Trade and Investment

Analytical Note, December 2005

State of Play in the WTO Agriculture Negotiations: Country Groupings’ Positions – December 2005 Update.

The present note provides an overview of the position of various countries and group of countries active in the WTO agriculture negotiations, with respect to the critical issues under discussion. (more…)

Research Paper 4, November 2005

The Potential Impacts of Nano-Scale Technologies on Commodity Markets: the Implications for Commodity-Dependent Developing Countries.

Commodity production is the mainstay of the economy in most developing countries. According to UNCTAD, commodity dependence is measured by the share of the three leading commodities in a given country’s total exports. The bigger the share, the more dependent the country is. Commodity dependence and poverty are closely intertwined. (more…)

Analytical Note, November 2005

Glossary of terms and overview of Proposals submitted on Anti-Dumping negotiations.

WTO negotiations for the clarification and improvement of the WTO Agreement on Anti-Dumping (ADA) have been long and produced an extremely large number of negotiating material (communications, proposals, informal papers, etc.). (more…)

Analytical Note, November 2005

Compilation of proposals submitted on WTO Anti-Dumping negotiations: 2002 to July 2005.

WTO negotiations for the clarification and improvement of the WTO Agreement on Anti-Dumping (ADA) have been long and produced an extremely large number of negotiating material (communications, proposals, informal papers, etc.). (more…)

Analytical Note, November 2005

Problems and Policy Challenges faced by Commodity-Dependent Developing Countries.

This note  presents the commodity problems and their implications for Commodity Dependent Developing Countries (CDDCs); (ii) identifies the underlying causes of these problems and (iii) examines some of the major policy approaches used in the past to deal with them, their merits and limitations. (more…)

Analytical Note, November 2005

Observations on the Proposal for a New Peace Clause.

This T.R.A.D.E. Analysis seeks to assist developing countries in discussions on the proposal to re-introduce a Peace Clause. It examines WTO dispute settlement developments after the expiry of the old Peace Clause and suggests possible trade-offs if developing countries decide to accept a new Peace Clause. (more…)

Research Paper 3, November 2005

Supply-side Measures for Raising Low Farm-Gate Prices of Tropical Beverage Commodities.

This year has seen how governments and individuals can respond with immense energy and generosity to relieve the suffering of people caught up in natural disasters. The man-made crisis affecting the markets of tropical commodities is every bit as devastating as any of these disasters, yet not only is there very little being done to address the problem but very few people are even aware of it. (more…)

Research Paper 2, November 2005

Remunerating Commodity Producers in Developing Countries: Regulating Concentration in Commodity Markets.

The past few decades have seen a huge surge in international trade that has affected developing countries as well as the world’s largest economies. However, while some countries have seen an associated increase in wealth, others seem to have been left behind. (more…)

Research Paper 1, November 2005

Overview of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures in Quad Countries on Tropical Fruits and Vegetables Imported from Developing Countries.

A number of developing countries,1 and especially least developed countries (LDCs), rely on agriculture for their food security, export earnings and rural development. It has been estimated that the agricultural sector accounts for between 30 per cent and 60 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) for many of these countries, and is the major source of foreign exchange. (more…)

Analytical Note, October 2005

Hong Kong Ministerial Conference: Bottom Lines for LDCs in the GATS Negotiations.

This analytical note aims to assist least developed countries (LDCs) participate more actively in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) negotiations leading up to the Sixth Hong Kong Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation in December 2005 by (more…)

Analytical Note, October 2005

Hong Kong Ministerial Conference: Bottom Lines for Developing Countries in the GATS Negotiations.

In the lead up to the Sixth Hong Kong Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation in December 2005, developing countries have an interest to define their outcomes for the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) negotiations. (more…)

Analytical Note, October 2005

The Agenda for Transfer of Technology: the Working Group of the WTO on Trade and Transfer of Technology.

Technology transfer is a mechanism for the shifting of information across borders and its effective diffusion into recipient economies, thus involving numerous complex processes, ranging from innovation and international marketing of technology to its absorption and imitation. (more…)