LDC Portal - International Support Measures for Least Developed Countries - Trade

World Trade Organization Agriculture Negotiations at MC13: What does the lack of outcomes mean for least developed countries and other vulnerable economies?

MTAVARES1 — Thu, 23 May 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Document Type:

Link to an External Document

Author:

Facundo Calvo

Document Summary:

IISD expert Facundo Calvo analyzes what came out of the WTO's agriculture negotiations at the 13th Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi and its implications for least developed countries and other vulnerable economies.

Tags:

Agriculture

WTO

Public stockholding

MC13

Trade

Publication Date:

Thursday, 23 May 2024

IISD

Document Topic/Theme:

Trade

Document Type:

Articles, policy briefs, working papers, op-eds, project reports, blogs

Archived:

Symbol year:

2024

What MC13 Achieved for Least Developed Countries (Emily Pender for tralac)

MTAVARES1 — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Document Type:

Link to an External Document

Author:

Emily Pender

Document Summary:

"MC13 did not deliver much in the way of these matters – no agreement was reached on agriculture, fisheries phase two negotiations, or dispute settlement (where they agreed to continue work on negotiations rather than produce a draft agreement). That said, some progress has been made on the LDC graduation transition process (though modest), and special and differential treatment for LDCs."

Tags:

tralac

Trade

WTO

LDC Group - WTO

MC13

Publication Date:

Monday, 11 March 2024

tralac

Document Topic/Theme:

Trade

Document Type:

Articles, policy briefs, working papers, op-eds, project reports, blogs

Archived:

Symbol year:

2024

Reversing the decline in LDCs' services exports post-pandemic (Salamat Ali and Brendan Vickers for EIF)

MTAVARES1 — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Document Type:

Link to an External Document

Author:

Salamat Ali, Brendan Vickers

Document Summary:

"Although the services sector has emerged as a new engine of economic growth, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have severely affected services exports from the least developed countries (LDCs), with an approximate loss of almost USD 29 billion in foregone exports over the past three years. While global services exports have rebounded from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, the recovery in the LDCs is lagging, potentially with long-term consequences for achieving the ambitions of the Doha Programme of Action for the LDCs and several Sustainable Development Goals. Urgent actions by the LDCs and their trading and development partners to improve utilization of the WTO Services Waiver, incentivize foreign direct investment (FDI) and technology transfer, promote regional trade initiatives, leverage Aid for Trade, and address the digital divide can help reverse this trend, enabling the LDCs to benefit from a services-led transformation."

Tags:

EIF

The Commonwealth

Commonwealth

Commonwealth Secretariat

Enhanced Integrated Framework - EIF

Trade

Services trade

COVID-19

Publication Date:

Thursday, 22 February 2024

Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF)

Document Topic/Theme:

Trade

Document Type:

Articles, policy briefs, working papers, op-eds, project reports, blogs

Archived:

Symbol year:

2024

Development Issues for the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference—Deal Breaker or Game Changer? (Rashid S. Kaukab for IISD)

MTAVARES1 — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Document Type:

Link to an External Document

Author:

Rashid S. Kaukab

Document Summary:

As developing countries and LDCs comprise 75% of the WTO, negotiations regarding development issues remain prevalent. However, certain conversations have been historically difficult and protracted. Rashid S. Kaukab showcases the importance of reaching outcomes relevant to special differential treatment for developing economies and the treatment of LDCs post-graduation from their category.

Tags:

WTO

IISD

MC13

Trade

International support measures for LDCs

Publication Date:

Thursday, 11 January 2024

IISD

Document Topic/Theme:

Trade

Document Type:

Articles, policy briefs, working papers, op-eds, project reports, blogs

Archived:

Symbol year:

2024

LDCs and the multilateral trading system: looking forward - A collection of essays, Volume 2 (WTO, EIF)

MTAVARES1 — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Document Type:

Link to an External Document

Author:

Simon J. Evenett, Joseph W. Glauber, Pierre Sauve, Anirudh Shingal

Document Summary:

The Doha Programme of Action for LDCs for the decade 2022-2031 recognizes the role of trade for realizing the socio-economic development ambitions of least developed countries (LDCs). This second volume of essays on LDCs and the multilateral trading system covers topics on agriculture and food security, trade in services and trade measures affecting LDCs’ trade.

Tags:

Food security

GSP

Services trade

Publication Date:

Friday, 03 November 2023

WTO/EIF

Document Topic/Theme:

Trade

Document Type:

UN and WTO reports and publications

Archived:

Symbol year:

2023

Market access for products and services of export interest to least developed countries, 2023 (Note by the Secretariat, WTO)

MTAVARES1 — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Document Type:

Link to an External Document

Author:

WTO Secretariat

Document Summary:

This Note, prepared by the Secretariat on an annual basis, provides an update on the trends in the least developed countries' (LDCs) trade and market access conditions.

Tags:

Trade

DFQF (duty-free quota free)

WTO

Market access

Publication Date:

Monday, 30 October 2023

WTO Secretariat

Document Topic/Theme:

Trade

Document Type:

UN and WTO reports and publications

Archived:

Symbol year:

2023

WTO General Council Decision on extension of unilateral duty-free and quota-free preferences in favour of countries graduated from the LDC category

MTAVARES1 — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Document Type:

Link to an External Document

Author:

WTO

Document Summary:

Decision "To encourage those Members that graduate or remove countries from unilateral tariff or duty-free and quota free (DFQF) preference programmes reserved for least developed countries (LDCs) based on their being graduated from the UN list of LDCs, to provide a smooth and sustainable transition period for withdrawal of such preferences after the entry into force of a decision of the UN General Assembly to graduate a country from the LDC category."

Tags:

Trade

Graduation

DFQF (duty-free quota free)

Preferences

Market access

Publication Date:

Monday, 23 October 2023

WTO

Document Topic/Theme:

Trade

Document Type:

Official UN report, resolution, declaration

Archived:

Symbol year:

2023

LDCs and the multilateral trading system: looking forward - A collection of essays, Volume 1 (WTO, EIF)

MTAVARES1 — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Document Type:

Link to an External Document

Author:

Bernard Hoekman, Petros C. Mavroidis, Marcelo Olarreaga, Robert Wolfe

Document Summary:

This collection of essays on LDCs and the multilateral trading system covers a range of topics, from trade and development to transparency and monitoring. It also explores possible areas of engagement of LDCs in emerging trade discussions.

Tags:

Trade

Multilateralism

WTO

Publication Date:

Friday, 23 June 2023

WTO/EIF

Document Topic/Theme:

Trade

Document Type:

UN and WTO reports and publications

Archived:

Symbol year:

2023

E-Commerce and the Digital Economy in LDCs: At Breaking Point in COVID-19 Times (UNCTAD)

MTAVARES1 — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Document Type:

Link to an External Document

Author:

UNCTAD

Document Summary:

This note looks at key challenges facing LDCs on their digital development path and draws from our research and technical assistance especially in the area of eTrade Readiness Assessments. It provides testimonies from the public and private sectors of smart and innovative initiatives by stakeholders in various LDCs.

Tags:

e-commerce

Digital

UNCTAD

Digital trade

Publication Date:

Friday, 17 March 2023

UNCTAD

Document Topic/Theme:

Trade

Productive capacity, structural transformation, technology, innovation

Document Type:

UN and WTO reports and publications

Archived:

Symbol year:

2023

What the United Kingdom’s new Developing Countries Trading Scheme means for least developed countries (LDCs), including countries in the graduation process - Mohammad Razzaque, CDP Background Paper No. 55

MTAVARES1 — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Document Type:

Link to an External Document

Author:

Mohammad Razzaque

Document Summary:

The United Kingdom has adopted a new Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) which comprises three different regimes – one for least developed countries (LDCs), one for non-LDC economically vulnerable low-income and lower-middle-income countries, and one for other low-income and lower-middle-income countries. Compared to the previous scheme, which largely mirrored the European Union’s, the DCTS makes it easier for an LDC to accede to the intermediary “Enhanced Preferences” scheme when it graduates. For most countries, graduation from the LDC category will have little impact on trade with the United Kingdom, and less impact than it might have had under the previous regime. Impacts will be greater for countries whose main exports are not covered by Enhanced Preferences, such as certain agricultural products, or whose exporters are unable to comply with the more stringent rules of origin than those applied to LDCs.

Tags:

United Kingdom

Graduation

Trade

DFQF (duty-free quota free)

Publication Date:

Thursday, 16 March 2023

CDP Secretariat

Document Topic/Theme:

Trade

LDC graduation and smooth transition

Document Type:

Articles, policy briefs, working papers, op-eds, project reports, blogs

Archived:

Symbol year:

2023