Rules of origin are those laws and regulations that are applied to determine the country of origin of goods. Upon the importation of a product, each country applies its own rules of origin to determine the origin of the product. Such origin rules are known as “non-preferential rules of...

Aid-for-trade programs can help strengthen low-income countries’ supply capacity and knowledge of trade preferences, which will allow them to take fuller advantage of these preferences. Aid for trade to support preference reform can be divided into three categories: (i) creation of...

This book looks at four main questions relevant to the discussion of implementation and effectiveness of aid for trade. • How severe are the various possible constraints to trade expansion? • How different are the constraints to imports from the constraints to exports? • What impact would...

The general understanding of international trade has been transformed over the past decade or so with the now massive body of literature developed in the context of so-called "new new trade theory" which takes into account the heterogeneity of firms and the importance of fixed costs of trade....

This paper evaluates the role of preferential trade agreements (PTAs) in the context of global value chains. Given the interconnectedness of trade and investment, preferential trade agreements not only contribute to participation and value capture by eliminating traditional trade barriers, they...

Aid for Trade is a new international program to help developing countries meet the challenges of the multilateral trading system and benefit from the liberalization process. The European Union as the largest aid provider in the world is among the donors which has accepted this program and...

The ability to export clothing products under preferences with liberal rules of origin is the key factor currently determining whether the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has a significant impact on non-oil exporting African countries. At present only a small number of countries...

There have been ongoing discussions within the WTO Doha Round on Trade Facilitation and the wider Aid for Trade agenda to assist developing countries in reducing behind-the-border restrictions and to help them benefit from trade reform. Our paper contributes to this debate by analyzing the...