Organic agriculture is a rapidly expanding market that can provide countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) with opportunities to differentiate their products and diversify their foreign sales away from commodities. To understand this potential, we examine the effects of organic certification on firms’ foreign sales. In so doing, we focus on two Latin American … [Read more...] about Why Agricultural Exporters Should Consider Organic Certifications
Trade Promotion
Can online platforms encourage women-owned firms in international trade? In the case of ConnectAmericas, yes
Can online platforms expand female-owned firms’ trade opportunities? Based on research using data from a business site in Latin America and the Caribbean, the answer is yes. This finding is important for the promotion of gender equality, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and for the policymakers, practitioners, and researchers who are increasingly interested … [Read more...] about Can online platforms encourage women-owned firms in international trade? In the case of ConnectAmericas, yes
What is the Carbon Footprint of Latin American and Caribbean Exports?
Did you know that Latin America and the Caribbean’s export-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions grew considerably in the last 25 to 30 years? And that both the production and transportation of goods contributed to such growth? This is what we found in the study Footprint of Export-Related GHG Emissions from Latin America and the Caribbean, an initial step in the … [Read more...] about What is the Carbon Footprint of Latin American and Caribbean Exports?
Why Are Shipping Costs Increasing? What US Import Data Tell Us
The cost of shipping goods has risen rapidly during the past 18 months. The average freight rate of US imports, based on cargo value, has gained a full percentage point relative to pre-pandemic levels (see Figure 1).[1] The average freight cost of a global 40-foot container has increased more than five times since the pandemic started, with routes such as Shanghai-to-Los … [Read more...] about Why Are Shipping Costs Increasing? What US Import Data Tell Us
Why Latin America should export its way out of the crisis
In mid-2020, at the height of the first wave of COVID-19 infections, the IDB argued that the pandemic had particularly devastating economic effects on Latin America and the Caribbean because it had slammed the brakes on three flows that are fundamental to development: finances, people, and goods. This is what economists call a triple … [Read more...] about Why Latin America should export its way out of the crisis