Development and building trade capacity

Trade facilitation is central to Africa’s competitiveness in the global economy. Costs related to trade facilitation make up a significant proportion of overall trade-related costs, which in Africa are higher than in any other developing region. This acts as a barrier for the integration of African countries into global markets, as well as greater intra-African integration. Improving trade facilitation is essential for lowering costs for African agricultural producers as Read More

De plus en plus de personnes s’accordent à penser que le facteur ayant eu la plus forte incidence sur le commerce ces dernières années est l’introduction de technologies nouvelles et innovantes. L’évolution des technologies de l’information, de par sa vitesse et son intensité, a une incidence sur le commerce et plus généralement sur notre vie quotidienne comme jamais auparavant. Elle a rendu possible des interactions entre les humains, entre les humai Read More

The nature of technology used in products plays a major role in determining the governance structure of value chains and the benefits of participation for developing countries. Standardization through breaking production into modules with a high degree of functional autonomy (limited mutual interference between modules) can dramatically reduce the amount of research and development (R&D), learning by doing, and the number of complementar Read More

Structural transformation is imperative for Africa’s economies. An unprecedented policy unanimity has emerged amongst African government and business leaders that to achieve sustained growth and development, Africa must industrialize and secure a greater share of the benefits of its participation in global value chains. This requires further advances in a programme for ‘development integration’ that simultaneously combines market integration with Read More

The World Trade Report has been written under the general direction of Patrick Low, Director of the Economic Research and Statistics Division. The main authors of the Report are Bijit Bora, K. Michael Finger, Marion Jansen, Alexander Keck, Patrick Low, Hildegunn Nordas, Roberta Piermartini and Robert Teh. Trade statistics and tariff information were provided by the Statistics Group of the Economic Research and Statistics Division, co-ordinated by Guy Read More

This year’s World Trade Report looks at how trade and other forces of change are affecting our world. It combines contemporary analysis with conjecture about the future. The approach is eclectic, reflecting many different forces at work. The intermingling of these drivers of change is multidirectional and complex, and the pace of change is rapid.

International trade rebounded in 2002 from its contraction in the preceding year, growing at about 2.5 per cent in volume terms, which was faster than the growth of global output. The rebound occurred despite the weakness of the global economic recovery, greatly reduced capital flows, major changes in exchange rates, increased restrictions on international trade transactions to mitigate risks from terrorism, and rising geopolitical tensions. Trade g Read More

Following the so-called “Asian option” of transition, from the early 1990s Viet Nam adopted the Doi Moi (renovation) process, a combination of liberalization, stabilization and structural reforms. This included two main waves of trade liberalization, one in the 1990s and a second in the 2000s (Coello at al., 2010). The first wave lasted from the initial opening of the country until approximately 2001 and foresaw the total abolition of trade licences and the removal Read More

Although small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent the vast majority of firms worldwide, their participation in international trade remains limited relative to their share of overall economic activity and employment as compared to large firms. The rise of the digital economy could, however, open a range of new opportunities for small firms to play a more active role in global value chains (GVCs). This chapter reviews evidence of SME participation in Read More

La valeur en dollars des transactions électroniques effectuées en Chine a considérablement augmenté au cours des 20 dernières années, notamment grâce à l’amélioration des infrastructures, à la croissance rapide de la téléphonie mobile et à l’accroissement des financements. Le marché se caractérise également par une diversité croissante, notamment à la lumière de l’accroissement des services médicaux électroniques, de l’expansion du com Read More

The WTO supports African countries’ capacity-building needs through its technical assistance (TA) programme. In 2019, the WTO continued to enhance human and institutional capacity development on multilateral trade issues in Africa through the biennial Training and Technical Assistance Plan (TA Plan). The TA Plan is the framework that identifies priorities and mechanisms for implementation of TA activities, sources of funding and anticipated results. Read More

Achieving better economic growth and better environmental outcomes is an indispensable condition for achieving the SDGs. If economic growth continues along its current environmentally unsustainable trajectory, the world risks compromising the prospects for future growth and human well-being, and even undoing much of the progress made on both fronts during the past 50 years, according to an OECD study. Forests, wetlands and other forms of “n Read More

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

Cette section examine plusieurs caractéristiques de l’OMC qui aident à soutenir le développement et explique leur logique économique. Elle se divise en quatre sous-sections. La première sous-section montre comment l’OMC a aidé les pays en développement à gérer les défis liés aux quatre tendances décrites dans les sections précédentes et à en tirer parti. La deuxième examine, du point de vue économique, l’importance des engagements et d Read More

In 2015, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization published a flagship report on the role of trade in the effort to end poverty by 2030. Over the past three years, the two organizations have collaborated in various ways to advance that goal, from supporting implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement; to assisting the poor, including women and small-scale traders, to take advantage of trade opportunities; to supporting trade reforms Read More

Over the past decade, world trade has expanded signifi cantly. By 2007, global trade had reached more than 60 per cent of world GDP, compared with less than 30 per cent in the mid-1980s. Few would contest that increased trade has contributed to global growth and job creation. However, strong growth in the global economy has not, so far, led to a corresponding improvement in working conditions and living standards for many. Absolute poverty has de Read More

The Global Value Chains Development Report is a joint publication of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE–JETRO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Research Center of Global Value Chains (RCGVC-UIBE), the World Bank Group, and the China Development Research Foundation, based on joint research efforts to better understand the ongoing development and evolution of glob Read More

Cette section examine les défis et les possibilités inhérents aux stratégies de croissance et de développement fondées sur les produits de base, dans le contexte de prix relativement élevés mais volatiles. Elle présente d’abord un aperçu de l’évolution historique des prix des produits agricoles et des ressources naturelles. Puis elle analyse la façon dont les pays en développement sont arrivés à exploiter leur potentiel d’exportation de produits agricoles et Read More

This report has examined the forces that will shape the future of world trade. These forces are complex and numerous. They interact with trade itself and with each other, as well as being influenced by government policy. One thing seems clear: the landscape and nature of world trade are changing fast. As trade evolves, new policy challenges will arise. If properly managed, international trade will further increase prosperity around the globe. What ar Read More

Ces dernières années ont été marquées par le rôle de plus en plus important des économies en développement dans l’économie mondiale. Cette section examine comment, en dix ans, de nombreux pays sont parvenus à une croissance économique remarquable, tout en faisant reculer à grands pas la pauvreté. Certains de ces pays sont devenus d’importants producteurs et exportateurs de produits manufacturés, de produits agricoles et de serv Read More

World trade growth fell to 2.0 per cent in 2012 from 5.2 per cent in 2011, and remained sluggish in the opening months of 2013 as the economic slowdown in Europe suppressed global import demand. The abrupt deceleration of trade in 2012 was mainly attributable to slow growth in developed economies and recurring bouts of uncertainty over the future of the euro. Flagging output and high unemployment in developed countries reduced imports and fe Read More

La section précédente a montré que l’avenir du commerce et de la croissance économique dépend de plusieurs facteurs. Les prévisions peuvent changer en fonction de l’évolution de chacun de ces facteurs. Cette section examine comment les facteurs économiques fondamentaux qui déterminent l’avenir du commerce international – à savoir la démographie, l’investissement, la technologie, l’énergie et les autres ressources naturelles, les coûts de tran Read More

One of the most striking features of the global economy in recent years has been the increasingly large role played by developing economies. This section examines how many countries recorded impressive growth in the last decade while making great strides in reducing poverty. Some have become leading producers and exporters of manufactured goods, agricultural products and commercial services, in some cases eclipsing the industrialized econo Read More

Globalization is transforming development. This section examines how, in its scope and speed, the recent rise of the developing world is unprecedented – eclipsing the rise of the newly industrializing countries after the Second World War, and dwarfing the earlier rise of Europe and North America in the late 19th century. There are many reasons why the developing world has achieved economic lift-off. One of the most important is its integration into the wo Read More

El Programa de Cátedras OMC (PCO) se inició en 2010 como proyecto de creación de capacidad. Su objetivo es ampliar los conocimientos y mejorar la comprensión del sistema de comercio en el mundo académico y entre los encargados de la formulación de políticas de los países en desarrollo mediante actividades de elaboración de programas de estudios, investigación y divulgación en universidades e instituciones de investigación. Puede consult Read More

Los tipos impositivos aplicados al comercio electrónico en Rusia deberían seguir siendo moderados, dado el bajo volumen de las operaciones de comercio digital en el país (por lo que un aumento de los tipos apenas incrementaría los ingresos fiscales) y las grandes perspectivas de crecimiento del sector (su desarrollo podría generar elevados ingresos fiscales en el futuro). La tributación de las actividades de comercio electrónico en la Federación de R Read More

En los últimos años, los responsables de la formulación de políticas han prestado cada vez más atención a dos fenómenos importantes y generalizados: el aumento de la desigualdad (que es el resultado de un acceso desigual al empleo productivo) y la aceleración del ritmo de la cuarta revolución industrial o la “era digital”. En el presente capítulo se estudia el concepto de desigualdad y la razón por la que es importante promover un crecimiento más incl Read More

Small scale farmers face many hurdles when attempting to connect to global markets. While infrastructure and trade facilitation improvements are helping to reduce overall trade costs, the challenges faced by such farmers are most acute at the local level. Efforts to eradicate poverty therefore need to start with constraints at the farmgate. The problems faced are compounded by the general lack access to proper agricultural inputs, technology and interm Read More

The expansion of international trade has been essential to development and poverty reduction. Today’s economy is unquestionably global. Trade as a proportion of global GDP has approximately doubled since 1975. Markets for goods and services have become increasingly integrated through a fall in trade barriers, with technology helping drive trade costs lower. But trade is not an end in itself. People measure the value of trade by the extent to which Read More

Global value chains make it easier for developing countries to move away from export reliance on unprocessed primary products to become exporters of manufactures and services. Global value chains (GVCs) allow countries to specialize in a particular activity and join a global production network. As a developing country moves from export of primary products to export of manufactures and services via GVCs, the ratio of domestic value added to Read More

En esta sección se examinan los problemas y las oportunidades que crean las estrategias de crecimiento y desarrollo centradas en los productos básicos cuando los precios son relativamente altos pero volátiles. En primer lugar figura un panorama histórico de la evolución de los precios de los recursos agropecuarios y naturales. A continuación se analiza el modo en que los países en desarrollo han logrado promover su desarrollo sacando partido Read More

South-South trade has long been promoted as a means to reduce the dependence of developing countries on markets of developed countries and to enhance diversification of Southern exports beyond primary commodities. Most of the mechanisms that were created to foster co-operation among developing countries were largely subregional and regional arrangements, many of them preferential in nature. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Read More

Au cours des dernières années, l’attention des décideurs a été de plus en plus retenue par deux phénomènes notables et généralisés : les inégalités croissantes (découlant de l’accès inégal à l’emploi productif) et l’accélération de la quatrième révolution industrielle (4RI), appelée «ère numérique». Le présent chapitre analyse les inégalités et présente les raisons pour lesquelles il importe de promouvoir une croissance plus inclusive, en particulier Read More

Nouvelle publication du Secrétariat de l’OMC, le Rapport sur le commerce mondial proposera chaque année une analyse de l’évolution observée dans ce domaine et des questions de fond importantes pour le système des échanges. Au-delà du suivi et de l’interprétation des grandes tendances du commerce international, il s’efforcera d’aider le public à mieux comprendre les problèmes du moment. Le rapport ne prétend cependant pas apporter une ré Read More

El primer Informe sobre el Comercio Mundial, publicado en 2003, se centró en el comercio y el desarrollo. En su análisis de la relación económica entre esas dos esferas, el informe examinó de qué forma la Ronda de Doha -puesta en marcha apenas dos años antes- podía impulsar el desarrollo.

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

Nos complace presentar las observaciones preliminares de esta recopilación de trabajos de investigación sobre el comercio digital preparada por los titulares de las Cátedras OMC, los miembros de la Junta Consultiva y el equipo del Programa de Cátedras OMC (PCO) de la Secretaría de la OMC.

Este tercer libro preparado bajo los auspicios del Programa de Cátedras OMC (PCO), Adaptación a la era del comercio digital: desafíos y oportunidades, incluye contribuciones de los titulares de las Cátedras OMC de las fases I y II, los miembros de la Junta Consultiva, el equipo del PCO y de funcionarios de la OMC, que realizaron un examen por homólogos de los distintos capítulos y aportaron sus puntos de vista sobre los análisis y las conclusiones de la Read More

En 2013, la croissance du commerce mondial des marchandises est restée modérée à 2,2%, soit à peu près le même niveau que l’année précédente (2,3%). Les augmentations enregistrées en 2012 et 2013 étaient inférieures à la moyenne des 20 dernières années (5,3%), et nettement en deçà de la moyenne des 20 années précédant la crise de 2008–2009. Le volume du commerce mondial des marchandises a continué de croître lentement dans les premie Read More

Si bien la fragmentación de la producción mundial no es un fenómeno nuevo, su importancia sí ha ido aumentando con el paso del tiempo. La tendencia es consecuencia de las innovaciones tecnológicas registradas en las comunicaciones y el transporte, que han reducido los costos de coordinación y con ello han hecho posible que los países se especializaran en la producción de determinadas tareas o componentes, en lugar de productos finales completos. Read More