Cross-border e-commerce initially contracted in Uruguay because of the pandemic but started to show a pronounced recovery in mid-2020. Data on all credit and debit card purchases made abroad in the framework of the country’s franchise regime revealed that it decreased significantly between January and May 2020.[1] The aggregate annualized value of these purchases from Uruguay … [Read more...] about A Year and a Half into the Pandemic: How Did Cross-Border E-Commerce Evolve?
Trade Facilitation
Promoting international telemedicine in Latin America
Francesc Saigí,[i] Imma Alberch,[ii] and Juan Blyde[iii] Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of new telemedicine services to improve people’s health. Likewise, social distancing measures, the lack of experts, and the large extensions of countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) drove the adoption of international … [Read more...] about Promoting international telemedicine in Latin America
Blockchain technology: a new opportunity for international trade
The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have an incredible opportunity within their reach. By leveraging blockchain technology, they could increase trade within the region and with the rest of the world and help shore up the economic recovery. To help more countries and users understand blockchain better, the IDB’s Integration and Trade Sector and its … [Read more...] about Blockchain technology: a new opportunity for international trade
The Role of Small and Medium-Size Firms in Countries’ Export Growth
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can substantially contribute to a country’s long-term export growth and diversification. And trade promotion organizations can play an important role in the process. We have found this after analyzing the export performance of developing countries by using transaction-level data of all Peruvian exports between … [Read more...] about The Role of Small and Medium-Size Firms in Countries’ Export Growth
Tracing products back to their origin: facilitating regional trade through blockchain
The COVID-19 crisis is challenging governments to step up their efforts to digitize public management. International trade is no exception. This is an opportunity to make a qualitative leap towards the modernization of foreign trade procedures through technologies such as blockchain. The need for … [Read more...] about Tracing products back to their origin: facilitating regional trade through blockchain