Economic research and trade policy analysis
Los aspectos económicos de las normas y el comercio
Vivimos en un mundo firmemente basado en normas de productos. Es posible enviar un fax a cualquier lugar del mundo porque los aparatos de fax obedecen a un protocolo común. Es posible compartir archivos informáticos porque los ordenadores utilizan modelos normalizados de equipo y programas informáticos. La necesidad de normas de productos no es nueva. Ya en tiempos bíblicos la falta de un idioma común (normalizado) hizo estragos en la Torre de Babel (Shapiro 2000). En tiempos más recientes durante el gran incendio de Baltimore de 1904 los bomberos que acudieron de ciudades vecinas no pudieron luchar contra el fuego de manera eficaz porque sus mangueras no encajaban en las bocas de incendio de Baltimore.
Foreword
This is a critical year in the world’s collaborative effort to end global poverty and boost the incomes of the poorest. We will endorse the Sustainable Development Goals develop a plan for financing for development and reach for a landmark agreement to mitigate and adapt to climate change. If we are to end extreme poverty by 2030 we must do all we can in this final push to raise the incomes of the extreme poor. The Role of Trade in Ending Poverty makes the case for how trade can contribute to this ambitious goal.
Temas escogidos sobre comercio y política comercial
El comercio Sur-Sur se ha promovido desde hace mucho tiempo como medio de reducir la dependencia de los países en desarrollo respecto de los mercados de los países desarrollados y de aumentar la diversificación de las exportaciones del Sur para que éstas no se limiten a productos primarios. La mayoría de los mecanismos creados para fomentar la cooperación entre los países en desarrollo eran principalmente de alcance subregional y regional y muchos de ellos de carácter preferencial. En los decenios de 1950 y 1960 el fomento del comercio Sur-Sur fue en muchos casos parte de una serie de medidas normativas basadas en una estrategia de sustitución de las importaciones que entrañaba grandes obstáculos al comercio. El comercio Sur-Sur creció en forma intermitente a medida que las economías en desarrollo atravesaban ciclos de expansión y contracción. Pese a las medidas tomadas para promover y diversificar el comercio Sur-Sur los productos primarios siguieron predominando en esas corrientes en la mayoría de las regiones y para 1990 ese comercio representaba sólo el 65 por ciento del comercio mundial.
Agradecimientos
El Informe sobre el Comercio Mundial de 2004 ha sido elaborado bajo la supervisión general del Director General Adjunto Dr. Kipkorir Aly Azad Rana. Patrick Low Director de la División de Estudios Económicos y Estadística dirigió el equipo encargado de redactar el Informe. Los autores principales del Informe son Bijit Bora Zdenek Drabek K. Michael Finger Marion Jansen Alexander Keck Patrick Low Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås Roberta Piermartini y Robert Teh. Barbara D’Andrea de la División de Estudios Económicos y Estadística es coautora de la Sección IB.2. Jeffrey Gertler de la División de Asuntos Jurídicos contribuyó a la redacción de la Sección IB.1. Mukela Luanga de la División de Estudios Económicos y Estadística proporcionó material esencial a varios de los autores principales. Las estadísticas comerciales y la información arancelaria fueron facilitadas por el Grupo de Estadística de la División de Estudios Económicos y Estadística bajo la coordinación de Guy Karsenty Julia de Verteuil Andreas Maurer y Jürgen Richtering.
Résumé analytique
La croissance économique sans précédent du dernier quart de siècle s’est nécessairement accompagnée d’un changement économique sans précédent.
Foreword
Over the last decade attitudes toward globalization have shifted in a number of developed countries contributing to rising trade tensions. A growing public perception holds that the integration of goods services labor and capital markets only benefits a happy few while leaving many people behind. This change in attitudes has been an important factor in the transformation of the political landscape with the election in several countries of politicians who question the effects of international cooperation and who have adopted fewer cooperative approaches to trade and migration.
Technical notes
WTO members are frequently referred to as “countries” although some members are not countries in the usual sense of the word but are officially “customs territories”. The definition of geographical and other groupings in this report does not imply an expression of opinion by the WTO Secretariat concerning the status of any country or territory the delimitation of its frontiers nor the rights and obligations of any WTO member in respect of WTO agreements. The colours boundaries denominations and classifications in the maps of the publication do not imply on the part of the WTO any judgement on the legal or other status of any territory or any endorsement or acceptance of any boundary.
Operating integrated logistics services in a fragmented regulatory environment: What is the cost?
Estimated at US$36 billion and employing over four million people the Indian health care sector is one of the largest service sectors in the economy today. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 per cent the Indian health care sector is expected to reach US$280 billion by 2020. A 2003 report titled India’s New Opportunity: 2020 prepared jointly by the All India Management Association Boston Consulting Group and the Confederation of Indian Industries predicts that over 40 million new jobs and US$200 billion increased revenues are expected to be generated by the Indian services sector by 2020 and the health care sector will play an important role in generating these jobs and revenues (AIMA/BCG 2003). Hence this sector is predicted to grow rapidly and is seen to have considerable potential due to the growing demand for health care services in India. The reasons are many including rising incomes a growing propensity to spend on health care an emergence of lifestyle-related diseases and demographics.
Domestic regulation of retail food distribution services in Israel: The missing link between food prices and social protest
This chapter provides a case study tracing the impact of domestic regulation on market structure in the retail distribution services sector and its ultimate effects on consumer food prices. Taking Israel a small and relatively liberalized Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) economy as an example our research investigates whether market concentration and the absence of international competition can be attributed to domestic regulation. We place this discussion in the context of recent consumer-led social protest against the rising cost of food in Israel.
Acknowledgements/Disclaimer
This publication was prepared by Arti Gobind Daswani Roy Santana and János Volkai of the WTO Secretariat with the support of WTO Deputy Director-General Karl Brauner Valerie Hughes (former Director of the WTO’s Legal Affairs Division) Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis (Director of the WTO Market Access Division) and John Adank (Director of the Legal Affairs Division). Special acknowledgment is owed to WTO staff members Jesse Kreier and Olga Falgueras Alamo from the Rules Division for their contribution to the compilation of relevant documents.
Foreword by the WTO Director-General
It is a central premise of the World Trade Organization (WTO) that trade drives growth and development. By liberalizing trade countries benefit not only from increased access to technology and consumer goods but also from the chance to find new markets and connect to global value chains. This can quickly translate into GDP growth and a rise in the standard of living. But why do some countries seem to benefit more – and more quickly – than others? That is the question that this book tries to answer.
Foreword
Micro small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of the economy representing 95 per cent of all companies worldwide and accounting for 60 per cent of employment. They are fundamental to the day-to-day provision of goods and services around the world. Yet many struggle to grow and trade. Among the many challenges that MSMEs face a lack of access to finance including trade finance is frequently identified as a critical barrier to growth. The MSME financing gap is a reality that cannot be ignored and that should be tackled with determination if we wish to ensure that small players are given a chance to thrive.
Institutions et questions de fond
Dans la présente section on examinera la manière dont la normalisation et l’évaluation de la conformité fonctionnent dans la pratique et les caractéristiques pertinentes des infrastructures mises en place à cet effet dans différentes régions du monde. On considérera tout d’abord le processus de normalisation: les endroits où il a lieu la manière dont il est organisé et ses protagonistes. On étudiera ensuite dans la sous-section 2 l’organisation de l’évaluation de la conformité aux niveaux international régional et national et les incidences que les prescriptions en matière d’évaluation de la conformité peuvent avoir sur les échanges.