Issues in Today’s Global Market

Many years ago, John Dunn stated that "No man is an island." The meaning behind this statement is that people need other people. Today, using the same reasoning, no country is an island. Each country of the world needs other countries in order to prosper and grow. The exchange of goods and services across the world is becoming more and more important in the global economy.

One of the signs that trade was important between countries that were (and still are) far apart was the building of the two great canals, the Suez and the Panama. The Suez Canal links the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean. The Panama Canal links the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. Even though the Suez Canal was finished in 1869 and the Panama Canal was finished in 1914, these waterways are still in constant use today. One of the issues of today's global market is keeping these canals neutral and available to the ships of all nations.