In recent decades, productivity levels have been low in the Andean economies (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia). One explanation for this is the limited development of the region’s export sector. International trade accounts for just over 20% of the region’s GDP, far less than Asia, Europe, the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and even … [Read more...] about Exports, the Productivity Engine the Andean Region Needs
Regional Integration
Cybersecurity: How to protect trade platforms
Every time we use our phones, tablets, or computers, we leave a "fingerprint" whose information can be manipulated by cybercriminals. We’re all at risk from cyberattacks, just like the rest of the two-thirds of the world's population that use mobile devices. Hackers are all around us. Ecuador reported 40 million online attacks following the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian … [Read more...] about Cybersecurity: How to protect trade platforms
Industry 4.0—Manufacturing the Future
Throughout the history of humanity, technological advances have driven different radical transformations in the material and social conditions of production. We are currently witnessing a new phase in the transformation of the global economy, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which centers on the digitization of the manufacturing sector and is driven by surprising increases in … [Read more...] about Industry 4.0—Manufacturing the Future
Short-sea shipping: A solution to Caribbean logistics challenges?
Caribbean islands face significant competitive disadvantages in trade because of a variety of factors — including the size and nature of their economies and their geographic location, which necessitates a reliance on maritime and air transport for most of their import and export needs, with 90 percent of goods being transported by sea. At the same time, maritime transport and … [Read more...] about Short-sea shipping: A solution to Caribbean logistics challenges?
Latin American integration: an insurance policy against uncertainty on global market access
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