Economic research and trade policy analysis

La principal publicación de investigación de la OMC en materia de política comercial mundial, contiene temas especiales, análisis y novedades.

The "World Trade Report" is an annual publication that aims to deepen understanding about trends in trade, trade policy issues and the multilateral trading system.

WTO working papers usually represent research in progress. Such research may be conducted in the preparation of WTO Secretariat reports, studies or other material for WTO members. The papers are circulated for comment because the WTO considers critical review of professional research to be extremely important.

The World Trade Report is a new annual WTO publication focused on trade trends and policy issues. The 2003 edition examines developments in South-South trade, trends in commodity markets, and the growth of Regional Trade Agreements.

One of the main objectives of this Report is to analyze whether WTO provisions provide a balance between supplying governments with necessary flexibility to face difficult economic situations and adequately defining them in a way that limits their use for protectionist purposes. In analysing this question, the Report focuses primarily on contingency measures available to WTO members when importing and exporting goods. These measures include the use of s Read More

Los servicios se han convertido en el componente más dinámico del comercio mundial y desempeñan un papel cada vez más importante en la economía mundial y en la vida cotidiana. Sin embargo, no siempre se valora plenamente su grado de contribución al comercio mundial. El Informe sobre el comercio mundial 2019 trata de colmar esta laguna utilizando un nuevo conjunto de datos elaborado por la OMC, que tiene en cuenta las distintas formas d Read More

This book explores the complex relationship between international trade and poverty reduction through a combination of research papers and contemporary case studies. Written mainly by developing-country authors in consultation with local businesses and communities, the case studies contribute to our understanding of the ways in which low-income communities are dealing with trade as a practical challenge, especially in the Asia-Pacific region w Read More

El tema principal del Informe sobre el Comercio Mundial 2003 es el desarrollo. Al explicar el origen de esta cuestión y ofrecer un marco analítico para abordar la cuestión de la relación entre comercio y desarrollo, se pretende que el Informe contribuya a un debate más informado y a una mejor apreciación de las distintas opciones disponibles para abordar los problemas de política.

Trade can dramatically improve women’s lives, creating new jobs, enhancing consumer choices, and increasing women’s bargaining power in society. It can also lead to job losses and a concentration of work in low-skilled employment. Given the complexity and specificity of the relationship between trade and gender, it is essential to assess the potential impact of trade policy on both women and men and to develop appropriate, evidence-based policies t Read More

Co-published by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

El comercio puede mejorar drásticamente la vida de las mujeres mediante la creación de nuevos puestos de trabajo, el aumento de las posibilidades de elección de los consumidores y el fortalecimiento del poder de negociación de las mujeres en la sociedad. También puede dar lugar a pérdidas de empleo y a una concentración del trabajo en ocupaciones de baja cualificación. Habida cuenta de la complejidad y especificidad de la relación entre comerci Read More

This Guide to Trade Policy Analysis provides the main tools for the analysis of trade policy. Written by experts with practical experience in the field, this publication outlines the major concepts of trade policy analysis and contains practical guidance on how to apply them to concrete policy questions.

Global trade has contributed strongly to reducing poverty but important challenges remain in making trade work for the poorest. This publication presents eight case studies to reveal how trade can help to reduce poverty in developing countries. It focuses on four constraints faced by the extremely poor – namely that they tend to live in rural areas, work in the informal sector, live in fragile and conflict-affected regions and face gender inequality. The Read More

In the digital age, a growing number of governments have adopted policies aimed at boosting growth through innovation and technological upgrading. The World Trade Report 2020 looks at these trends and at how trade and the WTO fit with them. A defining feature of government policies adopted in recent years has been their support of the transition towards a digital economy. Trade and trade policies have historically been important engines for inn Read More

Les “subventions” sont le sujet central du rapport 2006 sur le commerce mondial. Les auteurs explorent ce champ d'action pour voir comment on peut définir les subventions, ce que la théorie économique peut nous dire d'elles, pourquoi les gouvernements y ont recours, quels sont les secteurs qui en sont les principaux bénéficiaires et quel rôle l'Accord de l'OMC peut jouer pour les réglementer dans le contexte du commerce international.

The 2017 World Trade Report examines how technology and trade affect employment and wages. It analyses the challenges for workers and firms in adjusting to changes in labour markets, and how governments can facilitate such adjustment to ensure that trade and technology are inclusive.

Asia’s economic success over the past four decades has been built on a strategy of export promotion coupled with trade opening. Poverty rates throughout the region have fallen dramatically, especially in countries that have succeeded in integrating into regional or global value chains. However, this economic success has been accompanied by structural changes, such as the need for workers to change roles, sectors, and sometimes regions. Faced with i Read More

One of the most pressing issues confronting the multilateral trade system is the challenge posed by the rapid proliferation of preferential trade agreements. Plenty has been written about why governments might choose to negotiate preferentially or multilaterally, but until now it has been written almost exclusively from the perspective of governments. We know very little about how non-state actors view this issue of ‘forum choice', nor how they position the Read More

Trois questions importantes seront déterminantes pour l'avenir de l'OMC: le règlement des différends, les négociations et l'intégration régionale. Le règlement des différends est généralement considéré comme l'un des succès majeurs de l'OMC durant ses dix premières années d'existence. La conclusion des négociations du Cycle de Doha est l'un de ses principaux défis. L'intégration régionale est désormais au premier plan du débat alors que les a Read More

This study focuses on the relationship between trade and the growth of the informal economy in developing countries. Based on existing academic literature, complemented with new empirical research by the ILO and the WTO, the study discusses how trade reform affects different aspects of the informal economy. It also examines how high rates of informal employment diminish the scope for developing countries to translate trade openness into sustainable l Read More

A radical shift is underway in global value chains as they increasingly move beyond traditional manufacturing processes to services and other intangible assets. Digitization is a leading factor in this transformation, which is being accelerated by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The Global Value Chain Development Report 2021, the third of a biennial series, explores this shift Beyond Production. This report shows how the rise of services val Read More

El tema principal del Informe sobre el Comercio Mundial 2006 son las “subvenciones”. En el Informe se examina esta esfera de políticas y se estudia la manera en que se definen las subvenciones, qué es lo que puede decir la teoría económica acerca de ellas, por qué los gobiernos las utilizan, cuáles son los principales sectores en que se aplican las subvenciones y la función del Acuerdo sobre la OMC en la regulación de las subvenciones en el contexto Read More

Le monde change à une incroyable vitesse et ce sous l’influence de nombreux facteurs, y compris l’évolution des modes de production et de consommation, l’innovation technologique permanente, les nouvelles façons de faire du commerce et, bien sûr, la politique. Le Rapport sur le commerce mondial 2013 montre en quoi le commerce est à la fois une cause et un effet du changement et examine les facteurs qui façonnent l’avenir du commerce mondial.

“Investing in Skills for Inclusive Trade”, co-published by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Labour Office (ILO), focuses on the linkages between trade and skills and between trade and skills development policies. The publication argues that in the fast-changing context of globalization, where technology and trade relations evolve rapidly, the responsiveness of skills supply to demand is particularly important. Given the role of skills in pro Read More

The dictionary is an accessible guide to the vocabulary used in trade negotiations. It explains about 3,000 terms and concepts in simple language. Its main emphasis is on the multilateral trading system represented by the agreements under the World Trade Organization (WTO). In addition it covers many of the trade-related activities, outcomes and terms used in other international organizations, such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Devel Read More