Economic research and trade policy analysis
Conclusions
This joint report has looked into the role of digital trade in development and how economies can work together to reap the full benefits of digital trade for a more resilient and inclusive global trading system.
Digital Trade for Development
This report explores the opportunities and challenges for developing economies arising from digital trade and discusses the role of international cooperation in tackling these opportunities and challenges. The report considers policy actions in the areas of digital infrastructure skills international support for capacity development and the regulatory and policy environment. Specific policy issues include the WTO e-commerce moratorium regulation of cross-border data flows competition policies and consumer protection.
Introduction
Trade has played an important role in fostering economic growth promoting income convergence among economies and lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty (World Bank and WTO 2015). The expansion of global value chains (GVCs) (ADB 2021) has been a driving factor behind this growth. Some people firms and economies have however missed out and not fully benefited from trade opportunities.
Literature review on studies analysing the customs revenue implications of the WTO moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions
The first attempt to estimate the foregone customs revenue of the WTO moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions was undertaken by Schuknecht and Pérez-Esteve (1999). They used a list of goods that included cinematographic film newspapers and videogames to provide upper bound estimates of possible tariff revenue losses based on the assumption that all trade that could be digitized would be digitized. The analysis suggests that the potential foregone revenue effects would amount to less than 1 per cent of total tariff revenue across most economies. The paper also highlighted the strong potential for electronic transmissions to enhance services trade underscoring that tariff revenue losses would need to be weighed against gains arising from growing trade in services (see also Mattoo and Schuknecht (2000) and Mattoo Pérez-Esteve and Schuknecht (2001).
Executive summary
This report explores the opportunities and challenges for developing economies arising from digital trade and discusses the role of international cooperation in tackling these opportunities and challenges. The report considers policy actions in the areas of digital infrastructure skills international support for capacity development and the regulatory and policy environment. Specific policy issues include the WTO e-commerce moratorium regulation of cross-border data flows competition policies and consumer protection.
Executive Summary
The main theme of the 2023 Global Value Chain Development Report is the resilience and sustainability of value chains in response to the diverse shocks of recent years.
Global Value Chain Development Report 2023
The Global Value Chain Development Report 2023 the fourth in this biennial series is released at a critical juncture in the evolution of Global Value Chains (GVCs). In response to the diverse shocks of recent years this report explores approaches to build resilient and sustainable GVCs. It provides an overview of the most recent trends in GVCs assesses the effects of the trade tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic on GVCs and illustrates particular changes of energy and semiconductor supply chains. It also analyzes the challenges of climate change to GVCs and proposes a framework of greening value chains and policy options for enhancing inclusive development through GVC participation.
Publishing Partners
The Global Value Chain Development Report 2023: Resilient and Sustainable GVCs in Turbulent Times is jointly published by the Research Institute for Global Value Chains at the University of International Business and Economics (RIGVC-UIBE) the Asian Development Bank (ADB) the Institute of Developing Economies – Japan External Trade Organization (IDE-JETRO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Acknowledgments
The Global Value Chain Development Report 2023 the fourth in the series draws on contributions from 37 background papers presented and discussed at the First Authors’ Workshop for the Global Value Chain Development Report 2023 hosted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) during 7–11 November 2022.
Foreword
The Global Value Chain Development Report 2023: Resilient and Sustainable GVCs in Turbulent Times the fourth in this biennial series is released at a critical juncture in the evolution of Global Value Chains (GVCs). It first provides an update on trends in GVCs highlighting that international production networks remain a central part of globalization despite mounting pressures. The report then turns to its main theme which is informed by the fact that the intricate networks of international flows of goods services capital and technology are currently facing exceptional challenges arising from geopolitical complexities and the impacts of climate change in the Post-COVID era.