Trade monitoring
Commerce des services
En 2012, le Conseil du commerce des services s’est encore penché sur les questions relatives aux technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC), notamment le commerce électronique et l’itinérance mobile internationale. La transparence a été une autre question importante à l’ordre du jour du Conseil, et les Membres ont examiné comment il serait possible d’améliorer le respect du processus de notification. La Jamaïque a été le dernier Membre de l’OMC à ratifier le cinquième Protocole annexé à l’AGCS, relatif au commerce des services financiers.
Report by the EAC members
The Republic of Burundi is a landlocked country wedged between Central and East Africa. Burundi joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in July 1995, after having become a Contracting Party to the GATT in 1962. The Government of Burundi recognizes the pivotal role played by the WTO in the management and protection of an open multilateral trading system, based on rules designed to promote growth and development on a global scale. The monitoring of national trade policies through the Trade Policy Review Mechanism is an important feature of the WTO’s work, and transparency is a fundamental component of the efficiency of the multilateral trading system.
Prólogo del Director General de la OMC
El comercio se percibe a veces como una actividad económica que solo favorece a las empresas de gran tamaño. Ciertamente, no se puede negar que el comercio internacional es, en general, mucho más costoso y difícil para las microempresas y las pequeñas y medianas empresas. Cuanto más pequeña es una empresa, mayores pueden parecer los obstáculos a los que se enfrenta.
Portail intégré d’information commerciale (I-TIP)
Le portail intégré d’information commerciale (I-TIP) constitue une interface unique pour accéder à tous les renseignements recueillis par l’OMC concernant les mesures de politique commerciale. I-TIP, qui rassemble des renseignements sur plus de 25 000 mesures, couvre les mesures tarifaires et non tarifaires qui affectent le commerce de marchandises et contient des renseignements sur les engagements pris par les Membres de l’OMC dans le cadre de l’accession. Dans le courant de 2013, le portail sera élargi au commerce des services ainsi qu’à d’autres domaines. I-TIP a été pour la première fois mis à la disposition du public lors de la Journée des données, qui a eu lieu à l’OMC le 16 janvier 2013.
Composition des régions géographiques et économiques
Les Membres de l'OMC sont souvent désignés sous le nom de “pays”, bien que certains ne soient pas des pays au sens habituel du terme mais, officiellement, des “territoires douaniers”. La définition des groupements géographiques ou autres, dans le présent rapport, n'implique de la part du Secrétariat aucune prise de position quant au statut d'un pays ou territoire, au tracé de ses frontières ou aux droits et obligations des Membres de l'OMC dans le cadre des Accords de l'OMC. Les couleurs, tracés de frontières, dénominations et classifications figurant dans les cartes n'impliquent, de la part de l'OMC, aucun jugement quant au statut juridique ou autre d'un territoire, ni la reconnaissance ou l'acceptation d'un tracé de frontières.
Report by the WTO Secretariat
Between 2014 and 2017, the economy of Hong Kong, China (HKC) grew at an average annual rate of 2.8%, driven mainly by domestic demand and exports, mainly to the People’s Republic of China (Mainland China). This growth rate is slightly lower than at the time of the previous Review. Services, in particular trade and finance, continued to be the mainstay of the economy, contributing 92% to GDP and 88% to total employment, and reflecting HKC’s position as a global trade and financial centre. HKC remains one of the most open economies in the world, with a trade/GDP ratio of 375%. Its investment regime remains open.
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.
Standards and Trade Development Facility
The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) – the Aid for Trade vehicle to help developing countries implement sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards – continued to raise awareness, mobilize resources, strengthen collaboration and identify and disseminate good practice to enhance the effectiveness of SPS-related technical cooperation. It also provided support and funding for the development and implementation of projects that promote compliance with international SPS requirements. An independent review of the STDF reported that “the results are impressive and a testament to the effective operation of the STDF”.
Report by the WTO Secretariat
Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau and Togo are members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Agriculture is of key importance to all three economies. Côte d’Ivoire, in particular, has been able to develop and diversify its agricultural sector through the cultivation of coffee, rubber, fruit, cotton and palm oil, in addition to cocoa, of which it is the world’s leading producer. The main mining sector exports are petroleum products and gold. Its share of manufacturing exports, centred on the agricultural processing industry, declined sharply during the last decade, but Côte d’Ivoire has considerable potential for increasing the value added of such exports. The main destinations of its goods exports are the European Union and Africa, including the ECOWAS countries in particular.
WTO Data Day
The first edition of WTO ‘Data Day’ took place on 18–19 May 2009. This inter-agency initiative aimed to raise awareness on the use and interpretation of trade-related statistical data, familiarize users with data applications, draw attention to continuing needs for data, and promote coherence and cooperation among international agencies that manage data.
Aid for Trade
Aid for Trade continues to mobilize international resources. Although commitments slipped 14 per cent to US$ 41.5 billion in 2011, according to the latest available figures, they are still 57 per cent above the 2002-05 baseline period. This increase continues to be “additional” – that is, new money and not funds switched from other aid commitments. The Fourth Global Review of Aid for Trade in July focused on “connecting to value chains”. In December, the WTO’s Ministerial Conference reiterated the mandate given to the Director-General to pursue actions in support of Aid for Trade.
Contact with the business community
In 2013, the WTO undertook a number of initiatives to strengthen WTO relations with business, including launching on the WTO website an area dedicated to the business community. The 2013 Public Forum, “Expanding trade through innovation and the digital economy”, attracted significant business interest. The WTO co-organized the first dedicated regional seminar for the private sector in the Arab region. The business community was well represented in Bali at the WTO’s Ninth Ministerial Conference.
Prix du meilleur article décerné par l'OMC à de jeunes économistes
En avril 2009, le Secrétariat de l'OMC a créé le Prix du meilleur article décerné par l'OMC à de jeunes économistes. Ce prix, qui est assorti d'une récompense de 5 000 CHF, vise à promouvoir la recherche économique de haute qualité sur l'OMC et les questions la concernant, et à renforcer la relation entre l'OMC et les milieux universitaires.
Acknowledgements
This publication has been prepared under the direction of Hubert Escaith, Chief Statistician. Andreas Maurer coordinated the statistical report, and Vuddha Meach supervised the overall table, chart and map production, with the assistance of Claudio Nicolai Wewel and Ying Yan. The statistical research and data compilation were conducted by Barbara d’Andrea-Adrian, Christophe Degain, Florian Eberth, Joscelyn Magdeleine, Yann Marcus, Ninez Piezas-Jerbi and Bekele Tamenu.