These days, the amount of data available about anything, anywhere, is growing much faster than our ability to process and really understand it. This is true in many fields, but especially in matters of international trade. Statistics on trade flows are available in over 5,000 product categories for all countries, and even more detail for many. Tariff rates, non-tariff barriers … [Read more...] about How can we understand the complexity of trade data?
Trade & Investment Agreements
A New Trade Agenda: How Latin America Can Engage Beyond Traditional Free Trade Agreements
When people talk about integration in Latin America, the discussion is abuzz with talk of the Pacific Alliance (PA), an integration initiative among Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico that has become a model of a modern approach to regional integration. Not only has the PA removed traditional trade barriers — the group eliminated tariffs on 92 percent of traded goods and … [Read more...] about A New Trade Agenda: How Latin America Can Engage Beyond Traditional Free Trade Agreements
Why Are We Celebrating the Entry into Force of the Additional Trade Protocol to the Pacific Alliance?
Ever since the presidents of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru signed the Framework Agreement for the Pacific Alliance in June 2012 at the Paranal Observatory in Chile, the four countries have been hard at work to create an area of deep integration in Latin America that will increase trade openness, boost competitiveness, and foster growth. May 1, 2016, marked the coming … [Read more...] about Why Are We Celebrating the Entry into Force of the Additional Trade Protocol to the Pacific Alliance?
Why is export diversification so urgent?
Recent estimates have revealed that in 2015, exports from Latin America and the Caribbean decreased at an annualized rate of 14%, the greatest contraction recorded since the trade collapse of 2009. This trend is affecting not only the region but the global economy as a whole. As a result, economists have begun to wonder if global trade has reached a peak that points to a change … [Read more...] about Why is export diversification so urgent?
Infrastructure, Trade, and Integration: the Case of the Pacific Alliance
A study published in 2013 by the IDB showed that high internal transport costs are a conditioning factor for exports in Latin America. They also encourage the concentration of economic activity and limit regional integration. These high internal transport costs are caused by limited investments in transportation infrastructure, the region’s challenging geography, and the type … [Read more...] about Infrastructure, Trade, and Integration: the Case of the Pacific Alliance