Trade monitoring
The challenges of convergence
Regulating trade opening is only one of the many challenges facing a rapidly integrating world economy. But it is also one where we already have a system that has shown resilience in the current crisis. Like all assets, what it needs is not just proper maintenance, but also investment in the future.
Composition of geographical and economic groupings
WTO members are frequently referred to as “countries”, although some members are not countries in the usual sense of the word but are officially “customs territories”. The definition of geographical and other groupings in this report does not imply an expression of opinion by the Secretariat concerning the status of any country or territory, the delimitation of its frontiers, nor the rights and obligations of any WTO member in respect of WTO agreements. The colours, boundaries, denominations, and classifications in the maps of this publication do not imply, on the part of the WTO, any judgement on the legal or other status of any territory, or any endorsement or acceptance of any boundary.
Introduction
The Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) was first established on a trial basis by the GATT contracting parties in April 1989. The Mechanism became a permanent feature of the World Trade Organization under the Marrakesh Agreement which established the WTO in January 1995.
Comercio de mercancías
En cuatro reuniones celebradas en 2012 el Consejo del Comercio de Mercancías aprobó varias solicitudes de exención, individuales y colectivas, como la prórroga de la exención relativa al Sistema de Certificación del Proceso de Kimberley, la armonización en curso de las listas arancelarias y los derechos aplicados por la Unión Europea a determinadas mercancías procedentes del Pakistán. También examinó una serie de preocupaciones comerciales planteadas por los Miembros.
Enhanced Integrated Framework for LDCs
The Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) for trade-related assistance to LDCs became effectively operational in 2009. By the end of the year, 47 LDCs were involved in the EI F process, and the EI F Trust Fund had risen to US $ 90 million. The breadth of support enjoyed by the EI F was manifest at the EI F Ministerial event hosted by the Director-General on the margins of the Seventh WTO Ministerial Conference in December 2009.
Acknowledgements
The World Trade Report 2004 was prepared under the general direction of Deputy Director-General Dr. Kipkorir Aly Azad Rana. Patrick Low, Director of the Economic Research and Statistics Division, led the team responsible for writing the Report. The principal authors of the Report were Bijit Bora, Zdenek Drabek, K. Michael Finger, Marion Jansen, Alexander Keck, Patrick Low, Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås, Roberta Piermartini and Robert Teh. Barbara D’Andrea of the Economic Research and Statistics Division, co-authored Section IB.2. Jeffrey Gertler of the Legal Affairs Division contributed to the writing of Section IB.1. Mukela Luanga of the Economic Research and Statistics Division provided critical input to a number of the principal authors. Trade statistics and tariff information were provided by the Statistics Group of the Economic Research and Statistics Division, coordinated by Guy Karsenty, Julia de Verteuil, Andreas Maurer and Jürgen Richtering.
Nueva función de los productos básicos en las estrategias de desarrollo
En esta sección se examinan los problemas y las oportunidades que crean las estrategias de crecimiento y desarrollo centradas en los productos básicos cuando los precios son relativamente altos pero volátiles. En primer lugar figura un panorama histórico de la evolución de los precios de los recursos agropecuarios y naturales. A continuación se analiza el modo en que los países en desarrollo han logrado promover su desarrollo sacando partido de la exportación de sus productos agropecuarios y naturales en este contexto de precios altos. En la sección se ponen de relieve las políticas que han dado buenos resultados y a la vez se señalan los problemas que persisten para hacer efectivo el potencial de exportación. Por último, también se abordan los problemas derivados del aumento de la volatilidad, centrándose en particular en los importadores de alimentos y los exportadores de recursos naturales vulnerables a los ciclos de expansión y recesión.
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.
Trade, debt and finance
WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo raised the issue of developing countries’ access to trade finance at a seminar of the Working Group on Trade, Debt and Finance in March and again at the Third UN Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa in July. Trading companies, in particular from developing countries, find increasing difficulties in accessing trade finance. DG Azevêdo pledged to consult multilateral partners and make concrete proposals in the first half of 2016. The Working Group continued efforts to improve understanding of the links between exchange rates and trade.
Fonds pour l’application des normes et le développement du commerce
Le Fonds pour l’application des normes et le développement du commerce (STDF) a continué à aider les pays en développement à améliorer leur capacité d’appliquer les normes sanitaires et phytosanitaires (SPS) et d’accéder à des marchés plus vastes. Il a aidé à préparer et mettre en oeuvre de nombreux nouveaux projets visant à promouvoir le respect des normes internationales et à faciliter l’accès aux marchés. Il a également élaboré un guide indiquant comment établir l’ordre de priorité des investissements SPS et il a publié une série d’études de cas indiquant les résultats des projets récents.