Trade monitoring
Introduction
Trade Profiles contains key indicators for both merchandise and services trade as well as statistics on intellectual property for 195 economies. The information is derived from many sources, such as customs statistics, national accounts, balance of payments statistics, foreign affiliates statistics (FATS), foreign direct investment (FDI) statistics, and industrial property statistics. Data for each economy are presented in a standard two-page format to allow for quick comparison between economies.
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.
Prefacio
El Informe sobre el Comercio Mundial 2007 es el quinto de una serie iniciada en 2002. El Informe de este año marca el sexagésimo aniversario de multilateralismo en el comercio en el marco del GATT/OMC. El 1º de enero de 1948 nació el GATT con 23 signatarios. Después de seis décadas, al comenzar el año próximo, celebraremos una OMC con 150 Miembros. Nuestra institución ha cambiado y ha crecido de manera fascinante, esforzándose siempre por hacer frente a los desafíos que le imponen las relaciones comerciales cada vez más complejas en un mundo en proceso de globalización. El GATT/OMC ha evolucionado a partir de la concentración relativamente modesta en sus primeros años en la reducción y la consolidación de los aranceles sobre los productos manufacturados para abarcar un conjunto más profundo y más amplio de disciplinas en una amplia gama de políticas. Al mismo tiempo, en sus 60 años, el sistema ha reunido un número cada vez mayor de naciones con diferentes niveles de desarrollo, con prioridades diferentes en sus políticas, en un esfuerzo cooperativo por forjar un régimen de políticas comerciales internacionales que promete ventajas para todos.
Executive summary
In April 2012, the Director-General of the WTO, Pascal Lamy, invited a diverse group of prominent non-state stakeholders to analyse challenges to global trade opening in the 21st century. The Panel held a series of closed meetings and also consulted extensively with interested parties.
Trade facilitation and trade flows: Evidence from Africa
This chapter investigates the impact of trade facilitation on trade flows for a sample of 20 African economies over the period 2007–2014. Using a panel vector autoregressive framework, it finds that trade facilitation enhances trade flows in those African countries. Economic growth, investment and the presence of regional trade agreements were also found to be ingredients of trade. Further analysis supports a bi-causal and reinforcing relationship between trade facilitation and trade flows, and the level of country development and presence of regional trade agreements were found to be factors that enhance trade facilitation. Interestingly, trade facilitation is also reported to have some positive effects on economic growth and level of investment.