From The World Bank Group
World Trade Indicators 2008
Benchmarking Policy and Performance
By R. Islam and G. Zanini
Cover
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Countries and Customs Territories in the WTI Database
Executive Summary
Tariff protection, both with and without the inclusion of preferences, has fallen
consistently in all regions and income groups from the mid-1990s to 2007, and
especially in low-income countries, where average MFN applied tariffs fell 46 percent
(10 percentage points). High-income countries, which were earlier reformers,
still have the lowest average tariffs at 6 percent compared to a developing country
average of 11 percent. Other measures, such as the World Bank’s Trade (MFN)
Tariff Restrictiveness Index (MFN TTRI), confi rm this pattern.
...But average tariffs do not reveal the whole pattern of protection. High-income countries
have higher nontariff barriers, greater tariff escalation and dispersion, and
much higher maximum tariffs than low-income countries; that is, they protect certain
sectors much more than others. Many of these protected sectors and goods are
of special interest to developing-country exporters.
...Developing country exporters face higher export hurdles at the upper
end of production than at the lower end. Most countries protect finished
goods more than unfinished goods, but tariff escalation is higher in the
high-income OECD countries than in developing countries. This pattern
is amplified in the agriculture sector...
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Policy-Related Trade Indicators
Trade Policy
External Environment
Overall Business and Institutional Environment
Trade Facilitation
Boxes
2.1. Garment and Textiles Exporters Also Face Higher Tariffs
Than the Rest of the World
Tables
2.1. High- and Middle-Income Countries Have the Lowest Import
Protection
2.2. Some Countries Have Increased Their MFN Tariffs (Simple
Averages)
2.3. Most Developing Countries, Save WTO Accession Countries,
Have Committed Little in the GATS
2.4. Oil and Commodity Exporters and Rich Countries Enjoy the
Best Market Access
2.5. Small Islands Enjoy Lowest Tariff Barriers, While Cotton
Exporters the Highest, 2006
2.6. Some Countries Draw High Benefi ts from Preferences, Others
None
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 10
2.5. The SAS 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 Is Highest 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 Most Sectors
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 Signifi cantly
2.19. Benefits from Preferences Vary across Regions from Low to Modest
2.20. Countries with Better Institutional Environments Tend to Have Lower Export
Concentrations and Higher Shares of Manufacturing Exports
2.21. Countries with Best Logistics Performance Are All Developed Economies
That Are Major Global Transport and Logistics Hubs
2.22. Countries with Better Trade Logistics Integrate Faster
Tables
2.1. High- and Middle-Income Countries Have the Lowest Import
Protection
2.2. Some Countries Have Increased Their MFN Tariffs (Simple
Averages)
2.3. Most Developing Countries, Save WTO Accession Countries,
Have Committed Little in the GATS
2.4. Oil and Commodity Exporters and Rich Countries Enjoy the
Best Market Access
2.5. Small Islands Enjoy Lowest Tariff Barriers, While Cotton
Exporters the Highest, 2006
2.6. Some Countries Draw High Benefits from Preferences, Others
None
Chapter 3. Trade Outcomes
Boxes
3.1. Low-Income Countries Experienced Largest Trade Growth
Slowdown in 2007
3.2. Services Trade Grew the Fastest in Mostly High-Income and
Upper-Middle-Income Countries
3.3. Trade Integration Has Been Rising across All Income Groups
and Most Regions
3.4. Among Developing Regions, MNA and SSA Are the Least
Diversified, and ECA and SAS the Most
3.5. Countries with Lower Export Product Concentration Exhibit
Less Volatility of Real Export Growth
Tables
3.1. Developing Countries’ Export Growth Decelerated in 2007
3.2. Many MNA and SSA Countries Are among Those with the Lowest
Trade Growth
3.3. Energy and Commodity Producers in SSA and a Number of
Central Asian Countries Expanded Their World Export Market Shares the Most
3.4. Southeast Asian and Small Countries Are More Integrated
Than Larger Developing Countries
3.5. OECD and Large Developing Countries Are Most Diversified,
While Oil Exporters, Small, Poor, Landlocked Countries the Least
3.6. Top 5 Export Products for 10 Most and 10 Least Diversified
Countries, 2005
Chapter 4. Regional Analyses
East Asia and the Pacific
Europe and Central Asia
Latin America and the Caribbean
Middle East and North Africa
South Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa
Tables
4.1. EAP Key Trade-Related Indicators
4.2. ECA Key Trade-Related Indicators
4.3. LAC Key Trade-Related Indicators
4.4. MNA Key Trade-Related Indicators
4.5. SAS Key Trade-Related Indicators
4.6. SSA Key Trade-Related Indicators
Appendix A. Definitions of Selected Indicators
Appendix B. Background to the Selection of Trade-Related Indicators
Appendix C. Trade Indicators by Other Institutions
Appendix D. Trade-At-A-Glance Tables, by Income Group
Appendix E. Full List of Indicators
Notes
References
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