Chinese economic growth is set to decline according to forecasts, which alarms S. American analysts because Latin America provides many of the materials and commodities that China is buying. Note how China's long term goal of urbanization is cited as proof of hope for Latin American markets, since as more Chinese move into the cities they will have need for appliances and lifestyles powered by materials and commodities acquired from S. American countries.

Two south Texas city council persons wrote a book last year on the effect of the illegal drug trade out of Mexico and the effectiveness of US policy responses. Their conclusion: Legalization of marijuana the "least bad" option at this point, as the only way to effectively battle the criminal cartels that export drugs is economically. Here I think is an example of ways in which international black and grey markets, in this case the illegal drug trade, can affect policy.

Higher than average rainfall washed away some 84,000 acres of crops. As a result Ecuador's exports are expected to fall 10 percent resulting in higher prices for commodities like bananas, which are one of the countries main exports. This seems like a good example of the ways in which climate and abnormal weather patterns can affect market prices in the global economy.