Over the last 30 years, in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), preferential trade agreements (PTAs) were the instrument of choice for moving toward more integrated markets. Although PTAs were successful in helping countries to move beyond the limitations of earlier, more inward-looking integration initiatives, their proliferation led to a regulatory architecture that has not … [Read more...] about Latin American integration: an insurance policy against uncertainty on global market access
About Paolo Giordano
Growth Slowdown: The impact of external risks
As is described in detail in the half-yearly update to Trade Trend Estimates — Latin America and the Caribbean, the region’s exports grew at a year-on-year rate of 10.6 percent in the first quarter of 2018. This represents a downturn in comparison with the average growth of 11.9 percent of 2017, which marked the end of four continuous years of contraction. Growth in Latin … [Read more...] about Growth Slowdown: The impact of external risks
How Competitive Are Latin American Exports?
Policies to springboard the competitiveness of Latin America’s economies were a core topic during talks at the World Economic Forum for Latin America, which recently came to a close in Brazil. At the meeting, political and business leaders agreed that the recent shift in the global trade cycle, which has begun to expand again after years of contraction and stagnation, … [Read more...] about How Competitive Are Latin American Exports?
How Sustainable is the Latin American Trade Recovery?
As is described in detail in Trade Trend Estimates: Latin America and the Caribbean (2018), Latin American exports grew by around 13% in 2017, a sharp acceleration in comparison with the 3.3% drop of the previous year. This rate of growth outstripped that of global exports and marks the end of a period of almost four consecutive years of contraction. Total LAC exports in 2017 … [Read more...] about How Sustainable is the Latin American Trade Recovery?
The Challenge of Market Competition in the Digital Era
Following 25 months of uninterrupted contraction, exports of goods from Latin American and the Caribbean are growing again. After shrinking by 3.3% in 2016, cumulative growth between January and June 2017 was 13.2%. Similarly, exports of services, which had already picked up in 2016, grew by 9.7% in the first quarter according to the Trade and Integration Monitor 2017, a recent … [Read more...] about The Challenge of Market Competition in the Digital Era