2001年-世界发展银行全球_Market_Access_for_Developing_Countries_Exports_61页_1mb

Summary of "Market Access for Developing Countries' Exports"

Core Content

This document, prepared by the IMF and the World Bank, analyzes the challenges and opportunities facing developing countries in accessing global markets, with a focus on merchandise and services trade. It outlines the progress and remaining barriers to trade liberalization and emphasizes the need for further reforms to enhance market access and promote economic growth, particularly for the poorest developing countries.

Main Points

1. Integration into the World Economy

• Trade liberalization has been a key driver of economic growth and poverty reduction over the past 50 years.
• Developing countries have increasingly participated in global trade, with their exports growing faster than the global average.
• The share of developing countries in world trade has increased from about a quarter to one-third since the early 1970s.
• Trade between developing countries has grown rapidly, with 40% of their exports now going to other developing countries.

2. Changes in the Pattern of World Trade

• The composition of world trade has shifted from primary commodities to manufactured goods.
• The share of manufactured goods in total merchandise exports rose from ~60% in the 1960s to ~85% by 1998.
• Agricultural products have declined in importance, while commercial services have grown, reaching 17% of total exports by 1998.
• Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries have lagged behind in trade growth and market integration, with LDCs experiencing only 5.7% growth in exports compared to the global average of 10%.

3. Protection in Merchandise Trade

• Tariffs: After the Uruguay Round, most WTO members bound their tariffs, but applied rates remain lower than bound rates, especially in agriculture.
• Tariff Peaks and Escalation: These are significant in both industrial and developing countries, disproportionately affecting developing country exports.
• Agriculture: Industrial countries maintain high levels of protection through tariffs, TRQs, and subsidies, which depress world prices and pre-empt markets.
• Manufacturing: While industrial countries have lower tariffs on manufacturing, they still maintain high tariffs on labor-intensive products like textiles and clothing, which are critical for developing countries.
• Tariffication: Replacing nontariff measures (NTMs) with tariffs increased transparency but did not significantly reduce protection in agriculture.

4. Nontariff Measures (NTMs)

• NTMs, such as antidumping measures, technical barriers (TBT), and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards, are becoming more prevalent.
• These measures impose additional costs on exporters and are often complex and nontransparent.
• The rise in regional trade agreements and preference schemes has increased administrative burdens and trade discrimination.

5. Trade Preferences

• Preferential access schemes have not been very effective in improving market access for poorer countries.
• These schemes often exclude or offer limited benefits for highly protected products, and are subject to various conditions and exemptions.
• Duty- and quota-free access for the poorest countries would provide significant benefits at minimal cost to the rest of the world.

6. Trade in Services

• Liberalization of trade in services is at an early stage, with substantial barriers still in place.
• Services trade is affected by a wide range of regulations and controls, such as ownership restrictions and professional qualifications.
• Industrial countries have opened up their services sectors more than developing countries, but still impose significant restrictions on cross-border services.
• Developing countries would benefit from liberalizing key services such as transport, finance, and telecommunications.

Key Information

• Trade Growth: Developing countries' exports grew at 12% annually from 1970 to 1999, compared to 10% globally.
• Tariff Rates:
  • Bound rates (WTO commitments) are generally higher than applied rates (actual tariffs).
  • Agricultural bound tariffs are 32% (vs. 25% applied), textiles and clothing are 12% (vs. 10% applied), and manufactures are 6% (vs. 4% applied).
• Welfare Gains:
  • Eliminating all merchandise trade barriers could generate welfare gains of $250 billion to $550 billion annually.
  • Developing countries would receive about one-third of these gains, which is more than twice the annual aid flow.
  • Agricultural liberalization yields the largest static welfare gains due to high protection levels.
  • Manufacturing liberalization yields the largest dynamic gains for both industrial and developing countries.
• Least Developed Countries (LDCs):
  • Their share of global trade has declined from 1.9% to 0.5%.
  • They remain heavily reliant on traditional commodity exports and face significant protection in both domestic and foreign markets.
• Special Initiatives:
  • The EU and other countries have made progress in opening markets for LDCs.
  • Permanent, duty- and quota-free access, along with transparent rules of origin, is recommended to support LDCs.

Conclusion

• Trade liberalization has been a key factor in global economic growth, but progress has been uneven across regions and countries.
• Developing countries, especially the poorest, face significant trade barriers in both merchandise and services trade.
• Further liberalization, particularly in agriculture and textiles, is needed to unlock growth and development potential.
• Improving domestic policies and reducing trade barriers in developing countries will also enhance their competitiveness and market access.
• The international community must support LDCs through more effective and inclusive trade preferences and market access initiatives.