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Sponsor: Ford Motor Company
The 21st Century
To an earlier generation of Americans, Ford Motor Company was Henry Ford
and the Model T. Today Ford is the world's largest producer of trucks, and
the second largest producer of cars and trucks combined. We sell more than
80 different vehicles worldwide marketed under the Ford, Lincoln, Mercury,
Jaguar, Aston Martin, Volvo Car, Land Rover and Mazda brands [Ford has a
34% equity interest in Mazda Motor Corporation]. Ford's service brands include
financial (Ford Motor Credit Company, incorporated in 1959), Automotive Consumer
Service (QualityCare, Motorcraft) and car rental (Hertz Corp.) and more.
Ford Motor Company was only a year old when it inaugurated its foreign expansion
program in 1904 with the opening of a modest plant in Walkerville, Ontario,
named Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd.
As Ford celebrates its centennial in 2003 and the automotive industry begins
its second century, Henry Ford's remarkable achievement is underscored. Through
years of prosperity and hardship, through war and peace, Ford Motor Company
grew from one man, a small garage and a quadricycle, to a mighty American
force contributing to international economic stability. In his March 14 letter
to the Ford Motor Company shareholders, William Clay Ford Jr. discussed his
vision for the future:
"Ford is a great company with an incredible heritage. Next year we celebrate
our centennial. In our case, looking back is not a way to retreat into the
past, but a way to prepare for the future.
We have learned a lot in the last 100 years.
We've learned that innovative, breakthrough products are what make us successful.
We know that we have a special relationship with the people whose lives we
touch, including our employees, dealers, suppliers and customers. We have
learned how to survive and prosper in a fiercely competitive industry, and
how to bounce back from difficult circumstances. We are committed to being
a good corporate citizen, and being open and honest with all of our stakeholders."
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Editorial: Two-way Commitments in the WTO |
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Before its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) last year, Taiwan went through a frustrating 12-year application process. The hold-up was basically political -- the need to wait until Beijing (which required more time to bring its trade practices in line with international standards) had also qualified to join the organization, thus saving the PRC the embarrassment of entering later than Taiwan.
But that long delay at least provided plenty of time to hash out agreement on the conditions under which China and Taiwan would participate. Due to the political pressures, Taiwan had to apply not as a sovereign state but under a special clause making full membership available to "customs territories."
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