Economic research and trade policy analysis
Quantitative economics in WTO dispute settlement
WTO dispute settlement continues to be the subject of extensive scrutiny by both trade practitioners and academics. Not surprisingly most of this analysis is legal in nature touching upon the various arguments that have been put forward by parties to disputes and the legal foundations upon which these disputes are adjudicated. While legal and procedural issues remain the domain of trade lawyers economists are being called upon with increased frequency on matters that call for economic interpretation or quantification. This should hardly be surprising given that multilateral trade rules reflect key economic principles such as comparative advantage and that many of the terms in WTO Agreements which are important in the resolution of disputes have an economic basis. It may also have to do with the fact that increasing numbers of disputes are reaching the implementation phase in which arbitrators need to quantify the allowable level of retaliation as will be further explained below.
WTO rule-making: WTO Accession Protocols and jurisprudence
This chapter examines rule-making in the WTO. It explains the legal provisions governing how rules are made in the WTO and describes WTO rule-making in practice including through the adoption of decisions by the Ministerial Conference and the General Council and by way of dispute settlement. The role of consensus and voting in WTO rulemaking are discussed. The chapter also refers to different types of rules and decisions – such as ministerial declarations authoritative interpretations amendments and waivers – and considers their legal value and effect as well as how different types of rules or decisions have been interpreted or applied. Finally it also includes a look at rule-making in the context of accessions and considers Accession Protocols and working party reports through the lens of WTO dispute settlement.
Resumen
El crecimiento económico sin precedentes registrado durante el último cuarto de siglo ha venido acompañado de una transformación económica sin precedentes.
Agradecimientos
El Informe sobre el Comercio Mundial 2010 ha sido elaborado bajo la dirección general del Director General Adjunto Alejandro Jara y supervisado por Patrick Low Director de la División de Estudios Económicos y Estadística. Los autores principales del Informe son Marc Bacchetta Cosimo Beverelli John Hancock Alexander Keck Gaurav Nayyar Coleman Nee Roberta Piermartini Nadia Rocha Michele Ruta Robert Teh y Alan Yanovich. También han aportado contribuciones escritas Marc Auboin Mireille Cossy y James Windon. Las estadísticas comerciales fueron facilitadas por el Grupo de Estadística de la División de Estudios Económicos y Estadística bajo la coordinación de Hubert Escaith Julia de Verteuil Andreas Maurer y Jürgen Richtering.
Introduction
Imagine how different the world might look today if in 1976 Apple Computers had not obtained the US$ 15000 in financing they needed to buy the parts to fulfil their first order. How many entrepreneurial visions with the potential to change the world have fizzled out of existence due to a lack of funds?
Effet du commerce sur la situation du marché du travail
Cette section examine les données empiriques concernant l’effet du commerce sur les salaires et l’emploi et pose principalement les questions suivantes : quels éléments attestent l’effet de la concurrence des importations et de la délocalisation sur le niveau des salaires et de l’emploi ? Quelle est l’incidence sur l’emploi de l’élargissement de l’accès aux marchés pour les exportations et de la disponibilité d’intrants importés moins chers ? Comment comparer des données empiriques variées entre les pays ? Comment le fonctionnement du marché du travail influe-t-il sur les résultats ? À combien s’élèvent les coûts d’ajustement induits par le commerce ? Cette section se concentre plus particulièrement sur les salaires et l’emploi parce que les recherches sur les autres aspects du marché du travail comme la stabilité et la sécurité de l’emploi sont beaucoup moins développées en raison du manque de données transnationales et ne permettent donc pas de comparer la manière dont le commerce et la technologie influent sur ces autres variables.
Remerciements
Le Rapport sur le commerce mondial 2009 a été rédigé sous la direction générale d’Alejandro Jara Directeur général adjoint et sous la supervision de Patrick Low Directeur de la Division de la recherche économique et des statistiques. Les principaux auteurs du rapport sont Marc Bacchetta K. Michael Finger Marion Jansen Alexander Keck Coleman Nee Roberta Piermartini Michele Ruta et Robert Teh. Les statistiques commerciales ont été fournies par les statisticiens de la Division de la recherche économique et des statistiques dont les travaux ont été coordonnés par Hubert Escaith Julia de Verteuil Andreas Maurer et Jürgen Richtering. D’autres contributions écrites ont été fournies par Rudolf Adlung Lee-Ann Jackson Jesse Kreier et Hiromi Yano.
Varieties of informality
The distinction between formal and informal employment is somewhat fuzzy. Instead of a single universally accepted concept there are many different and often competing views which are refl ected in a multiplicity of defi nitions. These in turn are linked to the plurality of methodologies that are used to quantify informal activities. This chapter presents existing views and defi nitions as well as an integrated approach which is currently emerging based on the idea of multi-segmented labour markets.
Preface
This Dictionary of Trade Policy Terms is now in its sixth edition. It has again grown larger. It now contains well over 3000 entries and cross-references. Many of these entries are new. In other cases the changes occurring since the preparation of the last edition have required a complete rewriting of the entry. A great many have needed updating to a greater or lesser extent. I have made an attempt at being reasonably comprehensive but no doubt there is always more that could be included.
Agradecimientos
El Informe sobre el Comercio Mundial 2008 ha sido elaborado bajo la supervisión general del Director General Adjunto Alejandro Jara. 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 Marc Bachetta Chad Bown K. Michael Finger Marion Jansen Alexander Keck Roberta Piermartini Michele Ruta y Robert Teh. Las estadísticas comerciales fueron facilitadas por el grupo de estadística de la División de Estudios Económicos y Estadística bajo la coordinación de Hubert Escaith Julia de Verteuil Andreas Maurer y Jürgen Richtering.
Analyse économique des liens entre les normes et le commerce international
Dans le monde d’aujourd’hui les normes de produit ont une énorme influence. Si l’on peut envoyer des télécopies dans n’importe quel pays c’est parce que tous les télécopieurs fonctionnent selon le même protocole. Si l’on peut partager des fichiers informatiques c’est parce que les ordinateurs sont construits avec des composants normalisés et exploités par des logiciels compatibles. La nécessité de normaliser les produits n’a rien de nouveau. À l’ère biblique l’absence de langue commune (normalisée) a semé le chaos au moment de la construction de la tour de Babel (Shapiro 2000). Plus récemment lors du grand incendie de Baltimore (1904) les pompiers venus des villes voisines n’ont pas pu participer à la lutte contre les flammes parce que leurs tuyaux n’étaient pas adaptés aux bouches d’eau.
Global growth, trade and poverty: The macro links
The relationship between economic growth poverty reduction and trade is not a simple one. Although great progress has been made in reducing the number of people living in extreme poverty due in large part to the rapidly growing participation of developing countries in the global economy nearly one billion people still live on less than $1.25 per day.
The Poverty Impact of Modernising Dar es Salaam Port
This study assesses the likely impact of the modernization of the Port of Dar es Salaam on household welfare and poverty in Tanzania and neighboring countries. Trade volumes in Tanzania increased more than 10% per year in the last decade and international trade has been one of the engines of growth in the country. However the current state of Dar es Salaam port is a severe constraint on further growth. Increasing the efficiency of the port is a key challenge; container vessels have to wait an average of more than 10 days before berthing and dwell times average another 10 days. The costs associated with the inefficiencies in the port are partially related to congestion. The situation is more critical for imports than for exports; the inefficiencies act as an implicit tax on imports and to a lesser extent as a tax on exports (Morisset 2013).
Impact of technology on labour market outcomes
This section considers the effects of technology on the level and composition of employment and wages. Technological progress by increasing the productivity of factors of production expands an economy’s production possibility frontier so that the same amount of output can be produced with fewer resources or more output can be produced with the same amount of resources.
Accession of Liberia: An Agenda for Transformation
On 14 July 2016 Liberia joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) as its 163rd member. Liberia’s accession negotiations were done in 804 days since the appointment of the Chief Negotiator after stalling for over 6 years and 10 months since Liberia first applied for Accession. This unprecedented efficiency was made possible by a combination of factors. First Liberia’s determination at the highest political level allowed it to conduct accession negotiations with commitment and focus while adhering to a time-bound roadmap. Speed and efficiency of accession-related reforms were essential as the country had endured an almost simultaneous double shock – the Ebola epidemic and a sharp drop in commodity prices. Second WTO members appreciated this determination and were ready to move faster than usual in the negotiating process to help put the country on track with trade-related reforms in particular those aimed at overcoming the twin shocks. Third the WTO wished to include Liberia’s accession among the deliverables for its Tenth Ministerial Conference in Nairobi the first ministerial conference to be held in Africa. The outcome was an accession that is now commonly referred to as the Liberian Model. An accession is concluded based on rational individual choices constructed around a vision for modernizing a country and its economy. This chapter highlights Liberia’s transformation and its challenges and discusses why WTO accession continues to be essential in facilitating Liberia’s economic diversification agenda.