L’Accord de l’OMC sur la facilitation des échanges (AFE), approuvé par les Membres de l’OMC à la Conférence ministérielle de Bali en décembre 2013, est le premier accord commercial multilatéral conclu depuis la création de l’OMC en 1995. Le Rapport sur le commerce mondial 2015 est la première étude détaillée sur les effets potentiels de l’AFE fondée sur une analyse complète du texte final de l’Accord.

Le Rapport sur le commerce mondial 2017 examine comment la technologie et le commerce influent sur l'emploi et les salaires. Il analyse les difficultés que rencontrent les travailleurs et les entreprises pour s'adapter à l'évolution du marché du travail et la façon dont les gouvernements peuvent faciliter cet ajustement pour faire en sorte que le commerce et la technologie soient inclusifs.

Les services sont devenus la composante la plus dynamique du commerce mondial et jouent un rôle de plus en plus important dans l’économie mondiale et dans la vie quotidienne. Pourtant, l’importance de la contribution des services au commerce mondial n’est pas toujours bien comprise. Le Rapport sur le commerce mondial 2019 tente d’y remédier en utilisant un nouvel ensemble de données élaboré par l’OMC qui prend en compte les différentes façons dont les services sont fournis à travers les frontières. Le Rapport examine la manière dont le commerce des services a évolué ces dernières années et se penche sur la question de savoir pourquoi le commerce des services compte. Les grandes tendances qui influent sur le commerce des services, y compris l’évolution démographique, les technologies numériques, la hausse des revenus et le changement climatique, sont examinées. Le Rapport donne aussi des estimations concernant l’évolution possible du commerce des services au cours des 20 prochaines années et les perspectives en matière de renforcement de la coopération internationale dans le domaine des politiques relatives au commerce des services. Le Rapport constate que les coûts du commerce des services sont plus élevés que ceux du commerce des marchandises mais qu’ils diminuent, en grande partie sous l’effet des technologies numériques. Il montre en quoi la baisse des coûts du commerce devrait accroître la part des services dans le commerce mondial et en quoi cela pourrait contribuer à une croissance et un développement plus inclusifs. Pour que les économies puissent tirer parti du rôle croissant joué par le commerce des services, la coopération internationale devra s’intensifier.

The proliferation of regional trade agreements (RTAs) over the past two decades has highlighted the need to look closely at the potential conflicts between regional and WTO rules or disciplines. A major obstacle to advancing understanding of RTAs is the absence of detailed information about their contents. This has limited the debate between those who view RTAs as discriminatory instruments hostage to protectionist interests and those who see them as conducive to multilateral trade opening. This book provides detailed analysis of RTA rules in six key areas - market access, technical barriers to trade, contingent protection, investment, services and competition policy - across dozens of the main RTAs in the world. The analysis helps to provide new insights into the interplay between regional and multilateral trade rules, advances understanding of the economic effects of RTAs and contributes to the discussion on how to deal with the burgeoning number of RTAs.

The WTO’s 21st Monitoring Report on G20 trade measures issued on 24 June shows that the trade coverage of new import-restrictive measures introduced during the period (October 2018 to May 2019) was more than 3.5 times the average since May 2012 when the report started including trade coverage figures. The report found that trade coverage of USD 335.9 billion during the period is the second highest figure on record, after the USD 480.9 billion reported in the previous period. Together, these two periods represent a dramatic spike in the trade coverage of import-restrictive measures, leading WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo to call on G20 economies to work together urgently to ease trade tensions.

Protectionist pressures on the rise, latest G20 monitoring report says: G20 governments have introduced more trade barriers, including export restrictions, in the past six months than in previous periods since the financial crisis began, according to the monitoring report by the World Trade Organization, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the UN Conference on Trade and Development released on 24 May 2011. Although measures to lower trade barriers are also accelerating, new import restrictive measures taken by G20 economies over the period October 2010 to April 2011 cover around 0.6% of total G20 imports which is also an increase over the previous six months (0.3%). Export restrictions are also on the rise. This adds to the cumulative total of world trade affected by new restrictions since the crisis began. Despite the positive forecasts for 2011, the outlook for world trade remains clouded by a number of significant risk factors in addition to the recent natural disasters in Japan. Sovereign debt problems, rising prices for food and other primary commodities, and unrest in major oil exporting countries generate uncertainties for the near future.

Lamy reports slowdown in G-20 trade restrictions but warns trade frictions on the rise: Director-General Pascal Lamy, in his report on G-20 trade measures issued on 31 October 2012, said that “there has been a slowdown in the imposition of new trade restrictive measures by G-20 economies over the past five months”. However, “at a time of continuous economic difficulties, trade frictions seem to be increasing”. He urged G-20 governments “to redouble their efforts to keep their markets open, and to advance trade opening as a way to counter slowing global economic growth”.

G-20 trade restrictions increase as trade flows slow down, says WTO report: In the last six months, most G-20 members have put in place new trade restrictions or measures that have the potential to restrict trade, according to the latest WTO report on G-20 trade measures published on 18 December 2013. A total of 116 new trade restrictive measures were identified since the last WTO report, up from 109 measures recorded for the previous seven-month period.

WTO report says restrictive trade measures continue to rise in G-20 economies: Restrictive trade measures introduced by G-20 economies since 2008 continue to rise, according to the latest WTO report on recent trade developments issued on 6 November 2014. Given the continuing uncertainties in the global economy, the report stresses the need for countries to show restraint in imposing new measures and to eliminate more of the existing measures.

WTO sees “slight deceleration” in G20 trade restrictions but calls for continued vigilance: The WTO’s thirteenth trade monitoring report on G20 trade measures, issued on 15 June, shows a slight deceleration in the application of new trade-restrictive measures by G20 economies, with the average number of such measures applied per month lower than at any time since 2013. The report also underlines that it is not yet clear that this deceleration will continue and it calls on G20 leaders to show continued vigilance and reinforced determination towards eliminating existing trade restrictions.