Blockchain can be used in small ways to have big impacts. Our work with four customs agencies is an example. First, some background on this technology before getting into the details. Blockchain can help us trust the information we are given. Knowing that the data is true and hasn’t been tampered with is a big deal in everything from food labels to financial … [Read more...] about How blockchain can make trade safer
Trade Facilitation
Promoting E-Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean
E-commerce is an opportunity to make the global trading system more inclusive. It allows micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to access new markets and consumers, break through geographic barriers, and cut down on intermediaries and transaction costs. An increase in e-commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean would improve the region’s competitiveness by … [Read more...] about Promoting E-Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean
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?
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 though 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 though robust cold chain logistics