2023-06-26-联合国贸易发展委员会-普遍优惠制_它对发展中国家有多重要_66页_5mb

The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) is a trade initiative by developed countries to provide preferential tariffs to imports from developing countries, fostering their exports and economic growth. This summary analyzes the GSP schemes of the Quad economies—Canada, the European Union, Japan, and the United States—based on data from 2004 to 2018.

Key Findings:

1. Tariff Savings for LDCs:

   • The EU, Canada, and Japan's GSP preferences for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) under the Everything-But-Arms (EBA) initiative generated substantial tariff savings. For instance, the EU's EBA scheme saved $3.7 billion in tariffs in 2018.
   • LDCs benefit from near-total duty-free treatment across products, with high import volumes from countries like Bangladesh and Cambodia.

2. Rising Preference Margins for LDCs:

   • LDC schemes offer significantly higher preference margins (e.g., Japan’s EBA scheme has margins up to 10.3%). This makes imports from LDCs more competitive.
   • Rules of origin reforms (e.g., EU's simplified rules for apparel) boosted utilization, increasing the effective value of preferences.

3. Limited Impact on Non-LDCs:

   • Non-LDC general schemes have low preference margins (1% in most cases) and coverage. By 2018, preference erosion through FTAs and reduced margins diminished their role.
   • For example, Canada and Japan excluded upper-middle-income countries from their general schemes, limiting beneficiary access.

4. Utilization Rates Varied:

   • LDC schemes showed high utilization (80–95%), but many non-LDC schemes remained underutilized due to narrow coverage and FTAs. AGOA (U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act) exemplified effective preferences for specific regions.

5. Influence of FTAs:

   • FTAs proliferated among Quad economies and developing countries, offering better terms than GSP schemes. This erosion of preference margins reduced GSP relevance for many exporting countries.

6. Concentration of Benefits:

   • A handful of countries (e.g., Bangladesh, Cambodia) and products (e.g., apparel, footwear) dominated GSP exports, highlighting inequities.

Recommendations for Improvement:

• Simplify Rules of Origin: Streamlining origin rules can increase usage of preferential tariffs.
• Extend Product Coverage: Broaden schemes to include more products and countries, especially for non-LDCs.
• Adapt to Trade Trends: Address the rise of FTAs and non-tariff barriers to maintain GSP relevance.

Conclusion:

While GSP schemes remain impactful for LDCs, their effectiveness is threatened by tariff reductions via FTAs and declining preference margins. Simplifying rules of origin and expanding coverage could enhance GSP's role in supporting developing countries' trade and economic growth.