WORLD TRADE INDICATORS 2008
Benchmarking Policy and Performance
World Trade Indicators 2008
World Trade Indicators 2008
Benchmarking Policy and Performance
Roumeen Islam Gianni Zanini
Washington, DC
Copyright © 2008 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / THE WORLD BANK 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A. All rights reserved The material inthis work is copyrighted. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or inclusion in any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the World Bank. The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and will normally grant permission promptly. The ?ndings,interpretations, and conclusions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily re?ect the views of the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply on the part ofthe World Bank any judgment of the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Library of Congress cataloging-in-publication data has been applied for. ISBN: 978-0-8213-7567-9 eISBN: 978–0–8213–7568–6 DOI: 10.1596/978-0-8213-7567–9 Cover design: Quantum Think, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Cover photo: Panos
Contents
Preface Acknowledgments AbbreviationsCountries and Customs Territories in the WTI Database
Executive Summary 1. Introduction
Trade Policy External Environment Overall Business and Institutional Environment Trade Facilitation
ix xi xiii xv
xvii 1 5
5 23 36 38
2. Policy-Related Trade Indicators
3. Trade Outcomes 4. Regional Analyses
East Asia and the Paci?c Europe and Central Asia Latin America and the Caribbean MiddleEast and North Africa South Asia Sub-Saharan Africa
41 55
55 58 61 64 66 69 75 83 85 89 10 1
Appendixes
A. B. C. D. E. De?nitions of Selected Indicators Background to the Selection of Trade-Related Indicators Trade Indicators by Other Institutions Trade-At-A-Glance Tables, by Income Group Full List of Indicators
Notes References
111 119
vi
Contents
Box
2.1. Garment andTextiles Exporters Also Face Higher Tariffs Than the Rest of the World 30
Figures
2.1. Tariff Protection Is Highest among Low-Income Countries and the SAS, MNA, and SSA Regions 2.2. Tariffs Have Been Falling in All Regions, but Remain High in MNA, SAS, and SSA 2.3. Import Duties Collected Are Much Lower Than Statutory Tariffs 2.4. Countries with Lower Tariffs Tend to Be More Integrated 2.5. TheSAS Region and Other Low-Income Countries Had the Largest Decreases in Tariffs 2.6. Countries Have Liberalized Agriculture Less Than Other Merchandise Sectors 2.7. High- and Middle-Income Countries Have Less Transparent Protection 2.8. MNA and HI-OECD Countries Protect Agriculture the Most and SSA the Least 2.9. Maximum Tariffs and Dispersion Are Still High in Many Regions 2.10. Tariff Escalation IsHighest in MNA and High-Income OECD Countries, Especially in Agriculture 2.11. Fiscal Revenues Are Most Dependent on Import Duties in SSA and SAS Countries 2.12. ECA and High-Income OECD Countries Have Committed the Most to Open Their Services Sectors and Low-Income Countries the Least 2.13. High-Income Countries Are More Committed Than Other Groups to Services Trade Liberalization in MostSectors 2.14. Market Access Is More Restricted in Agriculture 2.15. SAS Exporters Face the Highest Tariff Barriers and MNA’s the Lowest 2.16. Better Market Access Helps Trade and Export Performance 2.17. Agricultural Exporters Face Higher Market Access Barriers 2.18. Duty-Free Trade Has Increased Signi?cantly 2.19. Bene?ts from Preferences Vary across Regions from Low to Modest 2.20. Countries with…
