The "Economic Zone on the West Shore of the Taiwan Strait" (WSTS) is a concept proposed by government of Fujian Province in 2004 and got the approval by the Chinese national government in 2009, and its development plan was officially published in March 2011. It is a region that cross the...

This paper provides new empirical evidence on the long-run efficiency of locally targeted tax incentives in revitalizing distressed areas. We focus on the first generation of the French "Enterprise Zone" (EZ) initiative, implemented in 1997 in continental France. This program provides tax...

China's meteoric economic rise over the past three decades is an unprecedented "growth miracle" in human history. Since the Open Door policy and reforms that began in 1978, China's gross domestic product (GDP) has been growing at an average annual rate of more than 9 percent, with its global...

In the past 30 years, China has achieved phenomenal economic growth, an unprecedented development "miracle" in human history. How did China achieve this rapid growth? What have been its key drivers? And, most important, what can be learned from China's success? Policy makers, business people,...

Attempts in Africa to use Export Processing Zones (EPZ) as an instrument for economic development, with the exception of Mauritius, have been less successful then in countries in East Asia, Central America, and the Caribbean basin. This paper examines the literature on Export Processing and Free...

China's recent moves to establish special economic zones (SEZs) in several African countries can make a significant contribution to industrialization in Africa. But the success of these projects is by no means guaranteed. Meeting the objectives of both China and African countries will require an...

Many developing countries operate geographically delineated economic areas in the form of export processing zones, special industrial zones, or free trade zones. They experiment in these special economic zones (SEZs) with infrastructure, regulatory, and fiscal policies that are different from...

This note focuses on export processing zones as potential, useful tools in export promotion, and, outlines the general features, and objectives of these zones, highlighting country experiences, and offering policy recommendations for establishing them. It identifies three main goals of export...

As an instrument of trade and investment policy, special economic zones have played a catalytic role in processes of industrialization, diversification, and trade integration in many countries, particularly in East Asia. However, in the African context, anecdotal evidence suggests the experience...