TAMIU’s International Trade Journal Celebrates 24th Anniversary

For over 24 years, cutting-edge research on international trade has been shared with global academicians and researchers with the continuous publication of The International Trade Journal by Texas A&M International University’s A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business’ International Trade Institute.

The Journal’s editor-in-Chief, Dr. Tagi Sagafi-nejad, said that like its research field, The Journal has evolved to better reflect the ever-changing synthesis of world trade. He noted it has also become increasingly selective. The current acceptance rate for Journal publication stands below 10%, making it among the most selective academic journals.

“Our mission has remained constant: providing a forum for the dissemination of new knowledge, but as the subject matter has undergone new synthesis, primarily in the grouping of disciplines, we’ve brought forward new information, knowledge and insight. We broadly and liberally interpret the field, to include ancillary and related fields such as international investment, multinational corporations, and economic development.

“We are now moving toward policy-oriented empirical studies, dealing with one or more countries, international organizations and strategies such as off-shoring, foreign direct investment, globalization and exports,” Dr. Sagafi-nejad explained.

Distinguished Professor, A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business and director of the Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade, Sagafi-nejad said The Journal’sevolution has also seen an increase in its editorial board membership.

“More distinguished scholars continue to be added to the roster, thus strengthening the scholarship infrastructure that, in turn, gives robustness to The Journal.  One sign of this is the continued steady flow of submissions, hence increased selectivity,” he noted.

Sagafi-nejad said the changes have helped to insure that The Journal remains the premier forum for scholarly contributions to the field of International Trade.

He pointed to four articles that were included in the final issue of 2010 as examples.

“The first, by Dr. Lee, deals with trade integration and business cycle synchronization, using state-level US date to explain why Japan exports Lexus automobiles here, while the US exports Buicks to Japan. A second article by Drs. Huggins and Yoskowitz deals with ‘emission rights,’ a much-debated issue before the failed Kyoto Treaty brought the subject to the fore.  A third, by two Nigerian scholars, Drs. Adewuyi and Akpokodje, examines the impact of trade reforms on Nigeria’s trade. The fourth, by Dr. Khoudour-Castéras, looks into the unexpected effects of the ‘Washington Consensus’ which advocates the liberalization of economic space, as related to the migration flows in Latin America,” he said.

The International Trade Journal, a refereed interdisciplinary journal, is published and distributed five times a year by Taylor and Francis.  

For more information, call Dr. Sagafi-nejad at 956.326.2547, e-mail tagi.sagafi@tamiu.edu, visit offices in the Western Hemispheric Trade Center 221 or click on http://freetrade.tamiu.edu

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu