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
International trade
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
The Spaghetti Bowl and International Supply Chains
Latin America regional integration can be characterized by the co-existence of multiple trade agreements: there are 33 of these in total, their membership is limited in scope, and they generally act as separate silos which lack important interconnections between them. Common sense indicates that while this “spaghetti bowl” of agreements might encourage production linkages … [Read more...] about The Spaghetti Bowl and International Supply Chains
Waste not, want not: Strengthening LAC agrifood exports through robust cold chain logistics
The global food industry loses a staggering amount annually: US$750 billion. In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), roughly 55 percent of post-harvest fruit and vegetables are lost, mostly due to problems arising during storage, packaging, and distribution. At the same time, high logistics costs hurt trade in food and agriculture, increasing final prices by 30 percent to 100 … [Read more...] about Waste not, want not: Strengthening LAC agrifood exports through robust cold chain logistics
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?