives of multinational enterprises and national policy makers interested in advancing their competitiveness by engaging in outward, and encouraging inward foreign direct investment. This book addresses some of the critical issues now demanding the attention of International Business teachers and researchers. This book is published annually.