Services
Trade Profiles 2018
Trade Profiles 2018 provides a series of key indicators on trade in goods and services for 197 economies. For merchandise trade major exports and imports are listed for both agricultural and non-agricultural products as well as major origins and destinations for total merchandise trade. For trade in services a detailed breakdown is provided for transport travel and other commercial services. Statistics on intellectual property are also provided. The information is available for all WTO members and observers and for other selected economies. For each economy the data is presented in a handy two-page format providing a concise overview of global trade. The publication is an invaluable reference tool for anyone looking for essential trade statistics.
World Trade Statistical Review 2018
“World Trade Statistical Review” looks into the latest trends in global trade with in-depth analysis of what is being traded and who the key players are. It also reviews the latest developments in trade policy-making in areas such as trade facilitation and trade-restrictive measures. Analytical chapters are complemented by over 60 tables providing a detailed breakdown of the goods and services being traded and the leading exporters/importers.
The Contribution of Services Trade Policies to Connectivity in the Context of Aid for Trade
This paper examines how services trade and policies contribute to connectivity. It highlights the economic relevance of services and identifies some key channels through which trade in services contributes to physical and digital connectivity. The paper examines the impact of services trade policies on connectivity in view of recent research showing their impact on sectoral performance economic welfare and development. Finally it discusses the positive contribution that aid for trade can make in support of services policies.
Acknowledgements
The World Trade Report 2016 was prepared under the general responsibility of Xiaozhun Yi WTO Deputy Director-General and Robert Koopman Director of the Economic Research and Statistics Division. This year the report was coordinated by Marc Bacchetta and Cosimo Beverelli. The authors of the report are Marc Auboin Marc Bacchetta Cosimo Beverelli Barbara D’Andrea Christophe Degain Alexander Keck Andreas Maurer José-Antonio Monteiro Coleman Nee Roberta Piermartini and Robert Teh (Economic Research and Statistics Division); and Antonia Carzaniga Joscelyn Magdeleine Juan Marchetti Lee Tuthill and Ruosi Zhang (Trade in Services and Investment Division).
SMEs in international trade: Stylized facts
Every firm that contemplates expanding its operations in a foreign country has to choose a specific market entry strategy. As trade is the most common form of internationalization for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) this section surveys available statistical evidence on the participation of SMEs in international trade in both developed and developing economies and how their activities relate to traditional trade flows and to trade in the context of global value chains. The objective is to provide an accurate and detailed description of the SME trade landscape but also to identify important gaps in information and data coverage.
Trade obstacles to SME participation in trade
Section D investigates the major trade-related impediments to SMEs’ participation in trade. A key finding in this section is that all types of trade costs whether they are fixed or variable adversely affect the ability of SMEs to participate in trade to a greater extent than large enterprises. Since SMEs are more sensitive to trade barriers than large firms removing obstacles to trade benefits SMEs disproportionately. It is therefore important to understand what these major obstacles are.
Introduction
Today’s increasingly interconnected global economy is transforming not only what is traded and how it is traded but also who is trading. Large companies continue to dominate international trade because they have the critical mass organizational reach and relevant technologies necessary to access and supply foreign markets. But thanks to the Internet the emergence of new business platforms and the increasing openness of the global economy many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) now have the potential to become successful and important global traders as well. The World Trade Report 2016 examines the participation of SMEs in international trade. In particular it looks at how the international trade landscape is changing for SMEs where new opportunities are opening up and old challenges remain and what the multilateral trading system does to ensure inclusive participation of firms in global markets.
Executive summary
In the majority of countries small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are defined as firms employing between 10 and 250 people. Firms with up to 10 employees are usually referred to as micro firms. There is however no commonly agreed definition of what micro firms and SMEs are. They are mixed by nature ranging from producers of non-tradable services to “born global” suppliers of digital products highquality artisanal goods or sophisticated instruments.
Dynamics of internationalization processes of SMEs
This section will discuss in detail the dynamics of SMEs’ internationalization processes in particular the role of firm size in engaging in and pursuing internationalization as well as the impact of internationalization on firms’ performance. As was explained in Section B internationalization is often defined as how a firm conducts business activities in foreign countries through indirect exports direct exports international subcontracting (licensing or outsourcing) or investment.
Cooperative approaches to promoting SME participation in trade
The previous sections of this report identified the benefits that SMEs derive from participating in international trade (Section C) and the obstacles they face (Section D). This section discusses existing international cooperative approaches that directly or indirectly facilitate SMEs’ participation in trade. These include SMErelated initiatives in regional trade agreements (RTAs) in regional institutions (e.g. the African Development Bank) and in multilateral institutions (e.g. the World Bank) as well as in the WTO.
World Trade Report 2016
This report examines the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in international trade how the international trade landscape is changing for SMEs and what the multilateral trading system does and can do to encourage more widespread and inclusive SME participation in global markets.