Development and building trade capacity
The digital creative economy and trade: strategic options for developing countries
Nov 2020
Chapter
The creative sector is an important source of growth in the global economy, and digital creative trade has increased sharply in recent years and particularly in the context of COVID-19. Digital content is replacing physical goods in the sector, for example, in music, books and gaming. Digital aggregators like Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Spotify, TikTok and YouTube have fuelled rapid growth and diversified earnings towards streaming, ad-supported income a Read More
Opportunities and challenges of e-commerce in Mauritius
Nov 2020
Chapter
This study explores the status, challenges and opportunities of e-commerce in Mauritius. The share of the population making online purchases was 14 per cent in 2017, the secondhighest level (after Libya) in Africa, largely due to increases in internet use and penetration, coupled with increased credit card usage and the development of secure online payment systems. And Mauritius topped the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTA Read More
Acknowledgements
Nov 2020
Chapter
This third book prepared under the auspices of the WTO Chairs Programme (WCP), Adapting to the digital trade era: challenges and opportunities, contains contributions from the WTO Chairholders of Phases I and II, Advisory Board (AB) members, WCP team and WTO staff members who peer reviewed individual chapters and offered their perspectives on the Chairs’ analyses and findings. It contains a total of 16 chapters and 13 commentaries, providing va Read More
Taxation of international e-trade: Russian particularities
Nov 2020
Chapter
Tax rates on e-commerce in Russia should remain moderate, given the small size of its digital trade operations (so the rise in tax revenues from higher rates would be small) and substantial growth prospects (so future tax revenues from a developed sector could be quite large). The Russian Federation’s (Russia’s) taxation of e-commerce activities presents two important challenges. First, consumer goods purchased directly from foreign online sellers enjoy si Read More
Blockchaining international trade: a way forward for women’s economic empowerment
Nov 2020
Chapter
Blockchain technology holds considerable promise to boost women’s participation in international trade. Blockchain’s anonymity and efficiency could enable many women, who otherwise would be constrained by law, custom or high costs, to engage in financial and business transactions. Blockchain can be used to enable women who lack identification documents to undertake transactions that otherwise would require official identification, and to prove their Read More
Data regulation in trade agreements: different models and options ahead
Nov 2020
Chapter
“Data is the new oil”. Just like oil, which powered the economy in the last century, data are what moves the world today. This is especially true for international trade. The crucial role played by data can be observed at every step of the process, from the conception of a new product and the sourcing of raw materials and parts, to the manufacturing process and the transportation of products across borders, until they finally reach the hands of con Read More
Note on the WTO Chairs Programme
Nov 2020
Chapter
The WTO Chairs Programme (WCP) was launched in 2010 as a capacity-building project. It aims to enhance knowledge and understanding of the trading system among academics and policymakers in developing countries through curriculum development, research and outreach activities by universities and research institutions. Information on the WCP is available at www.wto.org/wcp.
China’s e-commerce development and policy relevance
Nov 2020
Chapter
The dollar value of e-commerce transactions in China has increased enormously over the past 20 years, supported by improved infrastructure, the rapid growth of mobile telephony and increased financing. The market also is characterized by increasing diversity, for example, the growth of e-medical services, the expansion of cross-border e-commerce and the development of online-offline transactions. China’s national government has played an import Read More
The impact of digital technologies on developing countries’ trade
Nov 2020
Chapter
Using the World Trade Organization (WTO) Global Trade Model (GTM), a recursive, dynamic computable general equilibrium model, we examine the potential future impact of technological innovations, in the form of robotization and use of artificial intelligence (AI), servicification of the production process, and falling trade costs due to the rise of online markets and platforms on the trade of developing countries. The simulations show that technological ch Read More
The new rules on digital trade in Latin America: regional trade agreements
Nov 2020
Chapter
While recent technological advances have supported an increase in digital trade, this growth has occurred with a lack of clear and defined rules. This deficiency has become an issue for Latin American countries. With the multilateral trade regime impasse, more complex regional and bilateral agreements have emerged. The formulation of digital trade regulation raises many questions. In this chapter we deal with the new rules on digital trade in regi Read More
La era del comercio digital - Oportunidades y desafíos para los países en desarrollo: el caso de Kenya
Nov 2020
Chapter
El comercio electrónico ha experimentado un rápido crecimiento en Kenya, apoyado por las leyes que regulan los servicios de tecnología de la información y las comunicaciones (TIC), las transacciones de comercio electrónico, la protección de datos y el acceso a la información. El Gobierno ha creado ventanillas únicas para la prestación de servicios públicos a los ciudadanos y para la logística comercial. El país está bien posicionado para ampliar su comerc Read More
Engaging in the digital economy: issues and agenda in the quest to adopt Indonesia’s e-commerce roadmap
Nov 2020
Chapter
The study explores structural and practical issues following the adoption of Indonesia’s e-commerce roadmap (2017–2019) and its implications for the future of the country’s digital economy. Two major categories of issues are examined in order to identify problems and challenges confronted by related stakeholders. The first category, i.e. the structural one, relates to the larger governance context of the country’s digital economy to which e-com Read More
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