Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This paper investigates when trade facilitation reform should be undertaken at the regional level. First, looking at both efficiency and implementation considerations, it confirms the perception that the regional dimension matters. Investigating where efficiency gains can be made, this research explains why national markets alone fail to produce the full scale economies and positive externalities of trade facilitation reform. Second, because trade facilitation policies need to address coordination and capacity failures, and because of the operational complexity challenge, the choice of the adequate platform for delivering reform is crucial. The lessons are that regional trade agreements offer good prospects of comprehensive and effective reform and can effectively complement multilateral and national initiatives. However, examples of implementation of trade facilitation reform in regional agreements do not seem to indicate that regional integration approaches have been more successful than trade facilitation through specific cooperation agreements or other efforts, multilateral or unilateral. Customs unions may be an exception here, and the author suggests reasons why this could be the case.

Border Crossing --- Economies of Scale --- Electronic Customs --- Externalities --- Free Trade --- Inspection --- International Economics & Trade --- Law and Development --- Public Sector Development --- Rail --- Road --- Trade and Regional Integration --- Trade Law --- Trade Policy --- Transit --- Transport --- Transport Economics, Policy and Planning --- Trucks

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This paper takes stock of the growing success of preferential trade agreements. It revisits what are the defining characteristics of modern preferential trade agreements, which are typically pursued for a diverse array of motives. In particular, the market access justification traditionally used to analyze the desirability and impact of preferential trade agreements misses increasingly important dimensions. The "Beyond Market Access" agenda of preferential trade agreements presents a new and broad set of deep regulatory and policy issues that differs in substance from the removal of tariff and quantitative barriers to trade. Issues related to preferences and discrimination, as well as the nature and implementation of commitments acquire a different meaning in deep preferential trade agreements. This change of paradigm presents significant opportunities and challenges for reform-minded developing countries to use preferential trade agreements to their own advantage.

Developing countries --- Economic development --- Emerging Markets --- Environment --- Environmental Economics & Policies --- Free Trade --- International Economics and Trade --- Law and Development --- Market Access --- Preferential access --- Preferential market access --- Preferential Trade Agreements --- Preferential treatment --- Private Sector Development --- Regulatory policies --- Tariff rate --- Trade and Regional Integration --- Trade barriers --- Trade Law

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Economists have repeatedly warned against them, NGOs have fought them, and somegovernments have begrudgingly (at least in appearance) signed them. Yet, in the last twentyyears the growth in number of preferential trade agreements (PTAs) has been unabated. Evenmore strikingly, their scope has broadened while their number was increasing. Deep integrationprovisions in PTAs have now become ubiquitous.Gaining market access or preserving existing preferences has remained an important motivationfor acceding to PTAs. But with the liberalization of trade around the world and the relateddiminishing size

Developing countries -- Commercial policy. --- Economic development -- Developing countries. --- Free trade -- Developing countries. --- Tariff preferences -- Developing countries. --- Tariff preferences --- Free trade --- Economic development --- Commerce --- Business & Economics --- International Commerce --- Developing countries --- Commercial policy. --- Foreign economic relations. --- Differential duty --- Discriminating duty --- Generalized system of preferences (Tariff) --- GSP (Tariff) --- Preferences, Tariff --- Preferential duty --- Preferential tariff --- Trade preferences --- Tariff

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This paper proposes a novel empirical methodology to reveal factors associated with foreign direct investment decisions and export success at the industry level. Faced with large amounts of policy and economic indicators, as well as significant product and sectoral diversity, the motivation of this research is twofold. First, it selects among the vast number of indicators and potential factors relevant to investment and trade outcomes a manageable subset of variables that can usefully guide the understanding of investment and trade outcomes. Second, it provides robust estimates of how these variables affect the probability at the margin of investment and trade outcomes at the sector level. Finally, the paper uses these estimates to produce new metrics ("scores") of trade and investment climate performance at the country and sectoral levels.

Investments.