Over the past three decades, free trade agreements were mostly a European phenomenon European Free Trade Agreement [EFTA], European Economic Community [EEC], and their regional arrangements). Recently, this phenomenon has reached the Americas and is growing. The authors show that free trade...

While major concerns have been expressed about the spread of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in developing countries, the lack of empirical information on the dimensions of the increase has affected the related policy debates. Using inventories of NTBs in developed countries compiled for 1966 and...

Many developing countries are being encouraged to shift toward increased processing and exports of domestically produced natural resource based products now exported in primary form. But in many major markets, the structure of tariffs and nontariff barriers militate against such efforts. Zero or...

One issue dominating recent discussions on free trade areas and other minilateral associations (preferential trade arrangements) is whether such arrangements will detract from further multilateral trade liberalization on a most-favored-nation basis. But for much of this debate empirical...

In the policy environment prevailing before implementation of the Uruguay Round results, exports from developing countries face significant nontariff measures in industrial countries. Based on 1992 trade flows, the import coverage ratio of nontariff measures on this trade was more than 18...

The authors analyze empirical information on the nature and magnitude of, and motivation for, international production sharing in East Asia. To do so, they use a largely untapped source of data on inter- and intra-regional trade in parts and components. Some of their findings: East Asian trade...

Economists often argue that the level and structure of a country's trade barriers and the quality of its governance policies (for example, regulating foreign investment or limiting commercial activity with red tape) have a major influence on its economic growth and performance. One problem...

In the mid-1950s sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 3.1 percent of global exports. By 1990 this share had fallen to 1.2 percent. The authors of this report find that Africa's extensive loss of competitiveness played a key role in its decline in world trade. If Africa had merely retained its...

World Bank demographic and country characteristic statistics identify 16 small landlocked countries that are similar to Lesotho. The authors attempt to determine what useful policy information can be derived from the recent trade performance of these"comparators."Among questions they pose are...

Exports in the Middle Eastern countries should increase from $800 million to $900 million as a result of the tariff cuts agreed on in the Uruguay Round, according to the author.This represents an annual expansion of less than 1 percent. Projected gains are small because the erosion of tariff...