Connecting

Connecting to global markets - Challenges and opportunities: case studies presented by WTO chair-holders
Connecting
to global markets to global markets
Challenges and opportunities: Challenges and opportunities:
case studies presented by WTO chair-holders case studies presented by WTO chair-holders

In recent decades, trade flows have become

increasingly global, with developing countries and
emerging economies playing an ever-expanding role.

However, these countries face a number of constraints

in connecting to global markets. To obtain a better
understanding of these constraints, the WTO invited
the members of its academic network in developing
countries – the WTO Chairs Programme – to identify
major challenges in their respective countries and
suggest ways to overcome them. In response, the WTO
chair-holders contributed a set of papers to the WTO’s
Annual Conference of the Chairs Programme and to
the Global Review of Aid for Trade in July 2013.

This volume brings together these contributions from

the 14 WTO chair-holders. It is divided into four sections,
focusing on export diversification, the role of non-tariff
measures, the rule of law in connecting to global markets,
and the role of the Aid for Trade initiative in building
trade capacity and overcoming supply side constraints.
The contributions provide some powerful arguments in
support of using trade policy instruments as an engine
for growth and provide valuable insights into how
developing countries can increasingly integrate into
the multilateral trading system.

Edited by
Marion Jansen
Mustapha Sadni Jallab
WTO ISBN 978-92-870-3931-6 Maarten Smeets
Connecting
to global markets
Challenges and opportunities: case studies
presented by WTO chair-holders

Edited by
Marion Jansen
Mustapha Sadni Jallab
Maarten Smeets
 Disclaimer
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in this publication and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of
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country, area or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its
frontiers.

© World Trade Organization 2014

Reproduction of the material contained in this publication may be made only with the written
permission of the WTO Publications Manager.

ISBN 978-92-870-3931-6

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Contents

Foreword by the WTO Director-General vii

Note on the WTO Chairs Programme ix
Note on contributors xi
Acknowledgements xv

Introduction 1
Marion Jansen, Mustapha Sadni Jallab and Maarten Smeets

Section I
Export diversification, SMEs and new market opportunities 9

1 Export diversification and economic growth:

the case of Mauritius 11
Raja Vinesh Sannassee, Boopendra Seetanah and Matthew John Lamport

2. Value chain governance in export commodities:

the case of Indonesia 25
Riza Noer Arfani and Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti

3. Integrating small and medium-sized enterprises

into global trade flows: the case of China 41
Lei Zhang and Wei Xia

Section II
The role of SPS and other non-tariff measures in connecting
to global markets 55

4. Barriers to trade: the case of Kenya 57

Tabitha Kiriti Nganga

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iv Connecting to global markets

5. SPS standards and international competitiveness in Africa:

the case of Senegal 73
Ahmadou Aly Mbaye and Adama Gueye

6. Can developing countries use SPS standards to gain access

to markets? The case of Mercosur 87
Valentina Delich and Miguel Lengyel

Section III
The rule of law and connecting to global markets 101

7. Integrating into the multilateral trading system

and global value chains: the case of Russia 103
Sergei F. Sutyrin, Alexandra G. Koval and Olga Y. Trofimenko

8. The role of international economic law in addressing

climate change 117
Bradly J. Condon and Tapen Sinha

9. The facilitation of trade by the rule of law:

the cases of Singapore and ASEAN 129
Michael Ewing-Chow, Junianto James Losari and Melania Vilarasau Slade

Section IV
Aid for Trade as a catalyst to build trade capacity 147

10. Aid for Trade and international cooperation

for middle-income countries: the case of Chile 149
Dorotea G. Lopez and Felipe N. Muñoz

11. Aid for Trade and export diversification:

the case of Barbados 159
Keith Nurse and Ginelle Greene

12. Aid for Trade and building trade capacity:

the case of Morocco 177
Azzedine Ghoufrane and Nabil Boubrahimi
Contents v

13. Integrating small African economies into global value

chains through foreign aid: the case of Namibia 189
John Baloro

14. The potential economic impact of Aid for Trade

in the MENA region: the case of Jordan 201
Taleb Awad Warrad
Foreword by the WTO Director-General

It is a central premise of the World Trade Organization (WTO) that trade drives
growth and development. By liberalizing trade, countries benefit not only from
increased access to technology and consumer goods but also from the chance to
find new markets and connect to global value chains. This can quickly translate into
GDP growth and a rise in the standard of living. But why do some countries seem to
benefit more – and more quickly – than others? That is the question that this book
tries to answer.

Within these pages you will find valuable insights into the challenges that countries
face in their attempts to connect to global markets, and the solutions that they
employ to overcome them. The contributions have been authored by academics
affiliated with the WTO Chairs Programme (WCP). This programme was launched in
2010 to enhance knowledge and understanding of the trading system among
academics and policy-makers in developing countries by stimulating teaching,
research and public debate on international trade and trade policies.

In 2013, the Fourth Global Review of Aid for Trade (AFT) and the WCP Annual
Conference were held in Geneva. As part of these events, the 14 WTO Chairs were
invited to make contributions on the challenges of connecting to global value chains,
including overcoming supply-side constraints. Those contributions are now brought
together in this volume, providing a comprehensive picture of the policy debates in
WTO member countries on the challenges they face in connecting to global markets
and the different experiences that they have had in meeting those challenges. You
will find a variety of innovative private sector approaches and policy responses
detailed here, presented from both a national and a regional perspective.

A range of interesting issues is explored. For example, it is clear that most countries
design their trade policy with the aim of increasing and diversifying trade. But it is
equally clear that non-tariff barriers to trade, including sanitary and phytosanitary
(SPS) measures, continue to represent a major hurdle for developing-country
exporters. Several contributions highlight the opportunities that the multilateral trade
rules provide in supporting countries to become more active players in the most

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viii Connecting to global markets

dynamic segments of global markets. Other questions addressed include how small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can become active exporters in research and
development (R&D)-intensive industries and how multilateral trade rules can
contribute to strengthening the domestic business environment.

One point underscored by this volume is that, while the multilateral trading system
provides rules and mechanisms to help countries overcome supply-side constraints,
the AFT framework provides additional support to achieve those objectives. There is
some useful evaluation here of how AFT achieves its objectives, as well as thoughts
on how developing countries could potentially contribute more actively in the design
and implementation of the AFT initiative as a means of better connecting to global
markets.

I believe this volume furthers our understanding of some of the major challenges
that developing countries face in becoming part of global value chains and
overcoming supply-side constraints. In addition, it reaffirms my sense that the WCP
provides a mechanism not only to conduct research and analysis but also to
strengthen the relationship between academics and policy-makers. And, in the end,
that means we all make better decisions.

Roberto Azevêdo
Director-General
Note on the WTO Chairs Programme

The WTO Chairs Programme (WCP) was launched in 2010 as a capacity-building

project. It aims to enhance knowledge and understanding of the trading system
among academics and policy makers in developing countries through curriculum
development, research and outreach activities by universities and research
institutions. Information on the WCP is available at [Link]/wcp.

In the first phase of the WTO Chairs Programme (2010-2013), 14 academic

institutions were awarded a WTO Chair. Each of them contributed a chapter to this
volume.

In the second phase of the Programme (2014-2017), the WTO will extend the
network by an additional seven chairs. The programme will provide financial support
of up to CHF 50,000 per annum per institution for a period of up to four years
to each newly-selected chair. A call for tenders was launched in October 2013.
The chairs will be selected in early 2014.

The current chair-holders are:

• 
Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
• University of the West Indies
Bridgetown, Barbados
• University of Chile
Santiago, Chile
• Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade (SIFT)
Shanghai, China
• Universitas Gadjah Mada
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
• University of Jordan
Amman, Jordan

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x Connecting to global markets

• University of Nairobi
Nairobi, Kenya
• University of Mauritius
Reduit, Mauritius
• Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de México (ITAM)
Mexico City, Mexico
• Mohammed V University-Souissi
Rabat, Morocco
• University of Namibia (UNAM)
Windhoek, Namibia
• St Petersburg State University (SPSU)
St Petersburg, Russia
• Cheikh Anta Diop University
Dakar, Senegal
• National University of Singapore (NUS)
Singapore
Note on contributors

Editors

Marion Jansen
Counsellor, Economic Research and Statistics Division, World Trade Organization,
Geneva, Switzerland.

Mustapha Sadni Jallab

Head of WTO Reference Centre Programme, Academic Support and Reference
Centre Unit, Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation, World Trade Organization,
Geneva, Switzerland.

Maarten Smeets
Head of Section, Technical Assistance Coordination, Partnerships and Internship
Programmes Section, Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation, World Trade
Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.

Contributing authors

Riza Noer Arfani

Director, Center for World Trade Studies, Department of International Relations,
Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia.

John Baloro
Head of Commercial Law Department, University of Namibia, Namibia.

Nabil Boubrahimi
Professor of Economics, University Ibn Tofail, Kenitra, Morocco.

Bradly J. Condon
Director Centre for International Economic Law/Centro de Derecho Económico
Internacional, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México.

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xii Connecting to global markets

Valentina Delich
Director, Law and Public Goods Programme, Latin American Faculty of Social
Sciences (FLACSO), Argentina.

Michael Ewing-Chow
Associate Professor, Head, Trade/Investment Law and Policy, Centre for International
Law, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore.

Azzedine Ghoufrane
Professor of International Economic Law, Mohammed V University-Souissi, Rabat,
Morocco.

Ginelle Greene
Private Sector Officer and Junior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, GIZ (Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) Caribbean Office, Barbados.

Adama Gueye
Lecturer, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar Fann, Senegal.

Alexandra G. Koval
Senior Lecturer, Department of World Economy, Faculty of Economics, St. Petersburg
State University, Russian Federation.

Matthew John Lamport

Professor, Department of Finance and Accounting, University of Mauritius, Reduit,
Mauritius.

Miguel Lengyel
Academic Director of CIECTI (Centro Interdisciplinario de Estudios en Ciencia,
Tecnología e Innovación) at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive
Innovation, Argentina.

Dorotea López Giral

Director, Centre of Trade Policy Studies, Institute of International Studies, University
of Chile.

Junianto James Losari

Research Associate, Centre for International Law, Faculty of Law, National University
of Singapore.
Notes on contributors xiii

Ahmadou Aly Mbaye

Dean, School of Economics and Management, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar
Fann, Senegal.

Felipe Muñoz Navia

Lecturer, University of Chile.

Tabitha Kiriti Nganga

Associate Professor, School of Economics, University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Keith Nurse
Director, Shridath Ramphal Centre, International Trade Law, Policy and Services
The University of the West Indies, Barbados.

Raja Vinesh Sannassee

Associate Professor, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius.

Boopendra Seetanah
Head of Department, Department of Finance and Accounting, University of Mauritius,
Reduit, Mauritius.

Tapen Sinha
ING Commercial America Chair, Professor of Risk Management and Insurance,
Centro de Derecho Económico Internacional, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de
México.

Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti

Vice Director for Research, Center for World Trade Studies, Chair, Graduate
Program in International Relations, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia.

Sergei F. Sutyrin
Head of Department, World Economy, Faculty of Economics, St. Petersburg State
University, Russian Federation.

Olga Y. Trofimenko
Senior Lecturer, Department of World Economy Faculty of Economics, St. Petersburg
State University, Russian Federation.

Melania Vilarasau Slade

Senior Research Fellow, Centre for International Law, Faculty of Law, National
University of Singapore.
xiv Connecting to global markets

Taleb Awad Warred

Professor of Economics and Director, Economic Observatory; Professor, International
Economics, Faculty of Business, University of Jordan.

Wei Xia
Associate Professor, School of WTO Research and Education, Shanghai University
of International Business and Economics, China.

Lei Zhang
Professor, School of WTO Research and Education (SWTORE), Shanghai Institute
of Foreign Trade, China.
Acknowledgements

This volume has been produced under the WTO Chairs Programme (WCP), a WTO
capacity-building programme launched upon the initiative of Hakim Ben Hammouda
and Patrick Low in 2010. The WCP is jointly managed by the WTO’s Institute for
Training and Technical Cooperation and Economic Research and Statistics Division
under the direction of Bridget Chilala and Robert Teh, respectively. The editors thank
Fatima Chaudhri and Gerardo Thielen for their contribution to the initial stages of
this book project and Clémence Gros for editorial assistance. Anthony Martin and
Helen Swain are thanked for managing the production process of the volume.

The editors also thank participants in the WCP-organized event in the Fourth Global
Review of Aid for Trade, held at the WTO on 8-10 July 2013, and in the WCP Annual
Conference 2013, held at the WTO on 11-12 July, for comments on early drafts of
the contributions to this volume. Particular thanks go to Zaher Al-Qatarneh, Marc
Auboin, Jorge Castro, Henry Gao, Omar Hilale, Faustin Luanga, Vlasta Macku, Mario
Matus Baeza, Richard Newfarmer, Nathalie Olijslager, Nassim Oulmane, Roberta
Piermartini, Ravindra Ratnayake, Giorgio Sacerdoti, Mustapha Sadni Jallab,
Alexander Sarris, Pierre Sauvé, Fodé Seck, Karsten Steinfatt, Robert Teh, Diana
Tussie and Marion Vernese Williams for their comments on individual chapters.

xv
 Introduction
Marion Jansen, Mustapha Sadni Jallab
and Maarten Smeets

Over the past decades, trade flows have become increasingly global. Today, South-
South trade represents around one-half of global trade and the top ranks of major
traders are not exclusively occupied by industrialized countries (OECD, 2010). Trade
now spans all major world regions and continues to grow within and across those
regions. Trade also takes new forms as trade in goods is increasingly accompanied
by trade in tasks. Capital flows more freely across regions and trade and capital
flows together have contributed to an increased transfer of technological change
across regions. There is a strong sense that companies and countries well integrated
in these global networks are part of a virtuous circle involving technological progress
and growth. Not being connected, however, can represent a very serious bottleneck
for future growth and economic development.

Policy-makers at the national and global levels are aware of the need to ensure that
every country can connect to global markets. Notably, several initiatives have arisen
at the global level to assist those countries which face difficulties achieving that
objective successfully. These initiatives have, for instance, led to increased and more
coordinated efforts to direct technical assistance to developing countries facing
supply-side constraints, notably in the context of the Aid for Trade (AFT) initiative
and the Enhanced Integrated Framework.

However, in this rapidly changing world, it is not just trade flows that change.
Developing countries evolve and so do the challenges they face, including the
private sector and policy responses that can be provided. To get a better
understanding of the supply-side constraints its members face, the WTO invited the
members of its academic network in developing countries – the WTO Chairs
Programme (WCP) – to identify major challenges in their respective countries and,
possibly, ways to overcome them. The WTO Chairs responded to this invitation by
submitting a set of papers, most of which were presented to and discussed with
policy-makers in Geneva during the Fourth Global Review of AFT and the WCP
Annual Conference in July 2013. This volume combines the contributions from the
14 WTO Chairs and organizes them in four sections. The messages arising from the
contributions are interesting because of the common lines that emerge from them,
but also because of the diversity that characterizes them.

1
2 Connecting to global markets

The first section of this volume focuses on major challenges developing countries
face to achieve a sustainable growth path in the context of open markets. The main
themes that emerge from the three contributions to this section are related to
diversification and the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in global
value chains. Both themes have frequently been highlighted in the literature on trade
and development (e.g. Acemoglu and Zilibotti, 1997; Ben Hammouda et al., 2010). It
is a well-known fact that countries that manage to grow also manage to diversify
exports (Cadot, Carrère and Strauss-Kahn, 2011). Recent years have witnessed an
increased interest in the question of how to achieve this virtuous circle of growth and
diversification (e.g. Newfarmer, Shaw and Walkenhorst [Eds.], 2009), yet many open
questions remain. The contribution by Sannassee, Seetanah and Lamport presented
in this volume (Chapter 1) confirms that the positive relationship between export
diversification and GDP also holds for Mauritius, as the country has experienced a
positive evolution along both variables in recent decades. Their study, however, also
highlights some of the challenges developing countries face as they take this path.
Notably, they have to find ways to consolidate their position in traditional exports
while moving into new export lines. The former often implies that the country needs
to find ways to move into higher-value-added segments within traditional export
lines. The latter implies identifying new areas of competitiveness and avoiding
“overdoing it” by creating export concentration in the new activities.

The chapter by Arfani and Sulistyaning Winanti (Chapter 2) on Indonesia

complements the analysis on Mauritius by examining in detail the different options
Indonesia faces in order to move up the value chain within traditional areas of
exports. The focus of the study is on the country’s mining, oil and gas, and plantation
industries. The authors analyse a set of factors that restrain the industries from
diversifying or creating higher value added, including infrastructure and logistical
constraints, lack of availability or quality of production factors, and institutional or
policy constraints.

SMEs represent a dynamic, yet also vulnerable, segment of most economies (OECD,
2000; UNCTAD, 2010). They face particular challenges when it comes to
international trade, as emphasized in the so-called new–new trade literature that
builds on the seminal contribution by Melitz (2003). Zhang and Xia (Chapter 3)
examine constraints Chinese SMEs face in expanding their activities in global
markets, and the study focuses on a particular market segment: research and
development (R&D)-intensive activities. The authors make the argument that China
has the potential to strengthen its export capacity in R&D-intensive sectors and that
stronger protection of the intellectual property (IP) of Chinese SMEs, combined with
assistance to SMEs to more effectively employ their IP, could help Chinese
entrepreneurs to exploit this potential.
Introduction 3

Section II of this volume focuses on the role of non-tariff measures for export
performance and policy-making in developing countries. One of the messages
arising from this section is that non-tariff measures can represent major barriers to
trade for developing countries. This does not come as a surprise and is in line with
existing evidence and literature on non-tariff measures (e.g. WTO, 2012). The case
study by Kiriti Nganga (Chapter 4) on Kenya emphasizes that domestic factors can
represent formidable barriers to domestic imports and exports. Based on a survey of
private and public sector actors, this chapter finds that transaction costs in the form
of procedural obstacles are significant in Kenya. They take the form, for instance, of
delays in the clearance of goods documentation or waiting times in ports and at
weighbridges. Findings reported in this chapter thus provide support for the
emphasis put on trade facilitation in recent policy debates at the national and
international levels.

For many developing countries, revenue from agricultural exports is a major source
of income. In Latin America, excluding Mexico, the share of agricultural export
revenue in total merchandise export revenue reaches 30 per cent (Cheong and
Jansen, 2013). In some sub-Saharan African countries and several other low-
income countries, agricultural products account for almost half of merchandise
export revenue. This may explain why two of the three chapters in Section II focus on
sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures. The contribution by Mbaye and Gueye
(Chapter 5) examines the role of SPS standards for exports of mangos, green beans
and tomatoes by Senegal. The authors find that SPS standards act as non-tariff
barriers but that they allow producers who manage to meet those standards to
capture significant price mark-ups. This can be explained by the fact that higher
standards reflect higher product quality. In markets where quality competition
matters, products of higher quality attain higher prices. The findings in the chapter
on Senegal, therefore, suggest that investments in meeting SPS measures do not
only represent a cost for producers but also have the potential to lead to higher
revenues for some firms. The authors suggest that importing and exporting countries
should work together to guarantee consumer health and protection while, at the
same time, avoiding restrictions to trade.

The chapter by Delich and Lengyel (Chapter 6) makes a similar argument on the
basis of three case studies: Argentina’s exports of apples, lemons and rice. The
authors describe in detail the success stories of lemon and rice exports and compare
these with the relative struggle of apple producers to remain competitive in global
markets. Export success appears to be partly based on producers’ ability to move
into higher quality and thus higher price segments. The authors also argue that
producer associations and government policies can facilitate such a process. In line
with this, they argue in favour of a more proactive approach by policy-makers
towards SPS policies, notably at the regional level, that is, within Mercosur.
4 Connecting to global markets

The three chapters in Section III look at the relationship between international
economic law on the one hand, and export performance and national policy-making
on the other. The chapter by Sutyrin, Koval and Trofimenko on Russia (Chapter 7)
focuses on the adjustment challenges the private sector and policy-makers face in a
country that only recently acceded to the WTO, and that is characterized by a
relatively high level of export concentration due to the high importance of minerals in
its export basket.

In Chapter 8, Condon and Sinha focus on how international economic law may
restrict developing countries’ ability to overcome the supply-side constraints they
face when trying to address climate change. In this context, the authors discuss rules
set out in international investment, IP and trade agreements. The fact that these
three different vehicles of international economic law are discussed jointly is
interesting in itself, and probably reflects the increased interconnection between
trade, foreign direct investment (FDI) and technological change in a world dominated
by global supply chains.

Furthermore, Ewing-Chow, Losari and Vilarasau Slade (Chapter 9) explicitly

emphasize the role of international rules governing FDI, in their study on the ASEAN
region. They make the argument that international commitments in the area of trade
and investment can contribute to strengthening the domestic rule of law and,
through this vehicle, to stimulating international trade. Their chapter thus supports
existing empirical evidence with regard to a positive link between the rule of law and
international trade (e.g. de Groot et al., 2004; Yang, 2013). The authors emphasize
that the role of the rule of law has, if anything, become more important, due to the
increased role of global value chains in trade.

The volume concludes with a section that focuses on another multilateral vehicle
that can assist developing countries in overcoming supply-side constraints and that
has, in fact, been explicitly created for this purpose: the AFT initiative. Section IV
starts with a chapter by Lopez and Muñoz (Chapter 10) that provides a short
overview of the evolution of the AFT framework and argues that upper-middle-
income countries such as Chile find it hard to position themselves within this
framework. On the one hand, such countries are not wealthy enough to be important
donors within the framework. On the other hand, they are too wealthy to be important
beneficiaries of aid. Lopez and Muñoz propose that upper-middle-income countries
can play the very useful role of intermediary between donor and beneficiary. In
particular, they argue that these countries’ own development experience positions
them well to assist low-income countries in the identification of needs for aid, and in
the design and implementation of AFT projects.
Introduction 5

The chapter by Nurse and Greene (Chapter 11) examines AFT flows to the
Caribbean region. The authors discuss both statistical information on such flows,
and processes and stakeholders involved in the disbursement of funds and
implementation of AFT projects. Their analysis of the relationship between AFT and
trade performance in the region indicates that this relationship is likely to be positive,
but that it is difficult to draw strong conclusions, notably regarding causality. They
call for a stronger and more targeted monitoring and evaluation system to facilitate
future assessments of the effectiveness of AFT.

Morocco is one of the main recipients of AFT, and Ghoufrane and Boubrahimi’s
assessment of the effectiveness of AFT in this country (Chapter 12) comes to a
rather positive conclusion. Yet, in the case study of Morocco, the authors also
express some caution when it comes to interpreting their findings and hint at the
methodological difficulties in assessing the impact of AFT, notably due to the lack of
a commonly accepted definition of AFT and the ensuing difficulties in achieving a
coherent way of quantifying it. On the policy side, the authors also refer to a number
of institutional aspects that may negatively affect the effectiveness of AFT in
Morocco and, possibly, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region more
generally. Notably, they mention the lack of prioritization of barriers to trade by
policy-makers, the lack of coherence between national and regional programmes,
and the low involvement of the private sector.

Baloro (Chapter 13) highlights similar challenges in his case study of Namibia. He
refers to the limited capacity of relevant ministries to plan the disbursement of aid
flows as a possible reason why AFT flows to Namibia have remained rather limited.
He emphasizes the greater need for coordination of AFT with national development
objectives and priorities. In order to increase aid flows to the country and increase
the effectiveness of AFT, he argues that it would be necessary to strengthen
coordination among relevant government ministries as well as the dialogue between
the Namibian Government and the donor community. This is very much in line with
the recommendations that have emerged from the global reviews of AFT.

The chapter by Warrad (Chapter 14) complements the previous chapter as it also
provides information on AFT flows to the MENA region, but with a focus on the link
between AFT and export diversification. 1 An econometric exercise on the relationship
between AFT and economic growth in Jordan reveals a positive and significant
relationship, although the author also argues in this case that the findings have to be
interpreted with caution due to the methodological constraints imposed by data
limitations. In line with other contributions in this volume, Warrad emphasizes the link
between trade and FDI, and the role AFT can play in stimulating FDI.
6 Connecting to global markets

The choice of themes developed by the WTO Chairs within each of the four sections
covers a large variety of trade-related concerns, which probably reflects the variety
in economic conditions across the countries covered in this volume. It is interesting
to note that, in some countries, the academic and policy thinking regarding supply-
side constraints focuses on R&D-intensive or environmentally friendly sectors. It is
also interesting to note that some countries may see themselves more as facilitators
in the provision of aid than as receivers, which may also seem to provide an indication
of their having successfully made the connection to global markets.

Another message arising from the chapters in this volume is that there appears to be
an increased awareness of the opportunities international rules provide for
developing countries to connect to global value chains and to better integrate in
global trade. Overall, the volume reveals a strong interest and will on the side of
policy-makers, private sector actors and researchers alike to think creatively and
constructively about how to take advantage of the standards and rules applied in
international trade for the benefit of their own economies. The possibilities seem to
be myriad, as reflected in the contributions to this volume.

It is hoped that policy-makers, and the readers of this book more generally, will find
some interesting and powerful arguments in support of using trade policy
instruments as an engine for inclusive growth and economic development.
Connecting to markets and overcoming supply-side constraints are critical elements
in support of countries’ efforts to integrate into the multilateral trading system, and
this volume provides valuable insights into how to achieve this objective.

Endnotes

1. Other studies on export diversification in the MENA region include Al-Marhubi (2000) and Ben
Hammouda, Oulmane and Sadni Jallab (2009).

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Acemoglu, D. and F. Zilibotti (1997), “Was Prometheus unbound by chance? Risk,

diversification and growth”, Journal of Political Economy 105(4): 709-751.

Al-Marhubi, F. (2000), “Export diversification and growth: An empirical investigation”, Applied

Economic Letters 7(9): 559-562.
Introduction 7

Ben Hammouda, H., N. Oulmane and M. Sadni Jallab (2009), “D’une diversification spontanée
à une diversification organisée: Quelles politiques pour diversifier les économies d’Afrique du
Nord?”, Revue Économique 60(1): 133-155.

Ben Hammouda, H. et al. (2010), “Growth, productivity and diversification in Africa”, Journal of
Productivity Analysis 33(2): 125-146.

Cadot, O., C. Carrère and V. Strauss-Kahn (2011), “Export diversification: What’s behind the
hump?”, Review of Economics and Statistics 93(2): 590-605.

Cheong, D. and Jansen, M. (2013), “Employment, productivity, and trade in developing-country

agriculture”, in D. Cheong, M. Jansen and R. Peters (Eds.), Shared harvests: Agriculture, trade,
and employment, Geneva, International Labour Office (ILO) and United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

De Groot, H. L. F. et al. (2004), “The institutional determinants of bilateral trade patterns”,

Kyklos 57(1): 103-123.

Melitz, M. J. (2003), “The impact of trade on intra-industry reallocations and aggregate industry
productivity”, Econometrica 71(6): 1695-1725.

Newfarmer, R., W. Shaw and P. Walkenhorst (Eds.) (2009), Breaking into new markets:
Emerging lessons for export diversification, Washington, DC, The World Bank.

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medium-sized enterprises: Local strength, global reach”, Policy Brief, June.

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global development 2010: Shifting wealth, Paris, OECD.

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developing countries’ SMEs into global value chains, New York and Geneva, United Nations.

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Economic Integration 17(1): 27-53.
I
Export diversification,
SMEs and new market
opportunities

9
1 Export diversification and economic growth:
the case of Mauritius
Raja Vinesh Sannassee, Boopendra Seetanah
and Matthew John Lamport*

1.1 Introduction

The acceleration of global trade in the latter half of the 20th century has seen
patterns of trade vastly differing from those predicted by classical trade theories
built around perfect competition, comparative advantage and constant returns to
scale (Krugman, 1980). Based on Adam Smith’s concept of division of labour and
specialization for economic growth and development, and the Heckscher-Ohlin
Samuelson (HOS) model of international trade, countries should specialize in
producing those goods in which they have a comparative advantage. Recent
literature, instead, has found that countries appear to diversify in terms of production
and exports as they grow. 1

In most of the studies carried out, reference is made to the “concentration

phenomenon”, which basically consists of commodity and market concentration and
which is believed to be the major contributor to instability in export revenue. It is
argued that countries with commodity concentration are adversely affected by
volatility in market prices through swings in foreign exchange revenues. In this
regard, it has commonly been suggested that a broadening of the export base
through a more diversified national trade portfolio can help in maintaining stability in
export receipts, thus fostering long-term economic growth. 2

In addition, it has been argued that, for poor countries to grow rich, it is important for
them to modify the composition of their exports. The debates about the Prebisch-
Singer hypothesis (1959) and the need for industrialization gave priority to
diversifying economies away from primary commodities because of unfavourable
and declining terms of trade, low value added, and slow productivity growth.

* The authors would like to thank Miss C. D. Jagessur for availing them of the data. In addition, the
authors would like to express their deepest gratitude to Marion Jansen and Mustapha Sadni Jallab
for their insightful comments and advice. The contents of this chapter are the sole responsibility of
the authors and are not meant to represent the position or opinions of the WTO or its members.

11
12 Connecting to global markets

Similarly, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2004)
maintains that, due to the absence of export diversification in developing countries,
decline and fluctuations in export earnings have negatively influenced income,
investment and employment. With diversification, investment risks are spread over a
broader portfolio of economic sectors, which eventually increases income
(Acemoglu and Zilibotti, 1997). Romer (1990) believes that diversification can be
seen as an input factor that has an effect in improving the efficiency of other factors
of production. Moreover, diversification helps countries to hedge against adverse
terms of trade shocks by stabilizing export revenues. Economic growth and structural
change depends upon the types of products that are being traded (Hausmann and
Klinger, 2006; Hwang, 2006). Thus, through export diversification, an economy can
progress towards the production and exportation of sophisticated products which
may greatly contribute towards economic development. Besides, export
diversification allows a government to achieve some of its macroeconomic
objectives, namely sustainable economic growth, a satisfactory balance of payments
situation, employment and redistribution of income.

Given the above, and in view of the focus given to export diversification in the
development plans of Mauritius, the aim of the present study is to investigate the
interplay between export diversification and economic growth for Mauritius in the
period 1980 to 2010. The remaining parts of the chapter are structured as follows:
Section II provides some stylized facts on the relationship between export
diversification and economic growth. Section III discusses the empirical literature and
presents some of the results obtained from the analysis undertaken for Mauritius.
Finally, Section IV draws conclusions and outlines possible policy implications.

1.2 Export diversification and economic development:

stylized facts

It is often argued that it is not only the level of exports that leads to growth, but what also
matters is the degree of diversification of such exports or of the export base. Proponents
of such a view have highlighted the prevalence of the diversification aspect as a major
contributor to growth. For instance, Romer (1990) has identified diversification as
a production factor whilst Acemoglu and Zilibotti (1997) claim that diversification may
increase income by expanding the possibilities of spreading investment risks over a
wider portfolio. However, more recent literature has centered attention on examining
the existence of a non-monotonic relationship between diversification and growth.

In this regard, Imbs and Wacziarg (2003), in their seminal paper, used domestic
production and labour data to investigate the relationship between domestic sectoral
concentration and per capita income patterns across various countries. Results of
Export diversification and economic growth: the case of Mauritius 13

their studies revealed the presence of a non-linear pattern between production and
employment diversification and growth. Using data on sector-level employment and
value added covering a wide cross-section of countries at various levels of sectoral
disaggregation, they found that the process of development is characterized by two
stages of diversification. In the first instance, as a result of growth, sectoral
diversification increases, but beyond a certain level of per capita income, sectoral
distribution of economic activity starts concentrating again. Thus, they argued,
sectoral concentration follows a U-shaped pattern. Interestingly, the work by Imbs
and Wacziarg (2003) raises an important question as to whether such a U-shaped
pattern would hold for export diversification as well.

Indeed, Klinger and Lederman (2004) demonstrated that this was actually the case.
Using disaggregated export data, the authors found that overall diversification
increases at low levels of development but declines as the country matures beyond a
middle-income point. In addition, Klinger and Lederman analysed the relationship
between export discoveries, as measured by new export products introduced and
the level of development. In that particular instance, they found that the number of
new export products follows an inverted U-curve in income which indicates that, as
incomes increase, economies become less concentrated and more diversified. It is
only at relatively high levels of income that further growth is associated with
increased specialization and less diversification.

Furthermore, Cadot, Carrère and Strauss-Kahn (2011a) derived and revisited a

decomposition of Theil’s concentration index that maps directly into the extensive
and intensive (new products or new markets) margins of export diversification. In
order to analyse how the two margins evolve as functions of GDP per capita, they
constructed a very large database covering 156 countries. And they also found a
hump-shaped (inverted U-shaped) relationship between economic development
and export diversification, similar to the findings of Klinger and Lederman (2004).

In the present analysis, we use some of the insights from the above to discuss the link
between export diversification and growth in the case of an island economy, namely
Mauritius. Despite being a small island with a relatively limited endowment of productive
resources, Mauritius, it could be argued, has been able to transform itself from a low-
income mono-crop economy to a middle-income country, and is now one of the most
successful countries in the African region. Due to its former colonial ties, Mauritius has
been able to greatly benefit from the EU’s Sugar Protocol since the 1970s. However,
the country’s exports were heavily concentrated in the sugar and, to a lesser extent, the
textile and garment sectors. As illustrated in Table 1, together the two sectors accounted
for approximately 86 per cent of total exports. However, what successive governments
and local investors have successfully managed to achieve over the years has been
the gradual diversification of their investment into other, higher value-added sectors.
14 Connecting to global markets

Table 1 Share of total exports, 1980-2010 (per cent)

Areas 1980 1990 1995 2000 2007 2008 2009 2010

Food and live animals - - - - 15.13 13.09 14.37 14.20
Cane sugar 68.87 29.68 24.88 8.31 7.37 5.87 5.28 5.25
Fish and fish preparations 1.33 0.92 2.58 1.44 6.29 5.63 6.97 6.94
Miscellaneous manufactured 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 24.60 19.94 21.41 20.05
goods
Articles of apparel and clothing 17.99 52.34 55.29 37.12 21.23 16.96 18.05 16.31
accessories
Jewellery, goldsmiths’ 0.00 0.94 0.98 0.97 0.78 0.78 0.97 1.41
and silversmiths' wares
Ships’ stores and bunkers 0.00 3.24 2.24 2.71 4.19 6.35 4.26 5.15
Total exports of 100.00 100.00 100.00 57.85 53.64 48.22 47.66 47.37
commodities
Transportation 0.00 0.00 0.00 8.79 9.83 9.35 9.07 7.35
Passenger 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 8.15 7.78 7.39 5.89
Freight 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.55 0.61 0.56 0.51
Travel 0.00 0.00 0.00 21.32 27.89 30.58 28.81 25.38
Business 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 9.92 10.68 10.17 8.61
Personal 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 17.97 19.90 18.65 16.77
ICT 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.74 1.31 1.89 1.92 2.00
Other services 0.00 0.00 0.00 11.30 7.33 9.96 12.54 17.90
Total exports of services 0.00 0.00 0.00 42.15 46.36 51.78 52.34 52.63
Total exports 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

Source: Central Statistical Office.

With the ever-decreasing preferential treatment being accorded to ACP (African,

Caribbean and Pacific Group of States) and developing countries, as a result of
GATT in the first instance and the WTO since 1995, a sustained reliance on the
sugar and garment sectors as the only drivers of export growth would have seriously
undermined the island’s GDP growth potential. Instead, with private investment
derived from monies obtained from the sugar prices boom in the 1980s, coupled
with the thoughtful and forward-looking government strategies (geared towards
major investment in education and infrastructure), Mauritius has been able to
successfully move from an overtly export-dependent economy to a relatively well-
diversified one, with the tourism and services sectors emerging as major contributors
to export growth. Figures for the last two decades bear testimony to such an analogy.
Nonetheless, the Government has also been striving to consolidate the existing
traditional base with measures being adopted to encourage the restructuring and
modernization of the textile and sugar sectors.
Export diversification and economic growth: the case of Mauritius 15

Finally, over the last few years, policies geared towards the promotion of new sectors
which include, amongst others, land-based oceanic activities, hospitality and
property development, healthcare and biomedical activities, and the knowledge hub,
have been promulgated. These would, without any doubt, only serve to diversify and
expand the export base. Indeed, the success of the Mauritian economy can be
largely attributed to the country’s policy of trade openness, given its small domestic
market. In this regard, the local economy has been growing almost consistently at an
average of 5 per cent since its independence, GDP per capita rising from US$ 260 3
in 1968 to US$ 6,000 in 2011.

The positive relationship between export diversification and growth in Mauritius is

depicted in Figure 1, where export diversification is reflected by the inverse of the
Herfindahl index. 4

Figure 1 shows that GDP per capita in Mauritius has been positively correlated with
export diversification. While export diversification kept on fluctuating (as shown per
the Herfindahl index), economic growth increased steadily over the entire sample
period. In short, Mauritius has seen an increase in diversification together with an
increase in real GDP per capita over the three decades or so. The fact that
diversification is still trending upwards indicates that Mauritius has not reached the
level of diversification of mature economies. 5

Figure 1 Evolution of export diversification and real GDP per capita in

Mauritius, 1980–2008

90,000 4.50

80,000 4.00

70,000 3.50
RGDP per capita

60,000 3.00
DIV Index

50,000 2.50

40,000 2.00

30,000 1.50

20,000 1.00

10,000 0.50

0 0.00
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
19 8 0
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991

DIV RGDPPC

Source: Authors’ computation.

16 Connecting to global markets

1.3 Export diversification and economic growth

One of the main advantages of export diversification which has been put forward by
economists is that it tends to increase economic growth in the host economy. There
are two essential questions that the literature on the relationship between export
diversification and economic growth has tried to answer: first, does export
diversification affect long run economic growth? And secondly, can a country boost
its economic performance by diversifying its exports?

A number of empirical studies have shown that export diversification is contributing

to higher per capita income growth. Love (1986), for example, suggested that a
country should avoid heavy dependence on limited products since it diminishes the
state’s potential to partially offset fluctuations in some export sectors with sectors in
which stability prevails. Love concluded that export diversification is a useful strategy
to reduce instability and should not be restricted only to those sectors outside
agriculture.

In addition, Gutiérrez de Piñeres and Ferrantino (2000), in their study of Latin

American countries, found that there was a positive interplay between export
diversification and economic growth. Some examples of countries that experienced
considerable diversification of their exports and a fairly strong growth performance
were Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Paraguay, the Plurinational State of Bolivia and
Uruguay. Similar results were also uncovered by Balaguer and Cantavella-Jordá
(2004) with respect to Spain, and Hammouda et al. (2006) with respect to African
countries.

Interestingly, the findings of Greenaway, Morgan and Wright (1999) showed that not
only export growth led to economic growth, but export composition also mattered.
Their study also supported the view that there were greater externalities attached to
the manufacturing sector when compared with other sectors. Such externalities may
lead to horizontal diversification and advancement in the capacity of all industries to
face foreign competition (Matthee and Naudé, 2007). Moreover, it could also be
argued that the proportion of secondary sector exports in total exports is a
satisfactory indicator of the extent to which a country is successful in building up
forward linkages and diminishes its reliance on the primary sector. In this light, Levin
and Raut (1997), for instance, concluded that there may be a positive and
considerable impact on economic growth when a country’s total exports consist of a
higher proportion of manufactured exports.
Export diversification and economic growth: the case of Mauritius 17

The relationship between a country’s productivity and its sectoral export variety was
also studied by Feenstra and Kee (2004). In a sample of 34 countries for the period
1984 to 1997, they found that a 10 per cent boost in export diversity in all industries
resulted in 1.3 per cent growth in a country’s productivity. Furthermore, Herzer and
Nowak-Lehmann (2006) analysed the hypothesis that there is a relationship
between export diversification and economic growth through externalities of
learning-by-doing and learning-by-exporting in the case of Chile, and found that
economic growth was positively influenced by both horizontal and vertical export
diversification.

However, the posited positive relationship between export diversification and growth
is not always revealed in the literature. Michaely (1977), for example, found a positive
and significant link between exports and economic growth only among the more-
developed economies. But this was not the case among least-developed countries.
He suggested that a certain minimum level of development is necessary for exports
to impact on growth in an economy.

The time series analysis by Gutiérrez de Piñeres and Ferrantino (2000) showed no
evidence supporting diversification-induced growth in Chile and Colombia, contrary
to their analysis of panel data. Export diversification was not found to be a source of
economic growth. Similarly, no support was found for this hypothesis during the
period of rapid growth in Chinese Taipei (1971–1995) in the study carried out by
Chang et al. (2000). Finally, Sharma and Panagiotidis (2005) tested the export-led
growth hypothesis in the case of India using diverse approaches and their findings
tended to reinforce the arguments against the export-led growth hypothesis.

It is obvious from the above that quantitative methods exist that allow for the
examination of a dynamic relationship between export diversification and growth.
For the purpose of this chapter, a dynamic time series framework has been applied
in the case of Mauritius and covering the period 1980 to 2010. 6 The framework
makes it possible to analyse both the short- and the long-run relationship between
diversification and growth. The use of such a framework also makes it possible to
discuss potential causality and indirect effects.

The findings from the empirical exercise reveal a positive relationship between
export diversification and economic growth for Mauritius in both the short run and
the long run. In the long run, a 1 per cent increase in diversification will lead to a 0.11
per cent increase in real GDP (see Table 2). Domestic investment, trade openness,
human capital and foreign direct investment (FDI) are also found to significantly
contribute to economic performance in the long run. 7
18 Connecting to global markets

Table 2 Long-run relationships (estimated co-integration vector)

Variable coefficient t-ratios

Real GDP 1
Concentration -0.11*** 5.58
Openness 0.39** 2.08
Secondary enrolment ratio 0.29* 1.78
FDI 0.18** 2.22
Gross domestic fixed capital formation 0.65*** 3.23

Source: Authors’ calculations.

Note: Variables have been used in logs in the regressions.

The estimation of so-called “error correction terms” allows us to analyse the speed
of the economy’s adjustment to the long-run equilibrium. We find that, in the short
run, a 1 per cent increase in export diversification leads to a 0.09 per cent increase
in GDP. This implies that the impact of export diversification on economic growth is
weaker in the short run than in the long run. The adjustment will, however, not take
long, notably because economic growth is also found to contribute to increased
diversification. In addition, openness, human capital and FDI are found to favour
export diversification. 8

1.4 Conclusions and policy recommendations

Although it is widely accepted that substantial benefits could be engendered

through export diversification, and although we have witnessed a fair degree of
liberalization in the area of export, it could be argued that certain barriers which limit
export diversification, especially in LDCs, are still present. Such deterrent factors
include low elasticity of demand, lack of finance, bureaucracy, barriers to market
entry, inadequate infrastructure and lack of skilled manpower. In addition, the World
Bank, for instance, has noted that the weakness of public institutions hampers
private sector activities, this weakness taking the form of a weakening of sound
policy-making and public management, frustration of private entrepreneurship,
prevention of competition, and increasing corruption due to heavy regulatory and
legal systems and loss-making state-owned business. Similarly, private investment
can be deterred because of poorly regulated and undercapitalized commercial
banks, and problems in telecommunications and infrastructure, and law and order
problems.

The above clearly points to the pivotal role that the state may play, through the
adoption of the right policies, in fostering the diversification of the country’s export
base. For example, as purported by the endogenous growth model, exports may be
Export diversification and economic growth: the case of Mauritius 19

diversified through learning-by-doing and learning-by-exporting and by adopting the

practices of developed countries (Gutiérrez de Piñeres and Ferrantino, 1997).
Consequently, the role of the state, in promoting the financial sector and in boosting
the level of FDI inflows through the provision of appropriate incentives, should not be
understated.

Furthermore, Hammouda et al. (2006) argued that pursuing economic and non-
economic policies that lead to exports and product diversification may, to a large
extent, help overcome the growth constraints emanating from factor accumulation.
Given this, they reasoned that African countries should aim at raising their levels of
investment, improving governance, eliminating conflicts, adopting non-conservative
fiscal policies and ensuring macroeconomic stability, in addition to the pursuance of
industrial and trade policies which foster economic diversification. The adoption of
such policies can only serve to enhance export diversification, which will in turn lead
to a greater contribution of TFP to economic growth.

In addition, the promotion of export diversification could also be achieved through

the provision of incentives which improve trade facilitation by setting policy measures
to reduce costs. This is because export diversification is rather sensitive to cost.
Such measures include lowering domestic barriers to entry, facilitating company
registration by reducing the number of procedures and applying a fixed registration
fee, and removing the need for pre-tax payments.

Finally, investment could and should be made in research and development (R&D)
activities that enhance the current status of firms, especially in terms of technology,
and which may enhance their ability to expand a country’s export base. However,
since these R&D and technological innovation activities are normally stimulated
through fiscal and financial incentives, it is crucial that such accompanying measures
are provided to those firms which are investing in new technologies and R&D
activities.

Interestingly, it could be argued that the positive link found between export
diversification and growth in Mauritius in the present study is very much the result of
sound government policies (discussed in section II) which have served to create a
conducive environment for the private sector to operate in and accordingly diversify
its export base, both across differing industries and within the same sector.

However, although it is safe to advance the proposition that Mauritius has performed
tremendously well since the 1980s, recent global events may, unfortunately, have a
negative bearing on any future growth expectations unless appropriate measures
and policies are devised and adopted. The negative repercussions of the 2008
financial crisis are already being felt. Decreasing tourism arrivals and the resulting
20 Connecting to global markets

fall in related local sector activities have already been witnessed. Unfortunately, this
is not the only challenge. The guaranteed sugar quota from the EU is due to end
soon, and it is obvious that Mauritius will not be able to compete with countries such
as Brazil. Given this, the following measures are proposed:

• There should be further consolidation of the island’s traditional sectors with

greater emphasis still being placed on the production of higher-value-added
products, which entails investment in modernizing the technology base for these
sectors.
• The current financial crisis has served to highlight the island’s overreliance on
the traditional tourism markets. For this reason, it is proposed that the
Government embark on an intensive marketing campaign to foster demand for
our tourism products from other regions, particularly from emerging economies
and the BRICs.
• Mauritius has always been at the forefront of the various regional initiatives of
which it is a member. Accordingly, it is proposed that measures geared towards
the identification of new regional export markets be undertaken. This may be
achieved through the signing of bilateral treaties and regional trade agreements
with member countries, which would undoubtedly serve to expand our trade in
goods and services. In a similar vein, the government should closely work with its
regional counterparts to streamline the administrative requirements and the
number of NTMs prevailing in the region to increase market access by and to
member countries.
• Mauritius possesses some undeniable location advantages in the form of
political stability, infrastructure comparable to that of some emerging economies
in East Asia, a streamlined tax regime and various double taxation agreements
(DTAs) with several countries. These, coupled with the ever-increasing interest
being shown by foreign investors from Europe and East Asia, offer an excellent
opportunity for the Government to market the country as a platform for
reinvestment in the region.
• Although the Mauritian offshore sector has had quite remarkable success since
its inception, it has, unfortunately, relied extensively on the DTA with India which
accords preferential treatment to offshore companies which establish operations
in Mauritius. However, there has been increasing pressure from the Indian
Government over the last couple of years for a review of such a treaty, given that
government’s supposed losses in tax revenues. To mitigate any potential
negative impact that such a change in the DTA may have, it is proposed that the
Government, together with the private sector, invest in the training of personnel
for high-value services which would serve to increase the substance of offshore
operations.
Export diversification and economic growth: the case of Mauritius 21

Endnotes

1. Please see Imbs, J., and R. Wacziarg (2003) and Cadot, Carrère and Strauss-Kahn (2011a)
amongst others.

2. Refer to Meilak (2008); Loayza et al. (2007); World Bank (1999); Ghosh and Ostry (1994); and
Bleaney and Greenaway (2001) amongst others.

3. The figures are calculated on the basis that $1 approximates MUR 30.

4. The Herfindahl index is a measure for concentration that takes values between 0 and 1, with
higher values indicating higher degrees of concentration. The inverse of the index therefore is
higher, the more diverse are exports.

5. See the discussion on the findings of Klinger and Lederman (2004) above.

6. To be more precise, a Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model has been employed. This approach
does not impose a priori restrictions on the dynamic relations among the different variables. It
resembles simultaneous equation modeling in that several endogenous variables are considered
together.

7. For the more detailed and technical discussions, please refer to the paper presented by the
authors at the DAAD Workshop, “Perspectives of Emerging Markets”, held in Mauritius in June 2012.

8. This is in line with the findings in Cadot, Carrère and Strauss-Kahn (2011b).

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section to time series analysis”, Journal of Development Economics (24)2: 239-248.
Export diversification and economic growth: the case of Mauritius 23

Matthee, M. and W. A. Naudé (2007), The determinants of regional manufactured exports from a
developing country, Helsinki, United Nations University, World Institute for Development
Economics Research (UN-WIDER), WIDER Research Paper No. 2007/10.

Meilak, C. (2008), “Measuring export concentration: The implications for small states”, Bank of
Valletta Review (37): 35-48.

Michaely, M. (1977), “Exports and growth”, Journal of Development Economics (4)1: 49-53.

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71-102.

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Cointegration and causality evidence (1971-2001)”, Review of Development Economics (9)2:
232-248.

World Bank (1999), Dealing with commodity price volatility in developing countries: A proposal
for a market-based approach, Paper for the Roundtable on Commodity Risk Management in
Developing Countries, Washington, DC.
2 Value chain governance in export
commodities: the case of Indonesia
Riza Noer Arfani and Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti*

2.1 Introduction

Indonesia has been regarded as one of the success stories of developing countries
escaping the resource curse (Rosser, 2004; 2007). In many developing countries,
instead of becoming a source of economic growth, abundant natural resources have
been associated with stagnant growth, a condition known as the resource curse or
the paradox of plenty. As argued by Sachs and Warner (1997), economies with
abundant natural resources have tended to grow less rapidly than those with scarce
natural resources. Similarly, the resource curse has been defined as “the
phenomenon whereby a country with an export-driven natural resources sector,
generating large revenues for government, leads paradoxically to economic
stagnation and political instability” (ODI, 2006). This chapter will review the efforts
undertaken by Indonesia to diminish its dependency on natural resources and to
better connect to global value chains (GVCs).

2.2 Some key challenges

Unlike other resource-abundant countries, particularly its counterparts in sub-

Saharan Africa, Indonesia’s economic growth since the 1970s has been remarkable,
especially prior to the financial crisis. For Conceição, Fuentes and Levine (2011), the
ability of a developing country to deal with the resource curse depends on two
preconditions: avoiding conflict and enhancing its national institutions. According to
these authors, developing countries need to effectively manage their natural
resource wealth by improving governance and the institutional framework, avoiding
“the Dutch disease” and minimizing the effects of price volatility and pro-cyclicality.

* The authors would like to thank Mr. Robert Teh and Mr. Mustapha Sadni Jallab of the WTO for their
valuable and significant comments and inputs of the original text. The contents of this chapter and
the opinions expressed therein are the sole responsibility of the authors and are not meant to
represent the position or opinions of the WTO or its members.

25
26 Connecting to global markets

Improving governance and the institutional framework is crucial since “the

effectiveness of all policies to manage risk associated with natural resources
requires a strong institutional framework” (ibid). Nevertheless, there are cases where
countries with relatively low institutional capacity are also able to develop the right
conditions to exploit their natural resources. Along with Chile and Malaysia,
Indonesia has managed to create credible and stable groups of “technocrats” willing
to engage and influence political leaders, while successfully managing to preserve
social stability, accelerate economic growth and maintain economic diversification in
addition to natural resources. Along with Botswana and Chile, Indonesia has been
successful in beating the curse, “in part due to having small groups of highly qualified
bureaucrats with the right expertise in macro-economic policy” (ODI, 2006).

In addition to sound governance structures and a good institutional framework,

another important element in dealing with the resource curse is the ability of a
country to avoid the so-called Dutch disease. The Dutch disease refers to some
possibly unpleasant side-effects of a boom in oil or other mineral or agricultural
commodities, which include a large, real appreciation in the currency, an increase in
spending, an increase in the price of non-traded goods, a resultant shift of labour
and land out of non-export-commodity traded goods, and a current account deficit
(Frankel, 2010). Sachs and Warner (1997) argue that the Dutch disease can be
avoided if the proceeds from natural resources are invested in projects that increase
the productivity of the whole economy.

The ability of a country to successfully deal with the resource curse also depends on
its capability to minimize the effects of commodity price volatility. The prices of oil,
natural gas, gold and other commodities are extremely volatile, which obviously has
the potential to create problems for countries relying on natural resources. In this
regard, “price volatility is harmful because the effects during booms do not
compensate for the losses during price busts” (Conceição, Fuentes and Levine,
2011). Government decision-making regarding investment linked to natural
resource revenue is crucial to avoid the curse: “a country that makes use of its
natural resource endowment will be sustainable if it invests the money obtained from
the sale of minerals and other commodities (non-renewable) into other types of
capital: human, physical or ‘institutional’” (ibid).

2.3 The resource curse

Indonesia has been regarded as having successfully diversified its natural resource
development into the tradable manufacturing sector, a process that was supported
by appropriate trade and business infrastructure policies (ODI, 2006). During the
1970s and 1980s, Indonesia managed to use oil revenues to support improvements
Value chain governance in export commodities: the case of Indonesia 27

in agricultural productivity and diversification into other sectors, for example by

investing in natural gas, which was exported and used as input for fertilizer. During
the period 2000-2010, the country’s extractive industries only contributed an
average of around US$ 20 billion, or less than 23 per cent, per year as compared
with non-extractive sectors, such as agricultural products (including horticultural
products and plantations), forestry, machineries and chemical products (Indonesian
Statistics Bureau, 2012).

Indonesia’s next challenges are how to further diversify its exported commodities,
notably by moving up the value chain in established sectors of activity. The top ten
commodities include those from both extractive industries (such as petroleum gas,
coal, oil and copper) and non-extractive ones (such as palm oil, rubber, coconut
and paper), as shown in Table 1. On average, Indonesian production has been
concentrated in the low-value-added segments of the value chains of the ten
commodities, but the country has undertaken concerted efforts to “downstream”
(“hilirisasi” in Indonesian) within the industries involved. 1
This study classifies those ten export commodities into three broad groupings:
mining (HS 2701, 2603, 7403), oil and gas (HS 2711, 2709, 2710) and plantation
(HS 1511, 4001, 1513, 4802). The groupings are based on the added-value chains
within the respective industries.

Table 1 Top ten exports in Indonesia, 2007-2009 and 2009-2011

2007-2009 2009-2011
1 Petroleum gases (2711) 1 Coal, briquettes (2701)

2 Coal, briquettes (2701) 2 Petroleum gases (2711)

3 Palm oil (1511) 3 Palm oil (1511)

4 Petroleum oils (2709) 4 Petroleum oils (2709)

5 Natural rubber and gums (4001) 5 Natural rubber and gums (4001)

6 Copper ores and concentrates (2603) 6 Copper ores and concentrates (2603)

7 Uncoated paper for writing, printing, 7 Coconut, palm kernel, babassu oil
office machines (4802) (1513)

8 Coconut, palm kernel, babassu oil 8 Refined copper and copper alloys,
(1513) unwrought (7403)

9 Petroleum coke, bitumen and other oil 9 Oils petroleum, bituminous, distillates,
industry residues (2713) except crude (2710)

10 Refined copper and copper alloys, 10 Uncoated paper for writing, printing,
unwrought (7403) office machines (4802)

Source: Comtrade (2009; 2011). Numbers in brackets reflect HS 4-digit codes.

28 Connecting to global markets

In terms of value added (in the context of both domestic and foreign value-added
content of export), 2 the features of Indonesia’s exports are as follows. Based on the
Trade in Value Added (TiVA) measure (OECD, 2013), mining contributed one-fifth
of the country’s value-added exports in 2009. However, the domestic value-added
(DVA) content of Indonesia’s exports was 86 per cent in 2009, well above the OECD
average and the fifth highest in the G20 (UNCTAD, 2013). This high level of DVA
reflects the fact that Indonesia’s trade is characterized predominantly by the export
of natural resources and raw materials which use little foreign value added (FVA)
content.

However, among the top 25 developing economy exporters (excluding predominantly

oil exporting countries), Indonesia, along with Chile, obtains a relatively high share of
global value-added trade, when compared with other, relatively open, developing
economies with strong performances and which are highly integrated in GVCs, such
as Hong Kong (China), Malaysia, the Republic of Korea and Singapore.

Indonesia is placed within the countries which have exceptionally high DVA trade
shares (≥ 90 per cent). It has a 91 per cent DVA component, similar to that of other
countries such as Bangladesh (91 per cent), Colombia (91 per cent), India (90 per
cent) and Peru (93 per cent). Forty-four per cent of Indonesia’s exports participate in
GVCs, well below the participation rates of economies such as Hong Kong, China
(72 per cent) and Singapore (82 per cent). Even when compared with China (59 per
cent), Malaysia (63 per cent), the Philippines (56 per cent), South Africa (59 per
cent), Tunisia (59 per cent) and Thailand (52 per cent), Indonesia’s rate of
participation in GVCs reflects the fact that the country’s international trade activities
are based more on upstream components within value chains. Given the current
context, Indonesia faces the challenge to upgrade within established value chains or
diversify into new value chains, as highlighted in the government’s recent Master
Plan: Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia’s Economic Development 2011-2025
(MP3EI) (CEMA, 2011).

2.4 Market structures and constraints to value addition and

diversification

This section presents essential features, market structure and constraints faced by
firms and/or businesses dealing with value-addition activities in the three industries
under study: the mining industry (with specific reference to coal and copper), oil and
gas industry, and plantation industry (with specific reference to palm oil, rubber and
paper-related industries). Constraints in value addition/diversification are elaborated
here in terms of horizontal policies with impacts which include expansion in the
Value chain governance in export commodities: the case of Indonesia 29

number of products exported due to lowered transport costs (Moreira, Volpe and
Blyde, 2008) and preventing countries from entering specific export markets or
participating in global supply chains due to lengthy delays in trade shipment (Nordås,
Pinali and Grosso, 2006; Hummels and Schaur, 2013) or being trapped in the low
end of the value chain due to failure to properly value key factors of production, such
as land (Teh, 2013), as well as of targeted or industrial policies. 3

With an industry dominated by coal and copper, Indonesia is still a significant global
player in the mining industry, with coal production reaching its peak following rising
demand in China and India (PwC, 2011a). In the oil and gas industry, gas production
is currently in the final stage of replacing oil production (PwC, 2011b). In competition
with (but also complementing) similar industries in Malaysia, the Indonesian
plantation industry – primarily producing palm oil and rubber – is the fastest growing
non-oil and gas sector, making it a solid support for the country’s economic growth.

The domestic market and export restrictions in the mining industry

Coal is the main commodity in Indonesia’s mining industry, with strong demand from
the Asia-Pacific region as well as growing domestic demand. Indonesia is the largest
thermal coal exporter in the world, accounting for around 26 per cent of global
exports. With coal production of approximately 200 million metric tons per year,
Indonesia has coal reserves for the long term. South Sumatra has the largest coal
reserves in the country (47.1 billion tons). Copper, abundant in the islands of
Sulawesi and Papua, is second to coal in terms of production capacity. Production
reached its peak in 2000, 2003 and 2005, averaging 1 million metric tons per year;
furthermore, there has been a steady increase in the world price of copper since
2003. Apart from its contribution to exports, in its downstream supply chains copper
plays a crucial part in the information and communication technology industry
(CMEA, 2011).

The market structure of the country’s mining industry is governed under Law
No. 4/2009 regulating the conduct of mineral and coal mining. The industry has
concerns with the law’s derivative regulations on DMO (domestic market obligation)
and export restrictions. The two directives are designed in line with the government’s
downstreaming strategic plan under MP3EI, that is, to generate more value addition
activities domestically. In the context of GVCs, the country’s coal industry is directed
more towards supporting domestic energy sectors, that is, to provide adequate
electrical power generation as industrial growth is steadily growing. Meanwhile, the
copper industry has developed under a scheme to process its ore domestically in order
to have domestic and international processing companies (including the existing major
players) upgrade their capacities, that is, to move up their value chains in the industry.
30 Connecting to global markets

Constraints faced by coal producers consist of how to remain competitive in the face
of fluctuating world coal prices and domestic economic growth, inflation and
exchange rate volatility. The DMO policy may have constructive implications for
Indonesia’s wider energy sector sustainability and electric power supply needs, as it
increases the possibility of initiating the functional, intersectoral upgrading of the
coal industry, releasing it from its lower value-added production and processing.
Viewed within the wider perspective of horizontal policies over the mining industry,
however, the DMO policy coincides with industry benefits from contemporary
government schemes under MP3EI to improve major ports and the shipping and
transportation infrastructure. Meanwhile, a targeted policy of export restrictions
which aims at adding value in the domestic smelter industry has placed copper
industries in the position of waiting for the government plans to further encourage
domestic smelter investment. The industry faces capacity constraints on processing
its products domestically, which are expected as early as next year.

Oil and gas industry

Indonesia’s oil and gas sector has been characterized by a large proportion of
production going to domestic petroleum consumption (compared with other sources
of energy, such as gas, coal and liquefied petroleum gas/LPG). The country’s
economic recovery from the 1997/1998 crisis has contributed to increasing fuel
energy demands, which led to a government decision to quit OPEC due to the
country’s increasing importation of oil/fuel. Then, as early as 2004, Indonesia’s
natural gas production surpassed its oil production. Natural gas production stood at
1,369,000 BOEPD (barrels of oil equivalent per day) in 2007 and 2,343,000
BOEPD in 2008, compared with oil production at only 964,000 barrels per day in
2007 and 978,000 barrels per day in 2008 (CMEA, 2011).

Indonesia’s exportation of gas (particularly in the form of liquefied natural gas or

LNG) has therefore been in an inverse relation to its importation of oil/fuel. The
industry is shifting its attention to more domestically driven value-addition activities,
particularly in an effort to finance and serve the country’s rising demand for fuel.

The promulgation of a new law on the oil and gas industry (Law No. 22/2001) has
offered a new perspective on and dimension to upgrading, diversification and other
value-addition activities in Indonesia’s oil and gas industry. Significant changes made
by this law relate particularly to business and commercial relations between state-
owned enterprises (SOEs) (i.e. Pertamina) and multinational corporations (MNCs).
The law establishes two main bodies, responsible for the industry’s upstream and
downstream activities.

The establishment of two governmental agencies which operate and function under
the coordination of the Ministry of Mining and Energy has paved the way for
Value chain governance in export commodities: the case of Indonesia 31

Pertamina towards its first major organizational and business reform leading to new
value-addition activities, diversification and upgrading, particularly in its downstream
business activities. In terms of the country’s oil and gas value chains, the strategies
affect a full range of upstream, midstream and downstream activities.

Structural problems in the plantation industry

The last 30 to 40 years have seen historic development in Indonesia’s plantation
industry. Palm oil, largely planted and then industrialized in the 1970s and 1980s –
as in Malaysia – has been the major factor in the industry, with production of 370
million tons in 2010 (195 million tons in Indonesia and 175 million tons in Malaysia).
Rubber plantations have also increased productivity and industrial yields in the last
10 years. Productivity nearly doubled between 2002 and 2009 (CMEA, 2011).

However, inadequate and uncoordinated horizontal policies across the plantation

industry have resulted in severe structural problems. The palm oil industry has long
been hampered by constraints arising from issues of forest destruction, environmental
degradation, land use, land pricing and the tenure system, low wages, industrial
practices and other social and environmental problems. The industry has also been
characterized by disputes and discordant relations among smallholder producers,
large producers and surrounding communities. Conflicts over land use and land
grabbing have extended to the extent that they affect endangered species such as
the orang-utan on Kalimantan Island. Such constraints are typical not only in the
context of the palm oil industry but also in the rubber industry and in the pulp and
paper industry (which has resulted in more serious environmental and social impacts).

Despite these constraints, pulp and paper production has been one of key drivers in
the growth of the forestry industry. Since its establishment in the late 1980s, the
pulp and paper industry has grown rapidly, pushing the country into the world’s top
ten producers. Between 1988 and 2010, pulp production capacity grew from
606,000 metric tons to 7.9 million metric tons per year, and paper industry
processing capacity rose from 1.2 million to 12.2 million metric tons per year.

Indonesia’s exports of pulp and paper products generated US$ 5.7 billion in 2010,
or around 1 per cent of the country’s GDP. However, due to longstanding structural
problems in the industry, combined with its heavy reliance on natural forests for
timber and despite extensive timber plantation development programmes, industrial
growth in the pulp and paper sector has been seen more as part of wider
environmental problems (due to clear-cutting and conversion of natural forests to
other uses) and communal problems (due to displacement of local communities)
than in the context of efforts to secure a sustainable supply of raw materials through
the development of pulpwood plantations.
32 Connecting to global markets

The country’s pulp mills have relied heavily on unsustainable timber and much of
what is obtained is through the clear-cutting of natural forests. As of 2010, key pulp
and paper producers in Riau, Sumatra, sourced more than half of their raw material
from the process of conversion of natural forest. Although extensive timber
plantation development programmes have been implemented over the years, the
supply of timber available from these plantations remains insufficient. As a result, the
industry has been associated with negative environmental impacts.

In Indonesia’s rubber industry, the majority of production (approximately 90 per cent) is

exported, with the remaining 10 per cent used in the domestic automotive sector and
other manufacturing industries. Under the China–ASEAN Free Trade Agreement
(ACFTA or CAFTA), the industry has positioned itself to serve the China market with
its growing automobile industry. China took the lion’s share of Indonesian exports in
2010 at 600,000 metric tons, followed by the United States, India, Japan and South
Korea. Domestic demand for rubber is also rising with an average increase of 23.2 per
cent per year since 2005, reaching 244,000 metric tons in 2010. With increasing car
and motorcycle sales, Indonesia is expected to become a major consumer of rubber at
an estimated 20 per cent of total domestic production over the next five years.
However, according to the Chair of the Indonesian Rubber Council (as of September
2013), the industry is very much in need of improvement in transport infrastructure.
Due to the inadequate transport infrastructure, export costs (US$ 750 per container)
are much higher than for the country’s competitors, such as Thailand. Other than
transport infrastructure, the industry also needs improvement in its logistical facilities.

2.5 Policy recommendations on upgrading and diversification

This section offers an assessment of upgrading and diversification endeavours in

the three industries, framed as policy notes for stakeholders in the respective
market. In so doing, it first maps out typical value chains in each industry, giving an
overall description by relevant stakeholders of current endeavours towards value-
addition activities. Secondly, it proposes how respective industrial value chain
activities could manage upgrading and diversification, that is, by adopting UNCTAD
GVC conceptual developmental paths. Finally, it reviews how each industry could
anticipate having a feasible scheme to develop its value chains governance, by
presenting each industry’s upgrading and diversification, DVA and FVA components,
type of value chains governance and anticipated development paths.

Typical value chains

In terms of upgrading, the country’s coal and copper value chains are positioned
largely in production and processing (CMEA, 2011). Value-addition activities and
Value chain governance in export commodities: the case of Indonesia 33

diversification efforts are therefore focused more on how stakeholders in the

industry transform mining and mineral commodities into refined products, how they
organize the process efficiently, how new technologies are applied, and how they
introduce new and sophisticated commodity or product lines. However, as the value
chains get closer to the end-user (intermediate industries and final consumers),
mining industries have also achieved significant performance in terms of how they
move into new functions in the chains.

Comparable to the mining industry, the oil and gas industry’s value-addition activities
and diversification typically highlight upstream and midstream endeavours. In the
case of Indonesia’s oil and gas value chains, the upstream and midstream activities
are conducted in parallel with the progression of collaboration schemes between
domestic SOEs and MNCs. The production-sharing contracts (PSC) scheme which
has been in place since the 1960s is the key feature of such collaboration, which
eventually determines the levels, scope and acceleration of upgrading, diversification
and other value-addition activities.

In upstream business strategies, activities are then focused not only on maintaining
the existing PSC scheme and finding new domestic oil and gas fields, but also in
competing in international exploration and production activities. Pertamina’s
midstream business activities have made the corporation one of the key regional
players in the transportation of oil and gas, by investing heavily in large tankers,
diversified commercial transportation and human resources. On the downstream
side, considerable and intensive changes are even more pronounced as the
domestic public witnesses the strong organizational and physical performance of its
oil and gas stations nationwide.

As noted by CMEA (2011), in the last two decades, Indonesia’s rubber, palm oil and
pulp and paper industries – from their plantation to downstream activities – have
become more concentrated on both process- and product-based, and functional and
intersectoral, upgrading. Not only are new product lines, techniques and technologies
applied in a range of industrial business activities, but new functions are also
acquired within the downstream business activities. In both the palm oil and pulp and
paper industries, downstream upgrading activities comprise investment in
manufacturing industries and processing factories in line with the need for more
exported value-added products, such as derivative oils (rather than crude palm oil)
and a variety of paper products (rather than pulp).

The rubber industry demonstrates business diversification and new commercial

functions. New production lines in Sumatra, for example, include downstream
industries in tyres, gloves, footwear and other chemical products. It has even acquired
new functions in the synthetic rubber industry. Apart from process and product
34 Connecting to global markets

upgrading in the plantation, milling and refinery stages, new downstream diversification
strategies have also been initiated in the biofuel and oleochemical industries despite
their still low added value (compared with the milling and refinery industries). However,
considering how the Malaysian industry has performed in the last 30 years, higher
added values are certainly within reach of the Indonesian palm oil industry.

Development paths for upgrading and diversification

This study has elaborated on how upgrading and diversification endeavours in the
three industries are applied and conducted by various players and stakeholders in a
range of value chains in business and commercial activities. It will now describe how
these endeavours could be seen as part of GVC development paths developed
under the UNCTAD GVC and Development initiative (UNCTAD, 2013).

Based on a country’s integration in GVCs and its DVA content, six possible conceptual
development paths are identified: engaging, preparing, competing, converting,
leapfrogging and upgrading (Figure 1). 4

The six conceptual paths suggest how players in a GVC could move flexibly, not just in
terms of “upgrading” (which indicates more integration into the FVA-driven GVC) but also
on other possible routes, to the upper, right and left of the GVC quadrants. The three

Figure 1 GVC conceptual development paths

Upgrading

+ 2.2 % + 3.4 %
Integrating in GVCs

Converting Leapfrogging

Engaging Competing

+ 0.7 % + 1.2 %
Preparing

Increasing domestic value added

Source: UNCTAD, 2013.

Value chain governance in export commodities: the case of Indonesia 35

industries under study have several compelling features in terms of how they relate to the
six possible development paths, and which are relevant for sectoral or industrial policy.

On the “engaging” path, Indonesia’s mining industry – particularly copper – is a precise

example of where value-addition activities could be essential steps towards the long-
aspired renegotiation of working contracts. The major player, Freeport McMoRan, is in a
position which demonstrates that the industry as a whole could engage further with its
international GVCs. Upgrading and diversification of the mining industry is routed to the
“leapfrogging” path by increasing its DVA component but, at the same time, increasing its
FVA component. In the case of coal and copper, leapfrogging could be envisaged as part
of Indonesia’s wider strategy on energy conservation, diversification and security.

Elaboration of oil and gas industry upgrading and diversification endeavours suggests
that the six paths are possible routes to gaining more in the value chains. The “preparing”
and “competing” paths have been in place for quite a while as the major player, Pertamina,
initiated its new business strategy to be a global player in the industry. In the last ten
years, Pertamina’s performance is comparable to that of its international counterparts,
particularly in the fields of exploration and production (EP) and sales and marketing. Its
“leapfrogging” and “converting” paths, however, depend on how the corporation – as both
an SOE and emerging-market MNC – develops its strategic collaboration with other
MNCs. Recent changes in upstream regulations will also affect how easily Pertamina, as
an emerging market MNC, will be able to traverse its “engaging” and “upgrading” paths.

Last but not least, value-addition activities in the plantation industry, as it focuses more
on process and product upgrading and diversification, are inclined to be oriented towards
the “preparing” path (where added values originate domestically) rather than other paths
which promise more FVA components. However, recent trends in palm oil (driven by
Malaysia’s integrated and advanced palm oil industry) and pulp and paper (driven by
rising demand from China’s pulp and paper industries) open up possibilities for upgrading
and diversification endeavours which are more inclined towards the “engaging”,
“leapfrogging”, “upgrading” and even “competing” paths in the industry. Major international
players in both the palm oil and pulp and paper industries – such as Malaysia-based Sime
Darby, Singapore-based Wilmar International, Indonesia-based Sinar Mas in the palm oil
industry and APP (Asian Pulp and Paper) in the pulp and paper industry – could, and
should, develop substantial roles in such endeavours.

Developing governance for value addition

Based on Humphrey and Schmitz’s (2000; 2002) typology, Table 2 summarizes the
proposed schemes to develop value chains governance in the three industries examined
here, presenting the upgrading and diversification endeavours applied by industry
stakeholders, along with the DVA and FVA components of each industry, types of GVC
governance and anticipated development paths.
36 Connecting to global markets

Table 2 Value chains governance and development paths

Industry Upgrading DVA FVA Value chains Anticipated

and component component governance development paths
diversification
Mining Coal Very high as Small portion Hierarchical Leapfrogging (as part
• Process- mostly relied on (with high DVA of the country’s wider
of FDI, but quite
and product- raw resources, highly component strategy on energy
based reserves dependent on conservation,
export market Hierarchical diversification and
Copper Still quite high (with quite high security)
• Process- as abundant Kontrak Karya/ FVA
and product- resources working component) Engaging (by increasing
based available contracts its GVC participation)
scheme as well as leapfrogging
(Freeport as (as part of metal-related
the major industrial development
player) strategy)

Oil and Upstream Upstream SOE–MNC Hierarchical Preparing as well as

gas • PSC scheme investment business (with possible competing (as the major
in EP (based on new relations: future player, Pertamina,
• International oil and gas technology significant initiated its new business
EP rules and transfer, changes to strategy to be a global
regulations in technical captive, player in the industry)
Midstream the post-BP cooperation, modular or
• Transportation Migas era) competition in relational Leapfrogging and
and logistics EP, distribution aspects, converting (as
(Pertamina) and final selling particularly in Pertamina’s performance
downstream is comparable to that of
Downstream activities) its international
• BP Migas roles counterparts, particularly
(on subsidized in the fields of EP and
fuels) sales and marketing)
• Pertamina
business and The latter two paths,
commercial however, depend on how
reform Pertamina – as both an
SOE and emerging-
market MNC – develops
its strategic collaboration
with other MNCs

Engaging and upgrading

(as the industry has been
supported by recent
changes in upstream
regulations)

This will also affect how

easily Pertamina, as an
emerging-market MNC,
will be able to traverse
the paths
Value chain governance in export commodities: the case of Indonesia 37

Table 2 Value chains governance and development paths (continued)

Upgrading DVA FVA Value chains Anticipated

and component component governance development paths
diversification
Plantation Rubber Highly Not applicable Hierarchical Preparing (as the
• Process- and dependent (as majority of in upstream industry focuses more
product- on existing tenures and activities on process and product
based plantations ownerships are (with high DVA upgrading and
• Limited new of small component); diversification) to be
functions, holders and Market, oriented towards paths
intersectoral SOEs) modular, where added values
upgrading relational in originate domestically,
downstream rather than those which
activities promise more FVA
(where components
domestic
players served
Possibilities for upgrading
as turn-key and diversification
suppliers) endeavours which are
more inclined towards
Palm oil Domestic New FDI Hierarchical engaging, leapfrogging,
• Process- and policy plantation in upstream upgrading and even
product- incentives in scheme, activities competing paths in
based processing notably in (with high FVA the industry (in line with
• Limited stages connection component); recent trends in palm oil
functional with Malaysia’s Market, driven by Malaysia’s
upgrading palm oil modular, integrated and advanced
industry relational in palm oil industry, and in
downstream pulp and paper driven by
activities rising demand from
China’s pulp and paper
industries)

Pulp and paper Highly Several FDI Hierarchical in Major international

• Process- and dependent plantation upstream players in both industries
product- on existing schemes, activities – such as Malaysia-
based plantations notably in (with high DVA based Sime Darby,
• Limited connection component); Singapore-based Wilmar
functional with China’s Market, International, Indonesia-
upgrading pulp and paper modular, based Sinar Mas in the
industry relational in palm oil industry and APP
downstream (Asian Pulp and Paper)
activities in the pulp and paper
industry – could, and
should, develop substantial
roles in such endeavours.

Source: Based on Humphrey and Schmitz (2000; 2002).

The coal industry, with its high DVA component (as it mostly relies on raw resources and
existing reserves) and low FVA component (despite its being highly dependent on export
markets), is to move towards a leapfrogging development path as a way to envisage
being a crucial part of the country’s larger strategy in energy conservation and security.
Comparable to coal, copper’s endeavours are also mainly based on product and process
upgrading. However, the copper industry, with its quite significantly high FVA component
(as foreign direct investment, or FDI, has been the major driver of its expansion), has the
38 Connecting to global markets

capacity to engage in greater GVC participation by fostering further internationalization

on the manufacturing side of the industry. It is under such a scheme that the export
restriction initiative would be justified.

The oil and gas industry has been characterized by more varied and dynamic upgrading
when compared with mining, with process- and product-based, as well as functional and
intersectoral, upgrading. Upstream investment, which is based on new oil and gas
regulations in the post-BP Migas era, has typified the DVA component of the industry,
along with the industry’s SOE–MNC business relations in technology transfer, technical
cooperation, competition in EP, distribution and final selling (in both midstream and
downstream activities). Hierarchical in its value chains governance, the industry is all set
for the six development paths.

The country’s plantation industry exhibits endeavours and initiatives by relevant

stakeholders in process- and product-based upgrading, with limited new functional and
intersectoral upgrading. In terms of its DVA component, the industry is highly dependent on
existing plantations (particularly in the cases of rubber and pulp and paper). However,
recent domestic policy incentives in the processing stages of the palm oil industry have also
been the main feature of its DVA component. In terms of the industry’s FVA component, a
new FDI plantation scheme, notably in connection with Malaysia’s palm oil industry and
China’s pulp and paper industry, has recently emerged as the main attribute of the industry.

The country’s rubber and pulp and paper industries have hierarchical value chains
governance in their upstream activities, with a high DVA component. Market, modular and
relational value chain governance in downstream activities is applied where domestic
players serve as turnkey suppliers in the industry. The palm oil industry, meanwhile, has
hierarchical value chain governance in upstream activities, with a high FVA component,
and it has market, modular and relational value chain governance in downstream
activities. The three plantation industries anticipate the preparing development path as
they identify possibilities for upgrading and diversification endeavours which are more
inclined to engaging, leapfrogging, upgrading, and even competing in the context of
recent trends in Malaysia’s integrated and advanced palm oil industry and rising demand
in China’s pulp and paper industries.

2.6 Conclusions
The plantation industry faces structural problems, with inadequate and perhaps
insufficiently coordinated horizontal policies.

After a careful review of each sector’s potential, it would seem that the mining industry and,
more specifically, the coal sector, have more potential than the other industries. However, it
is also obvious from the analysis that more time and determination at the government level
will be required in order to achieve the key objective of better connecting to GVCs.
Value chain governance in export commodities: the case of Indonesia 39

Endnotes

1. Initiated under the so-called MP3EI (Master Plan Percepatan dan Perluasan Pembangunan
Ekonomi Indonesia/Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesian Economic
Development, 2011–2025), strategies of industrial “downstreaming” cover a wide array of key
commodities, areas and policy frameworks, ranging from rubber, palm oil and infrastructure to
investment regulations.

2. Domestic value-added content of export (DVA) is domestic content of exported products, while
foreign value-added content of export (FVA) is foreign content of exported products. The two
measure a country’s GVC participation in world trade (UNCTAD, 2013).

3. The study recognizes the need (as suggested by Teh, 2013) to distinguish horizontal policies in
upgrading and diversification from targeted or industrial ones. Horizontal policies would include
those from which benefits flow across the entire economy and not just to a specific set of firms or
industries, such as trade facilitation, lowering transportation cost, investments in education, research
and development, capital market development, etc. Industrial policy would refer to targeted
interventions, that is, policies aimed at developing a specific industry or set of firms, such as
production subsidies, export subsidies, export taxes to encourage downstream development, use of
state enterprises, etc.

4. Percentages in this chart reflect the median GDP per capita growth rates. As indicated by
UNCTAD (2013) data for 123 developing countries, ranked by growth in GVC participation and
domestic value-added share: high includes the top two quartiles of both rankings; low includes the
bottom two; GDP per capita growth rates reported are median compound annual growth rates for
countries in each quadrant.

Bibliography

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development in low-income countries, United Nations Development Programme, Regional
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Hummels, D. and G. Schaur (2012), Time as a trade barrier, Cambridge, MA, National Bureau of
Economic Research, NBER Working Paper No. 17758.

Humphrey, J. and H. Schmitz (2000), Governance and upgrading: Linking industrial cluster and
global value chain research, Brighton, University of Sussex, IDS Working Paper 120.

Humphrey, J. and H. Schmitz (2002), “How does insertion in global value chains affect
upgrading in industrial clusters?” Regional Studies 36(9): 1017-1027.
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Moreira, M., C. Volpe and J. S. Blyde (2008), Unclogging the arteries: The impact of transport
costs on Latin American and Caribbean trade, Washington, DC and Cambridge, MA, Inter-
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3 Integrating small and medium-sized
enterprises into global trade flows: the case
of China
Lei Zhang and Wei Xia*

3.1 Introduction

In China, the term “small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)” refers to “different
forms of enterprises under different ownerships that are established within the
territory of the People’s Republic of China that meet the social needs and create
more job opportunities, and comply with the industrial policies of the State”. 1 This
definition is rather more complex than that in other countries, where the definition of
SMEs tends to be based purely on their size. 2 It is nevertheless the case that, in
China also, SMEs tend to be enterprises which have fewer employers, lower sales
volume and lower gross assets. Most Chinese enterprises are SMEs. Indeed, they
account for more than 98 per cent of industry and contribute to 60 per cent of
China’s GDP, 75 per cent of its industrial value-added output and 50 per cent of its
revenue (as of June, 2012). 3 Chinese SMEs also provide for 75 per cent of China’s
urban employment opportunities and absorb more than 50 per cent of the workers
laid off from the state-owned enterprises. They employ more than 70 per cent of the
new entrants to the labour market (Jianjun, 2006). Hence, Chinese SMEs play an
important role in China’s economic development, due to their contribution to GDP
and the employment they create, as well as their vigorous creative ability.

The diversified, networked and clustered division of the globe has greatly promoted
the development of SMEs globally, and the internationalization of SMEs has been in
the spotlight overall in the world economy. However, there is considerable room for
Chinese SMEs to more fully exploit the economic opportunities provided through
international trade. This will be illustrated by examining more closely the performance
of SMEs established in Shanghai. Table 1 describes the new products developed by
Shanghai’s large, medium-sized and small enterprises in 2011. In SMEs, the output

* The contents of this chapter are the sole responsibility of the authors and are not meant to
represent the position or opinions of the WTO or its members.

41
42 Connecting to global markets

Table 1 New products output by size of enterprise in Shanghai, 2011

Unit: 100 million RMB Yuan
Size of enterprise New products New products New products
output sales revenue export
Large 5,400.08 6,018.75 878.63
Medium 1,166.18 1,164.24 109.89
Small 575.40 588.75 44.12

Source: Shanghai Statistical Yearbook 2012, Shanghai Bureau of Statistics ([Link]

[Link]).

of sales revenue generated by new products is lower when compared to large

enterprises. The difference is particularly large when focusing on exports of new
products. This suggests that Chinese SMEs are not well integrated into the dynamic
segments of global trade flows.

Table 1 illustrates that most Chinese SMEs are not fully integrated into global and
regional value chains, and their lack of innovative capacity may be one reason for
this. Evidence suggests that multinational enterprises (MNEs) expect SME suppliers
to be adaptable, agile and flexible. Notably, they expect SMEs to be able to develop
new product lines and change product specifications (Krywulak and Kukushkin,
2009). Lack of innovative capacity may, therefore, make it difficult for SMEs to
connect to global value chains. It may also imply that Chinese SMEs are trapped in
“captured growth status” (Yongchun et al., 2013), which means that the main profits
are captured by foreign enterprises. The discussion in the following sections will
examine the possible reasons behind the relative lack of dynamism in Chinese SMEs
and will discuss what can be done from an economic perspective to raise innovative
capacity within the context of global competition.

3.2 Factors constraining innovative capacity in Chinese

SMEs

According to available data from the Chinese Industrial Enterprises’ Innovation

Survey undertaken by the National Bureau of Statistics of China and published in
2006, 4 the innovation performance of Chinese SMEs was not as good as the
performance of large enterprises, across all aspects, including patent application,
trademark registration, copyright registration, formation of national or industrial
standards, internal protection of know-how and ownership of proprietary brands.
Especially with regard to patent application, the percentage of SMEs which had ever
applied for one or more patents is significantly lower than the percentage of large
enterprises which had done so.
Integrating small and medium-sized enterprises into global trade flows: the case of China 43

In China, patents are differentiated into patents referring to inventions, utility models 5
and designs. Invention patents represented only 15.8 per cent of all patent
applications by Chinese SMEs. In comparison, data on patent applications by foreign
companies in China indicate that invention patents represent a large proportion
(USITC, 2010). Chinese SMEs’ innovation ability and core intellectual property (IP)
thus appear to be limited, which is a disadvantage in international trade.

Internal constraints on small and medium-sized enterprises

Shortage of qualified staff
An important aspect determining innovative capacity is the availability of qualified
personnel. SMEs tend to employ fewer scientific and technological personnel, and
research and development (R&D) personnel, 6 than do large enterprises, although
SMEs active in technology-intensive sectors may be an exception to this rule. Table
2 shows the number of personnel involved in scientific and technological and R&D
activities in different-sized enterprises in Shanghai in 2011.

One notable phenomenon is that the number of R&D personnel active in the private
sector has increased since the structural reform of China’s scientific and technological
institutions, as many of those institutions have been transformed into small
enterprises. It is nevertheless the case that Chinese SMEs employ only limited
numbers of staff involved in scientific and technological activities and, among them,
there are insufficient numbers with R&D talent and personnel with senior or medium
technical titles.

Limited financial strength

SMEs own less capital than do large enterprises, and funding has become a serious
bottleneck for the survival and development of Chinese SMEs. Commercial banks
are reluctant to provide credits to SMEs due to the higher risk involved. Risks are

Table 2 Number of personnel involved in scientific and technological and

R&D activities by size of enterprise in Shanghai, 2011
Unit: ten thousand
Size of enterprise Personnel involved R&D personnel
in scientific and
technological activities Total With senior or medium
technical titles
Large 9.15 4.92 2.77
Medium 5.56 2.96 1.29
Small 4.08 2.15 1.11

Source: Shanghai Statistical Yearbook 2012, Shanghai Bureau of Statistics.

44 Connecting to global markets

considered to be particularly high for SMEs active in technology-intensive sectors

and it is therefore very difficult for SMEs to obtain funding for technological
innovation from commercial banks.

Table 3 illustrates that, in 2011, SMEs were characterized by significantly lower

expenditure on scientific and technological activities than in large enterprises, in
particular in the area of new product exploration. SMEs’ spending in this area
represents only around 15 per cent of total spending on new product exploration,
which is contradictory compared with the weight SMEs have in China’s GDP. 7

Table 4 illustrates that SMEs’ expenditure for technical transformation, imports of

technology and purchases of domestic technology is also markedly lower than that
of large enterprises.

Innovation requires significant amounts of capital investment. However, Table 5

indicates that the Chinese Government offers less R&D funding to SMEs than to
large enterprises.

Table 3 Scientific and technological expenditure by size of enterprise in

Shanghai, 2011
Unit: 100 million RMB Yuan
Size of enterprise Expenditure
Scientific and technological New product exploration

Large 333.37 284.51

Medium 118.19 94.96
Small 88.45 68.04

Source: Shanghai Statistical Yearbook 2012, Shanghai Bureau of Statistics.

Table 4 Other technical expenditures by size of enterprise in Shanghai, 2011

Unit: 100 million RMB Yuan
Size of enterprise Expenditure
Technical Technology import Domestic technology
transformation purchase
Large 108.51 54.48 20.87
Medium 17.24 8.52 0.86
Small 12.73 2.27 0.18

Source: Shanghai Statistical Yearbook 2012, Shanghai Bureau of Statistics.

Integrating small and medium-sized enterprises into global trade flows: the case of China 45

Table 5 Source of R&D expenditure by size of enterprise in Shanghai, 2011

Unit: 100 million RMB Yuan
Size of Total R&D Government Equity funds Foreign funds
enterprise expenditure funds
Large 217.68 14.06 201.76 0.73
Medium 74.71 1.92 71.75 0.84
Small 51.32 2.21 47.87 0.58

Source: Shanghai Statistical Yearbook 2012, Shanghai Bureau of Statistics.

Intensity of research and development

In addition to referring to the absolute values of R&D budgets, it is useful to examine
R&D intensity, as this makes it possible to evaluate the role of R&D taking into
account a company’s scale. 8 Data on R&D intensity can, therefore, be used to
measure an enterprise’s technological innovation ability. A common measure for
R&D intensity is the share of R&D spending in total sales. This measure can be
considered to be a reflection of an enterprise’s innovation consciousness,
determination and economic capabilities. The measure also gives an indication as to
how inputs (R&D budgets) evolve compared with outputs (sales).

Based on experience in developed and newly industrialized countries, R&D spending

needs to represent a threshold share of 5 per cent of total sales in order for an
enterprise to be a successful innovator in technology-intensive sectors. As far as
R&D budgets of SMEs based in Shanghai are concerned, most scientific and
technology-oriented SMEs spend less than 3 per cent of their budget on R&D. There
is a group of only around 2,000 SMEs 9 whose R&D spending represents 5 per cent
or more of total spending (Shanghai Economic Committee, 2008). This suggests
that most SMEs active in Shanghai can only carry out low- or medium-level
innovation activities.

Weaknesses in the ability to utilize intellectual property rights

IP protection is intended to protect and encourage innovation. Yet it could be argued
that, in China, the IP regulatory framework is designed for the benefit of large and
financially strong enterprises rather than to benefit innovation activities in SMEs.
This is a matter of concern given that SMEs need to be innovative and flexible in
order to be active participants in the global value chain. As they are small players in a
field dominated by large, mostly multinational, firms, it is important for their IP rights
(IPRs) to be protected. Contractors often require suppliers to be fully transparent
about the design and original plans of products (OECD, 2007). Without strong IP
protection, SMEs run the risk of losing control over the plans and designs which they
developed. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD,
2010) confirms that IP protection is a concern for SMEs in the creative industries of
46 Connecting to global markets

cinema and software above all. In order for SMEs to be active players in a global
environment of increasingly fierce competition, they therefore need to be able to
acquire, master and skilfully use IP. Therefore, rather than giving preference to
enterprises according to their scale, IP law and IP authorities should assist
enterprises on the basis of their ability to innovate and effectively use IP.

IP can provide for exclusive rights, which can not only prevent others from using the
fruits of innovation commercially without permission but can also be used by rights
holders to fulfil their commercial goals, such as to enter new markets, become
market leaders, promote the enterprise’s reputation and image or start new market
segments by targeting different consumer groups. IPRs can also be useful for
enterprises which want to set up strategic cooperation with others, establish a
franchising system, increase their market value in mergers and acquisitions, or
simply obtain additional revenue by IP licensing and sales. Last but not least, IPRs
can facilitate fundraising. They could also help to avoid wasting R&D investment by
analysing the patent database as well as reviewing the latest technological
developments.

Data on the number of patents held by SMEs, the respective share of patents for
invention, utility models and designs, and both the patent grant rate and the
implementation rate, all indicate that SMEs – in particular, science and technology
SMEs – are aware of the importance of patents, and have often successfully applied
for patents. Nevertheless, SMEs still have some disadvantages, such as the low
quality of their patents, the relatively low patent grant rate and the very low patent
commercialization rate. Indeed, the commercialization rate of outcomes of scientific
activities was merely around 5 per cent (Zhongfa, 2013).

Traditionally, scientific and technology-oriented SMEs in Shanghai have had strong

IP consciousness and shown a special interest in patents. Some of them possess
their own patents and are in the process of applying for new patents. However, their
view of the role of patents may be rather too simple, as they merely focus on
obtaining IP protection by means of patent applications. They have not mastered the
capacity of using and managing IP, and do not know how to defend and explore
markets by means of IP. Those SMEs which have never experienced an IP dispute
(which is a common situation among Shanghai’s SMEs) are not really conscious of
the potential of IP risk, and they do not know how to prevent and respond to it. Only if
the patent is actually implemented can innovation lead to commercial success. The
rate of patent implementation 10 is, therefore, an important reflection of the use of IP.
The specific investigation conducted by the Shanghai Bureau of Intellectual Property
on Enterprises’ Patent Implementation Status in 2006 indicates that the patent
implementation rate of Shanghai’s enterprises is relatively high, but the invention
implementation rate is low. The implementation of technology is highest among
Integrating small and medium-sized enterprises into global trade flows: the case of China 47

large enterprises (up to 87.9 per cent). The implementation rate is, however, lower
for SMEs, at 81.2 per cent. 11

Overcoming internal constraints

SMEs can be roughly segmented into three groups:

• technology developers, which represent only between 1 and 3 per cent of all
SMEs
• leading technology users, which represent 10 to 15 per cent of SMEs
• technology followers, representing between 80 per cent and 85 per cent of all
SMEs (OECD, 2000b).

Due to several domestic constraints, the innovation ability of Chinese SMEs is

limited. In the field of technological innovation, therefore, SMEs would need to draw
support from the scientific and technological power outside the enterprises
themselves in order to overcome the constraints of a lack of R&D talent, limited R&D
funds and weaknesses in their ability to use IP.

In China, universities and scientific research institutions have produced a great

number of scientific and technological achievements which need to be transformed.
Therefore, increased cooperation in the area of technical innovation among SMEs,
on the one hand, and universities and scientific research institutions, on the other,
could be mutually beneficial. SMEs have a flexible structure and more easily accept
innovation than do large enterprises. If an effective industry–study–research
mechanism could be set up, SMEs’ innovation activities and their effectiveness
would be improved.

External constraints on small and medium-sized enterprises

Support of national policies and intellectual property institutions
Technological innovation needs government support in the form of public policy.
Technological innovation policy is the combination of a country’s public policies that
aim at changing the speed, direction and scale of technological innovation. With the
enforcement of IP policies and measures, the government contributes to creating a
social and cultural environment that encourages innovation and cultivates a system
favourable for SMEs’ innovation and IP management. The government can also set
up a platform of public services targeting and supporting SMEs’ innovation activities.
The government can create incentives to support the innovation process in scientific
and technology-oriented SMEs. Last but not least, the system of IP law is among the
most important arrangements in the institutional environment, since the IP institution
is the most transparent and universal, as well as being coercive.
48 Connecting to global markets

Although China has adopted several IP policies to promote SMEs’ innovation, 12 the
implementation of these policies has raised some problems. Firstly, the patent
sponsorship policy 13 is not well targeted; indeed, it tends to lean towards large
enterprises. In addition, it does not make a distinction between scientific and
technology-oriented SMEs applying for a patent for the first time, and those enterprises
which have a rich experience in patent application. Large enterprises and specifically
technology-oriented SMEs which possess abundant patents do not rely too much on
patent sponsorship. Under the ongoing patent sponsorship policy, government cannot
encourage enterprises to apply for patents and then proceed to promote the innovation.
In some cases, policies to promote innovation in SMEs do not give significant results.

Secondly, these policies show a manifest lack of systemization and coherence. Most
of China’s SME patent policies target only one aspect of the process of innovation.
The patent sponsorship policy aims to reduce or abolish patent application fees for
enterprises; the patent technology exhibition and transaction platform, and the SMEs
patent technology industrialization investment and financing platform, aim to provide
industrialization services for SMEs; the rights protection support aims to help SMEs to
protect their patents. None of these policies is able to provide for a systematic patent
service throughout the whole innovation process. The Chinese Government should
consider providing a single, comprehensive patent service that is easily accessible for
SMEs and makes it easy for them to master the process of innovation.

Thirdly, China’s scientific and technology-oriented SMEs’ innovation policies are

government oriented, and the government pushes them to follow the trajectory of
construction of China’s innovation system. For instance, the patent technology
exhibition and transaction platform and patent week policy, which are the two most
important policies in terms of exploration, can offer resources to only a limited
number of enterprises. In China, IP is still a relatively new phenomenon, and its
utilization by enterprises (especially SMEs) is challenging.

Weak innovation and intellectual property culture

“IP culture” refers to the IP institution that results from the human historical
development process related to the protection of innovation; the public perception,
attitude and evaluation of innovation itself as well as of the institutions which protect
IP; and the interaction between the IP institutions and IP consciousness. As a result,
the interaction between IP culture and IP institutions influences the public’s IP
behavioural pattern as well as its normative adjustment pattern.

IP consciousness, as an expression of IP culture, refers to a society’s consistent

perception, respect for and understanding of the essence of IP and its effects, as
well as its support for IP protection. The social perception, attitude and evaluation of
IP are important criteria for evaluating a country’s IP culture. Respecting the
Integrating small and medium-sized enterprises into global trade flows: the case of China 49

non-public property attribute of innovation, abiding by IPRs, and taking advantage of

IPRs to spread information and encourage innovation, are essential conditions for
constructing an invention-, creation- and innovation-friendly society within the
context of a knowledge-based economy.

There are many factors within the external environment which affect innovation
activities, such as the legislative environment, the level of competition in markets, the
social service environment and the social innovation culture. Because of the
particular characteristics of SMEs, the ability of SMEs to innovate suffers most from
the absence of a supportive external environment. The support of relevant legislative
institutions, especially the IP institution, can act as a powerful guarantee to enable
SMEs to promote technical innovation extensively.

3.3 Policy recommendations and conclusions

R&D funding, the availability of R&D talent, technological ability, R&D intensity and
the IP index all result from long-term investment and cannot easily and rapidly be
addressed. All are typical factors constraining SMEs’ involvement in international
trade and their innovation activities, and these problems are widespread in SMEs all
over the world.

Although Chinese SMEs face many similar constraints to those faced by SMEs
elsewhere, they do tend to have strong foundations for innovation and are relatively
well integrated into global trade flows. SMEs are flexible, and if the government can
offer effective incentives, and provide for a better institutional environment, Chinese
SMEs have strong potential for innovation.

Creating a single, comprehensive patent service for SMEs

When a policy is designed, it typically only targets one specific aspect of SMEs’
innovation activities. Innovation-related government services therefore tend to be
scattered and costly, which increases operational difficulties for SMEs which want to
take advantage of the government’s policy. As a result, application of these policies
by SMEs is not efficient. The government should focus on providing a single,
comprehensive patent service for the scientific and technology-oriented SMEs in
order to help them master the establishment of patents in the innovation process.

Avoiding focusing only on quantity of patents

Because of China’s ambition to be a strong innovator, patent quantity has become
an important index to assessing innovation and IP abilities. Many local governments,
for instance, pursue patent quantities as an important goal. However, SMEs are a
50 Connecting to global markets

highly diversified group. Differences in industry, scale and commercial environment

account for differences in SMEs’ innovative abilities and lead to different innovation
models. The government should take these differences into account and consider
applying different IP policies to different types of SMEs.

Revising the patent sponsorship policy

Local governments in China have set up sponsorship institutions for patent

applications. Unfortunately, the specific conditions and methods of sponsorship have
not been clarified. As a consequence, the policy has so far had little effect on SMEs’
patent applications. The government should strengthen its encouragement for and
introduction to patent fees sponsorship by focusing on SMEs applying for a patent for
the first time. The government could require other SMEs to pay only part of the fees
and thereby encourage them to apply for a patent. Apart from sponsorship, the
government could also offer specific patent guidance, including basic knowledge on
patent application and commercial strategy in respect of patents.

Strengthening the ability of SMEs to use and manage intellectual

property rights

The government should consider providing public services to improve the ability of
SMEs to utilize and manage IP, and this should be a prime policy objective in
supporting technological innovation by SMEs. This is in line with the approach taken
elsewhere, as governments in different countries provide significant support to
SMEs, mainly focusing on providing public services for SMEs and helping them
improve their competitive abilities (notably by utilizing IP to increase their market
share). SMEs based in Shanghai, in particular scientific and technology-oriented
enterprises, have a certain level of IP consciousness, and they have recognized the
importance of patents for their activities. However, Shanghai’s SMEs still have a
rather simple understanding of IP, and they do not have the ability to fully take
advantage of and manage it. The creation, utilization, management and protection of
IP are essential indicators when it comes to evaluating the ability of SMEs to take
advantage of the IP institution to protect their innovation activities.

Strengthening support for fund-raising for innovation activities

The government could consider setting up innovation networks within which SMEs
could identify suitable partners for cooperation. Such networks should also provide
information services regarding new products and new policy measures. They could
help inventors, invention sponsors and SMEs to advertise at a favourable price, or
even at no cost, so that technological achievement could be transformed into
productivity.
Integrating small and medium-sized enterprises into global trade flows: the case of China 51

Strengthening industry–university–research institution cooperative

innovation relationships
The government should strengthen cooperation among SMEs, universities and
research institutions in the area of innovation. While government efforts towards
transforming innovation into products with market application should focus on SMEs,
the government should also find ways to strengthen cooperation among SMEs,
universities and research institutions. It might consider the establishment of an R&D
centre, which would benefit industry-university-research cooperation in the long run
and, in turn, lay the technical foundation for the long-term development of SMEs.

Strengthening the intellectual property institution

Since its accession to the WTO, China’s IP regulatory framework is deemed to be in
conformity with the TRIPS standards. 14 However, standards regarding international
IP protection and enforcement institutions tend to increase over time. In this context,
the government should consider emphasizing that China is a developing country,
and reaffirm the balance between private and public rights and developed and
developing countries.

Cultivating the intellectual property culture

The Bureau of Intellectual Property should consider holding seminars on IP
institutions, enterprises’ innovation consciousness and IP protection consciousness,
especially for innovative SMEs. These seminars could be tailored to the demands of
different industries. The Bureau of Intellectual Property should also offer training
courses to meet the specific needs of SMEs, especially the needs of those dealing
with IP in innovative enterprises. For technicians in manufacturing and high-
technology SMEs, the training should focus on the institution of patents, the patent
literature search and analysis of patent rights requirements. For other SMEs, training
should focus on the introduction of a utility model, appearance design and trademark
application. For those SMEs with concerns about the protection of business secrets,
training should focus on instituting protection of business secrets.

Strengthening the ability of the innovation support institutions

regarding intellectual property
The government should pay attention to cultivating and improving the ability of
innovation support institutions, such as science and technology parks and
incubators, to deal with IP. For instance, the government should require innovation
support institutions to hire employees who know how to manage and utilize IP and
provide IP services to innovative enterprises. The provision of IP services should
become a hallmark of science and technology parks, incubators and other innovation
support institutions.
52 Connecting to global markets

Finally, the government should encourage science and technology parks, incubators
and other innovation support institutions to take part in innovation activities directly.
This implies that these bodies should collect from universities and research institutes
the convertible fruits of technological innovation, identify SMEs which have the will to
implement their conversion, and take part in such projects directly as fund-raisers,
coordinators and managers. Science and technology parks, incubators and other
innovation support institutions are different from other start-up hubs, and they should
not only provide a home for innovation activities, but also become key innovation actors.

Endnotes

1. Law of the People’s Republic of China on Promotion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises,
Article 2.

2. Most OECD countries consider SMEs to be firms with fewer than 250 employees. Some
countries set the limit at 200 employees. The United States considers SMEs to include firms with
fewer than 500 employees (OECD, 2000a).

3. See: [Link]

4. See: [Link]

5. According to Chinese patent law, a utility model is similar to the patent, but usually has a shorter
term and less stringent patentability requirements. It is usually called a “petty patent” or “small
patent”.

6. R&D personnel are a sub-sample of scientific and technological personnel.

7. SMEs contributed close to 60 per cent of China’s GDP in 2006 (see Introduction).

8. Normally, R&D intensity means the ratio of a firm’s expenditures on research and development
to the firm’s sales (see Cohen, Levin and Mowery, 1987). In China, the statistics are not categorized
by different scales of enterprise; for the purpose of this chapter, we made some adaptation.

9. 2000 SMEs represents 5 per cent of all enterprises in Shanghai.

10. Patent implementation includes commercialization by oneself and licensing to others.

11. See: [Link]

12. See: [Link]

13. The patent sponsorship policy is meant to encourage enterprises to apply for patents by giving
them the patent application fees.

14. The WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS),
negotiated in the 1986–1994 Uruguay Round, introduced intellectual property rules into the
multilateral trading system for the first time.
Integrating small and medium-sized enterprises into global trade flows: the case of China 53

Bibliography

Duina, F. (2006), The social construction of free trade: The European Union, NAFTA and
Mercosur, Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press.

Jianjun, M. (2006), “Indigenous innovation: From concept to practice”, Science and Technology
for Development (5): 23.

Krywulak, T. and V. Kukushkin (2009), Big gains with small partners: What MNCs look for in
their SME suppliers, Ottawa, The Conference Board of Canada.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2000a), “Small and
medium-sized enterprises: Local strength, global reach”, Policy Brief, June.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2000b), “Enhancing the
competitiveness of SMEs through innovation”, background report for Conference for Ministers
responsible for SMEs and Industry Ministers, Bologna, Italy, 14-15 June.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2007), “Enhancing the
role of SMEs in global value chains”, OECD Background Report, OECD Global Conference in
Tokyo, 31 May-1 June.

Shanghai Economic Committee (2008), The developing report of Shanghai SMEs 2008,
Shanghai, Shanghai Science and Technology Literature Press.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (2010), Integrating

developing countries’ SMEs into global value chains, New York and Geneva, United Nations.

United States International Trade Commission (USITC) (2010), China: Intellectual property
infringement, indigenous innovation policies, and frameworks for measuring the effects on the
US economy, Investigation No. 332-514.

Yongchun, H. et al. (2013), “SMEs’ proprietary brands creation strategic path under the dual
bind of environment and source: From the perspective of strategic match”, Reform of Economic
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Zhongfa, M. (2013), “Reconsideration of the essence of a patent and the missions of Patent
Institution: Low rate of patented technology commercialization in China”, Journal of Intellectual
Property Rights 18(1): 47-55.
II
The role of SPS and other
non-tariff measures in
connecting to global markets

55
4 Barriers to trade: the case of Kenya1
Tabitha Kiriti Nganga*

4.1 Introduction

International trade is the exchange of capital, goods and services across international
borders or territories. Even though the WTO advocates trade opening, many WTO
members do not liberalize every sector of the economy and, instead, maintain certain
barriers to trade. Many of these barriers take the form of non-tariff barriers (NTBs),
i.e. discriminatory non-tariff measures (NTMs) imposed by governments to favour
domestic over foreign suppliers (Nicita and Gourdon, 2013). 2 Barriers can also take
the form of procedural obstacles, i.e. obstacles related to the process of application
of an NTM rather than the measure itself.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (2010)

describes NTMs as policy measures other than ordinary customs tariffs that can
potentially have an economic effect on international trade in goods, changing
quantities traded, prices, or both. The classification of NTMs includes import
measures such as sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and technical barriers
to trade (TBTs), and export-related measures. 3 The process of applying NTMs can
also hamper trade among trading partners in different ways. 4

This chapter investigates barriers to trade in the form of procedural obstacles in

Kenya and examines how those obstacles affect traders who may be either Kenyans
or other traders carrying goods in transit within the East African Community (EAC),
which comprises Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

Using the survey method, this study investigates the procedural obstacles that
businesspeople in Kenya experience. Traders responding to surveys can identify not
only formal policy itself but also whether the policy was arbitrary, inconsistent,

* The author thanks participants in the WCP Annual Conference 2013 for their comments on an
earlier draft of this chapter. The contents of this chapter are the sole responsibility of the author and
are not meant to represent the position or opinions of the WTO or its members.

57
58 Connecting to global markets

discriminatory, inefficient, non-transparent, expensive, or involved outright obstruction

or legal barriers. The specific objectives of this chapter are to:

• document the procedural obstacles in Kenya

• use the survey method to analyse how these obstacles impact on trade, and
• recommend policies that will lead to better informed policy and foster dialogue
on harmonization, streamlining and reform, at both national and regional levels.

To achieve the first objective, the study relied on official documents and especially
Kenya Law Reports ([Link] Appendix Table 1 contains the
relevant information: the rules and regulations that can be classified as NTMs, their
sources and agencies that are supposed to enforce them. 5

To achieve the second objective, data were collected from official documents and
interviews with 18 public officials and 13 private agencies to indicate why these
rules and regulations could be considered to be NTMs. This was conducted through
a perception-based, firm-level survey of exporters/importers and truckers on the
rules and regulations that they consider to be NTMs that could be hindering the free
flow of trade in Kenya and in the EAC region generally.

4.2 Non-tariff barriers in the East African Community

Cooperation in trade opening and development is one of the fundamental pillars of

the EAC. 6 For this purpose, by the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African
Community of 1999, the partner states agreed to establish among themselves a
customs union, a common market – subsequently a monetary union – and, ultimately,
a political federation, the goal being to liberalize and promote cross-border trade
among them. 7 According to Article 3 of the Protocol on the Establishment of the
East African Community Customs Union (2004), its objectives are to:

• further liberalize intra-regional trade in goods, on the basis of mutually beneficial

trade agreements among the partner states
• promote efficiency in production within the EAC
• enhance domestic, cross-border and foreign investment in the EAC
• promote economic development and diversification in industrialization in the EAC.

The main trade policy instruments of the EAC Customs Union are contained in that
Protocol, the EAC Customs Management Act 2004 and the EAC Customs
Management Regulations 2006. Together, these provide for the implementation of a
number of measures including, but not limited to, transitional measures and the
gradual elimination of internal tariffs, establishment of a common external tariff
Barriers to trade: the case of Kenya 59

(CET), introduction of EAC rules of origin (ROO) and other trade-related aspects and
legal and institutional arrangements, a customs valuation system and harmonized
customs laws, procedures and documentation.

According to the Second East African Community Development Strategy (2001-

2005) (2006), major impediments to trade in the region are related to procedural
obstacles in the application of NTMs leading to administrative and bureaucratic
inefficiencies. Another category of barriers relates to NTMs in the form of import
measures, mainly SPS and TBT. When these standards and requirements are
imposed unilaterally to protect local industry they can have a severe restrictive
impact on trade. Consequently, the partner states agreed to take measures, including
introducing regulations that would ensure that products accepted in one partner
state are also accepted in the markets of the others.

The regional bureaus of standards were urged to speed up the harmonization of the
remaining standards as East African standards. Hence, Article 13 of the Protocol on
the Establishment of the East African Community Customs Union provides for the
removal of all the existing NTMs to the importation into their respective territories of
goods originating in other partner states, and thereafter not to impose any new
NTMs. The partner states also agreed to put in place a mechanism for monitoring
the removal of NTMs (Article 13 [2]).

Nevertheless, trade in the EAC is hampered by procedural obstacles imposed by

individual countries. Although the Customs Union has made some progress in its
implementation, there are indications that, in spite of the commitments made by the
partner states to remove NTBs, they remain a serious obstacle to trade within the
region. They continue to increase the cost of doing business in the region and have
negatively impacted on trade and cooperation.

4.3 Survey findings: private firms and agencies

For the purpose of this study, we first interviewed people in private agencies to get
their views on what they considered to be non-tariff barriers to trade. 8

Non-tariff barriers to trade

What private firms considered to be NTBs were a combination of import measures
and procedural obstacles. These were:

• delays in clearance of goods at the port of Mombasa due to lengthy clearance

processes
• non-recognition of certificates of origin
60 Connecting to global markets

• a lack of harmonized import/export documentation procedures

• the requirement for transit fees and bonds
• verification and classification of goods
• varying procedures for issuance of certification marks, inspection and testing by
the different bureaus of standards in the region
• restrictions/bans on imports/exports to and from certain countries in the EAC,
even though trade is supposed to be free in the region
• the imposition of import quotas
• testing requirements on certain products from some countries and not others
(discrimination)
• cumbersome testing procedures for certain imports
• administrative levies
• corrupt practices.

Respondents also said that many institutions were involved in approving imports, and
varied certification and testing procedures and inspection of certificates of conformity
to international standards.

Respondents repeatedly referred to problems related to the transport of trade

goods. Notably, they referred to problems related to the varying application of axle
load specifications for trucks transiting through Kenya and to costs incurred
because of the presence of several weighbridges between the port of Mombasa and
Malaba/Busia and Namanga. 9 They also complained of numerous police roadblocks,
road toll charges, lengthy classification and valuation of import processes, different
border opening times and lengthy procedures for issuing work permits.

Non-tariff barriers and their impact on business

In evaluating the impact of NTBs on business we distinguished three categories
among the NTMs and procedural barriers reported in Figures 1 and 2:

• restrictive application of NTMs

• procedural obstacles related to ROO, and
• procedural obstacles related to the clearance of export goods documentation.

As a fourth category, we distinguished obstacles related to transit traffic and

trucking. These obstacles are typically not considered NTBs as they are not
discriminatory; nevertheless, they can have significantly negative impacts on trade.

The impact of these four categories on business was categorized from very severe
to no impact at all, as measured by percentage of respondents. However,
respondents were not able to quantify the impact of the NTMs on their business.
Barriers to trade: the case of Kenya 61

Figure 1 Classification of NTMs

Import measures Technical A Sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS)

(A-O) measures B Technical barriers to trade (TBT)

Non-technical C Pre-shipment inspection and other formalities

measures D Price control measures
E Licences, quotas, prohibition and other quantity
control measures
F Charges, taxes and other para-tariff measures
G Finance measures
H Anti-competitive measures
I Trade-related investment measures)
J Distribution restrictions
K Restrictions on post-sales services
L Subsidies (excluding export subsidies)
M Government procurement restrictions
N Intellectual property
O Rules of origin
P Export-related measures (including export subsidies)

Export measures Q Export-related measures

Source: UNCTAD ([Link]

Figure 2 Procedural obstacles classification

Procedural obstacle A. Arbitrariness e.g. behaviour

or inconsistency of public officials

B. Discriminatory e.g. favouring local

behaviour suppliers

C. Inefficiency e.g. excessive documentation

or obstructions requirement

e.g. inadequate information

D. Non-transparency
on laws regulations/registration

E. Legal issues e.g. lack of enforcement

F. Unusually high fees e.g. stamps, testing

or charges or other services

Source: UNCTAD ([Link]

62 Connecting to global markets

Restrictive application of non-tariff measures

On the extent of severity of NTMs, the study found that product export/import bans,
discriminatory sourcing and trade monopolies had a very severe impact on business
in Kenya. All respondents reported that product export and import bans had a severe
impact on their business. A large majority (83.3 per cent) considered discriminatory
sourcing as having a very severe impact on their business; only 16 per cent reported
this as having no impact. Two-thirds (66.7 per cent) of respondents said that trade
monopolies had a very severe impact on their business, while 33.3 per cent said that
they had no impact.

These categories were followed in terms of severity by distribution constraints and

technical quality standards, and import and export permits and licences. Distributional
constraints and technical quality standards were cited by 83.3 per cent of
respondents as having a severe impact on their business. Two-thirds (66.7 per cent)
of respondents regarded import and export permits and licences as having a severe
impact on their business, with 33.3 per cent reporting these as having no impact.

Fifty per cent reported SPS measures as having a severe impact on their business.

Sixty-six per cent of respondents reported non-automatic licensing as having no

impact on their business.

Procedural obstacles related to rules of origin

For the purposes of this study, procedural obstacles related to ROO were classified
as non-acceptance of certificate of origin, arbitrary product classification and corrupt
practices. Non-acceptance of certificates of origin was reported by 56 per cent of
respondents as having a severe impact on their business, and by 43.8 per cent as
having no impact. More than two-thirds (71.7 per cent) reported arbitrary product
classification as having a severe impact on their business; only 28.3 per cent
reported this as having no impact. As for corrupt practices, 85.7 per cent of
respondents reported that these have a severe impact on their business.

Hence, in terms of ROO and their impact on business in Kenya, corrupt practices
were considered to have a very severe impact on business, followed by arbitrary
product classification.

Procedural obstacles related to the clearance of export of goods

documentation
The documentation for the clearance of export of goods was comprised of
administrative levies, arbitrary or multiple documentation, lengthy classification and
Barriers to trade: the case of Kenya 63

valuation of the export processes, and corrupt practices. Fifty per cent of respondents
reported administrative levies as having a severe impact on their business and an
equal proportion reported this as having no impact. All respondents reported that
arbitrary or multiple documentation procedures had a severe impact on their business.
Furthermore, respondents reported that lengthy classification (83.3 per cent), lengthy
clearance processes and valuation of export processes (83.3 per cent), and corrupt
practices (83.3 per cent) had all severely impacted on their business.

Corruption, reported by 83.3 per cent of respondents as having a severe impact on

their business, acts as a form of tax, hence reducing respondents’ profits, increasing
the cost of production or hindering the movement of their goods, mainly from the
port of Mombasa, to the location where production or sale takes place.

Transit traffic and trucking

This category consists of:

• uncompetitive port entry taxes and charges

• inefficient operations
• variable weighbridges
• road toll charges
• variable border opening times
• variable documentation requirements
• police roadblocks
• corrupt practices related to roadblocks.

All respondents reported that uncompetitive port entry taxes and charges had
severe impact on their business. Two-thirds (66.7 per cent) reported inefficient port
operations as having severe impact on their business, while 33 per cent reported this
to have no impact.

Weighbridges are a common feature in Kenya between the port of Mombasa and
the border towns. They are supposed to ensure that vehicles carry only the weight
recommended in their tare and gross weight specifications. Most respondents
(83.3 per cent) said that variable weighbridges had severe impact on their business.
All respondents reported road toll charges had severe impact on their business.

It is not uncommon to find long queues of transit trucks at the Malaba/Busia border
stretching for more than a kilometre, waiting to be cleared to enter Uganda. This is
mainly precipitated by different border opening times. Variable border opening times
were reported by 83.3 per cent of respondents as having a severe impact on their
business, while 16.7 per cent said that they had no impact.
64 Connecting to global markets

All respondents said that variable documentation requirements, numerous police

roadblocks and corrupt practices had severely impacted on their business.

Ranking of barriers to trade

When asked to rank which measures had the most negative impact on their
business, the respondents ranked the restrictive application of NTMs first, followed
by procedural obstacles related to ROO, procedural obstacles related to the
clearance of export of goods documentation, and transit traffic and trucking issues.

Changes in the impact of non-tariff barriers on business over time

The average non-official payment per shipment was Ksh. 1 million, 100 per cent
higher than in 2009 when the first version of this survey was conducted. Just as in
2009, it was found that 50 per cent of this amount was usually given to customs
officials, 30 per cent to port officials and 20 per cent to police officers. The annual
value of waste due to breakage or spoilage in transit had also more than doubled,
from Ksh. 600,000 to Ksh. 1.3 million. Of this, 45 per cent was attributed to delays in
customs/issuance of permits, 40 per cent to quarantine delays and 20 per cent to
border transit delays.

The study also found that the average waiting time for a business licence for an
export/import business was two weeks, down from three weeks in 2009. The
waiting period for foreigners looking for a work permit had not changed; it took one
week, on average, to get a work permit, just as in 2009.

The average number of ungazetted roadblocks between the port of Mombasa and
the border towns of Malaba/Busia or Namanga remained at 12 and the truckers
spent, on average, an hour at each of the roadblocks. They also paid Ksh. 5,000, on
average, in non-official fees to the police officers at each roadblock. The truckers
said that it takes three or four days, on average, to pass through customs at the
Malaba/Busia border crossing, but it took two days to cross the Namanga border to
Tanzania. The truckers also claimed to pass through three weighbridges between
Mombasa and the border towns and spent five hours, on average, at each
weighbridge, but this was worse at the Mlolongo (near Nairobi) and Mariakani (near
Mombasa) weighbridges.

4.4 Survey findings: public agencies

The public agencies included in this study are those mainly involved in coordination
of the various trade-related activities that fall under their mandate. These agencies
Barriers to trade: the case of Kenya 65

are supposed to implement the rules and regulations that are considered to be
NTMs (see Table 1 – Appendix). They are also the agencies supposed to ensure
that NTMs are not discriminatory or not applied in a discriminatory way. In other
words, they are supposed to ensure that NTMs do not represent NTBs.

Interviewees in these agencies did not consider justified the claim by respondents in
the private agencies that documentation requirements were arbitrary. However,
most of those interviewed in the public agencies agreed that the regulatory
authorities had not harmonized test certificates and procedures because different
regulatory authorities were responsible for different procedures. They contended
that the documentation required for the various imported products is clarified on
various websites and therefore the traders were expected to familiarize themselves
with them. They also denied the claim from private sector respondents that there
were non-official payments to police and customs officials.

Eighty per cent of the public agency respondents said that the aim of the rigorous
regulations enforced by customs officials was mainly the generation of revenue.
However, 90 per cent denied that the pre-shipment verification of conformity
(PVOC) programme was a hindrance to trade. Instead, they argued that those
measures were applied to protect domestic consumers and facilitate trade by
ensuring that all products which meet the quality requirements are cleared first.

About 50 per cent of public agency respondents agreed that there were
discriminatory applications of SPS measures such as bans issued on certain
products from some countries and not others. Thirty per cent said that the SPS
certificates accompanying goods from the exporter’s country were, in most cases,
not mutually recognized, resulting in arbitrary documentation requirements because
the regulators involved had not signed the mutual recognition agreements.

Eighty per cent of these respondents said that high transit fees, roadblocks, axle
load requirements, gross vehicle mass, weighbridges and so on are the result of both
multiple overlapping laws and structures and the need to raise revenue. All the
respondents also argued that the roadblocks, axle load rules and weighbridges were
necessary because of security issues and to prevent vehicles from overloading and
spoiling the roads, or even offloading and diverting some or all of the transit goods
into the local market.

Respondents denied that delays in clearance of goods at customs and delays in

exporting are the result of customs departments’ staff having a poor understanding
of the ROO. Instead, 80 per cent of respondents argued that such delays were due
to a lack of institutional capacity, poor staffing levels, poor infrastructure and
insufficient human resources.
66 Connecting to global markets

All respondents agreed that multiple documentation requirements by different

administrative structures was a consequence of lack of harmonization, but denied
that the cumbersome inspection procedures and non-acceptance of certificates of
origin were aimed at protecting local industry.

4.5 Conclusions and recommendations

It is clear that, although the EAC is committed to the removal of non-tariff barriers,
the NTMs that still exist in Kenya are not transparent, are discriminative, are not
scientifically based and generally act as barriers to trade. NTMs have led to an
increase in the cost of doing business as attested by the findings, mainly from the
private agencies. However, the public agencies do not consider what the private
agencies call NTBs to be real barriers to trade because, in their view, they are more
concerned with implementing government policy.

This study has shown that restrictive application of NTMs, followed by the application
of ROO, procedural obstacles to the clearance of export of goods documentation,
and transit traffic and trucking issues, in that order, have severe impacts on business
in Kenya. Notably, delays at ports and weighbridges, and non-official payments to
port officials and police officials have led to heavy losses for private businesses.

The experience in many countries is that, as tariffs are reduced, non-tariff barriers to
trade increase since they are one way in which governments can collect revenue.
If the implementation of the Protocol on the Establishment of the East African
Community Customs Union is to progress, and if intra-trade in the EAC region is to
be improved, however, it is important that NTBs be eliminated or reduced.

It is important to reduce transaction costs to trade. To reduce delays in clearance

and to improve operations at the ports of Mombasa, Malaba/Busia and Namanga in
handling both imports and exports, there is a need to increase port efficiency, and
this responsibility falls under the Kenya Ports Authority. This would imply, for
instance, the improvement of ICT and energy infrastructure. This would entail
computerizing all operations and retraining staff at these ports and also improving
energy infrastructure, since, with computerization, there is need for a constant flow
of power as power failures can also lead to delays in clearance and inefficiency.

In order to facilitate the easy movement of goods from Mombasa to their destination,
road infrastructure needs to be improved. The numerous weighbridges should be
removed, since trucks can be weighed at the ports of entry and exit; hence, there is
no need to weigh the sealed trucks between the ports. This would mean coming up
with an innovative method of sealing the trucks and computerizing the information
Barriers to trade: the case of Kenya 67

on the types and amount of goods that the trucks are carrying at the port of entry,
and this could be verified at the point of exit. This would require the Ministries of
Energy, Infrastructure and Internal Security to work together to achieve this.

The EAC partner states should also consider improving the railway network
throughout the region to reduce the heavy reliance on the already dilapidated road
network. Transit trucks have been found to contribute to the perennial and heavy
traffic jams along the Mombasa road.

There is a need to seal the loopholes that allow for corrupt practices to thrive not
only at the entry and exit points but also in the interior, which has led to Kenya’s bad
record in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. 10 This would
entail the Kenya Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission dismantling the corruption
cartels at the ports.

As this study has shown, EAC partner states have different bureaus of standards.
Engaging mutual recognition agreements and accreditation processes is important
in order for different regulators to accept each other’s conformity assessment
procedures. This would require the Kenyan Ministry of Industrialization to liaise with
the corresponding ministries in the partner states. Partner states, including Kenya,
should consider harmonizing not only the documentation procedures with their
trading partners, and reducing the lengthy clearance procedures that frustrate trade,
but also road transport policy, and adopting a common regulatory regime for road
transport aimed at raising quality standards and improving safety.

Finally, private business needs to familiarize itself with the rules and regulations set
up for various products under the laws of Kenya and other partner states regarding
conformity with required SPS standards and the various documents required by
each country for entry and exit of different types of goods. Increased familiarity with
these rules and regulations would contribute to a reduction in the waiting period for
business permits.
68 Connecting to global markets

Appendix

Table 1 Rules and regulations which can be classified as NTMs,

their sources and agencies

Rules and regulations NTM source Ministry/department/agency

Certificate of origin East African Customs Union Kenya Revenue Authority,
Protocol 2007 Kenya Bureau of Standards,
Ministry of Finance

Prohibition of trade practices Restrictive Trade Practices, Ministry of Finance

to repress competition Monopolies and Price Control Act
(Cap. 504)

Plant import permit (PIP) Plant Protection Act (Cap. 324) KEPHIS/KEBS Ministry of
phytosanitary certificate Agricultural Produce Act (Export Agriculture
requirements Import – (Cap. 319 and Cap. 320)

Fish movement permit Fisheries Act (Cap. 378) Petroleum oils (2709)
Ban on beef and beef Food Safety Department of Department of Veterinary
products from Uganda Veterinary Services (DVS) Services
and USA

Vehicle importation KS 1515:2000 quality standard Kenya Bureau of Standards,

Age limit Traffic Act (Cap. 403) Ministry of Transport
Left-hand-drive vehicles
Roadworthiness
Intellectual property rights The Industrial Property Act Kenya Industrial Property
(Cap. 509) Institute, Ministry of Trade
Anti-piracy security device Copyright Act (Cap. 130) State Law Office
Metrology Trade Descriptions Act 2004 Department of Weights and
Measures, Ministry of Trade
Trademark and brand Trademarks Act (Cap. 506) Ministry of Trade
registration
Import permits on meat, dairy, Dairy Industry Act (Cap. 336) Kenya Dairy Board, KEBS,
poultry and their products Meat Control Act (Cap. 356) DVS, Kenya Port Authority
Animal Diseases Act (Cap. 364) Health officials

Import ban on Ugandan Animal Diseases Act (Cap. 364) DVS, Ministry of Livestock
day-old chicks Development, Ministry of
Agriculture

Varying inspection Public Health Act (Cap. 242) Ministry of Health, Ministry of
requirements and testing Radiation Protection Act (Cap.243) Health, KEBS
(in the case of irradiated foods)
Food, Drugs and Chemical
Substances Act (Cap. 254)

Pesticide contaminant Pest Control and Products Act PCPB, Ministry of Agriculture,
regulations (Cap. 346) KEBS, KEPHIS
Seed certification Seed and Plant Varieties Act KEPHIS, Ministry of Agriculture
(Cap. 326)
Bio-safety Act 2009
Barriers to trade: the case of Kenya 69

Table 1 Rules and regulations which can be classified as NTMs,

their sources and agencies (continued)

Rules and regulations NTM source Ministry/department/agency

Orange certificate of the Plant Protection Act (Cap. 324) KEPHIS, Ministry of Agriculture
International Seed Testing
Association

Food additives regulations Food, Drugs and Chemical Ministry of Health, KEBS
Substances Act (Cap. 254)
KS 660 (Guidelines to the safe
use of food additives)

Import Standardization Mark Standards Act (Cap. 496), section KEBS, Ministry of
(ISM) 10, Certificate of Conformity Industrialization

Best before date regulation Food, Drugs and Chemical KEBS, Ministry of
Substances Act (Cap. 254) Industrialization

Medicine import permits and Kenya National Drug Policy of 2006 Ministry of Health, Ministry of
certificate of registration Pharmacy and Poisons Act (Cap. 244) Trade
The Industrial Property Act (Cap. 509)

Import permits, Certificate Bio-safety Act 2009 KEPHIS, Ministry of Agriculture

of Analysis of GMOs

Import licence The Customs and Excise Act Ministry of Trade, Kenya
(Cap. 472) Revenue Authority

Axle load specifications Legal Notice No. 118 of the Traffic Ministry of Transport
Act (Cap. 403)

Weighbridges Traffic Act (Cap. 403) Ministry of Transport,

Ministry of Roads,
Kenya Revenue Authority

Gross vehicle mass Traffic Act (Cap. 403) Ministry of Transport,

Ministry of Roads,
Kenya Revenue Authority

Transit licences/bonds/fees Traffic Act (Cap. 403) Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya
for goods Revenue Authority, Ministry of
Transport

Police roadblocks Traffic Act (Cap. 403) Ministry of Transport,

Ministry of Internal Security

Truck entrance fees and Traffic Act (Cap. 403) Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya
short grace periods Revenue Authority, Ministry of
Transport

Permits for refuelling Kenyan Citizenship and Immigration Kenya Revenue Authority,
Act (Cap. 172) Ministry of Finance

Multiple police roadblocks Traffic Act (Cap. 403) Ministry of Transport,

and mobile control along Ministry of Internal Security
the transit routes
70 Connecting to global markets

Table 1 Rules and regulations which can be classified as NTMs,

their sources and agencies (continued)

Rules and regulations NTM source Ministry/department/agency

Horticulture export permit Horticulture Produce Export Act Horticultural Crops Development
(Cap. 319) Authority (HCDA)

Horticulture phytosanitary Horticulture Produce Export Act KEPHIS, HCDA

certificate for exports (Cap. 319)

Horticulture certificate of Pest Control and Products Act Ministry of Agriculture, HCDA,
conformity to traceability of (Cap. 346) PCPB, KEBS, KEPHIS, Ministry
produce, hygiene, maximum Food, Drugs and Chemical of Health
residual levels, good Substances Act (Cap. 254)
agricultural practices and KS 660 (Guidelines to the safe
proper post-harvest handling use of food additives)
procedures

Export permit for Mining Act (Cap. 306) Commissioner of Mines

mineral-based products and Geology

Administrative complexity of The Customs and Excise Act Kenya Ports Authority, Ministry
formalities in release and (Cap. 472) of Roads, Ministry of Transport,
clearance of goods Kenya Ports Authority Act (Cap. 391) Kenya Revenue Authority

Work permits Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Ministry of Immigration

Act (Cap. 172) and Registration of Persons,
Ministry of Labour

Port charges The Customs and Excise Act Kenya Revenue Authority,
(Cap. 472) Kenya Port Authority
Kenya Ports Authority Act (Cap. 391)

Labelling requirements Food Drugs and Chemical KEBS, Ministry of Health

Substances Act (Cap. 254)
Pharmacy and Poisons Act
(Cap. 244)
Standards Act (Cap. 496)

Translation of documents The Registration of Documents Act Ministry of Education

(Cap. 285) (Commission for Higher
Education), KRA, Ministry
of Finance, Ministry of Trade

Preference given to Kenyans Public Procurements and Disposal Ministry of Finance

in the tendering process up Act 2005
to Ksh. 50 million in respect
of goods or services and up
to Ksh. 200 million for works

Source: Kenya Law Reports ([Link]

Barriers to trade: the case of Kenya 71

Endnotes

1. This chapter is a revised version of Kiriti Nganga, T. W. (2012). The data for this chapter was
collected in December 2012 while the data for the original paper was collected in 2009.

2. See also WTO (2012) on the distinction between non-tariff barriers and non-tariff measures.

3. See Appendix Figure 1.

4. As reflected in the classification of procedural obstacles in Appendix Figure 2.

5. This study was conducted in December 2012 before the number of ministries was reduced
from 42 to 18 in April 2013.

6. Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community (1999), Article 74.

7. Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community (1999), Article 5.

8. We were not able to interview state firms that are involved in business to see whether they also
face the same obstacles and how they impact on their business.

9. These are the border towns that connect Kenya and Uganda and facilitate transit of goods to
Burundi, Congo and Rwanda.

10. Kenya was ranked 139/176 with a score of 27/100 in 2012.

Bibliography

East African Community (EAC), Secretariat (2001), The second EAC development strategy
2001–2005. Retrieved from [Link]
view&gid=3&Itemid=163

Kiriti Nganga, T. W. (2012), “Non-tariff measures in Kenya: A Case Study” in T. W. Kiriti Nganga
and J. A. Okelo (Eds.), Trade discourse in Kenya: Some topical issues, Vol. 1, Nairobi, University
of Nairobi, pp. 84-97.

Nicita, A. and J. Gourdon (2013), A preliminary analysis on newly collected data on non-tariff
measures, Geneva, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Policy
Issues in International Trade and Commodities Study Series No. 53.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (2010), Non-tariff

measures: Evidence from selected developing countries and future research agenda, United
Nations, New York and Geneva, Developing Countries in International Trade Studies.
5 SPS standards and international
competitiveness in Africa: the case of
Senegal
Ahmadou Aly Mbaye and Adama Gueye*

5.1 Introduction

Despite a steady decline in its share of GDP and exports, the agricultural sector
continues to play an important role in African economies, and in Senegal in particular,
where it employs approximately 60 per cent of the labour force. It accounts for a
quarter of national public investment, but contributed only 6 per cent to GDP
between 2000 and 2009 (Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances du Sénégal,
2011). Horticulture is one of the promising sectors, as can be observed not only
from a rapid growth strategy but also from many national agricultural development
strategies, because of the vast range of products included and the high level of
income it generates for producers, especially in urban and suburban areas. In
addition, Senegal has both a favourable climate and a good geographical position for
the export of tropical off-season products. These factors have enabled the country
to increase the production and export of fruit and vegetables significantly.
Horticultural production has experienced a boom over the last ten years, increasing
from about 150,000 to 228,000 metric tons between 1992 and 2000 and to
429,000 metric tons in 2007, an increase of 5.5 per cent per year. In 2008, the
production of vegetables (excluding potatoes and fresh tomatoes) recorded a
growth rate of 8 per cent and the production of fruit experienced a growth rate of
81 per cent. Accordingly, exports have increased from 6,175 metric tons in 1995 to
9,000 metric tons in 2000 and 31,000 metric tons in 2009, an increase of about
5.5 per cent per year. The main target markets for exports are neighbouring
countries and the European Union (Ndoye-Niane, 2004; Senegal, National Agency
of Statistics and Demography, 2006–2010).

* We are grateful to Mustapha Sadni Jallab, Fatou Guèye and participants in the WTO Chairs
Programme side event during the Fourth Global Review of Aid for Trade (July 2013), including His
Excellency Mr. Alioune Sarr, the Senegalese Minister of Trade, Entrepreneurship, and the Informal
Sector, for helpful comments on an earlier draft of this chapter. The contents of this chapter are the
sole responsibility of the authors and are not meant to represent the position or opinions of the WTO
or its members.

73
74 Connecting to global markets

However, for horticulture as well as for other agricultural products, the main constraint
on exports remains the non-compliance with quality standards, including sanitary and
phytosanitary (SPS) standards (Mbaye, 2005). The aflatoxin contamination in peanuts,
excess levels of pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables, calibration problems and
treatment for gum arabic are obstacles to exports of Senegal’s agricultural products.
In addition to price competitiveness, quality standards are a challenge for agriculture in
Senegal. Unsustainable production practices, which often result from low levels of
training and information available to producers, continue to prevail on a large scale in
the agricultural sector in Senegal. According to available data in the horticultural
sector in the suburban area of Dakar, only 27 per cent of producers are aware of
sustainable practices in horticultural production (Gueye, 2009).

The horticultural industry is particularly threatened by a considerable loss of

performance due to the high levels of pest contamination. As a result, even when all the
agro-climatic conditions are met, a good harvest is not guaranteed. In response to this,
the over-use of pesticides often remains the first option to eliminate parasites. A wide
range of pesticides is being used to fight against pests and diseases in the Niayes area.
Some pesticides (methamidophos, dicofol, dimethoate, malathion, Tamaron, batik,
dursban and sulphur) are known for their high efficiency over a large range of different
kinds of pests. Other ranges of pesticides are also effective, but their scope is generally
more limited, not exceeding one or two pests. Whatever their nature, the over-use of
pesticides today is a real threat to the quality of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a real
danger to public health. Pesticides are often applied just before harvest and prescribed
doses are rarely maintained. This explains why pesticide residues are often found in
fresh fruit and vegetables in abnormal doses (Cissé and Fall, 2001).

This chapter seeks to assess the impact of pesticide use on the international
competitiveness of the horticultural products of Senegal, using the Ricardian theory
of comparative advantage. The model will be adjusted to capture quality as a
determinant of export. The chapter is organized as follows: Section 5.2 reviews the
SPS standards governing world trade in horticultural products. Section 5.3 presents
a review of the literature on the concepts of price competitiveness and quality
competitiveness. The conceptual framework of the research is presented in Section
5.4, followed by the results of the model in Section 5.5.

5.2 SPS and trade of Senegalese horticultural products

In recent years, the public health implications of certain diseases of animal or

vegetable origin were widely publicized following the spread of some important
epidemic and epizootic diseases, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
and certain diseases related to the H1N1 virus.
SPS standards and international competitiveness in Africa: the case of Senegal 75

The application of the SPS measures has resulted in an increasing need and interest
by governments to regulate international trade in ways to protect the health and
well-being of the consumer. Originally, the application of standards was limited to
homogenized products marketed but it has gradually been transformed into rules to
protect the health of consumers. In order to maintain or increase their market shares,
many private companies have gradually developed strategies to meet consumer
demand and have increased the differentiation of their products. Through this set of
requirements that directly affect the production process, many companies were able
to gain significant sales niches in global trade.

The WTO does not provide for quality standards (SPS) per se, but refers to existing
international standards. Its members are encouraged to ensure the application of
certain standards of quality, which include those related to the International Plant
Protection Convention (IPPC) for plant protection, the World Organisation for Animal
Health (OIE) and Codex Alimentarius for food security. The latter organization was
founded in 1963 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It sets standards, guidelines and
codes of practice to protect the health of consumers and to ensure best practices in
food trade. It should be noted, however, that there is no body for the international
harmonization of the implementation of these standards and thus they are subject to
quite different regulations in different countries. On the European market, which is
the main destination for Senegalese products, three organizations are involved in the
design and implementation of European legislation: the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE); the European Union (EU), which, through its
Parliament and Commission defines recommendations, directives and regulations
which are Commission rules; and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD), which ratifies the UNECE texts and publishes explanatory
brochures on regulatory texts for the bodies (European Union, 2001).

The issue of pesticide residues has become a hot topic over the past several years in
Europe. Many guidelines have been established in connection with the definition of
maximum residue limits (MRLs) allowed. European legislation has set limits on
pesticide content depending on the type of product: fruit and vegetables, cereals, food
of animal origin and others. MRLs are not yet fixed at the same level in different
countries, as each country is free to change national legislation guidelines. It was not
until 2005 that MRLs were harmonized for all member countries and all food products.

In Senegal, a study supervised by the Senegalese Agricultural Research Institute

(ISRA) and another study by Fondation CERES-Locustox (CLX) (2008) on the issue
of pesticide residues on horticultural products in the Niayes area revealed significant
discrepancies between MRLs and the levels of residues of chemical pesticides
found in vegetables grown in the Dakar urban periphery (see Table 1).
76 Connecting to global markets

Table 1 Comparison of MRLs and the levels of contamination observed in

horticultural production in the area of Les Niayes (standard unit
measurement)

Cabbages Eggplant Lettuce Tomato Onions

Pesticide Residues LMR Residues LMR Residues LMR Residues LMR Residues LMR

Deltamethrine 0.2 0.1 0.13 0.1

Dicofol 0.04 0.02 0.18 0.02 0.07 0.02 0.03 0.02
Methamidophos 0.06 0.01 0.06 0.01 0.14 0.1 0.06 0.01 0.07 0.01
Manèbé 5.12 1 3.63 2 9.10 5

Source: ISRA, Codex Alimentarius.

The Fondation CERES-Locustox (2008) study revealed the presence of five

organophosphorus pesticides and eight organochlorine pesticides on vegetables
in the market. Among these were cited pesticides such as dieldrin, DDT
(dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), aldrin and heptachlor, which are on the list of “the
banned twelve” of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
(POPs). Other pesticides commonly used in locust control have also been found in
samples analysing vegetables: ethyl chlorpyrifos, malathion and fenitrothion.

In terms of public interventions, there is also a real deficiency in government

agencies responsible for the implementation of SPS standards in agricultural and
agro-food activities. Despite the existence of an important legal mechanism that
regulates the use of pesticides and the implications for some donors in bringing
about relevant regulatory procedures, Senegalese horticultural products still face
barriers to SPS standards for market access in the EU (Gueye, 2009). Alternative
methods of prevention and fighting against parasites were tested through several
development projects. These methods apply both to the adoption of sustainable
production routes and the use of biological pesticides, but they are mostly ineffective
and also very expensive. Moreover, the inputs necessary for their implementation are
not always available in the domestic market.

5.3 Price competitiveness versus quality competitiveness:

a brief survey of the literature

Despite the preponderance of analyses of international competitiveness based on

price and production costs, the issue of quality emerges increasingly as an anchor
point in determining the performance of countries in terms of exports and market
share (Henson et al., 2002). Due to the consideration of quality as a strategy for
product differentiation, the international market for agricultural products is becoming
SPS standards and international competitiveness in Africa: the case of Senegal 77

more and more like a monopolistic form of competition, whereby product

differentiation gives way to niche markets for producers. The strategy, for a company,
is to provide a product that is distinct from that of its competitors. Differentiation can
also be the result of a marketing and advertising campaign targeting consumer
preferences (subjective differentiation) (Lancaster, 1979).

The implementation of this differentiation is related to the existence of a real value

chain in which different actors are linked by flows of goods and information. Diemer
(2001) noted that the main objective of the farmer is primarily to market products
likely to generate a positive margin. These margins reflect price competitiveness
(productivity, exchange rate) or competitiveness not related to price (innovation,
quality and organization).

Since Akerlof (1970), economists tend to predict that, when quality is mastered, the
low-quality products tend to crowd out the market areas of high quality. Thus, if we
consider the decision of a consumer to buy a product, when they are not sure of its
quality, they will not pay more than the expected quality.

Fleckinger (2007) studies “experience goods” which are goods consumed by the
consumers themselves or by experts. One speaks of an “experience good” when the
consumer buys in a repetitive way: after experiencing the poor quality of the product,
the consumer will make a decision and then replace the product with another
product or will make a decision not to buy the product any longer. However, this
requires, first, that the consumer’s relationship with the producer is a long-term one
and, secondly, that the producer’s firm is identified with every purchase.

The latter condition fails if there is a lack of traceability, if the consumer has a limited
memory, or if the frequency of purchases is low. In the case of limited information,
the public signal becomes an important remedy. This signal can be provided by
experts or by a certification by buyers who come from different types of consumer
networks. There are two distinct classes of “experience goods”. In the first class, the
consumer knows the producer. In the second class, the consumer does not know the
producer and it will be very costly for the consumer to identify the producer.
Agricultural products correspond to the second class. When goods are imported,
identifying the producer of a particular good can be very expensive for the consumer,
who tends to impute the collective reputation of such types of goods. Rouvière and
Soubeyran (2008) give two aspects of collective reputation:

• the producers are still under the influence of the behaviour of others amongst them
• the collective reputation can be underpinned by a bonus system that would
encourage good practices in some industries.
78 Connecting to global markets

Tirole (1996) considers the collective reputation to be the aggregate of individual

reputations. According to Winfree and McCluskey (2005), collective reputation is a
collective property of the companies involved. In markets with collective reputation it
is difficult to maintain high quality production. Akerlof (1970), in his famous article
on “lemons”, interprets this as a characterization of the danger of the collective
reputation in the market for used cars.

5.4 How to predict the level of exports subject to quality

limitation: a conceptual framework

The Ricardian model focuses on labour productivity and labour costs as determinants
of comparative advantage. Relative unit labour cost (c) of sector i for country j, with
respect to country k, is defined (Golub and Hsieh, 2000; Mbaye and Golub, 2007)
as:

cijk = aijwij/aikwikejk (1)

Where (1/a) is the marginal productivity of labour, w is the wage rate and e is the
bilateral exchange rate between the two countries. According to the basic Ricardian
model, country j will specialize in the production of good i for which cijk<1, and
country k in the production of good i for which cijk>1. Using this analytical framework,
Mbaye and Golub (2007) study the competitiveness of Senegalese industry using
two indicators: relative unit labour cost (RULC) and the relative producer price (RPP).
This article is an extension of their 2002 study on the measurement of competitiveness
based on RULCs. The RPP indicator they use is measured as follows:

ePij
PCi = (2)
Pik

Pi is the producer price of sectors in country j and k respectively. Mbaye and Golub
(2007) conclude that the two measures of competitiveness are strongly correlated.
Using their specification of exports, adjusting prices for quality and log-linearizing
yields:

log(EXAGit) = α log(CA) + β log(WDEMi) + log(QUALI) + εit (3)

EXAG is the real agricultural export and CA is the index of price competitiveness,
measured alternatively as ULC (unit labour costs) and PP (producer prices). WDEMi
is the global demand for good i. Finally, QUALI is an index of quality.
SPS standards and international competitiveness in Africa: the case of Senegal 79

For each horticultural speculation considered, and for each country, ULC indices and
PP indices are computed. The level of world aggregated imports was used for each
speculation as a proxy of global aggregate demand for each product.

The model was estimated using ordinary least squares (OLS) and the results are
presented in Table 2. A potential problem is that, when quality is low, exports are
dramatically discouraged and can even turn out to be nil when exported goods fail to
meet international standards. Hence, the export variable is censored and OLS
regressions are likely to be biased. To address this issue, the Tobit two-stage
estimation technique (Heckman, 1979) with a two-stage regression is used. First,
the probability is estimated of having a non-nil level of exports:

z*i = wi γ + μi (selection equation) (4)

where z*i is the probability of having a positive level of exports in a binary setting.

The second stage regression is done using the following equation:

yi = xi β + εi (substantive equation) (5)

with yi observable only when the level of exports is different from zero.

The Heckman two-stage procedure consists of first estimating regression parameters

using a maximum likelihood Probit model (selection equation), and then estimating a
substantive equation by OLS. Once the selection equation is estimated, the residuals
from this equation are used to form a new variable called the Inverse Mills Ratio
(IMR - λ). For each observation, λ is the instantaneous probability for this observation
to be excluded from the sample. When it is assumed that the error term is distributed
according to the standard normal distribution, λ is measured as the ratio of the
standard normal probability density function to the cumulative density function. Each
individual in the sample receives an individual IMR, based on the residual observed
for that individual in the selection equation. The IMR is included as an explanatory
variable in the substantive equation to correct for the bias associated with censoring
non-positive observations in equation (2) (Heckman, 1979, 1998). When the
dependant variable in the substantive equation is continuous, as in our case, the
Heckman method provides consistent estimates. But a major limitation of this
methodology is its great sensitivity to the quality of selection model specification. If
the model is not well specified, and the variables in the selection model do not
correctly predict level of exports according to quality limitation or to other factors,
then the method may have limited power to detect bias. The results of this procedure
are presented in Table 3.
Table 2 Estimation results obtained from Equation 3 80

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Variables Export Export Ln Ln Market Market Ln Ln Growth Growth Growth Growth Ln LMR
(Export) (Export) share share (Market (Market Rate Rate Rate Rate
share) share) EXP EXP_EXP EXP_EXP EXP_EXP
Producer price -41.8039* -0.0000*** -0.0025
(21.594) (0.000) (0.011)
Demand 0.0459*** 0.0470*** -0.0000*** -0.0000*** 0.0000 0.0000
(0.005) (0.005) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
Premium 35,341.1438** 35,933.0092** -0.0023 -0.0003 -6.3597 -6.9479
(14,537.662) (14,769.338) (0.006) (0.006) (7.046) (6.929)
Unit cost of -54,966.7049 -0.0668*** 16.9004
labour
(56,468.092) (0.024) (23.854)
Log (Producer -0.3080* -0.2447 -3.9051 -0.8785***
price)
(0.158) (0.173) (5.528) (0.179)
log (Demand) 0.3658*** 0.4476*** -0.7314*** -0.6231*** 3.6690 7.5904** -0.3622*** 0.3145***
(0.093) (0.109) (0.102) (0.118) (3.477) (3.779) (0.106) (0.117)
Log (Premium ) 0.1986*** 0.1868*** 0.1949*** 0.1863*** -1.5903 -1.1808 0.1778** 0.1516**
(0.061) (0.061) (0.067) (0.066) (2.188) (2.187) (0.069) (0.066)
Log (Cost of 0.0465 0.1033 5.1128* 0.8104***
labour unit)
(0.094) (0.103) (2.753) (0.101)
Constant -3,368.2925 -17,823.1397 5.3785*** 2.6574 0.0760** 0.0696* 6.1785*** 3.6695** 6.7280 4.4690 -23.2144 -80.4988* 4.9308** -6.3941***
(48,078.935) (71,028.717) (2.017) (1.687) (0.030) (0.042) (2.151) (1.774) (10.595) (9.105) (63.372) (47.207) (2.143) (1.514)
Observations 340 340 340 340 340 340 340 340 323 323 323 323 340 340
Number of 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
countries

Source: Authors' calculations based on econometric research.

Connecting to global markets

Note: One asterisk indicates significance at 10 per cent; two asterisks, significance at 5 per cent; and three asterisks, significance at 1 per cent.
SPS standards and international competitiveness in Africa: the case of Senegal 81

Table 3 The Heckman two-stage estimation of exports

Coef. Std. Error z-Stat P-value

Selection equation: Dependant variable =
log(export/VA)
log(cost of unit labor) 1.103 0.533 2.07 0.038
log(demand) 0.822 1.370 0.60 0.549
log(premium) 0.767 1.631 0.47 0.638
constant -2.098 3.256 -0.64 0.440
Substantive equation: Dependant variable =
log(export)
log(cost of unit labor) 0.137 0.099 1.38 0.168
log(demand) 0.410 0.148 2.78 0.005
constant -3.289 1.770 -1.86 0.063
Mills Inverse Ratio 0.818 1.606 0.51 0.579
Wald chi2 9.09
Prob > chi2 0.03
Observations 459
Censures observations 19

Source: Authors' calculations based on econometric research.

5.5 The results of the analysis

The data used in this study are mainly from the FAO database. Data on production,
prices, exports and global demand are from the United Nations Commodity Trade
Statistics database (UN Comtrade), data on exports are from the United Nations
Statistical Division database (UNdata), data on agricultural value added, intermediate
consumption, production, producer price index and employment are from the World
Bank, and data on wages are from the International Labour Organization (ILO).
These databases are very limited because of series that are often incomplete,
especially for African countries. Data were cross-checked as much as possible and
extrapolation methods were used to complete the series.

The analysis focuses on three main products exported by Senegal: mangos, green
beans and tomatoes. Senegal’s main competitors for these products are Burkina
Faso, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco and South Africa. A premium on quality is observed if
a country receives more compared with the price set in the international market
(Aiginger, 2001). This premium was estimated as the ratio between the unit price of
a given product and its world price. If the ratio is greater than 1, it means that the
country has benefited from a quality premium.
82 Connecting to global markets

Table 2 gives the estimation results obtained from Equation 3 above, with different
specifications. Exports are introduced alternatively in log or in share of value added.
Competitiveness indices are significant with the expected sign, as well as the
variable representing premium quality. This shows that, in addition to cost constraints
and price, variables related to quality are just as crucial for exports. Using the
Heckman two-stage methodology does not alter these conclusions. The use of such
methodology is made relevant by the fact that failure to comply with SPS standards
may result in lowering or even impeding exports. That is the case for many products
in African countries. Work by Mbaye (2005) shows that exports of confectionery
groundnut by Senegal are significantly limited by the high levels of contamination of
Senegalese products by aflatoxin. Of 60 thousand metric tons of confectionery
groundnut produced, less than a thousand metric tons actually pass the SPS
standards barriers to enter the European markets. The study further reveals that
most of this share is in fact destined for bird feeding instead of human consumption.
Likewise, pineapple juice produced in Benin, Togo and other West African countries
is hardly exported at all. Taking into account these zero export levels means that this
variable is censored, and using the Tobit method leads to the confirmation of the
results obtained with the baseline regressions. That is, while real exchange rate
variables have an important explanatory power on exports, quality variables are also
critical in determining a country’s international competitiveness.

The results of the baseline regression are displayed in Table 3. The Wald statistic is
9.09 for the baseline regression, so the hypothesis that all the regression coefficients
are zero is rejected. The selection equation was estimated using the whole set of
observations, including those which have a positive level of exports and those which do
not. For the second stage regression, only the observations from countries that have a
positive level of exports were used. The results indicate that, for the selection equation,
the exchange rate variable is significant while the world demand variable is not.

5.6 Conclusions and policy recommendations

This chapter has focused on quality competitiveness as opposed to price

competitiveness. Using the Ricardian comparative advantage framework adjusted
with a quality index, significant estimates for both sets of variables were observed.
These results are also robust to several alternative specifications. The methodology
was used on horticultural products, namely mangos, green beans and tomatoes, and
the sample countries were Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Senegal and
South Africa. Since observance of SPS standards is critical for exports of such
goods, exports can be impeded by failure to meet such standards. To take into
account this censored variable in some instances which might bias the estimates
when OLS are used, the study resorted to the Heckman two-stage estimation
SPS standards and international competitiveness in Africa: the case of Senegal 83

technique which confirmed the same significant relationships. This indicates that
quality is at least as critical as price variables in determining competitiveness and
exports. Hence, quality management should be given due attention in domestic trade
policies as well as in the Aid for Trade mechanism.

Clearly, Senegal has great potential to boost its horticultural production and exports if
the quality issue is properly addressed. According to FAO (1966), it is highly possible
for developing countries to diminish their levels of pesticide residue contamination
dramatically by sticking to some good practices which have been developed through
research. For example, by mixing biopesticides and chemical ones, producers may be
in a better position to meet most SPS requirements from importing countries.
Furthermore, studies on the pesticides industry in Senegal (Cissé and Fall, 2001)
reveal that most hazardous pesticides used in the country come from artisanal
production or imports of counterfeit pesticides. Hence, the Government should
develop its capabilities in investigating and cracking down on such activities.

In Senegal, a special unit within the Ministry of Agriculture, the Directorate of Plant
Protection (Direction de la protection des végétaux, DPV) is in charge of quality
inspection of horticultural production prior to its exportation. But it is under-funded
and under-equipped, and thus has difficulties fulfilling its mission. Support from both
the Government and donors could bring to DPV the necessary expertise and
instruments to carry out effective inspection for items destined for both domestic
consumption and export.

In order to address the SPS challenges facing horticultural exports, beyond

mitigating the uncontrolled use of pesticides, an appropriate policy of packaging of
goods is also needed. Products are, in general, sent abroad without proper
packaging, which further deteriorates their quality. Given the highly perishable
character of these products, a system of storage at the airport is needed to ensure
that they are not damaged during transportation to external markets. Such a facility
was set up at the airport in Dakar in 2012 but, regrettably, its limited capacity poses
a real constraint for the booming horticultural exports.

While these adjustments are needed on the supply side of fruit and vegetable exports,
efforts are also needed on the demand side. Most importing countries set their SPS
standards at very high levels, which are often difficult to meet by exporting developing
countries. Hence, rather than protecting consumers against health hazards, the reality
seems to point in the direction of SPS standards acting as non-tariff barriers.

To conclude, both importing and exporting countries should work together to ensure
that WTO rules are fully observed so as to guarantee consumer health and protection
while, at the same time, avoiding restrictions in trade.
84 Connecting to global markets

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6 Can developing countries use SPS
standards to gain access to markets?
The case of Mercosur1
Valentina Delich and Miguel Lengyel*

6.1 Introduction

The role of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards in agri-business has changed
over the past decade, from being a technical instrument to avoid the use of food
safety, animal and plant health measures for protectionist purposes to being a
competitive instrument in differentiated product markets (Reardon et al., 2001). The
change from mass markets to differentiated and niche markets for consumers with
higher purchasing power triggered this shift towards SPS measures as a strategic
tool for developing and differentiating markets, gaining market access, coordinating
the quality and safety of the food system and defining market niches for those
products. On the demand side, high-income consumers with varied and sophisticated
tastes have buttressed this change and, on the supply side, so have production,
processing and distribution technologies that allow for product differentiation and
market extension and segmentation (Reardon et al., 2001).

Governments in emerging markets face a dilemma with respect to SPS standards: if

they set “inclusive” standards for local firms, they do not incentivize the adjustment of
SPS standards to the more dynamic source of demand (the global market); on the
other hand, if governments create or accept higher, more “exclusive” standards, they
risk allowing only a few firms to access the global market. An additional challenge
comes from the fact that the privatization of standards will likely continue simply
because it gives competitive advantages in an increasingly contested market
(Reardon et al., 2001).

* The contents of this chapter are the sole responsibility of the authors and are not meant to
represent the position or opinions of the WTO or its members.

87
88 Connecting to global markets

Against this backdrop, how has Mercosur (Mercado Común del Sur or Southern
Common Market) dealt with this challenge? Has it been a working platform for
helping member countries to strengthen their standard-setting capacity? If so, what
have been the main dynamics? This chapter addresses these questions by exploring
two main issues: first, the key strategies of regulative integration in the SPS area of
Mercosur and, secondly, the “SPS standards dynamics” in terms of two selected
products, apples and rice.

6.2 Mercosur institutional architecture: creation and

dynamics of SPS norms

Mercosur’s Common Market Council (CMC) is charged with giving political direction
to the integration project, while its executive organ is the Common Market Group
(CMG) which, under its aegis, has created technical support groups: sub-working
groups (SGTs, according to its Spanish acronym) and technical committees (CTs).
In addition, when the customs union was established in 1994, authorities decided to
create the Mercosur Trade Commission (MTC) to deal with issues concerning the
customs union’s implementation. Three organs have the power to take binding
decisions, i.e. to create norms: the CMC, CMG and MTC. Most SPS norms are
“resolutions” dictated by the CMG.

The legislative process in Mercosur has three stages: the elaboration/negotiation of

the norm within technical groups, the approval of the project as a regional norm by
the CMG or CMC (depending on norm content), and the incorporation of the norm
into the domestic legal system by an administrative or legislative act (depending on
the requirements of the domestic juridical system). Mercosur has regulated in a
detailed way the process of norm building and approval at the regional level (CMC
Decision 20/02), has mandated norm internalization by the domestic legal system
(Ouro Preto Protocol) and has established that regional norms are not operative until
internalized by all members. However, crucially, it has not created specific
mechanisms or instances to monitor jointly how members implement regional norms
at the domestic level. In addition to being a problem for Mercosur’s transparency and
the information at its disposal in making informed decisions, this lack of a monitoring
mechanism makes the gathering of information on the impact of the regional regime
on members more difficult.

Although three organs are entitled to create norms (CMC, CMG and MTC), most
norms are the result of work by the technical bodies. There has not been a case
where, for instance, the CMG has changed the technical content of an SPS norm.
Also, in practice (at least in respect of SPS norms), some stages foreseen by Decision
20/02 are not complied with, in order to speed up the decision-making process.
Can developing countries use SPS standards to gain access to markets? The case of Mercosur 89

This occurs particularly with the domestic consultation process that, in practice,
takes place only for a few days (shorter than was foreseen). Although this could give
the impression that Mercosur’s norms creation process is detached from national
institutional structures and influences, that is not the case. On the contrary, specific
instances of national consultation are not crucial because Mercosur delegates are
national officers whose main work is at the national level within national structures.
Each regional officer is, basically, a national officer who participates in a regional
process. Thus, national officers directly impact on and participate in the process of
creation of the regional norms since those officers are part of national ministries,
secretariats, health protection services – in sum, all agencies that carry forward
national SPS policies.

It is worth noting that there is no such thing as a Mercosur SPS policy; the mandate
is meant not to obstruct trade unjustifiably, and to harmonize norms if required.

The need to strengthen Mercosur’s institutional architecture, in particular its norm

creation and implementation mechanisms, has been widely documented both by
scholars and in official Mercosur documents. 2 The main problem remains the gap
between created norms and internalized norms (or, to put it slightly differently,
between created and implemented commitments).

With regard to SPS policy at Mercosur level, at least three Mercosur members
(Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay) have reasonably good SPS services; as they are very
efficient global food and agricultural exporters, they are usually reluctant to set apart
their national practices and standards. In addition, it is worthwhile stressing that in
the SPS field, particularly in relation to SPS rules or disciplines (as opposed to
standards), the WTO has been, and is, very influential on the Mercosur SPS norm
framework and on Mercosur members. Accordingly, in this chapter we will first
review Mercosur dynamics at the regional level with regard to national policies,
tackling the issue of standards, then move on to the impact and role of the WTO SPS
Agreement on and with regard to Mercosur, tackling the issue of rules.

The 1991 Treaty of Asunción (Mercosur’s founding treaty) foresees the creation of a
common market, establishing that members should achieve free circulation of goods,
services and factors of production. Free circulation of goods, a central pillar of the
economic integration process, would be achieved by the elimination of both tariff and
non-tariff barriers or equivalent restrictions. The Treaty considers “restrictions” (or non-
tariff barriers) to mean any administrative, financial, foreign exchange or other measures
by which a state party unilaterally prevents or impedes reciprocal trade (art. 2, Annex I). 3
Such a wide definition (elimination of all restrictions) was subsequently fine-tuned to
recognize some types of trade restriction which are not prohibited but would need some
kind of harmonization in order to facilitate trade. This would be the case for SPS measures.
90 Connecting to global markets

In the SPS field, Mercosur went from a full to a narrow harmonization process. In
effect, in the early Mercosur, the harmonization strategy included the elaboration of
a “Mercosur Code”. The idea was to harmonize every one of the operative SPS norms
in each Mercosur member state and in Mercosur overall. This is why some authors
have interpreted Mercosur SPS policy as being of a “European type” (Berlinksy,
2002). Other authors have seen the explanation of such “interventionism” in
Mercosur’s legal tradition, namely, continental law, and have exemplified this deep
and detailed regulation policy preference with the case of dairy (Duina, 2006).
However, harmonization in dairy was at that time, as it still is today, a very successful
and exceptional case in Mercosur, in terms of both the booming of the sector due to
Mercosur’s creation (resulting in an enlarged market and emerging scale economies)
and the harmonization of norms at Mercosur level, driven by a small group of national
and multinational firms. 4

Mercosur’s SPS full harmonization policy was revised because of the technical
complexity required to carry it forward, and a “default” strategy replaced it: countries
need only harmonize those regulations that are strictly necessary to facilitate intra-
bloc trade. The need to harmonize may arise, then, from the volume of trade at stake
or due to other difficulties; therefore, there is no longer any ex-ante harmonization
but ex-post, ad hoc harmonization linked to export prospects or concrete operations.
This move has been reinforced, as noted by several Mercosur officers interviewed,
by the fact that Mercosur member countries are very reluctant to harmonize norms
because they consider current national practices and standards to be successful. 5
Therefore, the SPS harmonization process is limited to just what is needed to keep
intra-Mercosur trade flowing. As Brazil is the main destination of intra-bloc trade, it
acts as an importer and attempts to use its local legislation as regional legislation.
In a sense, the object under these conditions is to “mercosurize” Brazilian legislation.

At this point, it seems that this is more about national influence and control over
Mercosur’s movements than about Mercosur, as a distinct entity, tailoring national
standards and practices or even providing a space for mutual learning. However,
Mercosur’s conflicts/needs are only one source of Mercosur SPS norms. Indeed, as
cogently pointed out by some authors (Leavy and Saez, 2010), some international
organizations influence Mercosur’s SPS standards as well as Mercosur members’
standards a great deal. Just to take a telling case, Mercosur’s Animal Health
Technical Committee works in permanent contact with the World Organisation for
Animal Health (OIE), to such an extent that in terrestrial animal illness the Committee
usually limits itself to established OIE standards. The Committee’s norm production
has developed towards unifying standards for intra-bloc trade and imports from third
parties using OIE standards; however, as not all countries have the same sanitary
status, it is not always possible to refer to the OIE standards. In this case, when the
OIE standard would impede intra-Mercosur trade, Mercosur members create an
Can developing countries use SPS standards to gain access to markets? The case of Mercosur 91

“escape clause” at the Mercosur level by which countries may allow imports to
proceed even if they do not meet OIE standards.

The public sector it is not the only sector pressed to adopt OIE standards. The private
sector in developing countries is heavily influenced, if not determined, by OIE
standards if it wants to get into export markets.

On top of all this, there is still the issue of “rules, principles or SPS disciplines”. In
effect, in the case of standards, national dynamics are dominant in terms of Mercosur
SPS policies and the influence of international standard bodies such as the OIE and
the Codex Alimentarius as well as of private standards (that come into the picture as
destination market access conditions) is soaring. However, in the case of SPS
disciplines, the WTO stands out as a decisive, almost unique, actor.

In 1995, a few years after the creation of Mercosur, the WTO (and the SPS
Agreement) took centre stage. Mercosur, as a customs union, was notified to the
WTO as a regional agreement under Article XXIV of the General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and thus it is not a WTO member. All Mercosur members
are individually WTO members and so they have also individually signed the SPS
Agreement; however, Mercosur has made the SPS Agreement a Mercosur norm. In
effect, Decision CMC 6/96 is the SPS Agreement.

From the raft of consequences which arose from signing the SPS Agreement, one
stands out for this chapter: the Agreement challenged the regional project insofar as
it has provided a minimum set of more articulated and deeper rules than those
available in the regional instance as well as a forum to debate, negotiate and
eventually solve conflicts on SPS matters.

When the SPS Agreement came into force (1995), Mercosur did not have any SPS
norm covering principles, as the SPS Agreement does. It is true that it had Decision
6/93, but that simply replicated the SPS draft agreement (as it had been in 1993).
Later on, in 1996, Mercosur adopted (through CMC Decision 6/96, which replaced
Decision 6/93) the WTO SPS Agreement as the Mercosur norm, replacing the draft
version. Since the SPS Agreement has been in force, dialogue over a lot of SPS
issues has moved to the multilateral forum and many conflicts have been brought
into the WTO dispute settlement system. In addition, as the SPS Agreement works
as the “floor”, the minimum regulatory standard every WTO member must respect,
current SPS negotiations at bilateral or regional level have become characterized as
WTO-plus or WTO-compatible or WTO standards, etc. 6 Thus, the SPS Agreement
has given Mercosur a common and shared legal framework, opened a new space for
debating and negotiating SPS issues, and offered a dispute settlement forum.
92 Connecting to global markets

6.3 SPS public policies and private standards

There are certainly many paths and sources for the creation of a regional (public)
SPS standard. Since this chapter has a regional focus, some regional norms appear
similar, even identical, to national standards, others incorporate internationally
adopted standards, and still other standards result from harmonization to fix intra-
bloc trade problems. As discussed in the previous section, Mercosur is not in fact the
locus of the creation or deep revamping of norms. Rather, the upgrading of quality
and safety standards is basically market driven, either by industry or export market
destination. What is the role that private standards play in this scenario and how do
they interact with public policy responses?

Many private SPS standards affect trade, notably in developed-country markets.

Basically, there are companies’ private voluntary standards (PVS), national collective
PVS and international collective PVS. Examples of the first are Tesco’s “Nature’s
Choice” and Carrefour’s “Filière Qualité”. Examples of national collective systems are
the British Retail Consortium Global Standard, the Label Rouge and the Food and
Drink Federation. Examples of international collective systems are EuropGAP, ISO
22000 and ISO 22005 (WTO, 2007).

The WTO has highlighted the diversity of systems, the tendency to harmonize them
within a sector (along the production chain) and the way the distinction between
voluntary private and public norms tends to disappear whenever the former becomes
widely accepted and required for market access (WTO, 2007). According to the
WTO (2007), governments have two concerns associated with private norms: their
content in terms of the lack of scientific justification and the internal capacity of
developing countries to comply with them. In Argentina, while some producers and
firms emphasize the benefits of private standards in terms of market access,
improved production or company management, new and greater environmental
consciousness, product differentiation, and better prices and traceability, others
highlight increasing costs and requirements, a lack of harmonization of different
standards, a lack of resources to carry standards forward and, sometimes, a lack of
product differentiation (Alonso and Idigoras, 2011).

By means of a questionnaire put to its members, the WTO has found that the most
affected products are fresh ones – fruit, vegetables and meat – while the main
affected markets are Australia, Canada, the European Union (EU), Japan and the
United States (WTO, G/SPS/GEN/932). As seen from the standpoint of Argentina’s
export basket, the development of the EU’s private standards affects products such
as fruit, soy, oils and meat, while US standards affect products such as concentrated
apple juice.
Can developing countries use SPS standards to gain access to markets? The case of Mercosur 93

In Argentina, policy responses to the development and consolidation of private

standards have not been homogeneous. While the Government has not, so far,
implemented an across-the-board policy related to quality private standards at the
domestic level, it has sometimes associated itself with their development by
incorporating them in some products or circumstances (for instance, while hazard
analysis and critical control points [HACCP] is still voluntary within the domestic
market, it is mandatory for exporters). In other cases it has created specific
programmes for working with the private sector (for instance, the Fundación Pro
Arroz programme discussed below). It must be noted that the private sector’s
response to the increasing number and importance of private standards and
certification is also heterogeneous, depending on the structure of the sector and the
culture of innovation, size or capacity of firms.

This section does not attempt to provide a detailed account of PVS affecting the
production, marketing and export of selected products but to shed light on the public
action (policy responses) to deal with SPS standards in export markets. It will do so
by considering two questions: How is it that Argentina was a leading exporter of
apples two decades ago and that now 50 per cent of its production goes into the
processing industry because quality is not high enough for the apples to be sold
fresh? How was it possible for rice production in the Entre Ríos province to move
within 10 years from a low-quality, commodity-oriented, inward-looking pattern into
a high-quality, increasingly sophisticated niche-market, export-oriented strategy?

Fresh fruit: the case of apples

In the case of fresh fruit, the general prevailing pattern is that there is neither an
articulated public policy nor a private–public initiative to deal with standards. The
argument in favour of policy intervention is at best ambiguous, as there are
arguments against intervention on the grounds that the state promotion or adoption
of current PVS would validate private sector standards without scientific justification
and just for the sake of serving more valuable consumption niches.

To make things more complicated, private standards are not only proliferating, but
the hierarchy between them and public standards is not unambiguous (for instance,
some private standards are higher than public ones, as is the case in the Maximum
Limit of Residues Standard), and firm choices vary across the broad gamut of
available options. In this complex and dynamic setting, Argentinian producers agree
on the problem of the lack of standards harmonization and on the fact that initiatives
to address it – such as the Agricultural Good Practices Handbooks – usually provide
such low standards that they do not facilitate exports. In addition, there are private
standards that have to be carried forward by the state (as is the case in the
management of empty pesticide packages) because PVS mandate an official
94 Connecting to global markets

system for such management (which does not exist in Argentina) or for the
management of the registry of pesticides, that is also public and sometimes out-
dated (Alonso and Idigoras, 2011).

More particularly, apples and pears, together with lemons, are the products with the
greatest economic relevance within the fruit sector. While apples and pears are
produced in the south of Argentina (through 3,000 producers, 300 packaging
companies and 250 cold storage firms), lemons are produced mostly in a tiny
province, Tucuman, in the northwest, through a highly integrated and concentrated
form of production. Argentina is now the second highest global exporter of pears,
and is also rapidly gaining ground for lemons, while for apples it has fallen from
second to ninth place in global exports over the last two decades.

There are six important apple producers in the world in terms of exports (Argentina,
Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa), which harvest 4.8 million
tons per year. Today, Argentina’s share is 20 per cent of the total production of these
six big producers, but two decades ago its share was 37 per cent (see “La
producción argentina de manzanas …”, 2010). Furthermore, 50 per cent of
Argentina’s apples go to the processing industry (for concentrated juice), 21 per
cent are exported and 29 per cent are sold in the domestic market. Apples sold to
the processing industry are discarded apples, which do not meet quality standards to
be sold as fresh. The processing industry makes products such as concentrated
juices, cider and marmalade out of these apples. The main export destinations for
Argentina’s apples are Brazil, the EU, Russia (see “La producción argentina de
manzanas …”, 2010) and the United States. But while the EU absorbs 46 per cent
of fresh apples, 95 per cent of concentrated juice goes to the United States. In terms
of the amount of discarded production, Argentina leads by far with 50 per cent going
to the concentrated juice industry.

Why has Argentina been losing global market share? Basically, producers did not
renew their varieties and maintained a focus on Delicious, a variety that has been
displaced by other varieties in the international market. Developing new and younger
varieties would have required long-term investment. Crucially, Carpocapsa, a plague
affecting apple production in the region, appeared 10 years ago. In a way, Argentina
“dragged her feet” on this issue: competing markets such as South Africa and New
Zealand started programmes of genetic improvement, restricting the use of some
varieties in order to stimulate diversification. Several countries imitated New
Zealand’s experience of differentiating instead of homogenizing varieties, adding to
this strategy the formation of exclusive alliances with distributors. In this way, they
coordinated and limited the supply of some varieties (such as Pink Lady or Cameo).
The key factor driving this strategic move has been the development and
institutionalization of collaboration along the production chain, so that – as in New
Can developing countries use SPS standards to gain access to markets? The case of Mercosur 95

Zealand – all main aspects concerning production, harvesting and marketing are
coordinated through government regulatory committees (Preiss and Diaz, 2003).

To sum up, Argentina led apple production and exports in the 1980s in South
America, then consistently lost weight (and market share) due to increasing costs,
lack of coordination in exporting, a decline in quality and exchange rate overvaluation
during a period of almost ten years. As some authors have rightly pointed out,
“countries that have generated competitive capacities in apples, and specially New
Zealand, show that those firms, sectors, regions or nations that can learn faster and
better become competitive because their knowledge is scarce and cannot be easily
replicated or transferred through formal channels to other firms, regions or
competitors. Thus, actually, the more general and deep way to assess the logic of the
most advanced forms of economic competition is learning” (Preiss and Diaz, 2003).

Rice
During the 1990s Argentinian rice production went from hope to despair in a few
years. It temporarily boomed in the first half of the decade, largely driven by exports
to Brazil within the framework of the newly born Mercosur; the creation of the
regional market also served to attract some foreign direct investment in the context
of an economic policy of abrupt economic liberalization and deregulation. This phase
of fast growth gradually disappeared, however, in the second part of the decade;
within the context of a fixed exchange rate regime with a grossly overvalued local
currency, small producers found it more and more difficult to serve external markets
(where most of local production was destined, given the low level of rice consumption
in the country), while larger national and foreign producers chose a specialization
strategy combining the export of paddy rice with the import of parboiled rice.

The situation became even more difficult by the end of the decade as a result, first,
of the 1997 Asian crisis, and then of Brazil’s devaluation of its currency in 1999. One
structural condition that made these trends particularly stressful was the prevailing
production pattern in the country based on low-quality, low-resistance commodity
rice, heavily dependent on price competition.

In the particular case of the Entre Ríos province, one of the largest rice producers in
the country, levels of production, land sowed and employment had fallen sharply by
2000. However, the situation had a dramatic turnaround ten years later. At the macro
level, in the 1989-90 and 1990-91 campaigns, 16 varieties of low-quality rice were
sown in Entre Ríos for a total output of 350,000 tons of paddy rice, with average
yields of 4,500 kg/ha. In 2011, however, the province had become the leading high-
quality rice producer in Argentina with a volume of 712,000 tons (41 per cent of
total national production), although it ranks second after the province of Corrientes
96 Connecting to global markets

in terms of area sown. This means that it is also the most productive province, with
about 7.15 tons/ha compared with the 6.67 tons/ha of Corrientes. In addition, Entre
Ríos accounts for about 70 per cent of the capacity for industrialization of rice
production throughout the country.

Between 2004 and 2011 three new varieties of rice seed were developed with
stunning market success. In addition, improvements in the management of rice
farming by a large number of producers also contributed to the successful shifting of
gears and upgrading of Entre Ríos’ rice production model. Local rice producers
almost doubled exports in the last five-year period and diversified export markets,
reducing their “Brazil dependency” and even capturing, with one of their varieties,
Puita INTA CL, a large share of field sown in Brazil in just a few years (from 0 per
cent in the 2007-2008 campaign to 50 per cent in the 2009-2010 campaign).

The key factor explaining this impressive performance improvement was the shift in
the production model by Entre Ríos’ rice producers (mostly small and medium-sized
firms). In a nutshell, this shift involved moving away from the prevailing but declining
commodity production model, heavily dependent on the Brazilian market, to a
strategy based on high-quality, high-performance seed varieties to serve increasingly
diversified market niches. The underpinning of this shift was, in turn, continuous
technological upgrading and innovation in both seed production and farming
management.

These developments in Entre Ríos’ rice production could not be understood,

however, without the simultaneous development of an institutional exoskeleton in
the province, Fundación Pro-Arroz (FPA), geared to promote rice, articulate the rice
production chain, and improve the value-added, quality and efficiency of local rice
production. Created in 1994, FPA is a public–private organization that includes all
components of the production chain, is representative and has a participatory
decision-making system (consensus rule). It is a network (led by Instituto Nacional
de Tecnologia Agropecuaria [INTA]) of different but complementary capabilities to
search for, develop and diffuse new technological options and innovations.

The crux of FPA’s work consists of the very effective provision of public goods for
inducing and enabling producers to continuously adopt improved seed varieties and
upgrade farming management practices instead of traditional protection or market
intervention measures. These public goods are tailored to address knowledge,
resource, regulatory or infrastructure bottlenecks or constraints which producers
would find extremely difficult, if not impossible, to overcome by themselves,
especially if working alone. The most relevant of these public goods are, on the one
hand, the technical expertise and systematic research and development efforts to
“design” new rice seed varieties as production conditions (agronomic, technical) or
Can developing countries use SPS standards to gain access to markets? The case of Mercosur 97

market requirements (tastes, quality, health, ecology) shift; on the other, the search
for new market opportunities and the generation of the required conditions to meet
them (quality and phytosanitary standards, product specifications and the like). 7

More specifically with regard to SPS regulations, FPA’s work straddles three fronts.
At the level of rice production, FPA has concluded the elaboration of a good practice
guide (GPG) including criteria and guidelines mainly for the management of
herbicides, the use of fertilizers, and soil analysis and treatment. This GPG is
voluntary but intended to become a central component of a certification system in
the near future. At the level of rice mills, FPA is providing technical assistance to
support the efforts of firms to improve their production processes in order to certify
quality through the ISO norms. Finally, with regard to exports, FPA is supporting
firms to increasingly differentiate their products on phytosanitary grounds, stressing
in particular the low use of herbicides as a central distinguishing trait. An additional
FPA contribution, on a destination market basis, is to support the practice of some
exporting firms to work together with potential or actual clients in the implementation
of informal traceability schemes along the whole production chain.

6.4 Some reflections from the regional policy perspective

and conclusions

Mercosur as an integration project is more than a free trade agreement or a customs

union. It is a wider political project that is solidly rooted in the political discourse of
our societies. However, the regional instance is not the source of unified and
consistent regulatory regimes in key policy areas. The field of SPS policy is, as
shown in this chapter, just a case in point: standards in this domain are defined at the
national level, largely driven by export market requirements, both public and private,
while rules or disciplines come overwhelmingly from the WTO (both from the SPS
Agreement and through dispute settlement).

It is fair to say that Mercosur SPS policy is still defined at the national level and
standards and practices are brought and powerfully defended by national officers in
Mercosur meetings. National delegates composing Mercosur organs are reluctant to
change their national standards and procedures. Basically, the situation in Mercosur
is that the most dynamic source of standard creation is not harmonization policies or
sanitary crisis but market circumstances: public and private requirements at export
destinations. In addition, as intra-bloc trade is directed mainly to Brazil, Mercosur’s
core activity seems to be to ensure compatibility of national legislations with Brazil’s.
As for standards needed for Mercosur to access external partners, national officers
do not use Mercosur examples to share or coordinate information to lower
transaction costs or as a learning opportunity.
98 Connecting to global markets

Traditional forms of SPS policy intervention, such as specific, punctual programmes

to fight diseases, do not tackle the challenge of developing new varieties, which is
increasingly praised and valued in international markets. They fall short of bringing
positive pay-offs in terms of competitiveness and development impact. On the other
hand, successful policy interventions deeply anchored in public–private cooperation,
as exemplified in the case of rice, seem to require complex regulatory mechanisms
and institutional coordination arrangements that buttress continuous improvement
whose construction cannot be taken for granted.

In short, when focusing on national experiences, Argentina’s apple trajectory shows

clearly the failure of public policies to articulate, within the private sector, knowledge
generation and its dissemination. In contrast, the case of rice in the province of Entre
Ríos gives crucial insights into the network architecture and its institutional
underpinnings necessary for sustained innovation. The rice example can be
considered a model case for public policy design since its results were so beneficial
for all stakeholders, but it seems this is not easy to replicate in other sectors.

Endnotes

1. Mercosur (Mercado Común del Sur, “Common Market of the Southern Cone”) is an economic
integration project inaugurated in 1991 by the Treaty of Asuncion between Argentina, Brazil,
Paraguay and Uruguay. The Plurinational State of Bolivia and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
have since acceded to the group. Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname currently
have the status of Associate States. See: [Link] [Link]
trade/mrcsr/treatyasun_e.asp
2. See, for instance Bouzas, R. and Fanelli, J. M. (2001), Mercosur: integración y crecimiento,
Buenos Aires, Fundación OSDE; Peña, C. and R. Rozemberg (2005), “MERCOSUR ¿Una
experiencia de desarrollo institucional sustentable?”, Revista de Comercio Exterior e Integración,
marzo: 45-62, available at: [Link] Czar de
Zalduendo, S. (2003), “La institucionalización en los acuerdos regionales: el caso del MERCOSUR”
en Basevi, G. et al., Efectos reales de la integración regional en la Unión Europea y el MERCOSUR,
Buenos Aires, Universidad de Bologna: 109; Dreyzin de Klor, A. and D. P. Fernández Arroyo,
“Avances y fracasos de los esquemas subregionales latinoamericanos: el caso del MERCOSUR” en
Suplemento mensual de Derecho Internacional Privado y de la Integración, Diario Jurídico el Dial:
[Link], Ed Albremática; FESUR (2004), Desafíos institucionales para el MERCOSUR:
las relaciones entre estados, instituciones comunes y organizaciones de la sociedad, available at:
[Link]
[Link].
3. The only exceptions are measures of the type envisaged in Article 50 of the Montevideo Treaty
of 1980, the foundational treaty of the Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración (ALADI). ALADI
is an umbrella group used in Latin America to make preferential arrangements among its members
without the obligation of including substantial trade (as per Article XXIV of the GATT) and without a
most-favoured nation (MFN) clause. All Mercosur members are ALADI members.
Can developing countries use SPS standards to gain access to markets? The case of Mercosur 99

4. For very detailed studies on the dairy case, see Berlinsky (2002) and Nofal and Wilkinson (1999).

5. As a counter example of a soft harmonization, the successful negotiation of the Laboratorial

Good Practices Guide could be noted.

6. See, for instance, free trade/economic association agreements signed by the EU with
Mediterranean or African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) partners; the “Chapter SPS”
states that the compromise is to respect and enforce WTO standards.

7. Other important cases include the satellite geo-referencing of water wells to build the matrix for
the electrification of rice irrigation in the whole province – a critical input to drastically reduce
production costs, stockpile infrastructure as the growing number of rice varieties and types demands
increasing capacity of seed selection and classification, and develop new human resource skills in
rice sowing in order to meet the increasingly specialized knowledge this activity is demanding.

Bibliography

Alonso, F. and G. Idigoras (2011), “Incidencia de los estándares privados voluntarios en el

sector frutícola del Mercosur”, Proyecto UE-Mercosur SPS, Convenio ALA/2005/17887.

Berlinski, J. (2002), “El efecto en el comercio y bienestar de las restricciones no arancelarias

en el Mercosur: el caso de las exportaciones argentinas de arroz y productos lácteos al Brasil”,
paper prepared for the Maestría en Finanzas Públicas Provinciales y Municipales, Instituto y
Universidad Di Tella, Buenos Aires.

Duina, F. (2006), The social construction of free trade: The European Union, NAFTA and
Mercosur, Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press.

“La producción argentina de manzanas está en desventaja” (2010), Rio Negro, 30 de Enero.
Retrieved from [Link]

Leavy, S. and F. F. Saez (2010), “Debilidades en la armonización de medidas sanitarias y

fitosanitarias en el MERCOSUR”, densidades, No. 5: 19-37.

Nofal, B. and Wilkinson, J. (1999), “La producción y el comercio de productos lácteos en el

MERCOSUR” in Integración y comercio, Year 3, Number 7-8, August, pp. 157-181

Preiss, O. and N. Diaz (2003), “Exportaciones de Pera y Manzana de Rio Negro y Neuquén:
Inserción en el mercado mundial y factores que condicionan su competitividad”, working paper
presented at PIEA, Neuquén.

Reardon, T. et al. (2001), “Global change in agrifood grades and standards: Agribusiness
strategic responses in developing countries”, International Food and Agribusiness Management
Review 2 (3/4): 421-435.

World Trade Organization (WTO) (2007), Las normas privadas y el Acuerdo SMF, Nota de la
Secretaria, G/SPS/GEN/746.
III
The rule of law and
connecting to global markets

101
7 Integrating into the multilateral trading
system and global value chains: the case of
Russia
Sergei F. Sutyrin, Alexandra G. Koval and
Olga Y. Trofimenko*

7.1 Introduction

For most countries, foreign trade makes a critical contribution to the national economy,
and the Russian Federation is no exception to this. Over the last five years the world
economy has been strongly affected by the global economic crisis, which also seriously
affected the Russian economy in general and its foreign trade in particular.

In recent decades, high levels of volatility in foreign trade flows have been
experienced, which substantially exceeded the fluctuations of other macroeconomic
indicators such as GDP and industrial production, as confirmed by national and
global statistics. According to the WTO, “world trade responds strongly to variations
in global economic activity … Income elasticity – how much trade responds to
change in income – has been between 1.5 and 2 over the last decade” (WTO, 2008).

When the economy is on the rise, the dynamics that this engenders lead to new market
and trade opportunities, as well as to incentives for companies to expand their export
and import operations. During periods of disturbance, evidently the pendulum swings in
the opposite direction. When economic growth declines, foreign trade faces problems,
and this is what could be observed at the very beginning of the current millennium.
A contraction of the world GDP growth rate from 4.1 per cent in 2000 to 1.5 per cent in
2001 was accompanied by a corresponding contraction of world merchandise export
growth from 10.7 per cent to -0.5 per cent (WTO, 2008). The situation is even worse
and more threatening when there is a real recession, as is currently being witnessed. In
2009, the international community experienced a 2.2 per cent reduction of world gross
product (UNCTAD, 2011). World merchandise exports contracted by 12 per cent in
volume and 23 per cent in value terms (WTO, 2010). Under these circumstances, it is

* The authors would like to thank Maarten Smeets, Marc Auboin, Mustapha Sadni Jallab and Marion
Jansen for their valuable comments and recommendations during the preparation of this chapter.
Any mistakes or errors remain the author’s own. The contents of this chapter are the sole responsibility
of the authors and are not meant to represent the position or opinions of the WTO or its members.

103
104 Connecting to global markets

no coincidence that, given the first serious signs of a global economic contraction,
world leaders at the September 2008 G20 summit clearly expressed their common
concern at a possible reduction in international trade flows and the possibility of a
new wave of protectionism. Most recently, the G20, meeting in St Petersburg in
September 2013, again expressed its concern about continued protectionism.

It is well known that, in a world characterized by poor economic performance, there

may be pressure on national authorities to conduct more protectionist trade policies.
Even though the scope of the latter covers much broader issues than foreign trade
per se, as it also includes domestic policies, the foreign trade aspect comes to mind
first when one analyses the role of a country in international economic relations.

7.2 Main developments in Russia’s foreign trade: a general

overview
One can sensibly argue that foreign trade is an important element of the Russian
economy. In recent years it has generated, on average, more than 20 per cent of total
consolidated budget revenues. From a global perspective, Russia was among the 20
major trading nations in 2011. It occupied the ninth position among leading exporters
and the 17th among leading importers of goods, with a 4.7 per cent share in the global
merchandise trade, and the 22nd position in trade in exports and the 15th position in
trade in imports for commercial services (WTO, 2012). Taking into consideration the
historical background of the country, that it is a huge territory located in the north, the
size of its population and the general level of its economic development, the
importance of these rankings should not be underestimated. Table 1 shows that, in
relative terms, Russia is more open than Brazil, India and the United States. Even in
comparison with China, a gap exists if measured in current US dollars.

Table 1 Foreign trade quotas for selected countries in 2008, 2010 and
2011 (per cent)

Merchandise (X + M)/GDP
Country (current US$) (PPP US$)
2008 2010 2011 2008 2010 2011
Brazil 24 18.8 19.9 19 18.1 21.4
China 66 50.1 49.8 32 29.5 31.2
Germany 73 70.6 76.4 91 76.1 84.6
India 39 31.6 41.5 14 13.0 16.9
Japan 32 26.6 28.6 36 33.8 38.3
Russian Federation 48 43.8 45.0 33 23.1 27.9
United States 24 22.3 24.8 24 22.3 24.8

Source: WTO, Trade profiles, 2008; 2011; 2012

([Link]
Integrating into the multilateral trading system and global value chains: the case of Russia 105

At the same time, the perception of the Russian economy as being very open could
be challenged, as this perception is mainly based upon functional openness (actual
involvement of the country in various forms of international economic cooperation).
It does not take into consideration so-called “institutional openness”, which refers to
restrictions on trade and capital mobility (import barriers, tariff rates, taxes on
international trade as a share of current revenue, etc.). In other words, a country with
higher tariff levels is less open.

Table 2 provides information on some of the changes in the key economic indicators
for Russia over the last five years.

One can clearly observe in Table 2 the strong impact of the 2008-2009 economic
crisis, which resulted in a decline in GDP, industrial production and investments, as
well as a higher rate of unemployment. The only positive news is that the inflation
rate, which had been at double-digit level, came down.

The dramatic contraction of foreign trade was, therefore, logical. At the same time, it
is noted that foreign trade data are calculated on the basis of actual current value of
contracts. This means that the data for 2009 were strongly influenced by a sharp
reduction in world oil prices. In particular, the export price for Russian oil in January
2009 was down to US$ 291.6 per ton in comparison with US$ 887.4 per ton in July

Table 2 Selected Russian macroeconomic indicators, 2008-2012

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

GDP 105.2 92.2 104.5 104.3 103.4
(% in comparison with the previous year)

Industrial production 100.6 90.7 108.2 104.7 102.6

(% in comparison with the previous year)

Unemployment 6.2 8.3 7.3 6.5 5.5

(% by the end of the year)

Foreign trade turnover 763.5 495.2 649.2 845.8 1287.0

(US$ million)

Foreign trade turnover 132.1 64.9 131.1 130.3 152.2

(% in comparison with the previous year)

Fixed investments 109.9 84.3 106.0 108.3 106.6

(% in comparison with the previous year)

Inflation (CPI %) 13.3 8.8 8.8 6.1 6.6

Source: Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) ([Link]).

106 Connecting to global markets

2008 (Rosstat). Other commodity prices followed a similar trend, thus affecting
Russian export statistics. It seems reasonable to argue, therefore, that, for several
commodity groups, the dramatic reduction of exports in 2009 compensated for the
impressive expansion experienced in some earlier years, for example 2008. With
respect to Russian imports, exchange rate fluctuations also played an important role
and pushed the statistical data down, especially as payments in trade between
Russia and its key trading partner – the European Union – are mainly made in euros.
The Russian foreign trade statistics, however, are calculated in US dollars. During
2009, the euro lost 5.2 per cent of its value, on average, against the US dollar. 1 In the
same period, the Russian ruble depreciated against both the US dollar and the euro
(21.7 per cent and 17.5 per cent respectively in 2009), 2 thus making imported
goods less attractive for Russian consumers. Despite the fact that, according to
official statistics, real income in 2009 increased 1.9 per cent over the previous year,
overall demand for foreign goods and services contracted.

As for the structural dimension, the period under review did not bring any substantial
changes but rather, secured the same patterns and trends that had prevailed in the
second half of the 1990s. Russian exports were, and continue to be, strongly
dominated by mineral products, accounting for some 70 per cent of exports in most
recent years, while the share of machines and transport units has fluctuated around
5 per cent. On the import side, machines and transport units constituted
approximately half of total imports, followed by chemicals, and food and agricultural
raw materials (with the exception of textile raw materials), each accounting for
14 per cent to 19 per cent of the total (Rosstat).

A relatively small share of Russia’s foreign trade (some 15 per cent) is with countries
in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). This is mainly due to the collapse
of the Soviet Union, which led to the breakdown of the former strong economic links
between the Soviet republics. Attempts to achieve reintegration among these states
have failed to generate any substantial changes in their respective trade flows.

With respect to non-CIS countries, the European Union is Russia’s main trading
partner. It is observed that, since 2010, China has also strengthened its position,
now accounting for over 10 per cent of Russia’s foreign trade. Imports from China
accounted for nearly 17 per cent of imports in 2012. Russia’s largest export market
was the Netherlands (15 per cent). Figure 1 depicts the development of Russian
trade with its major non-CIS trading partners.
Integrating into the multilateral trading system and global value chains: the case of Russia 107

Figure 1 Russian merchandise trade with major trading partners

(in US$ million)

90,000

80,000

70,000

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

10,000

0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2011 2012
Germany United Kingdom China Japan
The Netherlands France Turkey United States

Source: Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat).

As for the 2009 decline, the overall reduction of Russia’s trade with its 15 main
trading partners was around -37.7 per cent, on average (-22.8 per cent in the case
of France and -49.8 per cent in the case of Japan). Trade with France and China
was better than with the other trading partners. Trade with France was supported by
intensive political interaction. Trade with China benefited from the fact that China
managed to secure impressive economic growth in 2009 (Russian Federation,
Rosstat).

7.3 Trade diversification and linking to value chains

The question of how foreign trade has impacted on economic development in Russia
is a hard one to tackle. There are both positive and negative elements to consider.
During the period under review, Russia experienced a significant and constant
merchandise trade surplus, which (despite a trade in services deficit) resulted in a
current account surplus. Even during the 2009 crisis, in contrast to some gloomy
prognoses, merchandise exports equalled US$ 304 billion, in comparison with
US$ 191.9 billion of merchandise imports (see Table 3).
108 Connecting to global markets

Table 3 Russian foreign trade, 2009

Merchandise exports (US$ billion) 304.0

Merchandise imports (US$ billion) 191.9
Visible trade balance (US$ billion) 112.1
Merchandise exports, 2009 over 2008 in value (%) 64.5
Merchandise exports, 2009 over 2008 in volume (%) 97.0
Merchandise imports, 2009 over 2008 in value (%) 65.7
Merchandise imports, 2009 over 2008 in volume (%) 63.3

Source: Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat).

In addition, a relatively modest contraction in the volume of 2009 exports meant that,
despite external shocks, relevant industries managed to maintain their production
levels. Thus, they constituted something like “stability islands” and, at least partially,
directed stability impulses towards the rest of the economic system.

Finally, foreign trade is necessary to satisfy domestic demand, which cannot be met
by domestic producers.

Unfortunately, there are also some examples of failures and challenges. On the one
hand, Russia experienced an impressive merchandise trade surplus. In 2001 and
2004-2005, this was just slightly less than the total value of merchandise imports.
On the other hand, a relatively unfavourable domestic investment climate did not
provide enough incentives for exporters to invest domestically. Instead, they
preferred to accumulate their capital in more comfortable jurisdictions. Most of the
experts sensibly argued that so-called “capital flight” has presented a serious
problem for the Russian economy.

Similarly, short-term balancing of specific markets with foreign goods and services
over a longer timeframe might result in the gradual crowding-out of domestic
economic agents. This type of concern appears to be considerably more relevant in
the case of food security. The latter is perceived all around the globe as being a key
issue for national economic development.

It is noted that, during the economic crisis, Russia experienced a more dramatic
reduction in its foreign trade value than did other key players. In 2009, it held the 13th
position among the leading exporters, compared with ninth position in 2008. At the
same time, Russia’s terms of trade deteriorated substantially (see Table 3). With
respect to the geographical composition of Russian foreign trade, the most serious
challenge is presented by a low level of commercial exchange with other former
Soviet republics. This is regrettable as, in addition to obvious geopolitical reasons,
Integrating into the multilateral trading system and global value chains: the case of Russia 109

there are certain economic grounds for intensifying trade with them in a “win-win”
scenario. There are long historical traditions between these countries, relatively
small language barriers and complementarities in national economic structures, as
well as geographical proximity – all of which are preconditions conducive for trade.

At the same time, one could argue that Russian foreign trade is heavily biased in
favour of the mineral resources industrial structure of its exports, which appears to
be the number one concern regarding foreign trade. It is directly associated with the
threat of the so-called “Dutch disease” and “natural resource curse”. In this regard,
Russia differs dramatically from most other developed economies. Several indicators,
such as the diversification 3 and concentration 4 indices, illustrate this difference, as
shown in Table 4.

The data clearly show that Russia’s diversification index is 3.6 times higher than the
average for developed countries. The gap for the concentration index is still larger –
6.8 times.

While assessing Russia’s foreign trade, one has to pay attention to such indicators
as domestic value added embodied in exports, and domestic value added embodied
in foreign final demand. The latest figures available in the OECD/WTO database of
trade in value-added (TiVA) estimate the first parameter for Russia at the level of
US$ 308,530.2 million in 2009 and the second at US$ 305,654.1 million (OECD,
2013). At the same time, the entire export of the country, according to the same
source, amounted to US$ 331,374.8 million. 5 This means that the bulk of the
products that were exported from Russia did not participate in value chains. This is
no surprise, taking into consideration the structure of Russia’s foreign trade. The
foreign value-added share of gross exports for Russia was 9.58 per cent in 2005,
9.02 per cent in 2008 and 7.2 per cent in 2009 (OECD, 2013).

Regardless of the very modest participation of Russian companies in international

value chains, Russian business units are not totally isolated from the process.
Thus, car assembly plants located in Russia (which, in many cases, belong to the

Table 4 Diversification and concentration indices, selected years,

2000-2012
2000 2005 2008 2011 2012
Russian Federation diversification index 0.656 0.661 0.630 0.640 0.576
Russian Federation concentration index 0.282 0.352 0.364 0.407 0.386
Developed countries diversification index 0.133 0.160 0.169 0.177 0.189
Developed countries concentration index 0.071 0.066 0.063 0.060 0.066

Source: UNCTAD ([Link]

110 Connecting to global markets

subsidiaries of leading multinational corporations) obtain a substantial amount of

their components as inputs from abroad. Due to the low level of car exports from
Russia, one might argue that such operations do not influence the above-mentioned
indicators. At the same time, it is quite possible that, in the very near future, a certain
volume of automobiles assembled in Russia will find customers in the CIS countries.
In particular, Autovaz – a leading Russian car manufacturing company that uses
imported spare parts – has announced its ambition to expand abroad. On the basis
of a marketing strategy developed by Renault specialists, Autovaz plans to conquer
the markets of both CIS and non-CIS countries.

Examples of participation in value chains can also be found in other consumer

goods, for example chewing gum. Factories located in Russia obtain raw materials –
a special polymer base – from Turkey, and final products are both sold on the
domestic market and exported to many CIS countries.

A company from the Republic of Korea, Dongwha Holdings, gives us another

interesting case of engaging Russia in value chains. The company buys paper (which
was most probably manufactured from Russian wood) in Finland and uses it to
produce craft paper domestically. The craft paper is then exported to Russia, where
it is used to produce hot-compressed plywood. This product then goes back to the
Republic of Korea, where the company uses it to make form works to build
skyscrapers. A large number of high buildings in Seoul were constructed using such
plywood.

In spite of the above-mentioned examples, participation by Russian companies in

international value chains remains very low. This is connected, first of all, with the low
competitiveness of domestic companies. Another reason is the absence of the
necessary quality certificates in a majority of Russian business entities. Foreign
companies do not buy goods from producers that cannot guarantee their high
quality. Activities aimed at obtaining certificates per se might help to increase
competitiveness.

The high share of natural resources in Russia’s exports make its foreign trade, and
ultimately its economy (including its budget revenues), extremely vulnerable to
fluctuations in external factors, which are beyond the control of the national
authorities. The volatility of world oil prices, discussed earlier, is perhaps the most
obvious among them, but not the only one. Russia’s exports of natural gas in 2011
amounted to US$ 63.8 billion. This was about 12.4 per cent of total merchandise
exports (Rosstat). Such a high figure clearly confirms the country’s vulnerability, not
only with respect to possible changes in prices for this commodity, but also to any
technological innovations and shifts in other countries’ policies with regard to trade
in gas. Some major concerns for Russia include:
Integrating into the multilateral trading system and global value chains: the case of Russia 111

• the significant growth in consumption of liquefied natural gas (LNG); Russia’s

industrial giant, Gazprom, with its traditional focus on the use of pipeline gas,
would lose its position in the market
• the so-called “shale gas revolution”, which potentially generates new suppliers of
the product, including its former net importers
• the new energy policy of the European Union with regard to supply and
distribution of this source of energy; without entering into a debate on the
legitimacy of such measures, they could lead to the dilution of Gazprom’s
position on the European Union market.

Obviously, Russia’s leadership is fully aware of the situation and is considering ways
to address it, including by encouraging diversification of production and diminishing
the country’s dependence on the export of a few products. Several large-scale
campaigns and projects have been launched to promote modernization and a shift to
what is referred to as an “innovation-based” economy. Regrettably, the results have
not yet materialized, as it takes time for substantial measures to lead to substantial
changes. In addition, the pressures that were generated by the global economic
crisis 6 unfortunately did not bring about much change in the level of Russia’s oil and
gas dependence.

7.4 How could Russia’s accession to the WTO address

these concerns?

From the discussion so far, it is obvious that Russia has to put more effort into
diversifying its exports and the economy in general. It should strengthen the
competitiveness of domestic goods and services rather than remaining dependent
on the production of oil, natural gas and metals. How to achieve that objective is the
main challenge. It requires sound support policies which encourage manufacturing
and processing industries to enhance their competitiveness on international
markets. Above all else, the effect of the enhanced competitiveness of Russian
products could also generate additional demand in CIS countries and stimulate
expansion of trade with them.

Before the accession of Russia to the WTO, the country was not bound by its rules,
and could design and implement its trade and industrial policies largely without
restrictions and without infringing any of its current WTO membership-related
obligations and commitments. Now, as a member, Russia is bound by its multilateral
obligations and, legally, has no room for applying discriminatory policies.

The question is whether Russia’s business entities are ready and prepared to
compete on an equal footing with outside producers and competitors. 7 While
112 Connecting to global markets

accession to the WTO is likely to lead to an adjustment process which will benefit
the consumer (both households and companies), providing them with a larger choice
of goods and services of high quality and at better prices, domestic industry and
enterprises may pay a heavy price, as they may not be able to compete with the
foreign products. The domestic consumer may have a preference for the latter for a
variety of reasons. Indeed, price reduction on imported goods and services can occur
not only through the reduction of duties as such, but also as a consequence of other
effects of liberalization. It is noted here that the maximum amount of customs fees
has been reduced by a factor of 3.3 since Russia’s accession to the WTO.

In order to assess the impact on the competitiveness of Russian companies

following trade liberalization, one should bear in mind some important other
elements, one of which is that the Russian negotiators for accession to the WTO
managed to secure, for a transitional period, a reasonable level of protection for
many sensitive sectors, in particular with respect to the liberalization of trade in
goods. The reduction of tariffs will be phased in only gradually. For example, the
length of the implementation period of tariff reductions for different products varies
from no time at all to seven years. For a number of goods (about 5,600 tariff lines),
duties will be reduced in stages: initial and final bound rates and term of the transition
period have been established (for automobiles and some types of airplanes). The
final bound rates were imposed to approximately one-third of the tariff lines on the
day of the accession (e.g. fibres, books and skins). Market access for other products
will be liberalized gradually. For example, the import duty on ethylene glycol at the
date of accession was set at 10 per cent. It was reduced to 9.3 per cent in 2013 and
will be reduced to 8.5 per cent in 2014, 7.8 per cent in 2015, 7 per cent in 2016, 6.3
per cent in 2017 and, from 2018, it will be set at 5.5 per cent. It is assumed that
domestic companies will properly use the available time by focusing on the
modernization of production and improvement of product quality.

A rather significant reduction of import duties does not, however, automatically imply
or guarantee a reduction in price for the consumer and, if this does happen, it may
even be insignificant. In particular, the reduction of duties on food and consumer
products might be used by intermediaries of various retailing chains as a means of
increasing their profits, rather than transferring the benefit to the consumer.

Also, in considering the possible challenges resulting from WTO membership with
regard to the competitiveness of Russian business entities, one has to bear in mind
that, under the new conditions, subsidizing rules are very stringent. This is true for
the subsidies provided by both the federal and regional authorities. The scope for
this type of support to domestic industries is strictly limited, which implies that the
national producers, in many cases, have to compete on a level playing field with
foreign companies in order to stay in business.
Integrating into the multilateral trading system and global value chains: the case of Russia 113

At the same time, it is important to note that the competitiveness of Russian

producers could improve within the new competitive environment. This is primarily
because of lower prices being generated by the above-mentioned liberalization of
tariff and non-tariff measures. This might affect intermediate products utilized by
Russian manufacturers in the production of the final goods. As was noted earlier,
about half of the commercial imports into Russia consist of machinery, equipment
and vehicles, which shows that many Russian industrial companies depend heavily
on imported components and equipment. As imports lead to exports, this may be
beneficial for the industry per se. It is likely to encourage the domestic producers to
specialize further and contribute to the international value-added chain. The growth
of competition might stimulate Russian companies to increase their competitiveness
using new managerial techniques, new production methods, certifications, etc.
Attempts to create an innovation-based economy (with the right approach) should
lead to the production of goods and services that could be in demand internationally.
It may also contribute to further diversification of production and decrease the
reliance on commodity exports.

One can anticipate, and even expect, some positive changes in the relative priorities
of national economic entities, which will need to assess the various options to
improve their competitiveness. Before the WTO accession, Russian business units
could rely heavily on various forms of state support (import duties, subsidies,
standards and technical barriers to trade, licensing, etc.). Being able, in many
instances, to lobby successfully in favour of these protective trade policy instruments,
Russian manufacturers – rationally enough – did not pay much attention to
alternative methods to make themselves more competitive (e.g. introduction of new
technological solutions, staff skills improvement, organizational development, etc.).
As a result of the WTO accession, the relative utility of such intra-company measures
aimed to improve competitiveness increases, and for the rationally acting economic
entity, this strategy might become preferable.

As a member of the WTO, Russia must not only adhere to the rather strict set of rules
and disciplines, but it also has specific rights, which it can use. In particular, Russian
companies have every reason to demand from their foreign partners the same
treatment, in line with binding international non-discrimination principles and norms,
with respect to products originating from Russia. If this is not the case, the country
could use the dispute settlement mechanism to mitigate possible trade conflicts.

It is also noted that, in the medium term, some positive outcomes might result from
the fact that Russia has reserved the right not to participate in the Agreement on
Government Procurement for at least four years. For several sectors in the national
economy (in particular, car manufacturing, 8 the apparel industry and agriculture),
state procurements for public purposes, explicitly excluding foreign suppliers, could
114 Connecting to global markets

create an opportunity window for domestic business units to prepare for the full-
scale, competitive WTO-based environment.

According to the majority of experts, one of the positive results of Russia’s accession
to the WTO could be an increase in foreign direct investment (FDI). This might be the
result of the general improvement of the business and institutional environment in
Russia in general, and the investment climate in particular. It might also result from
the increase in transparency and predictability, as well as from the country’s
obligations regarding the liberalization of trade in services. Additional commitments
taken by Russia in the field of intellectual property rights (IPRs) protection also
matter. Concerns about the vulnerability of IPRs in Russia were mentioned in
numerous surveys of foreign investors as being one of the major constraints on
investment flows into the country. All in all, it is known that FDI has the potential to
generate a wide range of both direct and indirect, positive effects. In particular, it
might lead to growth in competitiveness, not only for individual companies directly
involved in the investment process, but also for entire industries, and even for
clusters of the national economy. Directly connected with this, the aforementioned
Russian companies might increase their involvement in international supply chains.

7.5 Conclusions
While it is noted that Russia’s foreign trade has demonstrated a certain degree of progress,
significant challenges remain, especially in the aftermath of the country’s accession to the
WTO. Sound trade policies should complement other policies, including fiscal and/or
monetary policies, with a view to improving the existing industrial and geographical
structure of foreign trade as well as securing its contribution to the general sustainable
development of the country in the future. This is a rather complex undertaking that will take
time and requires the right policy mix. A key question is how domestic industry will adjust to
foreign competition. Which sectors will indeed prove to be competitive and which ones are
at risk? What policies can be designed by the Russian federal authorities to provide support,
without infringing the WTO rules? What levels of protection are required? These are some
of the key questions that will need to be tackled by the policy-makers.

Endnotes

1. European Central Bank. ECB reference exchange rate, US dollar/euro. See: [Link]
[Link]/[Link]?node=2018794&SERIES_KEY=[Link].SP00.A&

2. Central Bank of the Russian Federation. See: [Link]

3. The diversification index, that ranges from 0 to 1, reveals the extent of the differences between
the structure of trade of the country or country group and the world average. An index value closer
to 1 indicates a greater difference from the world average.
Integrating into the multilateral trading system and global value chains: the case of Russia 115

4. The concentration index, or Herfindahl-Hirschmann index, is a measure of the degree of market

concentration. An index value that is close to 1 indicates a very concentrated market or (as in the
case of Russia) the industrial structure of foreign trade being strongly dominated by a limited
number of product groups. On the other hand, values closer to 0 reflect a more equal distribution of
market shares among exporters or importers or (as in the case of Russia) a more multifarious
foreign trade structure.

5. Rosstat estimates Russia’s exports at just US$ 301,667 million in 2009.

6. Milton Friedman was probably not totally wrong in arguing that “only a crisis – actual or perceived
– produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that
are lying around. That, I believe, is our basic function: to develop alternatives to existing policies, to
keep them alive and available until politically impossible becomes politically inevitable” (Friedman
(1962).

7. For more detailed discussion of this issue, see: Sutyrin, S. F. and O. Y. Trofimenko (2013),
Russia’s accession to the WTO: Possible impact on competitiveness of domestic companies, Turku,
Centrum Balticum, Baltic Sea Policy Briefing No. 2/2013.

8. According to one of the proposals, all Russian civil servants should use only domestically
produced cars while working.

Bibliography

Friedman, M. (1962), Capitalism and freedom, University of Chicago press, Chicago.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (200313), OECD/-WTO

Trade in Value Added (TiVA): May 2013, StatExtracts. Retrieved from [Link]
[Link]?DataSetCode=TIVA_OECD_WTO

Russian Federation, Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat). Retrieved from, [Link];
[Link]

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (2011), Trade and
Development Report, 2011: Post-crisis policy challenges in the world economy, United Nations,
New York & and Geneva, United Nations. Available on [Link]
tdr2011_en.pdf

World Trade Organization (WTO) (2008), World Trade Report 2008: Trade in a Globalizing
World, Geneva, World Trade Organization. Available on [Link]
publications_e/wtr08_e.htm

World Trade Organization (WTO) (2010), World Trade Report 2010: Trade in Natural
Resources, Geneva, World Trade Organization. Available on [Link]
res_e/publications_e/wtr10_e.htm, p. 24

World Trade Organization (WTO) (2012), International Trade Statistics 2012: World Trade
Developments. Retrieved from [Link]
world_trade_dev_e.htm
8 The role of international economic law
in addressing climate change
Bradly J. Condon and Tapen Sinha*

8.1 Introduction

Low- and middle-income countries face supply-side constraints such as technical

capacities, adequate hard infrastructure capacities, human capital (above all know-
how), access to adequate credit, and access to environmental goods and services
that affect their capacity to address climate change and other environmental issues.
This chapter discusses how the existing framework of international economic law
may constrain the ability of low- or middle-income countries to overcome such
supply-side constraints in order to address their, or their trading partners’,
environmental concerns regarding climate change and be included in global value
chains. We will consider what should be done from a legal perspective, what might
be achieved, and the likely implications of international economic law for acquiring
and implementing environmentally friendly technologies and financing climate
change mitigation and adaptation.

8.2 Acquiring and implementing environmentally friendly

technologies
Providers of relevant technologies: industrialized vs. emerging
economies
Traditionally, debates regarding climate change and financial and technology flows
have been framed as North-South. However, this has changed, with the emergence
of new low-carbon technology companies in developing countries, such as China
and India, which could diffuse clean technology nationally and internationally. In
addition, the financial crisis has limited the financial capacity of major developed
countries, notably the European Union, Japan and the United States. Moreover,

* The authors would like to thank the WTO Chairs Programme and the Asociación Mexicana de
Cultura A.C. for their support of our research, and the following people for their helpful comments on
earlier drafts of this chapter: Yahir Acosta Pérez, Marion Jansen, Mustapha Sadni Jallab and Carsten
Steinfatt. The contents of this chapter and the opinions expressed therein are the sole responsibility
of the authors and are not meant to represent the position or opinions of the WTO or its members.

117
118 Connecting to global markets

investment banks (such as the World Bank) can help to mobilize capital for low-
carbon technology, making their own investments and structuring investments for
classes of investors with different risk–reward profiles and return expectations
(World Bank, 2009; 2010; 2013). This paradigm shift in financial and technology
flows should inform debates regarding both climate finance and technology transfer.

National and international climate change response efforts have followed separate
mitigation and adaptation paths, with a major focus on mitigation. However, some
climate change impacts are unavoidable now, so adaptation efforts have begun.
Nevertheless, the technological and financial capacity of countries to adapt to
climate change differs significantly, as does their vulnerability to the effects of
climate change (WTO and UNEP, 2009). Their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
also differ greatly (WTO, 2013). These differences between countries are part of the
reason for incorporating the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities
into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
(Stone, 2004).

Dividing the world into developed and developing countries, and using that
categorization as a basis for addressing climate change, whether through adaptation
or mitigation, is simplistic. Policy responses that depend on the maturity of financial
markets or the robustness of national regulatory institutions may not work in all
countries. Differences in levels of economic development influence the design of
global solutions at both the negotiation stage and the implementation stage. The
financial and technological endowments of countries are not frozen in time. It makes
more sense to assign responsibility on a scale, based on objective criteria that are in
accordance with the governing principles of international environmental law, and to
determine responsibility for the cost of mitigation and adaptation on this basis.

Foreign investment is an important source of capital, technology and know-how.

Governments need to strike a balance between regulation that discourages foreign
investment and foreign investment protection that discourages regulation. If
countries implement international agreements or domestic climate change policies
in a way that violates the rights of foreign investors, they may have to pay
compensation to the foreign investors. This risk can create disincentives to
regulation, particularly in countries where the government officials responsible are
unsure of the scope of their obligations to foreign investors. It is thus very important
to understand the scope of these obligations when designing and implementing
climate change regulation.

At the same time, foreign investment is an important source of knowledge and

technology diffusion, together with trade in goods and services (Hoekman and
Javorcik, 2006). Thus, it is important to create adequate incentives for foreign
The role of international economic law in addressing climate change 119

investors to transfer best practices and technologies that can address climate
change adaptation and mitigation. This means that governments must provide
adequate protection to foreign investors, through international investment
agreements and intellectual property rights (IPRs). If foreign investors’ rights are
watered down in an effort to enhance access to technology, the effect could be to
create disincentives to transfer technology and best practices through foreign
investment (although IP policies do need to vary with the technology). In addition,
international investment agreements can lower regulatory and political risks for
foreign investors, and thus lower the cost of and create incentives for foreign
investment in clean energy or carbon mitigation technologies (Boute, 2012;
UNCTAD, 2010).

Intellectual property rights and technology transfer

IPRs may have a negative impact on innovation, competition and affordable access
for some technologies (Boldrin and Levine, 2005; Condon and Sinha, 2005).
However, it is not possible to analyse the subject of IPRs and international
technology transfer in a generalized manner. In the case of clean energy
technologies, which serve to mitigate climate change, the availability of competing
technologies will diminish the impact of IPRs on their cost. In the case of new plant
varieties, in contrast, the technology has no or few substitutes and the IPRs are
concentrated in the hands of relatively few firms. For this technology, IPRs will
increase costs due to monopoly pricing power. New plant varieties represent an
important technology that developing countries, in particular, will need in order to
adapt to the effects of climate change (Condon and Sinha, 2013; IPCC, 2001). The
applicable IP laws and the technology transfer issues are, therefore, different for
biotechnologies such as plant varieties, where IPRs may create barriers to access
that are similar to those in the pharmaceutical sector (Condon, 2013; Louwaars et
al., 2009; Strauss, 2009).

For clean energy technologies, the focus of the debate should not be on IPRs. First,
achieving reforms to the international IP regime is likely to prove difficult. Secondly,
IPRs do not represent the main obstacle to innovation, competition and affordable
access for clean energy technologies (Barton, 2007). For example, the fact that the
United States has applied countervailing duties on imports of solar panels from
China indicates that IPRs are not a sufficient barrier to competition in this sector.
Otherwise, countervailing duties would not be necessary to protect the United States
solar panel industry from Chinese competition.

With respect to clean energy technologies, the debate over IPRs and the technology
transfer from developed to developing countries is misplaced. This type of North-
South debate distracts from the real issues: creating incentives for and removing
120 Connecting to global markets

obstacles to clean energy development and dissemination. For example, fossil fuel
subsidies need to be reallocated to clean energy technologies. Developing countries’
fossil fuel subsidies are four times greater than the UNFCCC financing they seek for
climate change mitigation and adaptation. The World Bank is prepared to provide
technical assistance to developing countries to change these policies. Moreover,
developing countries, and China in particular, are becoming an important source of
clean energy technology. Dissemination of clean energy technologies can be
facilitated by removing barriers to foreign investment and international trade in clean
energy technology and related services. For these reasons, the analysis of clean
energy technology transfer should focus on these issues, rather than an out-dated
North-South debate over IPRs.

Financing new technologies: multilateral institutions and private

investors
Multilateral cooperation and financing will continue to be an essential element in
climate finance. The WTO will have to adapt subsidies rules, via judicial
interpretations on a case-by-case basis, or via a negotiated response to agreements
reached in other multilateral organizations. The increasing number of actors in
climate finance activities will require more coordination and adaptation of roles
among institutions such as the World Bank and the Green Climate Fund. The
activities of these institutions will have to be coordinated with those of the private
sector participants as well.

To stabilize GHG emissions would require a significant reduction of emissions in

both the developed and developing world. This requires large-scale investment in
energy infrastructure and other large-scale mitigation projects. Multilateral funding
channels may be the best option for such large-scale financing in developing
countries. However, private, bilateral and multilateral funding sources are not
mutually exclusive. For example, the World Bank can play a role in creating incentives
for private-sector investment, by investing in pilot projects and lowering political risk
for private investors.

International investment agreements also play a role in reducing political risk for
foreign investors, but should strike the right balance between the rights of foreign
investors and the right of governments to regulate in the public interest. In relation to
environmental regulation, there are some important differences between
international trade agreements and international investment agreements. In
particular, only governments have access to the dispute settlement system of the
WTO (and comparable dispute settlement systems in free trade agreements). This
can filter out challenges to some measures. In contrast, private investors can file
claims directly against host governments under international investment
The role of international economic law in addressing climate change 121

agreements. Private investors may be less likely to question the wisdom of

challenging governments’ right to regulate than are governments themselves.
Moreover, the majority of international investment agreements do not contain
references to environmental concerns. This highlights the importance of determining
the extent to which environmental regulation is subject to the disciplines contained
in these agreements.

International investment agreements do not eliminate a state’s right to regulate in

the public interest. Legitimate environmental measures should not be subject to
international investment agreements, since they would not qualify as measures
“relating to” investments. A key issue is the legitimacy of the disputed environmental
measure. One way to define legitimacy is by asking whether the measure serves the
public interest or a private interest. Of course, a measure can simultaneously serve
both public and private interests. The real question here is whether the evidence
demonstrates bad faith, protectionist intent or intent to harm foreign investors on the
part of the legislator or the judiciary. The majority of state practice is consistent with
the view that international investment agreements do not negate the right to regulate
climate change.

Moreover, customary international law does not require a state to maintain a stable
legal and business environment for investments. The customary international law
standard does not prevent a public authority from changing the regulatory
environment to take account of new policies and needs, even if some of those
changes may have far-reaching consequences and effects, and even if they impose
significant additional burdens on an investor. It does not provide a guarantee against
regulatory change or entitle an investor to expect no material changes to the
regulatory framework within which an investment is made. Governments can change,
and policies and rules can change. The rules of customary international law only
protect against egregious behaviour and do not require a legal and business
environment to be set in concrete.

The minimum standard of treatment of foreign investors under customary

international law has to be interpreted in accordance with evolving customary
international environmental law. The obligation to avoid activities causing significant
damage to the environment of another state is likely to encompass regulations to
address climate change. Thus, legitimate climate change regulation would not be
inconsistent with the minimum standard of treatment. To conclude otherwise would
create a conflict between customary international investment law and customary
international environmental law.

The general body of precedent usually does not treat regulatory action as amounting
to expropriation, because expropriations tend to involve the deprivation of ownership
122 Connecting to global markets

rights, and regulations a lesser interference. Under customary international law,

where economic injury results from bona fide regulation within the police powers of
a state, compensation is not required. Thus, as a general matter, states are not liable
to compensate foreign investors for economic loss incurred as a result of a non-
discriminatory action to protect the public interest. Once an expropriation has taken
place, compensation is due even if it is for an environmental purpose. However, not
all government regulatory activity that makes it difficult or impossible for an investor
to carry out a particular business is an expropriation. Given the economic and
environmental consequences of climate change, it seems that bona fide climate
change regulation should take precedence over investors’ rights, though the correct
balance likely will have to be decided on a case-by-case basis. It is also important to
protect foreign investors from unfair or arbitrary treatment by governments who are
motivated by short-term political interests rather than long-term environmental risks.
For this reason, we emphasise that we are referring to bona fide climate change
regulation.

Striking the right balance between the regulatory risks that investors face and the
litigation risk that governments face is not the same for all markets. Larger markets
can have a greater degree of regulatory risk and still attract foreign investors. In
contrast, smaller, less economically attractive markets may need to strike a balance
that reduces regulatory risk to a greater degree, in order to attract foreign
investment. Larger markets are also a greater source of GHG emissions, so the
balance should favour climate change regulations over compensation to foreign
investors, in order to limit the risk of regulatory chill and to enhance the right to
regulate. Science-based regulatory decisions should withstand scrutiny, even if the
science was preliminary, when there is sufficient scientific evidence of the potentially
serious environmental effects to support the regulation. There is sufficient scientific
evidence of the potentially serious effects of climate change to justify climate
change regulation, even if it also has the effect of diminishing the value of some
foreign investments.

International investment law has the potential to have a chilling effect on climate
change regulation, by raising issues regarding the risk that climate change regulation
will expose host states to claims from foreign investors. Legitimate climate change
regulation should not trigger liability to compensate foreign investors. However, this
may not eliminate the chilling effect, since it is costly for states to defend against
such claims even if they do not succeed. Awards of costs against investors who file
such claims may discourage such claims, but this may not be sufficient to overcome
the chilling effect in the short term. Moreover, the lack of a system of precedents for
tribunals permits tribunals to reach different conclusions on similar issues, which
increases the uncertainty regarding the outcome of litigation. Nevertheless, there is
room in international investment law to strike an appropriate balance between the
The role of international economic law in addressing climate change 123

right to regulate climate change and right of foreign investors to seek compensation
for arbitrary and discriminatory governmental actions. Striking the right balance will
facilitate the mobilization of foreign investment as a source of climate finance and
technology dissemination.

8.3 Encouraging the production and consumption of

environmentally-friendly goods taking into account
UNFCCC and WTO agreements
WTO members are free to eliminate trade barriers unilaterally, as long as the most-
favoured nation (MFN) rule is observed, and bilaterally, regionally or plurilaterally, as
long as they comply with the exceptions for regional trade agreements in the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Article XXIV and the General
Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) Article V. In the case of climate change,
however, the regime is less developed and there is greater uncertainty regarding the
WTO compatibility of unilateral and regional approaches to mitigation and
adaptation. It might be useful to add explicit provisions to the UNFCCC, to reduce
the uncertainty regarding the consistency of unilateral, bilateral and plurilateral
approaches to climate change regulation. Unilateral, bilateral and plurilateral
approaches can complement multilateral approaches by pushing other countries to
follow suit multilaterally. The UNFCCC already incorporates the language of GATT
Article XX regarding arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between countries, but
this is insufficient to address this issue.

Regulatory capture creates risks that unilateral measures will serve as disguised
restrictions on international trade rather than legitimate efforts to combat climate
change (Condon and Sinha, 2013; de Lima-Campos, 2012; WTO, 2013; Yandle,
1989). For this reason, unilateral measures should be designed and applied in
accordance with GATT Article XX, to minimize the risk of unilateral measures that
constitute arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or disguised restrictions on
international trade. In this regard, it is helpful that this same language has been
incorporated into international environmental law and the UNFCCC. The political and
economic context that has led to multilateral negotiation paralysis means that
unilateralism may represent the future of climate change regulation, at least in the
short to medium term. However, this does not mean that we cannot use the multilateral
consensus that has been achieved so far to regulate the use of unilateral measures.

The ongoing implementation of climate change policies could raise several issues in
WTO law. GATT Article XX will play an important part in determining the WTO
consistency of climate change measures. The scope of paragraphs (b) and (g) in
GATT Article XX still needs to be defined in many aspects, as does the relationship
124 Connecting to global markets

between these two paragraphs. Multilateral environmental agreements on climate

change will probably be relevant to determining the consistency of climate change
measures with GATT Article XX and the provisions of the Agreement on Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement). However, it is unlikely that GATT Article XX will
be applied to the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM
Agreement), the Agreement on Agriculture or the TBT Agreement (Condon, 2009).
Its application to provisions in other multilateral agreements on trade in goods as per
Annex 1A of the Agreement Establishing the WTO (WTO Agreement) will have to be
analysed on a case-by-case basis.

If processing and production methods are relevant to determining the issue of “like
products” in GATT Articles I and III, the SCM Agreement, the Agreement on
Implementation of Article VI of the GATT 1994 (Anti-dumping Agreement) and the
TBT Agreement, then this may provide an alternative analytical approach to
determine the WTO consistency of climate change measures. Again, this will have to
be analysed on a case-by-case basis in light of specific climate change measures.
However, if environmental subsidies are designed so that they are not specific to
certain enterprises, they will not be subject to multilateral action under Part III or
unilateral action under Part V of the SCM Agreement. If the subsidies apply to
agricultural products, they will have to comply with the commitments of members
under the Agreement on Agriculture. In the case of export subsidies, compliance
with the Agreement on Agriculture may shield subsidies on agricultural products
from action under the SCM Agreement Article 3.1(a). However, opinion differs on
this issue. In the case of subsidies contingent on the use of domestic products, it will
be necessary to comply with the SCM Agreement and the Agreement on Agriculture
(Condon, 2009), as well as GATT Article III and the Agreement on Trade-Related
Investment Measures (TRIMS).

With respect to WTO non-discrimination obligations, “less favourable treatment”

requires a determination of whether the contested measure modifies the conditions
of competition to the detriment of imported products. However, the existence of
such a detrimental effect is not sufficient to demonstrate less favourable treatment
if the detrimental impact on imports stems exclusively from a legitimate regulatory
distinction, provided that it is even handed. Thus, the “legitimate regulatory
distinction” test serves as a defence to allegations of WTO-inconsistent
discrimination, where risks are addressed in an even-handed way, for example
where distinctions in treatment are based on evidence that the risks are different in
different situations and therefore the different situations need to be addressed in
different ways to achieve the ultimate policy goal (Condon and Sinha, 2013). With
respect to climate change, emissions from different fuels could be subject to
different taxes where the different emissions pose different risks, for example due to
the nature and quantity of GHG emissions for each fuel or the GHG emissions from
The role of international economic law in addressing climate change 125

their production processes. Different treatment of products, based on their

processing and production methods, also might not constitute less favourable
treatment, for example due to differences in their carbon footprint. The difficulty is
that carbon footprints may be difficult to measure and the design of carbon labelling
programmes runs the risk of being distorted to benefit domestic industry lobbies. De
facto discrimination, which creates incentives for private actors to choose domestic
inputs over imported ones, could be incorporated into some element of the design of
a regime of carbon taxes and border tax adjustments, for example where the taxes
themselves do not discriminate but the reporting or filing requirements are more
burdensome for the imported products.

8.4 Encouraging the use of environmentally-friendly

processes by foreign establishments

Countries also need to remove barriers to trade in clean energy technologies, rather
than erect such barriers. WTO law does not require countries to apply countervailing
duties; it merely permits this practice as long as it is done in accordance with the
requirements of the SCM Agreement. Dissemination of clean energy technologies
can also be facilitated by removing barriers to foreign investment and international
trade in services.

International investment agreements could prove problematic, not because of the

substance but due to the lack of predictability in the outcomes of arbitrations. The
language of international investment agreements is sufficiently flexible to
accommodate climate change regulation. While international investment tribunals
do not create precedent that is binding upon other tribunals, this jurisprudence does
influence other tribunals. However, the approach of different international
investment arbitrators to similar issues can vary considerably, which creates a
degree of uncertainty regarding the outcome of international investment litigation.
This introduces an element of litigation risk to the process of climate change
regulation that affects foreign investors, including regulation that encourages the
use of environmentally friendly processes by foreign establishments.

8.5 Conclusions and possible approaches to take to future

trade and investment negotiations

International economic law has an important role to play in the regulation of climate
change, in particular with respect to technology diffusion and unilateral, bilateral,
regional and plurilateral responses to multilateral negotiation failure. It has not been
possible to reach multilateral agreements with respect to climate change finance,
126 Connecting to global markets

IPRs for plant varieties, a multilateral investment agreement, or international trade in

environmental goods and services. Multilateral progress in all of these areas would
facilitate technology diffusion and diminish the need for unilateral action.

Unilateral measures may be taken to address local or global concerns and may be
used to create incentives for multilateral action. They may be consistent with
international obligations or not, depending on the circumstances of each case.
Unilateral measures can serve as catalysts for multilateral action on climate change,
by prompting the affected economic actors to pressure their governments to seek a
solution, through litigation or negotiation. Climate change agreements should either
comply with or prompt modifications to international economic law and global
models of economic governance.

Existing international economic law places limitations on the right of national and
sub-national governments to regulate to address climate change. Given the current
difficulty in reaching multilateral agreements, for the most part countries will have to
develop climate change policy and law within the constraints of the existing legal,
economic and financial framework. The shifting fortunes of developed and emerging
economies have altered the dynamics of global governance (Jara, 2012). The
ensuing multilateral negotiation paralysis means that unilateral action will be
necessary to create incentives to address climate change. However, the risk of
regulatory capture needs to be addressed to ensure that these unilateral measures
are consistent with international law and are economically viable.

It is important to identify policy issues and options and ways to overcome negotiation
obstacles. One proposal, with respect to WTO negotiations, is to make negotiations
less ambitious, by abandoning the rule that “nothing is agreed until everything is
agreed”, and to abandon decision-making by consensus. There are precedents for
this approach at the WTO, in which a limited number of members agreed to liberalize
specific sectors once enough members were on board to cover 90 per cent of trade
in the sector. The MFN rule extends concessions to all WTO members and the
resulting agreement is left open for other members to join. The same approach to
environmental goods and services would reduce barriers to technology diffusion for
climate change. A similar approach could be taken with respect to GHG emissions,
by seeking agreement among the countries that account for the overwhelming
majority of emissions, and by leaving it open for other countries to join. However,
even this approach may be difficult to achieve in a reasonable period of time.

At the end of the day, multilateral climate change regulation will likely prove
insufficient to tackle climate change effectively. This gives WTO members an
argument to adopt unilateral technical regulations, since the international standards,
if any exist, may prove to be ineffective, in light of the growing scientific evidence of
The role of international economic law in addressing climate change 127

the urgency of addressing climate change. Multilateral negotiation paralysis, and the
dramatic changes in the economic growth, technological capacity and GHG
emissions of developing countries since 1992, has made the UNFCCC approach
out-dated and ineffective to address climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Moreover, new evidence indicates that the climate is changing faster than expected
(NCADAC, 2013). While multilateral approaches may be preferable in theory,
unilateral, bilateral, regional and plurilateral approaches may be required in practice.
In order to meet these different approaches to stricter international mitigation
requirements and to address their own adaptation needs, low- and middle-income
countries will have to overcome supply-side constraints in a manner that meets their
obligations in various areas of international economic law.

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Condon, B. J. and T. Sinha (2013), The role of climate change in global economic governance,
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9 The facilitation of trade by the rule of law:
the cases of Singapore and ASEAN
Michael Ewing-Chow, Junianto James Losari
and Melania Vilarasau Slade*

9.1 Introduction

Geography is unkind. This could be a result of historical accident, wars or colonial

boundaries but the results are the same. The classical definition of the factors of
production is land, labour and capital. 1 It is a fact of life that some countries have a
limited supply of all three.

Soon after independence in the 1960s, this truth was evident to a small nation with a
land area of 582 square kilometres, a population of 1.6 million, a literacy rate of 53
per cent, an unemployment rate of 13.5 per cent and a GDP per capita of US$ 511
per annum. 2 The situation looked even bleaker because of the significant racial and
social unrest, the complete lack of natural resources, limited agriculture and
insufficient water supply. Government revenues were low and, because of the
economic over-reliance on entrepot trade, revenue could not be raised by increasing
customs duties. Few would have predicted survival, much less economic progress.

However, geography is not destiny. Fifty years later, that country has a GDP per
capita of US$ 52,051 per annum, a population of 5.3 million, a literacy rate of 96 per
cent, an unemployment rate of 2 per cent and, through land reclamations, a land area
of 723 square kilometres. 3 This is Singapore today. How did Singapore achieve this?

One clue lies in the data on the contribution of merchandise trade to the GDP of this
country. While this contribution has fluctuated from 367.7 per cent just before the
recent financial crisis began in 2008, to 265.6 per cent in the depths of the crisis in
2009, the merchandise trade contribution to GDP has been well over 250 per cent
for a very long time. 4 Geography had bestowed one blessing on this country, in that it
was fairly centrally located and had a deep sea port. This helped the growth of its
entrepot trade but other, nearby ports could easily have competed in this regard if

* The contents of this chapter are the sole responsibility of the authors and are not meant to
represent the position or opinions of the WTO or its members.

129
130 Connecting to global markets

Singapore had only relied on its strategic location. From its colonial foundation,
Singapore had the advantage of an essentially free trade port but this, by definition,
does not bring in tax revenue because the imposition of any tariffs would undermine
its trade. Thus, something else had to be done to capture other sources of revenue
and encourage the relocation of industrial activities so as to provide more jobs than
the trans-shipment of goods alone could provide.

After independence, this country adopted a three-pronged strategy to maximize its

one advantage, its location. First, existing advantages were enhanced to facilitate
entrepot trade, the expansion of the marine sector and the building of large oil
refineries, while attendant services, such as logistics, transportation and tourism,
were also developed. Secondly, new capabilities were created by incentivizing the
use of technology and establishing procedures to review and reduce regulation and
taxes. Finally, complementary policies were enabled by training bureaucrats to be
strategically pro-enterprise and efficient, as well as developing education and labour
policies in consultation with industry. Yet, despite the well-thought-out strategy and
the impressive coordination between the various actors, these efforts would not
have borne fruit without one necessary (though not, of itself, sufficient ) trade reform
– strengthening the rule of law.

9.2 The rule of law

Nobel Prize-winning economist F. A. Hayek, commenting on the value of the rule of

law to economic development, said that individuals (including corporations) would be
able to make wise investments and future plans with some confidence of a profitable
return on investment if “under the Rule of Law the government is prevented from
stultifying individual efforts by ad hoc action [so that] [w]ithin the known rules of the
game the individual is free to pursue his personal ends and desires, certain that the
powers of government will not be used deliberately to frustrate his efforts” (Hayek,
1994). Hayek contrasted the rule of law with arbitrary government but did not
provide a specific definition of it.

There are many definitions of the rule of law, and there is much debate about its core
elements. The World Justice Project (WJP) definition of the rule of law is probably
one of the most persuasive when considering how a system may be created in order
to avoid arbitrary governance. 5 The WJP suggests that the rule of law is a system in
which four universal principles are upheld:

• The government and its officials and agents as well as individuals and private
entities are accountable under the law.
The facilitation of trade by the rule of law: the cases of Singapore and ASEAN 131

• The laws are clear, publicized, stable and just, are applied evenly, and protect
fundamental rights, including the security of persons and property.
• The process by which the laws are enacted, administered and enforced is
accessible, fair and efficient.
• Justice is delivered [in a] timely [manner] by competent, ethical, and independent
representatives and neutrals who are of sufficient number, have adequate
resources, and reflect the makeup of the communities they serve.

Singapore scores well on perceived absence of corruption, order and security,

regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice. There may be room for
improvement with regard to limited government powers, fundamental rights and
open government. Arguably, there may be an over-reliance on the presence of a pro-
business and long-time incumbent government as an assurance for investors that
there is a firm commitment to the rule of law despite the relatively lower levels of
perceived checks and balances to the actions of the government. 6

In any event, its high rankings in regional terms, even for those areas coupled with
the strong scores in other areas, makes Singapore an attractive base and hub for the
region. With limited endowments of the factors of production and a small domestic
market, Singapore has managed to use the rule of law to facilitate its trade and
increase its connectivity to the region. This was critical in order to attract foreign
multinational corporations (MNCs) to invest in Singapore, set up factories and
provide jobs for the local population. With severe supply-side constraints, Singapore
attracted investors by assuring them of their legal rights. This led to Singapore’s
growth as a hub for production and trade facilitation in the region.

Table 1 World Justice Project scores and rankings for Singapore

Factors Scores Global Regional Income group

rankings rankings rankings
Limited government powers 0.73 21/97 4/14 19/29

Absence of corruption 0.91 7/97 2/14 7/29

Order and security 0.93 1/97 1/14 1/29

Fundamental rights 0.73 26/97 5/14 23/29

Open government 0.67 19/97 6/14 18/29

Regulatory enforcement 0.80 10/97 4/14 10/29

Civil justice 0.79 4/97 1/14 4/29

Criminal justice 0.87 3/97 1/14 3/29

Source: World Justice Project ([Link]

132 Connecting to global markets

9.3 The domestic facilitation of trade by the rule of law

But what is the most important rule-of-law factor for economic development through
trade facilitation? Ikenson has charted the relationship between the perception of
corruption and logistics performance. As Figure 1 shows, he concluded that, “There
appears to be a fairly strong relationship between levels of corruption (as measured
in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index [CPI] 7) and logistics
performance (as measured in the [Logistics Performance Index] 8). Countries where
the perception of corruption is lower are more likely to perform better on logistics
perceptions; and countries where corruption is more pronounced appear to have
greater frictions in their logistics environments” (Ikenson, 2008).

While both indices are based on perception, there seems a fairly strong correlation
between the perception of high levels of corruption and the perception of less
effective logistic performance. This is not to say that the absence of corruption is the
only important factor of the rule of law. It is not. However, when one looks at Table 2,
also compiled by Ikenson (2008), the effects on the financial calculus can be clearly

Figure 1 Relationship between perceived corruption and logistics

performance

100%
Corruption score (% of best possible score)

90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Logistics score (% of best possible score)

Source: World Bank and Turku School of Economics (Finland), Logistics Performance Index, [Link]
[Link]/etools/tradesurvey/[Link], and Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index,
[Link]
Note: Each point is a country’s set of scores for both indices.
The facilitation of trade by the rule of law: the cases of Singapore and ASEAN 133

Table 2 Various trade facilitation metrics by region or country, 2008

Region or Documents Time for Cost to Documents Time for Cost to

Economy for export export export for import import import
(number) (days) (US$ per (number) (days) (US$ per
container) container)

East Asia and 6.9 24.5 885 7.5 25.8 1,015

Pacific

Eastern Europe 7.0 29.3 1,393 8.3 30.8 1,551

and Central
Asia

Latin America 6.7 22.6 1,096 7.7 24.0 1,208

and Caribbean

Middle East and 7.1 24.8 992 8.0 28.7 1,129

North Africa

OECD 4.5 9.8 905 5.0 10.4 986

South Asia 8.6 32.5 1,180 9.1 32.1 1,418

Sub-Saharan 8.1 35.6 1,660 9.0 43.7 1,986

Africa

All countries 7.0 26.1 1,230 7.8 29.7 1,412

United States 4.0 6.0 960 5.0 5.0 1,160

Singapore 4.0 5.0 416 4.0 3.0 367

(best)

Kazakhstan 12.0 89.0 2,730 14.0 76.0 2,780

(worst)

Source: International Finance Corporation and the World Bank, Doing Business, “Trading Across Borders”
([Link]

seen. A businessperson, when trying to decide where to ship goods to and from, will
have three main costs to consider – the financial, time and transactional costs – for
each container he or she ships. The lower these costs are, the more attractive a port
or hub will be. Singapore makes the businessperson’s decision relatively easy. This is
the moral of the Singapore story – if you lower the costs for business through the
rule of law, traders (and investors) find you more attractive.

Many developing countries today face significant supply-side constraints such as

inadequate infrastructure, unavailability of a skilled workforce and insufficient capital
for businesses to expand. These problems require a large investment of time and
financial resources to address and often do not produce the hoped-for results. One
reason for this is that attempting to address these concerns without first addressing
the need for improvement in the rule of law is akin to trying to fill a sieve – all the
134 Connecting to global markets

money, effort and time leaks out. For example, improving trade facilitation may require
some coordination but the steps that need to be taken are relatively straightforward
– apply international procedures, reduce paperwork, incorporate more technology
and keep looking for ways to be more efficient. Many countries have received grants
and expert advice and have embarked on projects to do just that, and indeed many
have implemented various strategies in this regard. The World Bank reports that in
2006 it took, on average, 26 days to export and 30.4 days to import a standardized
cargo of goods by ocean transport (with every official procedure recorded but actual
time on the ocean excluded), whereas it now takes, on average, 22.2 days to export
and 25 days to import (World Bank, 2013). There has been some improvement but it
still takes a lot of time in some countries. The resistance to change can in part be
attributed to vested interests and corruption, as every form that is made obsolete
represents the reduction of an opportunity for customs officials to engage in rent-
seeking behaviour. This underscores the importance of the rule of law for maximizing
both trade and investment opportunities.

It is submitted, therefore, that the rule of law has the potential to assist supply-side-
constrained countries by granting them a comparative advantage and a strong basis
to attract investment in order to supplement areas in which they are, by reasons of
geography or history, found to be lacking.

9.4 Regional trade facilitation by the rule of law: the case of

ASEAN

Moving from the situation of a single country to the developmental needs of a region,
in this case the South East Asian region, similar supply-side constraints for most of
the regional economies can be seen. Some countries may have been blessed with
natural resources and others with populations large enough for the domestic market
to develop significant contributions to development, but all (perhaps with the
exception of current-day Singapore) have limited capital. Moving from the particular
to the more general, could the rule of law also alleviate the supply-side constraints of
countries in this region?

The forum for economic activity in the region is now the Association of South East
Asian Nations (ASEAN). ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok,
Thailand, with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration 9 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined on 8 January 1984,
Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar on
23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what are today the ten
member states of ASEAN.
The facilitation of trade by the rule of law: the cases of Singapore and ASEAN 135

ASEAN was conceived as a political enterprise aimed at building trust among the
largely post-colonial regional states, which were wary of each other. ASEAN did this
well through the “ASEAN Way” of cooperation and dispute resolution in which
members do not interfere with the internal affairs of other members and decision-
making (as well as dispute resolution) is done only by consensus. While this has
enabled ASEAN to reduce regional conflicts (albeit as a relatively “informal”
organization), ASEAN has often been criticized for its “ASEAN Way” and its seeming
adherence to the principle of non-interference. Many commentators suggest that
this adherence to non-interference and consensus undermines the rule of law and
ASEAN’s seriousness to integrate (Goh, 2003). 10

However, the adoption of the ASEAN Charter in 2007 and its ratification by all ten
ASEAN states in 2008 marked the beginning of a new self-understanding for
ASEAN. The Charter declares that member states will act in accordance with the
rule of law, international law and ASEAN rules. The law was for the first time laid as a
foundation for ASEAN integration. At the same time, the ASEAN member states
also issued a Declaration on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint 11
which adopted the AEC Blueprint 12 for the implementation of the AEC by 2015. The
Declaration states that “[t]he AEC Blueprint will transform ASEAN into a single
market 13 and production base, a highly competitive economic region, a region of
equitable economic development, and a region fully integrated into the global
economy” (note 6, para 1). Article 1(5) of the Charter sets out the purposes of
ASEAN, one of which is “to create a single market 14 and production base”. ASEAN
declared that it was going to integrate economically and that one major strategy for
that integration would be the rule of law.

The integration of ASEAN will be challenging. The combined population of ASEAN,

at approximately 600 million, 15 may compare favourably with that of the European
Union (EU), at 500 million. 16 However, even with the financial crisis in Europe, in
2011 the combined GDP of ASEAN was only US$ 2.3 trillion 17 compared with the
EU’s US$ 17 trillion. 18 Thus, any impressionistic understanding of ASEAN integration
revolving around a marketplace for ASEAN goods will have to be moderated by the
short-term reality that the consumers in ASEAN at the moment are not wealthy
enough to buy many of the goods ASEAN produces. Intra-ASEAN trade, which, on
average, comprises only one-quarter of total annual ASEAN trade 19 (compared with
intra-European Community trade which comprised nearly half of members’ trading
activity from 1958-1972 [Mongelli, Dorrucci and Agur, 2005]) is currently not a
driving force in ASEAN integration. This current limitation in the buying power of
ASEAN consumers is obviously illustrated by the fact that in 2011 the GDP per
capita for ASEAN as a whole was only about US$ 3,600. 20 This partially explains
why the contribution of intra-ASEAN trade to total ASEAN trade has been stuck at
25 per cent for the last 10 years.
136 Connecting to global markets

ASEAN also faces integration challenges because of the great diversity in the
application of the rule of law among the ASEAN member states. 21 The European
model of integration was built on the somewhat more established rule-of-law
systems of its members whereas the post-colonial legal systems of many ASEAN
members still remain less developed. One indicator of this is that, despite the current
financial crisis and the exposure of bureaucratic and parliamentary failures, EU
member states all rank in the top half of Transparency International’s CPI rankings
for 2012, with Italy and Bulgaria the lowest ranked at 72 and 75 respectively.
By contrast, as illustrated in Table 3, seven out of the 10 ASEAN members rank in
the bottom half of the index, with Myanmar almost at the bottom with a ranking of
172 (Transparency International, 2012).

This perception of corruption (even if unjustified) undermines investors’ confidence

and poses a real problem for ASEAN economic integration, for the following reason.
With the relatively less affluent domestic market of ASEAN, in the short term, the
main economic objective for ASEAN should be the development of the production
base referred to in the ASEAN Charter through the facilitation of integrated
production networks (IPNs) created by MNCs. When an IPN becomes transnational,
it faces several challenges. The main challenge beyond the cost of transport and
logistics planning is ensuring that the rules applicable to each actor in the network
remain predictable and certain. Where the IPN operates in countries where the rule
of law is weaker, guarantees against arbitrary intervention and discrimination
become more critical for the continued effective functioning of the IPN. If investors

Table 3 Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, 2012

Country Country ranking CPI score Score

2011 1
2012 2
2011 2012
Singapore 5 5 9.3 87
Brunei Darussalam 44 46 5.5 55
Malaysia 60 54 4.4 49
Thailand 80 88 3.5 37
Philippines 129 105 2.4 34
Indonesia 100 118 2.8 32
Viet Nam 112 123 2.7 31
Cambodia 164 157 2.1 22
Lao PDR 154 160 2.1 21
Myanmar 180 172 1.4 15

Source: Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index 2012.

Notes: 1. 2011 surveyed 183 countries and territories.
2. 2012 surveyed 176 countries and territories.
The facilitation of trade by the rule of law: the cases of Singapore and ASEAN 137

do not trust the strength of the rule of law in the region, less investment will flow in
and this will limit the development of regional IPNs.

The automotive industry is frequently put forward as one of the best examples of
IPNs in Europe, and that may well be true. Direct production of cars accounts for 2.2
million jobs and another 9.8 million jobs in closely related sectors (ACEA, 2010).
While the creation of the European single market indirectly created the environment
for new networks of businesses and production, in ASEAN, counter-intuitively, these
networks already exist, despite some trade barriers. Rather than lobbying to change
the legal environment to create a climate for such networks, Asian businesses often
took advantage of the less-than-transparent discretion provided to policy-makers at
all levels in many ASEAN countries and, instead, obtained specific solutions to the
trade barriers they faced without insisting on formal obligations.

This increased regional trade and, since the 1980s, subject to the changing players
and gravitational forces, much of the intra-ASEAN trade consists of components
which are part of the production chains of “Factory Asia”, with one state being part of
a process that culminates in a final product for export to developed countries. In
1985 there were only four major trade-in-goods players in the Asian region:
Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore. Resource-rich states Malaysia and
Indonesia would supply resources to Japan, while Singapore manufactured
component parts for assembly in Japan which would then be exported to the West
(WTO and IDE-JETRO, 2011).

The gravitational forces changed when, in 2001, China joined the WTO and began
to access Japan’s current supply chain of component parts. By 2005 the centre of
gravity had shifted to China, with it being the main market for all component products
from the Asian region. The competitiveness of China’s export trade is not only
attributable to its cheap labour but also to the intermediate, high-quality goods/
products it receives from the other Asian countries (and in particular ASEAN
member states) which are part of the IPN or, as referred to in the WTO and IDE-
JETRO report, the global value chain (GVC) structure. ASEAN countries today
produce parts, accessories and components and export them to China which,
copying the previously successful Japanese model, then assembles the products
and exports the finished products principally to the West. Thus, unrestricted regional
trade is “an important building block for the region’s economic strength, and
consequently disruptions – whether political or administrative – put this
competitiveness at risk” (Dieter, 2007).

But if “Factory Asia” already exists, what gains may be made with the ASEAN
Charter and its emphasis on the rule of law? To answer this, a closer look into the
state of “Factory Asia” is required.
138 Connecting to global markets

Writing about the development of the automotive market in Europe, Dieter points out
that “without the creation of a single regulatory sphere, the integration processes
could not have taken place” (Dieter, 2007). He suggests that the expansion of the
EU itself enlarged the space for business while the PANEURO scheme (that allowed
for the cumulation of origin) increased the area available for sourcing of components
without having to consider the local content requirements of the EU. By contrast,
writing in 2006, Baldwin characterizes East Asian regionalism as being “a mess”, in
that, while there is a high level of regional division of labour in the production process,
there has been limited legalization of the process. He suggests that the problem with
“Factory Asia” is not a plan but the management of the plan, highlighting that the
unilateral tariff-cutting that created “Factory Asia” is not subject to the WTO
discipline (binding) or any alternative legal disciplines (Baldwin, 2006). This has
resulted in a business environment which is less transparent and less certain than
that of Europe, but one which is no less productive. Dieter (2007) further shows that
the production of automobiles and electronics in East Asia is relatively integrated in
practice but is facing headwinds of protectionism and inconsistent governmental
policies. 22 The strengthening of the rule of law would reassure investors worried
about arbitrary practices and regional backsliding towards protectionism.

9.5 The value of international investment agreements

How can the rule of law be strengthened regionally? It begins with international
commitments between the ASEAN members. While much has been said about the
value of ASEAN’s commitments to lower tariffs, creating a single window for
customs clearances and increasing intra-ASEAN connectivity, the rule of law will be
foundational for all these endeavours.

Some economies with low natural endowments and relatively small markets, such as
Costa Rica, Hong Kong (China) and Singapore, have succeeded in attracting
substantial amounts of foreign direct investment (FDI). Investors are attracted to
their investor-friendly tax regimes, good infrastructure and high quality human
resources, as well as their strong rule of law built on an effective domestic legal,
administrative and judicial infrastructure. Unfortunately, the domestic legal
infrastructure is often inherently quite resistant to change due to interest capture
and the need to build human resource capacity. An extra-domestic system is
therefore (at least in the short term) easier and quicker to implement. It could also
act as a governance facilitator for the domestic system by introducing more
transparency and accountability and, potentially, remedies for domestic system
failures. In addition to assuring investors by creating an international obligation, the
state would also create incentives for domestic reform.
The facilitation of trade by the rule of law: the cases of Singapore and ASEAN 139

Many studies have been conducted to analyse the efficiency of international

investment agreements (IIAs) in attracting FDI (UNCTAD, 2009). Some point to
China and Brazil as countries with few, if any, IIAs but which have been successful in
attracting significant FDI. Nevertheless, China and Brazil are exceptions because
both have large markets and, in the case of Brazil, significant natural endowments.
Other countries may be less fortunate. In comparing the effectiveness of IIAs, often
the difficulty is establishing the counterfactual.

Indeed, the Executive Directors of the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (World Bank), in their 1965 report on the Convention on the
Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States
(ICSID Convention) stated that, while they thought that “private capital will continue
to flow to countries offering a favorable climate for attractive and sound investments,
even if such countries did not become parties to the Convention […] adherence to
the Convention by a country would provide additional inducement and stimulate a
larger flow of private international investment into its territories” (IBRD, 1965). The
ICSID Convention ensures access to third-party dispute settlement mechanisms for
an investor investing in another country, provided the country and the investor’s
country of nationality are parties to the Convention. This assures investors who may
not trust a domestic legal system.

ASEAN has recognised the significant role that an IIA can play in attracting FDIs. In
2009, they concluded the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement and, soon
after, the ASEAN–Australia–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, with an investment
chapter, as well as agreements on investment under the Framework Agreement on
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation, with the Republic of Korea and the People’s
Republic of China respectively. 23

These IIAs require ASEAN members to provide clear rules and procedures, and that
disputes be settled by independent adjudicative means. It should be noted that the
provisions of these IIAs have been refined from being purely pro-investor to
demonstrating understanding of the current investment context in which all the
countries involved are capital-importing and capital-exporting countries. They
attempt to strike a balance between preserving policy space for a government to
regulate matters which are critical to the country and legal rules which provide
foreign investors with confidence. This includes the matter of ensuring sustainable
development of the country with sound environmental policies.

For regional stakeholders, these IIAs enable investors from the region to expand
regionally. In the past, only MNCs or strong interest groups possessed the power to
influence the policy-making process. However, with these IIAs, for the first time, all
140 Connecting to global markets

investors, under the shadow of compulsory investor-to-state adjudication, have

access to tools of persuasion based on legal obligations.

In this context, it should be noted that the WJP’s four universal principles upheld by
the rule of law, stated above, also correspond to the concept of legalization of
international obligations between states. This has been defined as obligation,
precision and delegation, meaning that states and other actors are legally bound by
the rules, that the rules are clear and compliance is monitored, and that disputes are
adjudicated by independent parties (Abbott et al., 2000). The WJP adds to this a
focus on the administration and enforcement of the law. This is useful, since relying
on litigation is a poor alternative to efficient and effective administration. Litigation is
not a good system for policy-making and governance. It is episodic and expensive and
usually only results in binary decisions. It acts as a useful last resort which encourages
more reasonable negotiation and better governance. Regional governments could,
therefore, also introduce processes to obtain feedback from investors (both domestic
and foreign) and mechanisms to incorporate that feedback into their policy-making.
Figure 2 illustrates one such process based on Singapore’s experience.

Figure 2 Investor-centric feedback loop

Respond
Feedback One stop
mechanisms Economic
Online and Development
transparent Board (EDB)
HOW WHO
To amend does the investor
regulations? approach?

Regulate Attract

WHY WHAT
are some help can be
regulations offered to
in place? investors?
Reform- Concierge to
focused help navigate
Law review regulations
committees EDB
Explain

Source: Prepared by the authors.

The facilitation of trade by the rule of law: the cases of Singapore and ASEAN 141

Rather than waiting for investors to complain about policies and regulations,
Singapore instituted proactive procedures to attract investors by creating a one-stop
entity to manage foreign investors – the Economic Development Board (EDB). The
EDB was tasked with helping investors navigate regulations and, at the same time,
fed back to relevant governmental bodies information about the obstacles faced by
investors. Steps were then taken in a relatively transparent manner to see how these
laws and policies could be fine-tuned. By making it easy for investors through a
process of explanation, facilitation and reform, Singapore was able to make itself
more attractive and, at the same time, reduce the legal risks associated with the
binding commitments created by the IIAs.

9.6 Conclusions

Singapore built on its colonial free trade policies by joining the General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1973 and, later, the WTO, thereby adding binding
legal obligations to its already liberal trade policies. Together with commitments
made in a number of IIAs and an effort to embed a domestic rule-of-law system,
these assurances provided investors with the confidence to invest in a country with
otherwise very limited factors of production and an insignificant internal market.
These investors initially invested in factories which produced goods. But even today,
when the high cost of production has made Singapore less competitive for the
production of goods, the country enjoys a status as a hub for high-premium services
such as banking, finance and logistics for many of the GVCs in Asia, because of this
commitment to the rule of law.

If one includes Cambodia, which entered ASEAN in 2004, Viet Nam, which entered
in 2007 and Laos, which entered in 2013, all ASEAN members have now committed
themselves to the rules of the WTO and the dispute settlement process for the
enforcement of such rules. As discussed above, ASEAN members have also
committed themselves to various WTO-plus rules in IIAs, both between themselves
and with major regional trade partners. Despite the poor rankings of most ASEAN
members with regard to perceived corruption, this makes the region more attractive
to investors, who should feel more reassured by having such binding international
rules and the attendant international processes for the enforcement of the rules.

A recent UNCTAD study (illustrated in Figure 3) shows that the expansion of the
operations of MNCs through FDI has been a major driver of growth of GVCs, as
illustrated by the close correlation between FDI stocks in countries and their GVC
participation (UNCTAD, 2013). Therefore, ASEAN members with supply-side
constraints benefit significantly from the development of the rule of law regionally,
as this makes the region more attractive to major investors seeking to set up IPNs.
142 Connecting to global markets

Figure 3 Foreign direct investment and participation in global value chains,

1990–2010

GVC participation vs FDI inward stock GVC participation vs FDI inward stock
Developed countries - logs Developing countries - logs

20 20

18
GVC participation

16
15

14

12
10
10
0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15
FDI stock FDI stock
1990-2010 Fitted values

Source: UNCTAD-Eora GVC Database, UNCTAD FDI Database, UNCTAD analysis.

Note: Data for 187 countries over 20 years. The regression of the annual GVC participation growth on the annual
FDI inward (stock) growth yields a positive and significant correlation (at the 5 per cent level) both for developed
and developing countries (R2 — 0.77 and 0.44, respectively). The correlation remains significant considering the
two time periods 1990 - 2000 and 2001 - 2010 separately. Regressions use lagged (one year) inward FDI (stock)
growth rates and include year fixed effects to account for unobserved heterogeneity.

This has the twin advantages of increasing trade and attracting much-needed capital
for the development of those ASEAN countries.

This chapter has focused on the example of one country, Singapore, and one region,
as represented by ASEAN, and the way in which the rule of law could maximize their
potential for economic growth in the face of supply-side constraints. It is suggested
here that the strategy of committing to international trade and investment rules as
well as international dispute resolution helps to reassure investors. If this is coupled
with a domestic system based in the rule of law that supports trade facilitation, even
countries with severe supply-side constraints may be able attract FDI from MNCs
and thereby gain more opportunities to participate in GVCs. This capital and
technology inflow could result in improvements in infrastructure and increased
capacity and productivity of the labour force, with the consequent technology
transfer allowing that country to more actively participate in global trade.
The facilitation of trade by the rule of law: the cases of Singapore and ASEAN 143

However, there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach which would see the implementation

of specific solutions for all situations. While some basic principles can be drawn from
the “Singapore story”, it is idiosyncratic. ASEAN itself is only gradually finding
common ground amongst its 10 very disparate members on the advancement of
regional integration through the promotion of common principles of the rule of law. 24
It is, therefore, worth remembering the words of former Brazilian Minister Luiz Carlos
Bresser Pereira: “Institutions can at most be imported, never exported” (Przeworski,
2004). Locally grounded solutions are required to ensure that the commitment to
the rule of law is sustainable over time.

Endnotes

1. See “Factors of production”, “Capital”, “Human capital” and “Land” under the Glossary of Terms
in Samuelson, P. A. and W. D. Nordhaus (2005), Economics, New York, McGraw-Hill (18th ed.).
Some scholars argue that energy, human capital and entrepreneurship may be added to the picture
but they can also be incorporated into the classical factors.

2. See historical data at: [Link]

3. See 2012 data at: [Link]

4. See: [Link]

5. See: [Link] See also: Ginsberg, T. (2011), “Pitfalls of

measuring the rule of law”, Hague Journal on the Rule of Law 3(2): 269-280.

6. Academic studies have suggested that central to economic growth is the perceived
commitment of a government to the rule of law. While this is often achieved via the existence of
institutional checks on government, arguably other factors could support strong commitment levels,
including the stability and duration of the political system, the existence of credible challenges to
authority or the extent to which the executive’s own support base would be harmed by an adverse
shift in policy. See: Haggard, S., A. MacIntyre and L. Tiede (2008), “Rule of law and economic
development”, Annual Review of Political Science 11: 205-234.

7. The Corruption Perceptions Index is developed by Transparency International. Higher rankings

indicate the country is perceived to be less corrupt. The Index basically scores countries based on
how corrupt the public sectors are seen to be. The data is sourced from independent institutions
specializing in governance and business climate analysis. The index captures perceptions of the
extent of corruption in the public sector, mainly from the perspective of business people and country
experts.

8. The Logistics Performance Index is developed by the World Bank. Higher rankings indicate
better logistics performance based on the performance along the logistics supply chain within a
country. The Index is based on a survey of operators on the ground (global freight forwarders and
express carriers), providing feedback on the logistics “friendliness” of the countries in which they
operate and those with which they trade. The operators combine in-depth knowledge of the
countries in which they operate with informed qualitative assessments of other countries with which
they trade and experience of the global logistics environment.
144 Connecting to global markets

9. See: [Link]

10. Goh (2003) provides an overview of the criticism and a response that separates the “ASEAN
Way” and the principle of non-intervention. For an historical perspective of the “ASEAN Way”, see
Acharya, A. (2001), Constructing a security community in Southeast Asia: ASEAN and the problem of
regional order, London and New York, Routledge (2nd ed.). Other criticisms of the “ASEAN Way” can
be found in books/articles by Shaun Narine.

11. See: [Link]

12. See: [Link]

13. To most people, a single market is synonymous with a customs union which includes free
movement not only of goods but also of labour, services and capital. The most famous single market,
the European Union (EU), began life as the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951 (Treaty of
Paris, 1951) and went on to become the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957 (Treaty of
Rome, 1957) (when it become known in the United Kingdom and Ireland as “the Common Market”).
The abolition of internal tariff barriers was achieved in 1968. The Single European Act was signed
in 1986 to establish a Single European Market by 1992, by removing the barriers to free movement
of capital, labour, goods and services.

14. The AEC will have free movement of goods, services, skilled [our emphasis] labour and freer
[our emphasis] movement of capital (see para 9 of the AEC Blueprint) but is unlikely to be a
customs union. This is because a customs union has to create a common external tariff policy.
Singapore has an almost zero tariff policy (only beer, stout, samsu and medicated samsu are subject
to tariffs, although a universal excise tax is imposed on goods such as cigarettes, automobiles and
wine). This means that Singapore’s tariffs will have to go up or that other ASEAN members’ tariffs
will have to go down significantly to implement a common external tariff policy. Furthermore,
Singapore will have to give up many of its FTAs with non-ASEAN partners unless those partners
agree with all the other ASEAN partners or the preferential tariff rates are harmonized with the
ASEAN common external tariff rates (thus making the FTAs superfluous, at least for goods).

15. ASEAN (2012), ASEAN Community in Figures 2012 (ACIF 2012) ([Link]
images/2013/resources/publication/2013_ACIF_2012%[Link])

16. EUROSTAT (2011), Europe in Figures: Eurostat yearbook 2011, Luxembourg, Publications
Office of the European Union, p.109.

17. ASEAN (2012), ASEAN Community in Figures 2012 (ACIF 2012).

18. International Monetary Fund, Report for selected country groups and subjects ([Link]
org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/01/weodata/[Link]?sy=2010&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd
=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=998&s=NGDPD&grp=1&a=1&pr1.x=75&pr1.y=15)

19. ASEAN (2012), ASEAN Community in Figures 2012 (ACIF 2012).

20. ASEAN (2012), ASEAN Community in Figures 2012 (ACIF 2012).

21. See also: Agrast, M. D. et al. (2013), The World Justice Project: Rule of Law Index 2012-2013,
Washington, DC, World Justice Project. The Index compares Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. It did not gather data for Brunei Darussalam, Lao
People’s Democratic Republic or Myanmar.

22. Dieter (2007), note 35, p. 41-42

The facilitation of trade by the rule of law: the cases of Singapore and ASEAN 145

23. For a description of these ASEAN IIAs, see: Ewing-Chow, M. and G. R. Fischer (2011),
“ASEAN IIAs: Conserving regulatory sovereignty while promoting the rule of law?” Transnational
Dispute Management (8)5: 1-12.

24. For a very detailed study of this, see National University of Singapore, Centre for International
Law (2009-), ASEAN Integration Through Law: The ASEAN Way in a Comparative Context Project
([Link] from which a series of
books is forthcoming, to be published by Cambridge University Press.

Bibliography

Abbott, K. W. et al. (2000), “The concept of legalization”, International Organization 54(3):

401-419.

Baldwin, R. (2006), “Managing the noodle bowl: The fragility of east Asian regionalism”,
London, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Discussion Paper DP5561.

Dieter, H. (2007), Transnational production networks in the automobile industry and the function of
trade-facilitating measures, Paris, Notre Europe–Institut Jacques Delors, Studies & Research 58.

European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) (2010), European automobile industry

report: 09/10, Brussels.

Goh, G. (2003), “The ‘ASEAN Way’: Non-intervention and ASEAN’s role in conflict management”,
Stanford Journal of East Asian Affairs (3)1: 113-118.

Ikenson, D. (2008), While Doha sleeps: Securing economic growth through trade facilitation,
Washington, DC, CATO Institute, Center for Trade Policy Studies, Trade Policy Analysis No. 37.

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) (1965), Report of the Executive
Directors on the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes Between States and
Nationals of Other States.

Mongelli, F. P., E. Dorrucci and I. Agur (2005), What does European institutional integration tell
us about trade integration? Frankfurt am Main, European Central Bank, Occasional Paper
Series No. 40.

Przeworski, A. (2004) “Institutions matter?”, Government and Opposition 39(4): 527-540.

Transparency International (2012), Corruption Perceptions Index 2012. Retrieved from http://
[Link]/cpi2012/results

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (2009), The role of
international investment agreements in attracting foreign direct investment to developing
countries, UNCTAD Series on International Investment Policies for Development, New York
and Geneva, United Nations.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (2013), World investment
report 2013: Global value chains: Investment and trade for development, New York and
Geneva, United Nations.
146 Connecting to global markets

World Bank (2013), Doing business 2013: Smarter regulations for small and medium-size
enterprises, Washington, DC (10th ed.).

World Trade Organization (WTO) and Institute of Developing Economies Japan External Trade
Organisation (IDE-JETRO) (2011), Trade patterns and global value chains in East Asia: From
trade in goods to trade in tasks, Geneva, World Trade Organization.
IV
Aid for Trade as a catalyst
to build trade capacity

147
10 Aid for Trade and international
cooperation for middle-income
countries: the case of Chile
Dorotea G. Lopez and Felipe N. Muñoz*

10.1 Introduction

The Aid for Trade (AFT) programme was launched at the Sixth Ministerial Conference
of the WTO, held in Hong Kong in 2005, with the goal of helping developing countries,
particularly least-developed countries (LDCs), “to build the supply-side capacity and
trade-related infrastructure that they need to assist them to implement and benefit
from WTO Agreements and more broadly to expand their trade” (WTO, 2005). It
seeks to enable developing countries to play an active role in the world trading system
and to use trade as an instrument for growth and poverty reduction. The United
Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
reaffirms this definition by stating that the purpose of AFT is “... expanding the
capacity for growth and economic development of developing countries” (ECLAC,
2008). A direct antecedent of AFT was the “technical assistance related to trade”
granted after the conclusion of the Uruguay Round in 1994, especially to LDCs, in
order to help them meet their obligations under the multilateral trading system.

With respect to the provision of this type of aid, the Ministerial Conference chose to
follow the provisions of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness of 2005, which
sought to enhance general features of the horizontal relationship between the donor
community and recipient countries. In 2007, the WTO Secretariat proposed that:

• AFT should not be conceived as a new form of official development assistance

(ODA), centred on a donor–recipient relationship, but rather as a tool to seek a
joint cooperative relationship
• the projects and programmes should be considered as AFT when these activities
have been identified as trade-related development priorities in the national
development strategies of partner countries.

* The authors would like to thank the WTO Chairs Programme. The contents of this chapter are the
sole responsibility of the authors and are not meant to represent the position or opinions of the WTO
or its members.

149
150 Connecting to global markets

The WTO General Council approved these recommendations in October the same
year. Although WTO members have declared that AFT should not become a
substitute of the development benefits that a conclusion of the Doha Development
Agenda (DDA) would have, the stalled negotiations of the Doha Round had left the
AFT programme as one of the main issues on the trade agenda.

Developed countries and international agencies have committed funds to this initiative,
and developing countries have identified trade-related development priority areas
within their national development strategies. However, the current AFT structure
polarizes the relationship between donors and recipients; donors have given priority to
those eligible for the World Bank’s International Development Assistance (IDA), 1
leaving aside middle-income countries, particularly upper-middle-income countries
(UMICs). Due to their development level, UMICs are not a priority for donors, yet they do
not have the availability of funds to become donors, thereby reducing their opportunities
and incentives to participate in this initiative. In this chapter we will examine whether and
how UMICs can nevertheless play an active role within the AFT framework.

10.2 Aid for Trade: background

Since the launch of AFT in 2005, we have seen a steady increase in the amounts disbursed,
with a peak in 2006. Nevertheless, AFT distribution is not homogeneous among recipient
countries, reflecting the priority that exists in this programme towards the lower-income
countries. In 2011, LDCs and other low-income countries accounted for two-thirds of total
aid, while upper-middle-income countries accounted for approximately 15 per cent (see
Figure 1). The rest is comprised of regional projects, with the prioritization of Asia and Africa.

Figure 1 Aid for Trade disbursements by recipient income group, 2005-2011

LDCs
200,000 (least-developed
US$ millions (2011 constant prices)

180,000 countries)
160,000 LMICs
(low-middle income
140,000 countries)
120,000 MADCT
100,000 (more advanced
developed countries
80,000 and territories)
60,000 OLICs
40,000 (other low-income
countries)
20,000
UMICs
(upper-middle-income
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 countries)
Unallocated by income

Source: OECD data.

Aid for Trade and international cooperation for middle-income countries: the case of Chile 151

Figure 2 Aid for Trade disbursements by donor income group, 2005-2011

200,000 Development
180,000 Assistance
US$ millions (2011 constant prices)

Committee
160,000 (DAC)
countries
140,000

120,000 Non-DAC
countries
100,000

80,000 Multilateral
agencies
60,000

40,000

20,000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Source: OECD data.

Reviewing the AFT funding sources, it is clear that major donors are members of the
Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) and, to a lesser extent, of multilateral
agencies, which provide nearly all of the available resources. The first official
donation by a non-DAC country was received as late as 2009, and by 2011 this aid
did not exceed 1 per cent of the total disbursements. The small size of this
percentage can be explained by the limited availability of UMICs’ funds, along with
their own developing country needs (see Figure 2).

The data presented in Figures 1 and 2 reveal the low involvement of UMICs in the
AFT initiative, as both recipients and donors. Financial constraints on UMICs for
granting aid to recipient countries sometimes lead to their self-marginalization. The
main reasons for this could be their unstable level of development, vulnerability to
international economic crises and relative lack of international visibility.

At present there are two ODA formats, the classic model and the cooperative model.
In the classic model, the donor is limited to the transfer of funds to the recipient country.
In the new, cooperative model, which is embedded within a triangular scheme, countries
participating in the flow of funds are considered partners, and the donor cooperates
with the recipient (now partner) in the internal implementation of specific programmes.
Triangular cooperation normally operates with a donor country (or an international
organization) that provides funding and conditions, a country that receives them and a
third country (or international organization) that helps in the implementation of the AFT
152 Connecting to global markets

programmes. This chapter argues that, in the traditional way of understanding this
cooperation, the third-country role has not being acknowledged and stimulated and, as
a consequence, there is less involvement of UMICs in AFT initiatives.

The cooperative model could be improved by involving UMICs at a deeper level in

triangular cooperation through inserting them at an equidistant point between the
donor and recipient countries. These countries can play the role of social facilitator
without the need to commit funds for aid. This formula should improve the role of
UMICs in the development of trade.

The reasoning behind this idea stems in part from the well-known fact that various
support programmes for development – not only AFT – lack the ability to detect the
needs of recipient countries. This is because in the formulation, design and, in many
cases, implementation of projects and programmes, conditions such as development
level, culture or other elements of the recipient country are not always taken into
account. This is the result of aid being conceived from a two-sided donor–recipient
approach. In contrast, in a triangular cooperation scheme, UMICs can act as facilitators
because the proximity between both donor–UMIC and UMIC–recipient is closer than
the typical donor–recipient relationship. This closeness allows them to work with
donor countries in cooperative actions towards reaching aid development goals.

Among AFT demands, trade-related priority areas identified by recipient countries

are mainly trade capacity-building, trade facilitation and infrastructure, particularly in
areas related to norms, especially sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS), technical barriers
to trade (TBT) and other standards (OECD/WTO, 2011). The self-needs identification
may have high costs, and losses could be reduced by triangular cooperation. The
UMICs have more recent and similar experiences – in both cultural and commercial
processes – with LDCs and low-income countries that could be useful, through a
triangular cooperation scheme, in the different steps of AFT initiatives: identification,
formulation and implementation of actions.

10.3 Aid for Trade: proximities

Although AFT has been constructed on the basis of national development strategies
prepared by developing countries, differences between donors and recipients may
reduce the impact of the initiative. The presence of a third actor with closer proximity
to both the donor and the recipient country may reduce possible negative impacts of
such differences. In Figure 3 we identify a series of characteristics of UMICs which
provide them with certain advantages in acting as such a bridge. These are mainly
proximities that should create incentives for their inclusion in AFT initiatives through
triangular cooperation and collaborative schemes.
Aid for Trade and international cooperation for middle-income countries: the case of Chile 153

Figure 3 Advantages for upper-middle-income countries as facilitator

partners

Development proximity

Institutional proximity

Cultural proximity

Necessities proximity

Geographical proximity

LDCs and low-income

UMICs Developed countries
countries

Limited
financial
resources

Source: Prepared by the authors.

The idea in Figure 3 is that all the proximities are closely related with the development
process and sometimes with other reasons, as follows.

Development proximities

Countries generally tend to build institutional dynamics according to their development

processes and strategies. There is a clear relationship between institutions and trade
development. It is well known that if institutions such as customs or national
standardization authorities are not adequate for trade activity, they will impact on
development negatively. The similarities between UMICs and recipient countries,
and the closeness in the degree of development between their institutions, foster
better opportunities for cooperation between them. This also facilitates the process
of implementing this cooperation. For example, it is more likely that AFT for enhancing
customs processes should find similar hurdles and challenges in the recipient LDCs to
those that were experienced and solved by a UMIC. UMICs’ involvement in implementing
or coordinating the implementation of AFT can make it easier to overcome such hurdles.
154 Connecting to global markets

Cultural proximity
Some of the problems in international trade are closely related to deep cultural
differences. Factors such as language, training strategies and work culture are
determinant for trade development and efficient AFT implementation. The capacity-
building programmes for government officials tend to be more effective when they
have a regional component or when more similar countries participate.

Proximity in needs
The self-identification of needs can sometimes affect AFT effectiveness negatively.
The AFT could sometimes be conceived purely according to contemporary
commercial or political priorities, denying the importance of long-term effects and
the real problems that need to be solved. Again, a third country can play an important
role in effectively allocating funds based on its own trade experience.

Geographic proximity
In some cases, particularly in Latin America, geographic proximity can represent an
opportunity in the establishment of networks creating value chains or programmes
to continue South–South cooperation strategies. However, these advantages are
not always present or not necessarily virtuous. They should, therefore, be analysed
on a case-by-case basis.

The above indicates that UMICs have a number of characteristics that place them in
an excellent position to act as facilitators within AFT cooperation schemes. The
obvious closeness between them and the final recipients of AFT should lead to
better results. For example, there are coincidental institutional structures, such as
similar trade-related institutions, particularly in Latin America; trade aspects are in
the Foreign Affairs Ministry in some countries and the Trade Ministry in others.
Customs problems and limitations are more similar when the trade has similar
characteristics. Common culture such as language or history makes the way that
things are done in each country more understandable. Trade agreements could
enhance value chain creation as a result of AFT cooperation. This means that
proximities have to be analysed in order to maximize their benefits.

Finally, but no less importantly, the UMICs receive a large number of positive
externalities for participating in these initiatives, such as the improvement of their
own trade processes, continuity in their self-analysis, the permanent creation of
networks and value chain possibilities.
Aid for Trade and international cooperation for middle-income countries: the case of Chile 155

10.4 Aid for Trade and triangular cooperation: the case of

Chile
In Chile, the International Cooperation Agency (AGCI, using its Spanish acronym) is
the office in charge of Official Development Aid and Cooperation, in which AFT is
included. This agency was created in 1991 under the aegis of the Ministry of
Planning and Cooperation (since 2011, the Ministry of Social Development) to act
as the conduit for ODA that Chile received from traditional donor countries. With
Chile becoming a UMIC and no longer being a net recipient of cooperation, AGCI –
now under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – is the body that
articulates Chile’s cooperation with Latin America and Caribbean countries, both
bilateral and triangular. Chilean cooperation is mainly oriented towards technical
assistance, transferring and installing best practices, and human capital formation,
for example granting master’s scholarships to professionals in the region. 2

Since 2005, Chilean policy towards international cooperation has been mainly
cooperative. From 2008, due to the international financial crisis, donor countries
have reduced their contributions to Latin America, redirecting them to other regions
with more urgent needs, taking into account their lower levels of development. In
consequence, and in line with its foreign policy, Chile has played an active role in the
maintenance of aid to the region, particularly Central America and the Caribbean,
unlike traditional donor countries which direct their aid to countries in Africa and
Asia. In giving this support, Chile emphasizes the new formats of cooperation:
South–South and triangular.

Technical assistance is the general format of AFT seen in Chile. By virtue of its
capabilities and limitations, the country cannot generate support in other sub-groups
of AFT identified by the WTO and the OECD (2005), such as economic infrastructure
and productive capacity-building. In the case of Chile, we have identified seven
initiatives (see Table 1). Three of them were reported to the WTO in 2011. 3 Although
they were not reported by Chile as AFT, other initiatives 4 have been considered as
part of a global support programme. The emphasis in these initiatives is on
strengthening public institutions.

Two programmes were implemented in Chile as part of loans the Chilean Government
requested from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) (see Table 1). These
programmes were developed within the framework of the implementation of Chile’s
main free trade agreements (with China, the European Union, Japan, the Republic of
Korea and the United States) towards maximizing the advantages of preferential
access to these markets for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Two other
programmes (Central America and the Caribbean) are part of the Chilean cooperation
156 Connecting to global markets

strategy within the region, which is mainly concerned with capacity-building. In these
programmes, Chile acts as a donor country, but it is important to note that the main
component of them is manpower (through capacity-building or formal training for
recipients) and not financial disbursements. And three initiatives in Table 1 are part of
triangular cooperation with developed (Japan and United States) countries and
international agencies (IDB/UN) to implement AFT collaborative schemes in Latin
American countries. In these programmes, Chile collaborates mainly through the
provision of institutional expertise and manpower, while traditional donors contribute
financial resources to achieve the programme objectives. Therefore, it is possible to
identify some successful triangular cooperation cases with the participation of a
UMIC as a facilitator partner, a scheme that should be encouraged in future activities.

Table 1 Technical assistance is the general format of AFT: a review of

specific initiatives
Initiative/programme Donor Recipient Description
PYMEXPORTA IDB Chile Focused on exporter SMEs; seeks to help
2005–2009 them overcome obstacles in the use of
preferential trade agreements signed by Chile.

Exporter coaching IDB Chile To develop, implement and acquire institutional

2007– capabilities in working methodologies to
promote exports and give effective tools for
SME internationalization processes.

Strengthening Japan El Salvador To give technical assistance to El Salvador’s

EXPORTA’s trade and export promotion agency (EXPORTA),
institutional management transferring ProChile’s experience in the
2006–2009 management of international markets and
export supply development.

Strengthening United States Paraguay To strengthen internal control procedures

Paraguay’s customs of the National Customs Office of Paraguay,
regime by enhancing the capabilities and competences
2011 of internal audit systems and physical
inspection through technical assistance.

Technical assistance IDB and Guatemala To strengthen the technical capabilities of

to strengthen action on United professionals at the Public Health and Social
food safety in Guatemala Nations Assistance Ministry (MSPAS) and the National
2010–2014 Secretariat of Food Safety (SESAN) on food
programmes, food and nutritional vigilance,
through technical assistance and capacity-
building. Courses on SPS measures were
conducted. One of the main objectives was to
strengthen the institutional and technical
conditions for the control of production and
commercialization of food according to CODEX
Alimentarius and domestic legislation.
Aid for Trade and international cooperation for middle-income countries: the case of Chile 157

Table 1 Technical assistance is the general format of AFT: a review of

specific initiatives (continued)
Initiative/programme Donor Recipient Description
Diplomatic capacity- Chile Central To strengthen knowledge and capacity-building
building and Diplomacy America among Central American and Caribbean
for Globalization course and the diplomats on economics, international relations
Caribbean and public administration.

Agro-ecological Chile Haiti Capacity-building of professionals, technicians

development and food and farmer families in the production and
safety commercialization of organic vegetables
according to agro-ecological procedures for
food and environmental safety.

Source: Prepared by the authors.

10.5 Conclusions
In a cooperation scheme based on the donor–recipient relationship, UMICs seem to have
fewer incentives and a less-defined role for participation in AFT programmes. Their
development position is such that they do not qualify as a priority when it comes to
receiving aid and are not in a position to fully act as donors. They are restricted in their
ability to adequately perform the role of donor, as they face narrow budgets that impose
limitations regarding the availability of financial resources for AFT initiatives. This implies
that, in general, governments are reluctant to engage in such schemes. On the other
hand, donor countries consider UMICs a lower priority as aid recipients, precisely because
of their relatively higher development level. Moreover, in some cases, UMICs which are
members of the OECD, such as Chile, Mexico or Turkey, have fewer possibilities to be
considered as aid recipients since they became members.

This chapter argues that a cooperative approach can give UMICs a more defined role in
cooperation processes such as AFT, especially through collaborative partnerships. In
particular, we argue that UMICs are well positioned to play the role of facilitator in such
partnerships.

Delivering AFT through this enhanced scheme – allowing the involvement of UMICs –
could be beneficial for all the countries involved in this initiative. Among the potential
benefits are those related to adding value to exports and becoming part of value chains,
which must be part of the objectives pursued in triangular cooperation and represent an
important issue for countries like those of Latin America.

Triangular cooperation schemes have already begun to develop, as we have identified in

the case of Chile, and they are an alternative that should be considered in the design of
larger scale cooperation programmes. In addition, inserting UMICs within such processes
is an indication for LDCs and low-income countries that a potential increase in their
development levels may not necessarily result in marginalization from aid schemes.
158 Connecting to global markets

Endnotes

1. Eligibility for IDA support depends on a country’s relative poverty, defined as GNI per capita
below an established threshold and updated annually (in fiscal year 2014, US$ 1,205). IDA also
supports some countries which are above the operational cut-off but lack the creditworthiness
needed to borrow from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). Some
countries are IDA-eligible based on per capita income levels and are also creditworthy for some
IBRD borrowing. They are referred to as “blend” countries (World Bank, 2013).

2. See: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Chile (MINREL) ([Link]

3. PYMEXPORTA, strengthening of EXPORTA’s trade and institutional management, and

exporter coaching.

4. Strengthening EXPORTA’s trade and institutional management 2006–2009, Technical

assistance to strengthen action on food safety in Guatemala 2010–2014, Diplomatic capacity-
building and Diplomacy for Globalization course, and Agro-ecological development and food safety.

Bibliography

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and World Trade
Organization (WTO), (2011), Aid for Trade at a Glance 2011: Showing Results, Geneva, WTO.

United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) (2008),
Trends and Challenges in International Cooperation and Resource Mobilization for
Development of Latin America and the Caribbean, 32nd session, Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic, 9–13 June, LC/G.2380 (SES.32/15).

World Trade Organization (WTO) (2005), “Doha Work Programme – Ministerial Declaration –
adopted on 18 December 2005”, Geneva, WTO, document number WT/MIN(05)/DEC.
11 Aid for Trade and export diversification:
the case of Barbados
Keith Nurse and Ginelle Greene*

11.1 Introduction

For many developing states which have experienced a substantial decline in their
share of world trade and global value added, Aid for Trade (AFT) initiatives have
become a critical source of support in a context where these countries suffer from
both market and government failure. As such, the key issue is whether AFT
programmes, as currently configured, are the right policy instrument or set of
instruments to address the weak participation of developing countries in global trade
and global value chains. In many regards, the problem relates to an overdependence
on a narrow range of exports (e.g. agricultural and resource-based commodities and
low value-added manufacturing goods and services) that are faced with declining
terms of trade, tariff progressivity and diminishing economic returns (Reinert, 2007).
One of the key criticisms that has emerged is that the focus of AFT donors and
relevant implementing agencies has been heavily weighted on the architecture of
trade support programmes and not sufficiently on industrial upgrading and
enterprise development (Cirera, 2009).

It is also recognized that the contribution and impact of AFT programmes is difficult
to measure per se, in part because of the long gestation period associated with key
outcomes. It is also a challenge to attribute impact in the trade arena to any one
initiative or programme. Consequently, it is more realistic to assess process and
relationships, given that the priorities of AFT programmes generally are focused on
building trade capacity and, ultimately, enhanced market presence. It is on this basis
that we agree with Morrissey et al. (2010) that the outcomes of AFT should be
determined by the nature of the relationship between donors and recipients. The
2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness further highlights that “benchmarks are
necessary for reliable global monitoring of aid for trade efforts” (OECD and WTO,
2010a).

* The contents of this chapter are the sole responsibility of the authors and are not meant to
represent the position or opinions of the WTO or its members.

159
160 Connecting to global markets

It is on this basis that this chapter examines the specific programmes aimed at
institutional capacity-building initiated by donor agencies as well as the stakeholders
involved in the entire process, whether they be public, private or civil society partners,
from the stages of allocation to distribution. In this regard, the performance of current
trade support initiatives within the Caribbean region is examined, along with the
nature of the relationships between the key stakeholders. Based on simple regression
analysis and descriptive statistics, we review the trade performance of AFT projects in
the Caribbean region. Although the macroeconomic relationship between the AFT flows
and trade impact is not questionable, we suggest it as a prerequisite to mainstreaming
AFT projects into national and regional development agendas. Some policy
recommendations are therefore proposed, to draw better benefit from AFT projects.

11.2 The Caribbean context: the industrialization and

competitiveness challenges

The experience of the Caribbean over the last two to three decades has been one of
declining global competitiveness and accelerating deindustrialization in a context of
increased trade liberalization and global financial turmoil.

Since the mid-1980s, the region experienced a massive reversal in the export of
manufactured goods (Nurse, Francis and Niles, 2008). Primary and resource-based
exports accounted for close to 80 per cent of the total goods exports of the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in 1985 and 1990. 1 By 1995, those exports had
declined to 55 per cent, with an expansion of low-, medium- and high-technology
exports to approximately 40 per cent of total goods exports. After 1995, higher
technology exports dropped rapidly, and primary and resource-based exports
expanded to 85 per cent of total goods exports, a higher level than in 1985.

This scenario is attributed to the decline in value of manufactured exports as well as

the rise in value of primary exports, principally hydrocarbons from Trinidad and
Tobago. Indeed, Trinidad and Tobago’s increased export earnings from this sector
account for more than 100 per cent of the rise in value of primary exports for the
region in the period. This is in the context of a significant drop in traditional primary
exports such as sugar, bananas and rice that have seen an erosion of trade
preferences into the European Union (EU) market on account of WTO liberalization
(CARICOM, 2006).

Reducing the concentration of primary goods in total exports is an important

indicator of export diversification. Using the Entropy Diversification Index, all the
Caribbean economies also demonstrated a lack of export diversification for goods
relative to Latin American countries over the 2009 to 2012 period (see Table 1).
Aid for Trade and export diversification: the case of Barbados 161

Table 1 Export diversification in CARICOM and Latin American countries,

2009-2012
Exporter 2009 2010 2011 2012 Overall level
of diversification,
2009-2012
CARICOM countries 1.15 1.09 1.1 0.68 1.01
Latin American (Central American 1.60 1.31 1.34 1.02 1.32
Common Market [CACM] and
Mercosur) countries

Source: Comtrade (2010).

Notes: As measured by the Entropy Diversification Index: the higher the number, the more diversified the export
activities; the lower the number, the less diversified the export activities.

Overall during the 2009 to 2012 period, Latin America displayed a higher level of
diversification of its export activity than did the CARICOM region; however, both
regions displayed increasing levels of export concentration. Economies such as
Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago have maintained a high dependence
on traditional low-value-added, low-technology exports and thus have experienced
limited diversification over the last three decades. Caribbean economies have been
underperforming relative to other economies such as Costa Rica and Mexico. In
sum, the merchandise trade, other than that originating in the extractive industries
which applies particularly to the Trinidad and Tobago economy, has seen a rapid
decline (UNECLAC, 2006).

11.3 Can Aid for Trade make a difference in the Caribbean

context?

WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, at the launch of the Caribbean Community

Regional Aid For Trade Strategy 2013-2015 in Port au Prince, Haiti, highlighted
that “intra-Caribbean trade stands at just 13 per cent which... is on average, at 46 per
cent below its trade potential”. However, he also indicated that “[t]here are
tremendous opportunities for increasing the role of trade in the region’s growth
strategy” and emphasized the importance of harnessing the development potential
of the Regional Aid for Trade Strategy, in which AFT plays a role in supporting closer
Caribbean economic integration (Lamy, 2013).

Trade diversification requires a trade, industrial and innovation governance agenda

that aims to expand local value added and deepen integration into global markets and
value chains, and thus strengthen CARICOM economies against external and
exogenous shocks. The role of development cooperation as embodied in AFT is
important given the challenges of market and government failure. The Intra-American
Development Bank (IDB) and the WTO have provided a useful perspective on the
core challenges of AFT in Latin America and the Caribbean:
162 Connecting to global markets

Looking forward, Aid for Trade is even more critical to stimulate the supply-side
response of developing countries, particularly low-income countries in the
region. The impact of the financial crisis on the real economy and the failure to
conclude the Doha Development Agenda risk jeopardizing the contribution of
trade to economic growth and poverty reduction in developing countries. (IDB
and WTO, 2009)

Cooperation is being effected within frameworks such as the ongoing Economic

Partnership Agreement (EPA) which seeks to enable the countries of the Forum of
the Caribbean Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States (CARIFORUM)
to better exploit market access opportunities provided within agreements. For
example, Article 8 of that EPA identifies a wide range of such economic development
supports which include technical assistance towards building human, legal and
institutional capacity. Agreement measures aim to promote private sector and
enterprise development through assistance which enhances international
competitiveness, export diversification, development of infrastructure, institution-
building and support to comply with international sanitary and phytosanitary standards,
technical standards, labour standards and environmental standards.

Within the past decade, donor agencies such as the IDB, United Nations, United
Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) and Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) have conducted AFT
programmes aimed at addressing CARICOM’s supply-side issues. In addition,
development cooperation instruments such as the European Development Fund
(EDF) have also been utilized to provide financial resources for trade support.

Table 2 provides available data on the AFT commitments and disbursements for the
period 2002-2009. It shows that commitments have doubled over the period.
Disbursements, on the other hand, have grown fourfold. The disbursement rate has
improved from a low of 38 per cent in 2002-2005 to a high of 92 per cent in 2008,
thereafter dropping to 77 per cent in 2009. However, it is important to note that a large
proportion of the official development assistance (ODA) funds received by CARICOM
goes to Haiti, 2 which is the only least-developed country (LDC) in the regional bloc.

Table 2 Aid for Trade to CARICOM countries, 2002-2009 (US$ million)

2002–2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Commitments 266.7 190.8 317.7 315.3 564.4
Disbursements 101.5 106.2 181.5 291.7 434.6
Disbursements as a share of 38.05 55.66 57.12 92.51 77.00
commitments (%)

Source: CARICOM (2013).

Aid for Trade and export diversification: the case of Barbados 163

In 2007, it was estimated that AFT disbursements were 35 per cent of total sector
allocable aid. These disbursements were largely focused on building productive
capacity (59 per cent), economic infrastructure (36 per cent), and trade policy and
regulations (4 per cent), with trade-related adjustment receiving less than 1 per cent.
This dovetails with the priority areas identified by the various Caribbean governments.
Competitiveness was selected as the top AFT priority area, with trade policy analysis,
export diversification and regional integration following (IDB and WTO, 2009).

11.4 Impacts of Aid for Trade on CARICOM’s export activity:

some empirical evidence

Indicators which allow for observation of trade development activity at a country level
(i.e. the recipient state) are outlined below. Based upon the 2009 work of Gamberoni
and Newfarmer (presented in WTO and OECD, 2010), and using data from the
World Bank and the International Trade Centre to conduct trade measurements, we
developed a conceptual framework of indicators to capture these possible effects of
AFT on CARICOM’s export activity. This involved analysis of factors such as export
growth, market share, competitiveness and export concentration. Guided by this
approach, the data were compiled and analysed for CARICOM. In order to
understand the influence of CARICOM’s AFT disbursements on its export activities,
specific trade performance and capacity indicators identified by the World Bank
were used.

Aid for Trade and trade performance

Trade performance is an indicator used by the World Bank as a measure of the
impact of AFT upon exports via three trends:

• the real growth of exports of goods and services

• the change in export market share of goods and services, and
• the index of export concentration. 3

As outlined earlier, CARICOM’s export market share and export concentration

indices showed increasing concentration during the period 2007 to 2010, with
lesser levels of export diversification overall compared with its Latin American
counterparts.

In order to gain greater insight into the role of AFT in this dynamic, some of the
World Bank indicators outlined above were used to conduct a simple correlation
exercise. Such a correlation and descriptive statistics were used to explore whether
a relationship existed between AFT disbursements and CARICOM’s extra-regional
164 Connecting to global markets

Table 3 CARICOM overall allocation of AFT disbursements

2006 2007 2008 2009 Total

Building productive capacity (US$ million) 45.8 86.8 155.9 196.5 485
Economic infrastructure (US$ million) 47.9 88.3 125.7 221.8 483.7
Trade policy and regulations (US$ million) 2.6 1.8 3.8 5.3 13.5
Trade-related adjustment (US$ million) 0 0 0 0.9 0.9

Source: CARICOM (2013).

export activities. The area which received the highest value of AFT disbursements in
the CARICOM region was allocated to the area of “building productive capacity” as
reflected in Table 3.
As AFT disbursements increased, CARICOM’s exports also increased, the only exception
being for the year 2009. Thus, regression analysis was conducted for two scenarios:
1. Where the values of 2009 were excluded from regression analysis conducted
2. Where the values of 2009 were included in regression analysis conducted.
This approach was taken in order to fully understand the relationship between the
two variables.
Scenario 1
The correlation coefficient was calculated for 2006-2008 based on a simple
regression approach illustrated with equation (1) where Y’ represents the exports of
all products and X1 the AFT disbursements.
Y’= β0 + β1 X1 (1)
The resulting value from such calculations was 0.92. 4 This figure indicated that a
strong positive relationship did exist between the two variables, 5 that is, as AFT
disbursements increased so too did CARICOM’s export values. 6 As such, when the
values for 2009 were excluded from the regression analysis, the two variables
demonstrated a significant linear relationship.

Equation (1) above shows the extent to which CARICOM’s exports would increase
for every increase in AFT disbursements. However in light of the above, it is also
important to note the standard error value of 1509.3. This value suggests that other,
external factors may have an influential role on the covariance between the two
variables X and Y. This result is logical and expected as the objective here is not to
develop a normative approach but, rather, to express some economic intuition and
establish the macroeconomic foundation between AFT and trade performance. To
determine whether other variables may be responsible for the relationship between
X and Y, more robust and complementary econometric techniques based on a larger
dataset need to be employed which could provide more in-depth analysis on the
impact of AFT on CARICOM’s exports.
Aid for Trade and export diversification: the case of Barbados 165

Figure 1a Normal probability plot

34,000
y = 72,761x + 26529
33,000
R2 = 0,7838
32,000
31,000
30,000
Y

29,000
28,000
27,000
26,000
25,000
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Sample percentile Series1 Linear (Series1)

Source: Authors’ calculations from the World Bank database (2013) and Comtrade (2010).

The resulting calculated, adjusted R2 value of 0.69 from the regression output table
indicated that a significant positive linear relationship existed between CARICOM’s
exports and AFT disbursements during the 2006 to 2008 period. The adjusted R2
value of 0.69 signified that 69 per cent of the variation in Y (CARICOM’s exports)
could be explained by variations in X (AFT disbursements). A hypothesis test was
conducted which indicated that the credibility of the regression analysis was robust
and thus the findings reliable, with a critical F value of 5.59, greater that the
calculated F value of 0.25 (see Figure 1a).

The normal probability plot graphically demonstrates the robust linear trend between
the variables of AFT disbursements and CARICOM’s exports. Only minor deviations
may be observed from the line fit to the points on the probability plot. This pattern is
further corroborated by the calculated correlation coefficient which reflected a linear
relationship with a coefficient of 0.92. 7 The fact that the points in the lower and
upper extremes of the plot do not deviate significantly from the straight-line pattern
indicates that there are not any significant outliers (relative to a normal distribution).
Scenario 2
When 2009 figures were included in the regression analysis, the variables revealed
a weak R2 value of 0.2 and a high standard error value of 4880. This may mean that,
in the year 2009, many external factors may have influenced the relationship
between the variables. Thus, particularly for the 2009 period, we cannot determine
that AFT disbursements had a direct impact on CARICOM’s exports.

Naturally, the global financial crisis has impacted on the Caribbean region, especially
through the trade and financial channels, and this is mainly why we have
discriminated our sample into two periods. This assumption is further supported by a
166 Connecting to global markets

Figure 1b X variable 1 line fit plot for 2006 to 2009 timeframe

40,000

30,000
Y
20,000

10,000

0 100 200 300 400 500

X variable 1 Y Predicted Y

Source: Authors’ calculations using data from the World Bank database (2013) and Comtrade (2010).

negative correlation coefficient of 0.42 for the 2006 to 2009 period. The hypothesis
testing carried out supported the validity of these results, with a critical F value of
0.548, greater than the calculated F value of 0.536 (see Figure 1b).
The trend depicted by the variables when the 2009 data is included shows a slightly
negative relationship between the two variables. However, for the 2006 to 2008
period exclusively, the opposite is the case (see Figure 1c).
In order to truly understand what possible externalities could have played an
influential role on the relationship between CARICOM’s AFT disbursements and
export activity, further research is needed. Use of mixed-method monitoring and
evaluation which employs qualitative and quantitative analysis may prove useful.

Figure 1c X variable 1 line fit plot for 2006 to 2008 timeframe

3E+10

2.5E+10
2E+10
Y
1.5E+10

1E+10

5E+09

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
X variable 1 Y Predicted Y

Source: Authors’ calculations using data from the World Bank database (2013) and Comtrade (2010).
Aid for Trade and export diversification: the case of Barbados 167

Tools such as case studies and mass surveys of beneficiaries may help to better
determine the causal relationship between export growth and AFT disbursements
(using available international standardized techniques such as, for example, GIZ’s
results-based monitoring (RBM) associated with AFT).

Infrastructure and institutions: a key challenge for the region

The Caribbean Community Regional Aid for Trade Strategy 2013-2015 highlights
“physical isolation… geographical dispersal… distance from main markets…
inadequate infrastructure” and “minimal export diversification” as the key
characteristics which hindered trade expansion and economic development
(CARICOM, 2013). In the continued attempt to measure the impacts of CARICOM’s
AFT experience, other relevant international indicators were reviewed.

Infrastructure and institutions, further indicators used by the World Bank, could be
used to help measure the impacts of AFT via trends in the quality of transport and
information technology, and the efficiency of customs. 8

Geographically, the CARICOM region consists of a chain of islands, with only Guyana
and Suriname sharing a common border. As such, port infrastructure and the role of
maritime transport would be a significant factor in the development of intra- and
extra-regional trade. Elements such as “port connectivity, infrastructure, storage
facilities, size of ships, cargo volumes, transit times and positioning within
international shipping routes, individually and collectively influence cost and
competitiveness” (CARICOM, 2013). Logistics accounts for 20 per cent of
CARICOM’s production costs, compared with the world average of 10 per cent.
Thus, the quality of port infrastructure can play a critical role in private sector
development into new areas of export activity (CARICOM, 2013). 9 Information on
relevant indicators is reflected in Table 4 for seven of the CARICOM countries.

Table 4 Quality of selected infrastructure in CARICOM countries, 2010-2011

Country Overall Roads Ports Air transport
infrastructure
Barbados 5.8 5.4 5.6 6.3
Belize 3.5 3.0 3.3 4.4
Guyana 3.8 3.8 3.7 4.0
Haiti 1.8 1.7 1.8 2.1
Jamaica 4.2 3.8 5.3 5.5
Suriname 4.2 4.2 4.5 4.0
Trinidad and Tobago 4.4 3.9 3.9 5.0

Source: Bilbao-Osorio, B. et al. (2011).

Note: As measured by the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI).
168 Connecting to global markets

Figure 2 Quality of port infrastructure

4.5
4
3.5
3 Quality of port infrastructure
2.5 (1 = extremely underdeveloped
to 7 = well-developed and
2 efficient by international
1.5 standards)
1
0.5
0
2009 2010 2011

Source: World Bank database (2013).

Barbados scored the highest among these seven CARICOM countries with respect
to the quality of port infrastructure, with Haiti at the other end of the spectrum with
extremely underdeveloped port infrastructure. However, overall, the region showed
improvements in the critical area of port infrastructure (see Figure 2). One may also
observe that, during 2009, CARICOM’s allocation of AFT to the area of “economic
infrastructure” increased by 383 per cent over 2006. As outlined in the regional AFT
strategy for 2013–2015, the region continues to be one of importance for export
development, with maritime transport identified as one of the areas for “upgrading
key economic infrastructure” (CARICOM, 2013).

Trade incentives and business environment

Time to export/import is another indicator used by the World Bank (OECD and WTO,
2010b). This indicator is also reviewed in the regional AFT strategy for 2013-2015
(CARICOM, 2013). The CARICOM member states demonstrated a relatively low
overall ranking in the Doing Business survey conducted by the International Finance
Corporation and the World Bank (2010-2011). 10 The findings placed the region at a
comparative disadvantage relative to the rest of the world. A cross-border system
compiled procedural requirements for the exporting and importing of goods by
ocean transport. The resultant findings showed that eight of the CARICOM countries
fell in the rankings between 2010 and 2011. Only Grenada showed improvements,
increasing its standing by 25 places during the period. This is reflected by a decrease
in the US dollar cost to import as well as export, and decreased times to both import
and export. As a result, Grenada showed an overall improvement in its trading
conditions, with increased procedural efficiency at key stages of trade activity.
Results for CARICOM countries are shown in Table 5.
Aid for Trade and export diversification: the case of Barbados 169

Table 5 Ease of doing business in CARICOM countries, and other selected

indicators, 2010-2011

Doing Trading Time to Cost to Time to Cost to

business across export export import import
(rank) borders (days) (US$ per (days) (US$ per
container) container)

Areas 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011
Antigua and 56 64 58 63 15 15 1,133 1,133 15 15 1,633 1,633
Barbuda
Bahamas 71 77 41 45 16 19 930 930 13 13 1,380 1,380
Barbados … … … … … … … … … … … …
Belize 93 99 118 119 21 21 1,710 1,710 21 21 1,870 1,870
Dominica 85 88 87 90 13 13 1,297 1,297 15 15 1,310 1,310
Grenada 98 92 82 57 14 10 1,226 876 19 15 2,479 2,129
Guyana 101 100 77 78 20 19 730 730 24 22 730 745
Haiti 163 162 145 145 35 35 1,005 1,005 33 33 1,545 1,545
Jamaica 79 81 105 104 21 21 1,750 1,750 22 22 1,420 1,420
St. Kitts and 83 87 38 39 12 12 850 850 13 13 2,138 2,138
Nevis
St. Lucia 45 53 104 105 14 14 1,600 1,700 18 18 2,745 2,745
St. Vincent and 72 75 39 41 12 12 1,075 1,075 12 12 1,605 1,605
the Grenadines
Suriname 160 161 102 101 25 25 975 995 25 25 885 945
Trinidad and 95 97 53 51 14 14 866 808 26 19 1,100 1,250
Tobago
CARICOM 18 18 1,165 1,143 19 18 1,603 1,593
(average)

Source: International Finance Corporation and the World Bank, Doing business ([Link] cited
in CARICOM (2013).
Note: … indicates where data was unavailable

11.5 Mainstreaming Aid for Trade projects in national and

regional development agendas

Based on a survey of case stories from Latin America and the Caribbean, it was observed
that there are some key trends and patterns across sub-regions (WTO, IDB and OECD,
2011 - see Figure 3). For the Caribbean region, the case stories illustrate what are
some of the key outputs from AFT initiatives. Figure 4 shows that the main output was
in the area of training activities. The next most significant areas were new processes,
new policy and the mobilization of funds for finance and investment. The outputs that
achieved lower priority were infrastructural (e.g. network, transport) and commercial
(e.g. products exported, training materials, service exports and intellectual property).
170 Connecting to global markets

Figure 3 Outputs of Caribbean AFT case stories

20
19
Funds, finance and
18 investment
16 Intellectual property
16
Transport infrastructure
Number of case stories

14 13
12 Network infrastructure
12
New policy
10 New processes
8 Products exported
6 Service exports
6
4 4 Training activities
4
2 2 2 Training materials
2
0
Outputs

Source: WTO, IDB and OECD (2011).

When the key outcomes are measured, there is some correspondence with the key
outputs. Thus, it is observed that the outcome for people trained is ranked highest by
a significant margin (see Figure 5). The other key outcomes were strengthened
public institutions, improved processes and improvement in the business climate.
The other outcomes are ranked significantly lower than these four. This suggests
that the impact of AFT is skewed into narrow areas.

Figure 4 Outcomes of Caribbean Aid for Trade case stories

25 Change in exports
Change in Doing Business indicators
21 Employment
20 Funds, finance, investment
Gender empowerment
Number of case stories

15 Improved processes
15
13 Improved business climate
Increase in network infrastructure
11
Increase in transport infrastructure
10
New trade agreements
People trained
5 5 5 Positive production changes
5 4 4 4
3 3 Reduced trade facilitation costs
2 2
1 Strengthened public institutions

0 Training materials produced

Outcomes

Source: WTO, IDB and OECD (2011).

Aid for Trade and export diversification: the case of Barbados 171

Expanding and widening the impact of AFT initiatives is a critical area for improving
effectiveness. In this regard, it is important to take into account the main priorities for
Caribbean respondents, which were “better predictability of AFT funding, stronger
donor focus on local capacity development, and greater say in design of interventions
(WTO, IDB and OECD, 2011).”

A significant share of the AFT initiatives that currently exist are accessible through
national business support organizations (BSOs) or government agencies which
develop programmes to assist the private sector. BSOs play a critical role as they are
more focused on enterprise development, and their capacity to support private
sector export development and promotion is of paramount importance. Data from a
survey of 12 BSOs across the region (Figure 6) correspond with the distribution of
allocations identified in Figures 4 and 5, in that building productive capacities had
the most significant impact on trade development.

One of the key institutions which has contributed to the AFT process in the
Caribbean is the Caribbean Aid for Trade and Regional Integration Trust Fund
(CARTFund), financed by DFID and administered by the Caribbean Development
Bank which is headquartered in Barbados. It was established in March 2009 with
the stated objective of helping CARIFORUM countries “to generate momentum on
the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed between

Figure 5 Aid for Trade impact on trade development, as assessed by

business support organizations

5 5 5

2 2 2 2 2 2 2

1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0

Building productive Economic Trade policy Trade-related

capacities infrastructure and regulation adjustment

Very significantly To some extent Very insignificantly Don't know

Significantly Insignificantly Not at all Not applicable

Source: 2013 Survey conducted by author with 12 CARICOM business support organizations.
Note: Figure 5 measures the number of business support organizations that provided assessment in each category.
172 Connecting to global markets

the CARIFORUM States and the European Union, and of the CARICOM Single
Market and Economy (CSME)”(CARICOM, 2011). The Fund’s mandate embraces
four key areas:

• supporting EPA implementation

• deepening CARICOM economic integration and Organisation of Eastern
Caribbean States (OECS) sub-regional integration
• assisting potential beneficiaries of the Fund with project preparation, and
• sharing lessons from the projects and activities.

The CARTFund programme funded 18 projects in its first two years of operation.
These projects were almost evenly distributed among regional organizations,
government ministries and BSOs. An assessment of CARTFund (Gill, 2011)
identified several key lessons and made a number of observations. The first area
identified was the process aspect. The process design allowed for the use of
consultants to improve the quality of pre-screened submissions, without which the
rejection rate would have been much higher. It is on this basis that it is proposed that
the CARTFund experience has revealed that skills in the preparation of project
proposals are inadequate in the region, and that there would be considerable merit in
building a compensatory mechanism into the overall design of funding arrangements
to make the necessary adjustments to submissions in order to obtain high project
approval rates. This is most probably the main lesson to be drawn. The experience of
CARTFund also points to the need to undertake capacity-building in project
preparation at various levels throughout the region (Gill, 2011).

The other key observations were that, while the project proposals were innovative in
theme, the main challenge was that there was an absence of a strategic framework
to link these AFT initiatives to wider national and regional development agendas.
Weak donor coordination was the third key issue, which was considered problematic
because of the potential for duplication of effort. Assessment of results is difficult
because of the absence of an evidence-based framework which would provide clear
benchmarks and targets for monitoring and evaluation. The final point made was the
absence of applications from the private sector, even with efforts being directed at
this target group (Gill, 2011).

This assessment is mirrored in other initiatives, for example, the Compete Caribbean
programmes such as the business competition Caribbean Idea Marketplace and the
Cluster Competitiveness Improvement Plan. 11 In short, the CARTFund experience
shows the gaps in the AFT strategy that is being employed. Such gaps may stem
from programmes characterized by:
Aid for Trade and export diversification: the case of Barbados 173

• limited monitoring and evaluation practices to build an evidence-based framework

for strategic planning
• weak institutional capacity among government agencies, BSOs and regional
organizations
• limited sustainability of programmes beyond donor funding, and
• an absence of alignment with broader country and governmental development
strategy.

This reinforces the need for effective AFT initiatives which can address the specific
needs of small economies and a regional context. National BSOs can play an
important role here within the AFT allocation and distribution system. However, given
the challenge of scale, it is important for capacity to be built at the regional level
through clusters and other sector-wide initiatives.

11.6 Conclusions

Based upon the above findings, one may discern that, from a macroeconomic
perspective, a resilient, positive relationship does exist between CARICOM’s AFT
disbursement inflows and its total export values. However, the ability to directly
attribute a causal nature to the link between the two variables necessitates the
construction of a more robust evidence-based framework within the region. Further
highlighted by regional stakeholders involved in the implementation of AFT projects
was the absence of a strategic framework and impact assessment methodology to
link these AFT initiatives to wider national and regional development agendas.

A key issue that needs to be considered when assessing the performance of AFT
programmes is that many of the projects or initiatives to be examined fall under
concepts such as “capacity development” or “trade facilitation”, which are broad and
difficult to measure in terms of impact. More in-depth research would be required to
offer a more definitive impact assessment. One such approach is an impact chain
analysis (Maselli, Lys and Schmid, 2004) which captures micro data at several levels
from input to output, utilization and impact/outcomes.

From a trade policy standpoint, one of the other key considerations is the distinction
between “market access” and “market penetration”. While the former refers to a
market opening, the latter speaks more specifically to market entry by exporting
firms. The data available in the various reports and studies refer only to market
access and so it is not possible to measure actual market penetration. This is a
critical issue for developing countries since the real benefit is measured when there
is market penetration.
174 Connecting to global markets

An alternative that may prove useful is to focus on “processes” and “relationships” that
facilitate capacity development and export development on the part of the developing
country. In this regard, we would assess the appropriateness of the policy mix relative to
the stated goals in the country reports. This would essentially involve an assessment of
best practices and innovative practices and the development of key benchmarks and
indicators. The main list of indicators used by the various agencies is categorized by
issue area and does not allow for specific and measurable indicators that attach value
to the impact potential of the various modalities of engagement. However, by using
such indicators as a broad guide, impact analysis of AFT may be narrowed down to very
specific areas in the recipient state. Finally, by utilizing a combination of both quantitative
and qualitative analysis, similar analysis may be conducted for each beneficiary country.
Such a case-by-case examination should incorporate the indicators outlined in this
chapter, as well as adopting the techniques of an impact chain analysis, and involve the
specific stakeholders involved in AFT projects within member states. It is hoped that,
through the adoption of such targeted monitoring and evaluation practices, the impacts
of trade-related aid may be better measured and, thus, more effective policy
prescriptions derived towards CARICOM’s export diversification and trade development.

Endnotes

1. See United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2008).

2. Of the recorded US$ 12.82 billion official development assistance inflows, 71 per cent for the
2002 to 2009 period went to Haiti (World Bank database, 2013).

3. See: World Bank, World Trade Indicators ([Link]).

4. EXPORTS OF ALL PRODUCTS = 7.59E + 59306714 AfT_Disbursementsij

5. A strong positive correlation is denoted by positive values closer to 1.

6. For the top five exported products of each of the 15 CARICOM countries.

7. The sign of the correlation coefficient (+, -) defines the direction of the relationship, either
positive or negative. A positive correlation coefficient means that as the value of one variable
increases, the value of the other variable increases; as one decreases the other decreases. A
negative correlation coefficient indicates that as one variable increases, the other decreases, and
vice-versa.

8. See World Bank, Logistics Performance Index ([Link]).

9. According to the CARICOM Secretariat, for example, the “presence of gantry cranes,
navigational aids, regulatory frameworks and computerization serve to increase services time and
overall costs” (CARICOM, 2013).

10. See: International Finance Corporation and the World Bank, Doing Business (http://
[Link]/)

11. For further details, see: [Link]

Aid for Trade and export diversification: the case of Barbados 175

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Economic Forum.

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2005: Corporate integration and cross-border development, Georgetown, CARICOM Secretariat.

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aidfortrade/[Link]

Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) (2013), Caribbean Community Regional Aid for
Trade Strategy 2013–2015, Georgetown, CARICOM Secretariat.

Cirera, X. (2009), Changing the Aid for Trade debate towards content, Brighton, Institute of
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Washington, DC, The World Bank, Policy Research Working Paper 4991.

Gill, H. (2011), Caribbean Aid for Trade and the Regional Integration Trust Fund (CARTFund),
Geneva, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, ICTSD Policy Brief No. 4.

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review meetings 2008–2009, Washington, DC and Geneva, IDB and WTO.

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Strategy”, 11 June 2013. Retrieved from [Link]
sppl284_e.htm

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Swiss Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries.

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The case for industrial and innovation policy”, Journal of Eastern Caribbean Studies 33(2):
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Organization (WTO)(2010a), Aid for Trade: Is it working? Paris and Geneva, OECD and WTO.

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Organization (WTO) (2010b), “Experts meeting on indicators: Measuring Aid for Trade results
at the country level”, Paris, OECD, 22 October.
176 Connecting to global markets

Reinert, E. S. (2007), How rich countries got rich … and why poor countries stay poor, London,
Constable & Robinson.

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case stories: A snapshot of Aid for Trade on the ground, Geneva, WTO.
12 Aid for Trade and building trade
capacity: the case of Morocco
Azzedine Ghoufrane and Nabil Boubrahimi*

12.1 Introduction

Although Morocco is one of the main beneficiaries of Aid for Trade (AFT) 1 – the first
in the Maghreb and among the top ten in the world – researchers and national
academic experts have not shown much interest in it.

This study draws upon two considerations: the quantitative and qualitative trends
that have been marking AFT globally, regionally and nationally (since the Sixth WTO
Ministerial Conference held in Hong Kong in 2005), and the experience of Morocco
in this field, based on the contribution of the Second National Rural Roads
Programme (NRRP-II) in reducing poverty and isolation in rural areas.

Transport infrastructure is significant in this context; it is not only considered to be a

“powerful booster of exportations” but also an instrument to fight poverty, leading to
the opening-up of the countryside and development of local resources. In addition,
the overall competitiveness of a country cannot be improved without having
adequate logistics capable of promoting the country’s integration into global value
chains. Today, logistics (roads, highways, ports, telecommunications infrastructure,
etc.), as demonstrated by several studies, 2 are a powerful determinant of the
competitiveness of national economies.

International trade has the potential to enhance development and reduce poverty;
however, AFT-related infrastructure remains a vital factor and essential instrument

* The authors would like to thank all the participants in the “Aid for Trade and global value chains:
issues for policy-makers” session, organized during the Fourth Global Review of Aid for Trade (8-10
July 2013, Geneva), for their comments about this chapter, particularly his Excellency Omar Hilale,
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Morocco, Dr. Nassim Oulmane, Chief, Sub-Regional
Data Center, North Africa, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and Dr. Mustapha Sadni
Jallab. The contents of this chapter are the sole responsibility of the authors and are not meant to
represent the position or opinions of the WTO or its members.

177
178 Connecting to global markets

in seizing the opportunities offered by this trade. The two main organizations involved
in this initiative – the WTO and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) – have put forward a broad definition of the concept of AFT.
However, it is understood that “AFT is not a new global fund for development or a
new category of aid. Instead, it is part of the regular official development assistance
(ODA)”. 3 On the conceptual level, the notion of AFT is also linked to the debate on
Millennium Development Goal 8: “develop a global partnership for development”
(UNECA, 2013).

12.2 Global trends in Aid for Trade

Aid and trade currently tend to coexist in the framework of international initiatives, in
the sense that ODA has become an optimal tool of trade liberalization and national
choice regarding economic openness.

The implementation of the AFT initiative in 2005 has led to better understanding of
the correlation between trade and development, as well as the potential benefits of
trade liberalization and trade capacity-building. In this context, the findings of the
four global reviews of AFT carried out by the OECD and WTO in 2007, 2009, 2011
and 2013 are generally positive. They stress the encouraging results of this initiative
in both its quantitative and qualitative aspects.

The first positive finding of this study in terms of quantity is the rising trend in AFT
from the time of the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong (2005) until
2010. The commitments under AFT reached about US$ 45 billion in 2010, an
increase of 82 per cent compared with the period 2002-2005, with an annual
growth rate of 13 per cent (OECD and WTO, 2013). It is interesting to note that,
despite the global financial and economic crisis, major donors increased their
financial commitments to AFT in favour of the least-developed regions.

However, this rising trend was thwarted by the sudden drop in commitments to AFT
in 2011 under budgetary pressure of the debt crisis on donor countries of the
OECD. In 2011, the flow of ODA declined significantly, which negatively affected
AFT. 4 Commitments fell to 14 per cent in 2011 – the level of 2008-2009, amounting
to US$ 41.5 billion (OECD and WTO, 2013).

Africa as a key beneficiary

Africa has been one of the greatest beneficiaries of AFT resources. The African
continent is the second-largest recipient of AFT after Asia, and has been receiving
Aid for Trade and building trade capacity: the case of Morocco 179

more than one-third of total funding for AFT. Africa received US$ 16.3 billion
between 2009 and 2011, whereas Asia received US$ 17.6 billion (UNECA, 2013).

In terms of AFT per capita or relative to GDP by region, AFT to Africa has exceeded
that provided to other continents, with an average of US$ 11.26 per capita or 0.65
per cent of GDP between 2009 and 2010 (UNECA, 2013; OECD and WTO, 2013).
From a global perspective, five African countries are among the world’s top ten
recipients of AFT: Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco and Tanzania. Despite the
economic crisis, 55 per cent of disbursements of AFT in Africa for the period 2006-
2011 consisted of grants and similar instruments (UNECA, 2013).

Since 2005, the AFT initiative has mobilized US$ 200 billion, with approximately
US$ 170 billion in disbursements (Lamy, 2013). By category of AFT, despite the
decline in the importance of aid related to infrastructure (which decreased by 23 per
cent in 2011 compared with 2010), this form of aid continues to mobilize significant
funds (53 per cent of total AFT in 2011).

The second finding of this study is the positive character of the additional AFT, in
that the growth of this new form of development aid is not at the expense of the
other substantial sectors, such as health and education. This shows that most donors
remained committed to the fact that AFT should be additional.

Our third finding is related to the growing importance of the regional dimension of
AFT. For instance, Africa’s share of total disbursements of AFT for regional
programmes increased from 9 per cent in the period 2006-2008 to 15 per cent in
the period 2009-2011 (UNECA, 2013).

Improving aid effectiveness

Progress has been made by improving the quality of AFT in accordance with the
2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. 5 Alongside the positive quantitative
results highlighted by global and regional reviews of AFT, qualitative progress has
been made since the launch of the AFT initiative in Paris at that time. This includes:

• the gradual integration of trade into national development strategies by recipients

of AFT (the principle of national ownership);
• the improvement of dialogue between donors and recipients of AFT (the principle
of mutual responsibility);
• the establishment of an evaluation of the implementation of the AFT process
(the principle of managing for results).
180 Connecting to global markets

Furthermore, to adapt to the profound changes that have marked the global
economy in recent years, since the launch of the fourth Global Review of AFT in
2013 the focus has been on the identification of strategies to assist recipients to
connect to or progress in value chains. 6 Hence, the importance of the private sector
in the development of trade as well as competitiveness is to be recognized.

12.3 The Moroccan experience of Aid for Trade

Integrating trade into national development planning and taking ownership of the
AFT initiative are the best ways to raise funds. According to the recommendations of
the Task Force on AFT, “[p]rojects and programmes should be considered as AFT if
these activities have been identified as trade-related development priorities in the
recipient country’s national development strategies” (WTO, 2006). In this respect,
Morocco has set as a priority for AFT in its relations with donors, new projects such
as sectorial competitiveness, 7 export diversification and value chains. With regard to
connection to value chains, which was the main focus of the fourth Global Review of
AFT, it should be noted that this is also one of the key objectives of Morocco’s
National Pact for Industrial Emergence 2009-2015 which identified the country’s
global businesses (e.g. automotive, aerospace, agriculture, pharmaceutical products,
etc.) in order to improve its competitiveness and facilitate its trade integration.

General framework
Given that Morocco is a middle-income developing country, it does not only rely on
ODA to mobilize funding and investment. Morocco received nearly US$ 2.9 billion in
ODA in 2011, representing 2.9 per cent of its US$ 100 billion GDP – a percentage
that remains important, however, for the economic sustainability of the country,
especially in the context of external deficits. This aid supplements and strengthens
the national capacity to mobilize external financing. 8 In the light of data provided by
donors, this initiative has shown that Morocco is a “good disciple”. It is among the top
ten recipients of AFT in the world and the first in the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA),
receiving US$ 1.45 billion during the period 2002-2006 (UNECA, 2009).

Between 2009 and 2011, the UMA region accounted for an average AFT
commitment of nearly US$ 1.5 billion per year and received disbursements for
US$ 1.4 billion. This means that Morocco and Tunisia together account for nearly
three-quarters of all resources disbursed to UMA member countries (UNECA,
2013). In terms of categories of AFT, trade-related infrastructure (42 per cent of
total AFT), including energy, rail and road transportation, has benefited from the
increase observed in favour of Morocco (UNECA, 2009); these are priority sectors
for the development of the Moroccan economy.
Aid for Trade and building trade capacity: the case of Morocco 181

Trade and development strategies and priorities

Morocco is trying to take ownership of its AFT by defining and articulating trade and
development strategies and priorities. Following the recommendations of the second
Global Review of Aid for Trade (2009), Morocco established a national committee
for AFT (Comité National d’Aide pour le Commerce, or CNAPC), led by the Ministry
of Economy and Finance. Its main objective is to take ownership of the AFT initiative
at the national level and coordinate with relevant departments in charge of strategies
for implementation and trade integration. Through its new industrial policy (the
National Pact for Industrial Emergence 2009-2015), implemented in 2009,
Morocco seeks to have comparative advantages in industries that are part of the
expansion of global value chains.

The question that arises in the specific context of Morocco is how to turn this aid into
a catalyst for productive investment that could help the economy fit into these value
chains. Firstly, any productive investment needs a favourable and effective
infrastructure to improve the attractiveness of the territory and reduce the cost of
logistics in the value chain. Hence the need to set priorities in the development of
externally funded projects. Secondly, with regard to comparative advantage,
Morocco ought to raise its profile of specialization by moving from its traditional
sectors into the realm of high-technology and high-value sectors. Finally, Morocco
should take into account the regional dimension as a structural lever for the
transformation of both the Moroccan economy and its industrial system. This will be
even more relevant if donors continue funding projects with a regional dimension.

Case story: Second National Rural Roads Programme (NRRP-II)

Among the flagship projects that have benefited from the AFT initiative is NRRP-II.
This case elucidates the significant achievement of a project under AFT and the real
challenge for the overall development of Morocco. NRRP-II, launched in 2005, aims
to achieve several objectives, including balanced regional development and reducing
regional disparities, strengthening national solidarity, strengthening the fight against
poverty and reducing the isolation of rural areas, as well as developing local
resources and increasing the accessibility of rural trade by reducing transportation
costs. In addition, the integration of this programme as a priority for trade-related
development has allowed Morocco to obtain financing and raise additional funds on
preferential terms.

It should be noted that the fundamental feature of NRRP-II, which is part of the basic
national infrastructure, in particular that related to access roads, is that it plays an
essential role in the strategy of social and economic development of rural areas.
Indeed, rural roads facilitate the accessibility of the rural population to basic social
182 Connecting to global markets

and economic services as well as the development of local resource exchanges. To

that end, the Moroccan Government has provided the necessary means to enable
the installation of basic amenities to meet the urgent need to open the road
infrastructure within a reasonable time.

NRRP-II extends over two phases, incorporating the following aspects:

• the construction, maintenance and management of rural roads to provide access

to and for the rural population
• a participatory approach to development with the broad involvement of
representatives of the people and local councils (with the signing of agreements
between the state and the rural communities involved in the programme)
• the raising of additional funds and involvement of additional actors to expand the
partnership between Morocco as an AFT recipient and donors.

NRRP-II was adopted by the government and local councils in 1,284 rural
communities with the objective of achieving 2,000 km of roads per year and opening
up access to and for 300,000 people annually, with a 15 per cent local resource
component and 85 per cent contribution by state networks. A further objective is to
increase the pace of construction of rural roads from 1,000 km per year, recorded
since the launch of the first NRRP in 1995, to 2,000 km per year.

NRRP-II also aimed to raise the rate of accessibility of the rural population to the
road network from 54 per cent in 2005 to 80 per cent in 2012 (rather than 2015, as
originally planned). To respond effectively to the challenge of achieving the objective
in only seven, instead of ten, years, Morocco undertook a large-scale mobilization of
most of its resources from the investment budget and Special Road Fund, along with
contributions from local authorities. These domestic resources boosted the Special
Road Fund, which in turn mobilized additional financial resources in the form of loans
made on concessional terms by donors. The financial package designed for NPRR-II
accelerated the construction of rural roads from 1,000 km per year prior to 2002 to
more than 2,000 km per year in 2009, and consequently an increase in the
beneficiary population is expected.

This financial mobilization for optimal funding and the partnership aspect of NRRP-II
have already resulted in increased accessibility for the rural population; by 2012,
there were nearly 12 million beneficiaries, according to the Ministry of Equipment
and Transportation. In terms of partnership, various foreign institutions have
participated in the implementation of this programme: the African Development
Bank (AFDB), European Investment Bank (EIB), French Development Agency
(AFD), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Kuwait Fund for Arab
Economic Development (FKDEA) and the World Bank.
Aid for Trade and building trade capacity: the case of Morocco 183

12.4 Lessons from experience in Aid for Trade

Despite the positive aspects (both in quantitative and qualitative terms) previously
outlined, AFT is fraught with difficulties and suffers from shortcomings which limit its
effectiveness. These are:

• the lack of a commonly accepted definition of AFT, which does not promote
consensus (e.g. in quantification of AFT and scoping AFT categorization)
• the non-implementation of operational strategies to exploit the potential of
integration into the multilateral trading system, and the non-prioritization of
attention to barriers that hinder the development of trade, which has a negative
impact on optimal mobilization of funding
• the lack of coherence between national and regional programmes in trade
prevents developing countries from taking full advantage of the benefits of AFT
at the regional level
• the low involvement of the private sector negatively impacts on AFT, as it is
unrealistic to conceive of achieving productive capacity and diversification of
supply without a competitive business community
• the global and regional AFT examples and case studies, identified mainly in the
third Global Review of AFT in 2011 (OECD and WTO, 2011), tend generally to
the bright side and a correlation between aid flows and improvement of the
commercial potential of developing countries in general and LDCs in particular.
This assessment approach to AFT needs to be consolidated by impact studies. 9

Lastly, if AFT remains a work in progress and a perfectible process, it is always

possible for Morocco to improve its approach in this area by reinforcing its ownership
of the initiative and strengthening institutional coordination among all the actors
involved. Also, the newly established CNAPC should supervise the implementation
of an operational strategy for national development priorities.

12.5 National ownership of AFT: issues for policy-makers

Greater national ownership of AFT by the beneficiary developing countries should

not be limited to implementing what has been agreed upon internationally or
responding to donors’ priorities. 10 It requires the real involvement of beneficiaries in
the design of AFT and its mechanisms of follow-up and evaluation, in order to
circumvent the current controversy over the principle of additional AFT compared
with other, traditional components of ODA. This could involve establishing a domestic
database. As a result, dependence on external statistical sources would decrease,
allowing parties to the initiative (donors and beneficiaries) to reach a consensus.
184 Connecting to global markets

From this perspective, truly national ownership of the AFT programme cannot be
achieved without meeting a number of conditions, including better prioritization,
effective operationalization, institutional coordination among all national stakeholders,
adequate and continuous monitoring, institutionalization of dialogue between donors
and recipients, and a good relationship between the public and private sectors.

Prioritization and coordination between institutions

Identifying the barriers that “paralyse” the commercial potential of Morocco falls
under the responsibility of the CNAPC, which was set up in order to tackle these
barriers and identify priorities for that purpose. This raises the fundamental question
of the effectiveness of the principle of hierarchy of priorities and coordination among
the relevant institutions. Therefore, it is essential to undertake a diagnosis of the
current AFT situation through:

• a comprehensive definition of a national strategy to promote growth and

development through trade, which would lead to focus on the main impediments
to competitiveness and diversification – in other words, a correct diagnosis
• identification of national needs and additional regional AFT to distinguish
between projects which have an impact on the development of exports at the
national level (i.e. the national strategy for export promotion) and those that have
an impact on regional development (e.g. the Port of Tangier Med as a regional
platform for the development of trade in the Mediterranean) – follow-up is
needed, based on performance indicators and case studies
• identification of barriers to the development of exports on the basis of an
analysis of the entire export chain, starting with exportable supply, production
capacity and export sectors and logistics platforms, and marketing to raise
external financing in the context of the AFT categories mentioned above
• encouragement of the partnership of the private sector in the formulation and
implementation of results – oriented in terms of AFT operational strategies
• accompaniment of the development of the AFT initiative at national level by
specific measures of adaptation and adjustment to the regional level (in the
16 regions of Morocco).

Promoting action within the Morocco AFT approach

In Morocco, the development of the national strategy for export promotion is a
practical, large-scale action and a priority that was assigned on the basis of a correct
diagnosis. Through this strategy, Moroccan foreign trade has been identified as a
government priority and has received public funds amounting to 500 million dirhams
(US$ 55 million) for 2009-2010. Export development has been confirmed as one of
the main growth engines of the Moroccan economy in the years to come.
Aid for Trade and building trade capacity: the case of Morocco 185

In order to diversify exports and enhance the country’s comparative advantage,

foreign funding should be allocated to building production capacity and trade
development, which would strengthen Morocco’s export competitiveness; this could,
for instance, be in the form of training business executives on exporting, fostering
economic diplomacy, etc.

Nevertheless, reinforcing the ownership of national and regional projects is strongly

considered to be achievable, by smoothing the selection process for projects and
strengthening and sustaining cooperation with the relevant financial institutions (e.g.
the AFDB). Such cooperation would lead to exploration for new export sources,
resulting in wider local involvement in ATF. In this regard, the AFDB and the United
Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) – both of which play an
important role in the AFT initiative in the region – in collaboration with the WTO and
the OECD, can assist Morocco to benefit from their experience in this field, by taking
action such as providing ongoing training to departmental officials involved in AFT.

Why Morocco has been unable, so far, to benefit from the AFT initiative in a
satisfactory way is largely due to the lengthy process of integration into regional
development projects, which are fundamentally favoured by donors. Therefore,
AFDB and UNECA should assist Morocco more amply towards their implementation.
As stressed by former WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, “Aid for trade must also
play a more supportive role in helping governments to formulate and concretize their
regional agenda” (Lamy, 2013). Finally, Morocco cannot overcome the constraints
hampering supply at the regional level without the relaunching of the AMU and the
activation of programmes and projects designed to improve infrastructure for
transportation, energy, and trade facilitation and standards.

12.6 Conclusions

The launch of the AFT initiative has helped to focus international attention on the
structural and institutional barriers that hamper many developing countries and
LDCs from benefiting from their trade potential and integration into the multilateral
trading system. Funds mobilized under this initiative have enabled these countries to
overcome structural problems that limit their ability to make the most of business
opportunities, and strengthen their human and institutional capacities in developing
business strategies.

However, the initiative is currently facing two major challenges. First, there is the
blocking of multilateral negotiations under the Doha Round, which was expected to
rebalance international trade relations in favour of developing countries. This block
weighs heavily on the future of the AFT initiative, which was designed as a supplement
186 Connecting to global markets

to the Doha Round. The second challenge is the inherent, potentially adverse effects
of a succession of economic crises on the evolution of AFT. This is averred by the fact
that many donors have adopted austerity measures as a result of these crises.

Regarding Morocco’s approach to AFT, it should be noted that the country was able
to capitalize relatively well on some experiences in this field and set up a committee
for monitoring the aid at the national level. However, efforts by Morocco to integrate
trade into national development strategies as a means to promote growth and
reduce poverty – benefiting, as a result, from the AFT initiative – still face constraints
related to the limitations of the Moroccan exportable offer.

In conclusion, while Morocco sought to enter some free trade agreements with both
developed and developing countries 11 in order to become an “investment and export
platform”, the worsening of the trade deficit with most of its partners has
demonstrated the limits of the competitiveness of the Moroccan productive offer.
Hence the need to take into account the complementarities among all components
of economic policy (exchange rate policy, trade policy, industrial policy, etc.), and to
attract aid funds to the AFT categories which have a direct relationship with
Moroccan supply-side constraints, namely “production capacity enhancement and
trade development”. 12

Endnotes

1. The OECD and WTO have proposed two designs for AFT: a restrictive one in which AFT is
considered to be concessional assistance, and an extensive one in which AFT is considered to be
any form of development aid that is related to trade and that is provided to middle- and low-income
countries (OECD and WTO, Does Aid for Trade yield any results? undated note). It is important to
note that foreign funding falls into the category Aid for Trade (OECD).

2. See, for example, the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Bain & Company and the
World Bank (2013), Enabling trade: Valuing growth opportunities, Geneva.

3. OECD and WTO, Does Aid for Trade yield any results? undated note.

4. In 2011, funding for AFT accounted for 33 per cent of ODA.

5. With regard to ODA in general, it should be noted that, in 2008, Morocco participated for the
first time in the monitoring survey of the implementation of the Paris Declaration on Aid
Effectiveness. See OECD (2012) (vol. 2).

6. The most recent (fourth) Global Review of AFT, held in Geneva in July 2013, examined how to
use aid to connect businesses in developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs) to
global value chains. This review tried to identify barriers that prevent developing countries from
participating in or contributing to value chains, and their impact on development.
Aid for Trade and building trade capacity: the case of Morocco 187

7. This prioritization is part of support for the various sectorial strategies (National Pact for
Industrial Emergence 2009-2015, Maroc Export Plus, Green Morocco Plan, Halieutis Plan, logistics
strategy, etc.). See: WTO and OECD (2013), Questionnaire for partner countries on Aid for Trade,
Fourth Global Review of Aid for Trade: “Connecting to value chains”, Geneva, 8-10 July.

8. For example, on 5 December 2012, Morocco issued a bond issue on the international financial
market in the amount of US$ 1.5 billion.

9. For example, the econometric study undertaken by UNECA which shows that an increase of
10 per cent in AFT is associated with an increase of 0.4 per cent in the index of economic
diversification (UNECA, 2013, p.38).

10. On the diversity of expectations, Hallaert (2013), citing OECD and WTO (2011), states,
“Developing countries expect that aid for trade will boost and diversify their exports but feel it has
not (yet) delivered on this promise. Donors, in contrast, see trade (and thus Aid for Trade) as a
means to achieve growth and poverty reduction.”

11. Including agreements with the European Union, Turkey, the United States and the Arab countries.

12. For example, AFT should be directed at support for productive capacities and focus on
developing both the diversification and sophistication of the Moroccan economy.

Bibliography

Hallaert, J.-J. (2013), “Revamping the Aid for Trade initiative: Why is it necessary? What can
be done?”, Great Insights 2(5): 8-9.

Lamy, P. (2013), “Measuring the impact of the global agenda of Aid for Trade”, Great Insights
2(5): 2-3.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2012), Aid effectiveness
2005–10: Progress in implementing the Paris Declaration, Paris, OECD.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and World Trade
Organization (WTO) (2011), Aid for Trade at a glance 2011: Showing results, Paris and
Geneva, OECD and WTO.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and World Trade
Organization (WTO) (2013), Aid for Trade at a glance 2013: Connecting to value chains, Paris
and Geneva, OECD and WTO.

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) (2009), Status of Aid for Trade in
Africa: issues and state of implementation in Africa: does supply meet demand?, Addis Ababa,
UNECA in collaboration with the African Development Bank Group and WTO.

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) (2013), Building trade capacities
for Africa’s transformation: A critical review of Aid for Trade, Addis Ababa, UNECA in
collaboration with WTO, OECD and the African Union Commission.

World Trade Organization (WTO) (2006), Recommendations of the Task Force on Aid For
Trade, WT/AFT/1, Geneva.
13 Integrating small African economies into
global value chains through foreign aid:
the case of Namibia
John Baloro*

13.1 Introduction
The aim of this chapter is to examine the broad framework which has been evolved
for the reception of Aid for Trade (AFT) in Namibia. The economic situation before
this period included the prevalence of poverty, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, low
educational opportunities and a very highly skewed or unequal distribution of the
wealth of the country, which has increased income inequalities and unsustainable
economic growth, as outlined in Namibia Vision 2030 (Namibia, Office of the
President, 2004). In this regard, Namibia shares this economic dependency at the
regional level, and most trade and economic relationships are mainly with Botswana,
Lesotho, Swaziland and South Africa, all of which are members of the Southern
African Customs Union (SACU) and Southern African Development Community
(SADC). The objective is to create a free trade area in the Southern Africa region.

This chapter will examine both the legal and policy framework implemented to
manage the inflow of foreign aid and technical assistance to assist Namibia’s
development and increase its trade capacity, within the Southern Africa region and
globally. It also reviews the amounts of foreign aid inflows into the country. Finally,
the sources of such inflow and a brief assessment of the effectiveness of aid in
enhancing the trade capacity of Namibia will also be examined and discussed.

13.2 Economic development and foreign aid: legal and

policy framework
The Namibian Constitution in Article 148 spells out the economic framework and
vision to be pursued in order to sustain growth. Chapter 11 of the Constitution
contains the “principles of state policy”. Article 98 thereof deals with the principles of

* I would like to sincerely thank Mr Mustapha Sadni Jallab for his very rigorous comments on an earlier draft
of this contribution. I would also like to sincerely thank both Ms Marion Jansen and Mr Maarten Smeets for
their support, encouragement and understanding. The contents of this chapter are the sole responsibility
of the author and are not meant to represent the position or opinions of the WTO or its members.

189
190 Connecting to global markets

economic order which were set forth to guide the general economic direction to be
followed by both the incoming independence government and subsequent
governments of the country. These constitutional provisions were also meant to
serve as broad guidelines for the crafting of the country’s economic policy.

In this regard, Article 98 (1) provides that “The economic order of Namibia shall be
based on the principles of a mixed economy with the objective of securing economic
growth, prosperity and a life of human dignity for all Namibians.” Article 98(2)
provides for the various forms of ownership of property in the country. Inter alia,
these include public, private, joint public-private, etc. As constitutional provisions,
they are stated in very broad terms and are not spelled out in much detail. For
example, the questions of foreign aid in general and AFT in particular, and their role
in the economy, are not even mentioned in any specific way. This is left to other
major national policy framework documents such as Namibia Vision 2030 and
various national development plans (NDPs). The country is currently in the midst of
concluding the implementation of the Third National Development Plan (NDP3). The
Fourth National Development Plan (NDP4) has been prepared and will be in effect
from 2012/13 to 2016/2017 (NPC, 2013).

In the pursuit of its economic development agenda, as stated in Namibia Vision 2030,
Namibia welcomes various forms of partnership. These entail “partnerships between
government, communities and civil society, with the private sector, non-governmental
organizations and the international community…”. At the same time, paragraph 30
states several policy objectives, including that of transforming the country from its
current status of an aid-receiving lower-middle-income country into “that of a provider
of development assistance” (Namibia, Office of the President, 2004).

13.3 Economic context in which Aid for Trade operates

Namibia is a country with a very small population – about 2.5 million people (NSA,
2011). It is still largely reliant on the export of primary products in agriculture, such
as fish and animals. The role of mining is predominant as the country is rich in
diamonds and uranium and other minerals which it produces and exports. The
manufacturing base of the Namibian economy is still relatively low. The country is
very heavily dependent on trade, especially with South Africa (AFDB, 2009). As
Namibia is a member of both SACU and SADC, Namibian exports enjoy duty free
access to the economies of Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland. Within
SADC, the target is to deepen economic integration and ensure that there is a free
trade area among the economies of its 15 member states. In many ways, this is as
yet a “work-in-progress”, which should be a major candidate or target for the inflow
of AFT funding for Namibia. The objective is to develop the country’s infrastructure,
such as roads, railways and ports, to facilitate intra-regional trade.
Integrating small African economies into global value chains through foreign aid: the case of Namibia 191

These broad observations on the nature of Namibian trade flows are borne out by a
more detailed analysis of the recent patterns of trade between the country and its
trading partners. In 2012, minerals such as diamonds, precious or semi-precious
stones and metals dominated Namibia’s exports, amounting to 29 per cent of the
country’s total exports compared with 28 per cent in 2011. The second largest
category of exports consisted of ores, slag and ash, which accounted for 18 per cent
of total exports, an increase on 15 per cent on 2011. The third largest category of
exports included fish, molluscs and other aquatic resources, amounting to 14 per
cent, the same as in 2011 (see Table 1).

In 2012, there was a marked increase of almost 2,000 per cent in the value of exports
of chemicals. Vehicles exports (mainly re-exports) recorded 60 per cent growth in value,
while ores, slag and ash recorded a 45 per cent growth in value. On the other hand, a
traditional Namibian mineral export, copper, dropped in value by almost 50 per cent due
to the closure and rehabilitation of the country’s copper smelter at Tsumeb in the
northern part of the country (NSA, 2012). Table 1 illustrates movements in Namibian
exports between 2011 and 2012. Values are expressed in Namibian dollars (N$).

Table 1 Change in value of Namibia’s exports, 2011-2012

2012 2011
HS Commodity descriptions Value Per Value Per Percentage
code (N$ cent (N$ cent change in value,
million) million) 2011-2012
71 Diamonds, precious or 12,054 28.6 10,184 27.6 18.4
semi-precious stones and metals
26 Ores, slag and ash 7,766 18.4 5,356 14.5 45.0
3 Fish and crustaceans, molluscs 5,716 13.6 5,145 14.0 11.1
and other aquatic invertebrates
79 Zinc and articles thereof 2,265 5.4 2,391 6.5 -5.3
22 Beverages, spirits and vinegar 1,982 4.7 1,663 4.5 19.2
74 Copper and articles thereof 1,550 3.7 2,992 8.1 -48.2
87 Vehicles 1,524 3.6 952 2.6 60.1
2 Meat and edible meat offal 1,493 3.5 1,388 3.8 7.6
25 Salt, sulphur; earths and stone; 837 2.0 744 2.0 12.4
plastering materials, lime and
cement
28 Inorganic chemicals; organic or 772 1.8 37 0.1 2,009.9
inorganic compounds of precious
metals, of rare earth metals, of
radioactive elements or isotopes
Other products 6,210 14.7 5,987 16.3 3.7
Total 42,170 100.0 36,838 100.0

Source: Namibian Statistics Agency (NSA), 2012

192 Connecting to global markets

In 2012, Namibia’s main imports consisted mainly of mineral oils and their products,
which accounted for 13 per cent of total imports. This represented an increase on
the 9 per cent recorded in 2011. The increase in value of oil imports can be
explained by the recent marked depreciation of the South African rand to which the
Namibian dollar is pegged. The importation of vehicles was the second most
important category, at 11 per cent of total imports (down slightly on 2011). Boilers,
machinery and various mechanical appliances occupied third place at 9 per cent of
total imports, a decrease from the 10 per cent recorded in 2011 (see Table 2).

The pattern of Namibian exports in 2012 shows some interesting changes. In 2012,
South Africa remained the main destination for Namibian exports; that country
imported goods worth N$7 billion. This was followed by the United Kingdom, which
imported N$ 5 billion worth of Namibian exports, then Angola and Belgium (N$ 3
billion each). In percentage terms, this represented 16 per cent of Namibian exports
going to South Africa, 12 per cent to the United Kingdom, and 9 per cent to Angola
and Belgium. In 2011, the export figures were 18 per cent to South Africa, 17 per
cent to the United Kingdom, 9 per cent to Angola and 6 per cent to Belgium. The

Table 2 Change in value of Namibia’s top imports, 2011-2012

2012 2011
HS Commodity descriptions Value Per Value Per Percentage
code (N$ cent (N$ cent change in value,
million) million) 2011-2012

27 Minerals, fuels, mineral oils and 7,802 13.1 4,333 9.0 80.1
products of their distillation
87 Vehicles 6,779 11.4 5,861 12.2 1,507.0
84 Boilers, machinery and 5,289 8.9 4,979 10.4 6.2
mechanical appliances; parts
thereof
71 Diamonds, precious or 3,139 5.3 2,617 5.4 20.0
semi-precious stones and metals
85 Electric machinery and 2,937 4.9 2,621 5.5 12.1
equipment and parts thereof
26 Ores, slag and ash 2,926 4.9 1,652 3.4 77.2
89 Ships, boats and floating 2,454 4.1 112 0.2 2,095.6
structures
73 Articles of iron or steel 2,329 3.9 2,148 4.5 8.4
30 Pharmaceutical products 1,300 2.2 1,350 2.8 -3.7
22 Beverages, spirits and vinegar 1,289 2.2 1,188 2.5 8.4
Other products 23,264 39.1 21,204 44.1 9.7
Total 59,407 100.0 48,064 100.0

Source: NSA (2012).

Integrating small African economies into global value chains through foreign aid: the case of Namibia 193

decrease in Namibian exports to its traditional export destinations such as South

Africa and the United Kingdom is explained by the fact that there was a relatively
steep increase in exports to Botswana in this period, amounting to almost 10 per
cent of Namibia’s exports in 2012, from a very low base of less than 5 per cent in the
previous year. Exports of diamonds, precious or semi-precious stones accounted for
much of this increase in exports to Botswana. Furthermore, in 2012, there was a
significant increase in Namibian exports to Switzerland, amounting to about 4 per
cent of total exports (NSA, 2012).

In 2012, the value of Namibian imports amounted to about N$ 59 billion, compared

with N$ 48 billion in 2011, an increase of about N$ 10 billion or 22 per cent. The
major countries from which Namibia imported goods were South Africa (N$ 41,571
billion), Switzerland (N$ 3,513 billion) and China (N$ 2,372 billion). Other trading
partners from which Namibia imported goods were export processing zones
(N$ 1.473 billion), the United Kingdom (N$ 1,434 billion), Germany (N$ 1,189
billion) and Botswana (N$ 931 million). As far as intra-SADC trade is concerned,
there is an encouraging development: there was a marked increase in Namibian
imports from neighbouring countries such as Zambia and Botswana. In the case of
Zambia, the increase in the volume of exports to Namibia was from N$ 92 million in
2011 to N$ 947 million in 2012 (see Table 3). The reasons for these positive
developments are, perhaps, the improvements in road infrastructure connecting
these neighbours and a more serious commitment to the implementation of the
SADC trade protocol.

Table 3 Namibia’s major import partners, 2012 and 2011

2012 2011
Country Value Per cent Value Per cent
(N$ million) (N$ million)
South Africa 41,571 69.9 36,491 76.0
Switzerland 3,513 5.9 1,992 4.1
China 2,372 4.0 1,456 3.0
Export processing zones 1,473 2.5 1,124 2.3
United Kingdom 1,434 2.4 1,628 3.4
Germany 1,189 2.0 1,034 2.2
Zambia 947 1.6 92 0.2
Botswana 931 1.6 235 0.5
The Netherlands 667 1.1 99 0.2
Singapore 449 0.8 30 0.1
Other countries 4,958 8.3 3,844 8.0
Total 59,505 100 48,025 100

Source: NSA (2012).

194 Connecting to global markets

In the context of Namibia’s pattern of trade with economic blocs, it is worth noting
that, during 2012, the bulk of Namibian exports went to SADC member states –
goods worth N$ 15.750 billion, representing 32 per cent of total Namibian exports
for the year. In the preceding year, Namibia exported goods worth N$ 11.738 billion
to SADC member states, representing 29 per cent of its total exports. Non-SACU
SADC countries, such as Angola, account for about 38 per cent of Namibia’s exports
to SADC member states. During 2012, Namibian exports to the Common Market for
Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) grew to about 5 per cent of total exports.
Meanwhile, Namibian exports to the European Union (EU) dropped from 38 per cent
in 2011 to 31 per cent in 2012 (NSA, 2012).

Regarding trade with economic blocs, Namibia sourced the bulk of its imports in
2012 from SADC countries. The value of total imports from this bloc was N$ 44.444
billion compared with imports from SACU countries at N$ 42.669 billion (this
represents 20 per cent of growth in total imports from SADC countries and 16 per
cent from SACU member states over 2011). It should be noted, however, that, unlike
Namibia’s exports to SADC, which have diversified destinations, Namibia’s imports
are almost exclusively derived from SACU member states and one country, South
Africa, in particular (from which Namibia sourced 70 per cent of its imports in 2012).
Among the sources of Namibian imports, the EU came a distant third, representing
only 5 per cent of total imports (NSA, 2012).

13.4 The structure and sources of Aid for Trade in Namibia

In recent times, the most significant study of the issue of AFT in Namibia is a 2011
report jointly commissioned by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), entitled Integrating Globally: Namibia’s
Aid for Trade Framework and Strategy. According to this detailed study, in 2009
Namibia’s main AFT donors were Japan (US$ 37 million), Germany (US$ 17 million),
the EU (US$ 5 million), France (US$ 4 million) and Spain (US$ 2 million). In the
period 2006-2009, both the AFT donors and the amounts of funding varied as other
countries which provided such funding included Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway
and the UK.

The study identifies that, while US$ 130 million was committed to Namibia to
support various areas of trade, only the considerably lesser amount of US$ 61
million was actually disbursed. It does not proffer any reason for this. However, in
view of the widely known lack of capacity in the country, this situation could be due
to an inability on the part of the relevant recipient sector ministries to properly plan
the expenditure of such an amount. The disbursements were used to develop
economic infrastructure (US$ 48.7 million) and to build productive capacity
Integrating small African economies into global value chains through foreign aid: the case of Namibia 195

(US$ 12.5 million). In addition, US$ 232,000 was disbursed for the development of
trade policy and regulation. However, further understanding the breakdown and
analysis of these figures in terms of their effectiveness in actually boosting national
trade capacity and actual trade is very difficult. In this respect, the report states that:

(…) due to [the] lack of [a] national Aid for Trade coordinating and monitoring
mechanism it is difficult to ascertain the following: whether these were additional
resources and were predictable; to what extent were they aligned to national
development objectives and priorities; whether the identification and formulation
of these Aid for Trade investments was participatory and inclusive; and what
were their development impacts” (MTI and UNDP, 2011).

Table 4 shows AFT commitments to and disbursements in Namibia, focusing on the

period 2006-2009.

Table 4 Aid for Trade flows to Namibia, 2000-2009 (US$ thousand, 2009
constant prices)

Commitments Disbursements
Areas 2000-05 2006 2007 2008 2009 2006 2007 2008 2009
average
Trade policy and regulations and trade-related adjustment
Trade policy 1,148 … 80 146 201 … 80 129 231
and administrative
management
Trade facilitation 35 170 3 … … 170 3 … …
Regional trade … 8 63 … … 8 63 … …
agreements (RTAs)
Multilateral trade … … 106 … 6 … 106 … 1
negotiations
Trade-related … … … … … … … … …
adjustment
Trade education/ 67 … 861 213 … … 861 213 …
training
Sub-total 1,250 178 1,113 358 207 178 1,113 342 232

Economic infrastructure
Transport and 14,825 106,422 2,804 13,160 4,585 5,373 10,327 16,236 52,939
storage
Communications 599 221 222 12,451 116 431 513 6,990 -8,716
Energy supply and 1,136 229 17 49,906 84 1,193 770 732 4,487
generation
Sub-total 16,559 106,872 3,043 75,517 4,785 6,996 11,610 23,957 48,710
196 Connecting to global markets

Table 4 Aid for Trade flows to Namibia, 2000-2009

(US$ thousand, 2009 constant prices) (continued)
Commitments Disbursements
Areas 2000-05 2006 2007 2008 2009 2006 2007 2008 2009
average
Building productive capacity
Business and other 1,351 2,781 2,109 1,539 1,041 2,567 2,654 1,178 1,491
services
Banking and financial 420 43 10,140 7,946 1,802 991 317 3,067 2,732
services
Agriculture 5,027 5,140 5,237 2,116 46,768 4,556 4,718 3,522 3,243
Forestry 1,472 1,117 1,366 777 1,082 1,422 1,817 1,166 1,328
Fishing 4,757 1,942 1,403 336 1,474 2,537 1,509 355 1,476
Industry 1,916 6,725 435 912 9,032 2,760 2,241 1,592 2,057
Mineral resources 556 … 53 50 38 307 393 174 39
and mining
Tourism 376 212 6,918 2,694 64,570 328 6,919 200 164
Sub-total 15,876 17,960 27,662 16,372 125,806 15,468 20,568 11,255 12,530
Focus on trade
development
Principal objective … 7,274 834 112,567 … 7,071 1,260 1,428 …
Significant objective … 344 11,450 3,002 … 344 3,151 2,549 …
Sub-total … 7,618 12,284 115,569 … 7,415 4,410 3,977 …
Total Aid for Trade 33,685 125,011 31,817 92,247 130,798 22,643 33,291 35,554 61,472

Source: MTI and UNDP (2011); calculations based on OECD-DAC, Creditor Reporting System (CRS) database.

Examining AFT funds received by Namibia in 2009, the categories to benefit most
were economic infrastructure (79.24 per cent) and building productive capacity
(20.38 per cent) (MTI and UNDP, 2011).

Although it is difficult to ascertain evidence explaining the criteria for identification

of the above sectors or categories as suitable candidates for receiving AFT funding,
a closer analysis of the detailed breakdown of the subcategories (shown in Table 4)
would indicate that, in general, they are critical elements for the boosting of
Namibia’s capacity to participate in both regional and global trade.

With regard to the need to develop the necessary trade infrastructure such as inter-
regional roads (both by sea and land), there is huge deficit in funding. Namibia also
requires assistance to develop capacity in trade negotiations at regional and global
levels. In this regard, in its country report on Namibia for 2009, the African
Integrating small African economies into global value chains through foreign aid: the case of Namibia 197

Development Bank (AFDB) identified the following areas of trade that it would be
prepared to support:

• partnerships for trade and regional integration;

• the development of regional infrastructure;
• the facilitation of cross-border investment and capacity-building in trade and
regional integration.

In respect of the last, the AFDB states:

The Bank will assist Namibia and other countries in SADC in building capacity in
the following areas: (i) core competency in training, knowledge and institutional
and managerial skills transfer for those involved in trade and regional integration
negotiation; (ii) developing trade information documentation; and (iii) improving
response capacity of existing and/or future exporters to meet the challenges
and take advantage of the opportunities created by trade and regional
integration agreements through improved information (awareness) and direct
export development support (AFDB, 2009).

13.5 Problems in the development of Aid for Trade policy in

Namibia

Specific problem areas in the development of AFT policy in Namibia were identified
in the 2011 study discussed above (MTI and UNDP, 2011). A general consideration
is that there are few opportunities for dialogue and consultation between the
Namibian Government and donors, both in general and, more specifically, regarding
AFT funds. The country does not have an overarching body or mechanism for the
development and coordination of AFT policy because the national committee
established for this purpose remains inactive. Therefore, a key challenge is to have
more interaction among actors at the national level to identify priorities for
implementation. In addition, there is, as yet, no comprehensive study of the AFT
needs of the country. This makes it very difficult to identify specific national projects
which can effectively serve Namibia’s development needs in the area of trade and
play the role of catalyst in boosting trade and economic development. On the whole,
there is limited coordination among aid donors with a view to harmonizing their
efforts in mobilizing aid assistance for the country (MTI and UNDP, 2011).

In the process of conducting this study, it emerged that there are at least four
different agencies in Namibia which deal with various aspects of foreign aid flows
into the country: the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Finance, National
Planning Commission and Namibia Statistics Agency. It proved extremely difficult to
198 Connecting to global markets

source reliable data from these bodies on recent aid flows into the country, their
breakdown, disbursement, expenditure and outcomes. It is, therefore, crucial to
establish a process for an open and transparent national dialogue on the exact role
of foreign aid in general and AFT in particular in the Namibian economy.

13.6 Conclusions and policy recommendations

This study has shown that Namibia contributes to both global and regional trade and,
consequently, global value chains, by exporting to its traditional trading partners in Europe
and the SADC region. There is, however, a notable weakness in the country’s capacity to
maximize its potential participation in both global and regional value chains. The reason
for this is that the bulk of its export base is still unprocessed minerals and primary
agricultural products. The manufacturing sector has remained largely undeveloped. As a
result, there are supply-side constraints which inhibit the production of high quality
products which would enable Namibia to effectively compete in both the global and
regional markets.

Since the launch of the AFT initiative at the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong
Kong in 2005, Namibia has received financial and technical assistance aimed at boosting
its regional and global trade, and developing its economic infrastructure and trade
negotiation capacity. The purpose has been to advance the country’s development goals
as crystalized in Namibia Vision 2030 and the various NDPs.

In this regard, it is submitted that the following policy recommendations will go some way
towards attaining the goals of greater economic growth, the reduction of unemployment
and the creation of higher living standards for the population. On the whole, Namibia has
succeeded in establishing a relatively peaceful and secure environment in which to do
business. However, while investment has flowed into the natural resource sector, the
country has not succeeded in attracting substantial investment into the manufacturing
sector. The Foreign Investment Act of 1992, which has been amended a number of
times, requires a comprehensive review in order to create a more competitive environment
to attract foreign investors into the manufacturing sector, if the country is to achieve its
goal of becoming an industrialized nation by 2030. A well-coordinated programme on the
effective use of foreign aid could assist in channelling resources to MTI to enable it to
speedily complete the process of reviewing the country’s investment laws.

This study has demonstrated that Namibia is gradually diversifying its export markets to
include regional neighbours, such as Botswana and Zambia, and also global players, such
as China. These first steps in diversification must be continued and consolidated. The
focus must be on how the country can take advantage of its strategic position as a
coastal state with relatively well-developed port facilities to promote increased regional
trade with landlocked countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and
Integrating small African economies into global value chains through foreign aid: the case of Namibia 199

Zimbabwe. AFT funds could be utilized to fund the completion of the Walvis Bay Corridor
project, which is aimed at promoting intra-SADC trade and deeper economic integration.
As this project has potential benefits for many countries within the SADC region, the
Namibian Government should develop avenues for cooperation with these potential
beneficiary countries.

It is imperative that a broad, national and foreign forum be convened urgently to provide a
platform for a dialogue on the role of foreign aid in general and AFT in particular in
Namibia. It is to be hoped that, at the conclusion of such discussion, a consensus would
emerge regarding the designation of a single national body (such as the NPC) to be
responsible for coordinating all aspects of foreign aid to and within the country. It is
further to be hoped that this body will ensure transparency and accountability for the
management of foreign aid funds by subjecting itself to parliamentary oversight.

The diversification of Namibia’s exports and export markets is closely linked to the
development of a comprehensive national policy on industrialization, which is being
coordinated by MTI. A well-coordinated AFT programme has the potential to positively
impact on the expeditious development of Namibia’s industrialization policy, by
channelling additional resources for the development of capacity and technical
assistance within the Ministry.

Bibliography

African Development Bank (AFDB) (2009), Namibia: Country strategy paper 2009-2013,
Abidjan, AFDB.

Namibia, Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) (2011), Integrating globally: Namibia’s Aid For Trade framework and strategy,
Windhoek, Ministry of Trade and Industry and UNDP.

Namibia, Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) (2011), Namibia 2011 Population and Housing
Census Basic Report, Windhoek, NSA.

Namibia, Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) (2012), Annual Trade Statistics Bulletin 2012,
Windhoek, NSA.

Namibia, National Planning Commission (NPC) (2013), Namibia’s Fourth National

Development Plan (NDP4)2012/13to 2016/17, Windhoek, Office of the President and NPC.

Namibia, Office of the President (2004), Namibia Vision 2030: Policy framework for long-term
national development, Windhoek, Office of the President.
14 The potential economic impact of Aid
for Trade in the MENA region:
the case of Jordan
Taleb Awad Warred*

14.1 Introduction

Many developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) remain on the margins of

global trade, attract limited foreign or domestic investment, and have achieved only
very limited success in the diversification of their supply of goods and services.
Within the framework of Aid for Trade (AFT), attempts are being made to explore
strategies to connect firms in developing countries and LDCs to international value
chains. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has defined AFT as projects and
programmes that have been identified as trade development priorities in the recipient
country’s national development strategies. The AFT Task Force 1 established in 2006
underlined that clear and agreed benchmarks are necessary for the global
monitoring of AFT efforts. The following categories of AFT were identified: trade
policy and regulations (including trade facilitation); trade development; trade-related
infrastructure; building productive capacity; trade-related adjustment; and other
trade-related needs. According to the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), developing countries that have participated in international trade –
including trade with other emerging economies – make rapid progress in poverty
reduction and job creation (UNDP, 2013).

The recently signed Aid for Trade Initiative for Arab States will spearhead trade
reforms in Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with
the aim of bringing about pro-poor economic growth. 2 The most notable coordination

* A draft of this chapter was first presented as a paper for the Fourth Global Review of Aid for Trade
under the theme “Aid for Trade and global value chains: issues for policy-makers”. The author would
like to acknowledge the support provided by the WTO Chairs Programme. The valuable comments
and suggestions made by Mustapha Sadni Jallab were very stimulating and contributed to the
completion of this chapter. A special thanks to Helen Swain from the WTO for the editorial support.
The contents of this chapter are the sole responsibility of the author and are not meant to represent
the position or opinions of the WTO or its members.

201
202 Connecting to global markets

programme in the Arab region is Enhancing Arab Capacity for Trade (EnACT), which
involves Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. It provides trade intelligence
and enhances exporter competiveness with a focus on gender and youth. Ongoing
initiatives draw heavily on local/regional expertise to build capacity. 3 Most recently,
the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), in partnership with the
International Trade Centre (ITC), UNDP, United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization
(UNIDO), launched a new project entitled “Building Export Capacities for Regional
Integration in the Arab States”, covering the period from March 2013 to December
2014. The purpose of this large, multi-agency programme is to foster inclusive
economic growth and increased employment in the Arab states through the
promotion of trade reforms and the broader development agenda, and the deepening
of regional integration and regional and national AFT engagement. 4

This chapter is structured as follows: Section II outlines the structure of AFT in the
MENA region, Section III covers the regional impact of AFT, Section IV analyses the
economic impact of AFT on Jordanian economic growth, and Section V provides
policy recommendations and concluding remarks.

14.2 The structure of AFT in the Middle East and North

Africa region

The largest proportion of AFT for developing countries in 2011 (54 per cent) was
devoted to financing better economic infrastructures, in areas such as transportation,
communications and energy supply (see Figure 1). This was followed by spending
on agriculture and fishing (20 per cent), capacity-building (19 per cent) and industry
(7 per cent). AFT aims to enable both developing countries and LDCs to build up
their supply-side capacity and trade-related infrastructure to expand their trade
opportunities. In particular, the ITC focuses its AFT on empowering beneficiary
countries to build up the technical capacity of their private sectors and ensuring their
viewpoints are taken on board in the AFT strategy. Trade policy and regulation
received the remaining 3 per cent of total AFT funding to the region in 2011.
Improved infrastructure is expected to provide an important stimulus to both donor
and recipient exports. In fact, it might even be suspected that donors target AFT by
selecting infrastructure projects that primarily serve their own export interests
(Hoeffler and Outram, 2011; Hühne, Meyer and Nunnenkamp, 2013).
The potential economic impact of Aid for Trade in the MENA region: the case of Jordan 203

Figure 1 Composition of AFT to developing countries, by major sector, 2011

0.9% 0.3% Transport and storage

6.8% 2.8%
Communications
0.9% Energy
27.0%
1.8%
Banking and financial services
Business and other services
Agriculture
19.1% Forestry
1.8% Fishing
Industry
Mineral resources and mining
4.7%
Trade policies and regulations
24.8%
7.8% Tourism

Source: OECD database ([Link]

Note: Covers AFT from all donors who are members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC).

The regional distribution of total AFT for the period 2002-2011 is shown in Figure 2.
As might be expected, the largest share went to sub-Saharan Africa (34 per cent), followed
by the South and Central Asia and Middle East regions (13 per cent and 12 per cent,
respectively). The smallest shares were received by North and Central America (4 per
cent), South America (3 per cent), North Africa (3 per cent) and Oceania (1 per cent).

Figure 2 Composition of AFT by region, 2002-2011

3%
19% North Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
34% North and Central America
1% South America
5% Middle East
South and Central Asia
7% Eastern Asia
Europe
Oceania
13% 4% Developing countries,
3% unspecified
12%

Source: OECD database ([Link]

Note: Covers AFT from all donors who are members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC).
204 Connecting to global markets

14.3 The regional impact of AFT

As shown in Figure 3, the total value of AFT for the MENA region increased rapidly
during the period 2002-2011, from US$ 10,211 million in 2002 to US$ 39,039
million in 2011. This amounts to an average annual increase of 28.2 per cent during
the period. Most of the aid went to the transport and storage sector (32 per cent),
energy sector (25 per cent), industry, energy and agriculture sectors (14 per cent),
and banking and financial services sectors (8 per cent) (see Figure 4).

Figure 3 AFT disbursed to selected MENA region countries, 5 2002-2011

45,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
US$ million

25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Source: OECD, International development statistics ([Link]

Figure 4 AFT disbursed to selected MENA region countries by main sector,

2002-2011

3% 1% Transport and storage

6%
1% 32% Communications
3%
Energy
Banking and financial services

14% Business and other services

Agriculture
Forestry

5% Fishing

2% Industry

8% Mineral Resources and mining

Trade policies and regulations
25% Tourism

Source: OECD, International development statistics ([Link]

The potential economic impact of Aid for Trade in the MENA region: the case of Jordan 205

The following analysis provides a tentative assessment of possible impacts of AFT

by comparing the behaviour of some selected indicators in the two periods before
and after the launching of the AFT initiative in 2005.

Trade share
Figure 5 demonstrates stagnation in the MENA region’s share of world trade in the
1990s, with clear improvements starting around 2004. While the MENA region
accounted for about 3 per cent of the world exports and 4 per cent of world imports
in 2000, by 2012 it had increased to about 4.6 per cent of imports and 7.7 per cent
of exports. However, it should be noted that sharp oil price increases were behind
the significant improvements in MENA export performance after 2010 which can be
observed in Figure 5.

Trade openness
Another relevant indicator of the potential impact of AFT on the region is trade
openness as measured by the ratio of trade to GDP. Figure 6 shows how the ratios
of trade to GDP evolved over time. The MENA states’ trade openness fell to about
63 per cent in the late 1990s but rose to around 100 per cent by 2012. World trade
openness rose in the 1990s and continued to rise during the rest of period, although
at a slow rate. Figure 6 illustrates that the MENA states’ trade openness ratio was
never below the world’s ratio, and even surpassed that for high-income developing
countries from 2005.

Figure 5 Selected MENA region countries’ trade as share of world trade,

1994-2012

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1996

1998
1999

2006

2008
1994
1995

2009
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

2010
2011
2012
1997

2007

Imports Exports

Source: UNCTAD ([Link]

206 Connecting to global markets

Figure 6 Selected MENA region countries’ trade as percentage of GDP

120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1996

1998
1999

2006

2008
1994
1995

2009
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

2010
2011
2012
1997

2007
MENA region Middle-income developing economies
High-income developing economies World
Low-income developing economies

Source: UNCTAD ([Link]

To see the trade openness picture at the country level, Figure 7 compares the ratio
of merchandise trade to GDP in the mid-90s and for 2007-2012, for individual
MENA countries. The aggregate measure for the MENA region represents most of
the countries in the region; with some variation, most of these countries experienced
a rise in their trade openness over the period. However, it is clear that trade-to-GDP
ratios rose in the rest of the world as well.

Figure 7 Merchandise trade as a percentage of GDP, 1994-1997 and

2007-2012

1994-1997 2007-2012
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Bahrain,
Kingdom of
Kuwait, State of
Sudan

Mauritania

Egypt

Yemen

Morocco
Lebanese
Republic
Algeria

Qatar
Saudi Arabia,
Kingdom of
Oman

Jordan

Tunisia

Libya

United Arab
Emirates
MENA region

Source: UNCTAD ([Link]

The potential economic impact of Aid for Trade in the MENA region: the case of Jordan 207

Export diversification
The exports concentration index is a commonly used measure of exports
diversification. For values between zero and one, the higher the value, the lower the
export diversification. Figure 8 shows the exports concentration index for selected
MENA countries during the period 1995-2012. As illustrated, all countries have a
stagnant trend with an only slightly varying degree, which reflects very limited
success in exports diversification. As might be expected, countries such as Egypt,
Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia have a lower concentration index than Algeria, the
State of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which can be
described as natural-resource-abundant countries. However, within this latter group
of countries, Oman and Qatar showed better improvements in export diversification
compared to other countries in this group.

In each of the countries in the sample that have abundant natural and oil resources
(Algeria, the State of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), the top
four exports have dominated total exports (accounting for more than 90 per cent).
This explains the high degree of export concentration witnessed in these countries.

Figure 8 Export concentration index in selected MENA countries,

1995-2012

0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
1996

19 9 8

1999
1995

2006

2008

2009
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2010

2011

2012
1997

2007

Egypt Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Oman

Qatar MENA region State of Kuwait
Tunisia Algeria Jordan
Morocco

Source: Author’s calculations based on the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS) database ([Link]
[Link]/WITS/WITS/Restricted/[Link]).
208 Connecting to global markets

For the other, non-oil-rich countries, the contribution of the top four exports to
total exports is much smaller, reflecting greater export diversification, as shown in
Figure 8.

In a recent study by Spetan and Saqfalhait (2013), export diversification was found
to be an extremely insignificant determinant with respect to growth, indicating that
for the group of MENA countries covered in their study, diversification has not
improved enough to be an important determinant to growth.

14.4 The economic impact of AFT on Jordan

This part of the chapter provides a single-country analysis, taking Jordan as a case
study. As shown in Figure 9, total AFT allocated to Jordan more than tripled during
the period 2002-2011, increasing from US$ 305 million in 2002 to US$ 919 million
in 2011. Most aid was allocated to energy (39 per cent), business and other services
(16 per cent), trade policies and regulations (12 per cent), and industry (11 per cent)
(see Figure 10).

As in the regional analysis above, a comparison of the behaviour of selected

indicators before and after the launch of the AFT programme will be presented in
this chapter. In addition, a simple economic growth model will be utilized to evaluate
the impact of AFT on real economic growth in Jordan.

Figure 9 AFT disbursed to Jordan, 2002-2011

1200

1000

800
US$ million

600

400

200

0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Source: OECD, International development statistics ([Link]

The potential economic impact of Aid for Trade in the MENA region: the case of Jordan 209

Figure 10 AFT disbursed to Jordan by main sector, 2002-2011

2% 9% Transport and storage

12% 1%
Communications
Energy
Banking and financial services
11%
Business and other services
Agriculture
Forestry
6% 39%
Fishing
Industry
Mineral resources and mining
16% Trade policies and regulations
4% Tourism

Source: OECD, International development statistics ([Link]

Terms of trade and competitiveness effects

Figure 11 shows the general trend of both terms of trade and purchasing power of
exports for the period 1990-2012. Jordan’s purchasing power index of exports
increased continuously up to 2009, indicating a strong export position during that
period. However, this trend was reversed after 2009, apparently because of the
global crisis, followed by the impact of the Arab Spring after 2010. Jordan’s terms of
trade were stable with a slight downward trend up to 2005, and then increased up to
2009. Terms of trade for the purchasing power index of exports dropped sharply
after 2009 for the same reasons mentioned above. This deterioration in terms of
trade may have been useful improving the competitiveness of Jordanian exports. It
can be concluded that after the AFT initiative became effective in 2005, Jordan’s
terms of trade declined, reflecting improved international competitiveness. However,
this trend was interrupted by the negative impacts of both the global economic crisis
and the Arab Spring after 2009 and 2010.
210 Connecting to global markets

Figure 11 Jordan’s terms of trade and purchasing power of exports,

1990-2012

200

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
1996

1998
1999
1990

2006

2008
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995

2009
2005
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004

2010
2011
2012
1997

2007

Terms of trade indices Purchasing power indices of exports

Source: Author’s calculations based on UNCTADstat.

Jordan was consistently ranked as one of the top 50 most competitive economies
worldwide for the years under review (except for 2010) (according to the World
Economic Forum’s The Global Competitiveness Report). 6 The factors behind this
accomplishment are the high quality of Jordan’s human capital (a consequence of
high levels of education and training), political stability, strong institutions and
infrastructure. These are Jordan’s competitive advantages, which continue to
compare favourably with other countries, both regionally and globally. Jordan’s
weaknesses lie in the country’s unstable macroeconomic environment, inefficient
labour market and small market size.

Trade openness
Jordan has followed an aggressive trade liberalization policy to promote economic
growth during the last two decades. The country has entered into various bilateral
and regional trade agreements, and has lowered tariffs and other impediments to
trade such as behind-the-border constraints and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in order
to promote trade openness.
The potential economic impact of Aid for Trade in the MENA region: the case of Jordan 211

Figure 12 Jordan’s total trade as a percentage of GDP, 2000-2012

120

100

80
Per cent

60

40

20

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Source: Author’s calculations based on the Central Bank of Jordan databank ([Link]

As shown in Figure 12, trade openness accelerated soon after Jordan joined the
WTO in 2000, and continued until 2005. The trend stabilized at around 110 per cent
during 2006-2008, and then dropped sharply in 2009 after the global economic
crisis, although it subsequently revived. Figure 12 also provides limited evidence of
the impact of the AFT initiative on trade openness.

Export diversification
Jordan’s exports of clothes, potash, medical and pharmaceutical products,
vegetables, fertilizers and phosphates topped the list of exported commodities in the
period 2000-2012. 7 As shown in Figure 13, the five-degree measure of export
diversification slightly increased after 2005, indicating a minor setback in export
diversification after the launching of the AFT initiative. This result is in line with the
findings of Spetan and Saqfalhait (2013) that export diversification does not act as a
growth determinant in the case of Jordan.
212 Connecting to global markets

Figure 13 Diversification of Jordan’s merchandise exports, 2000-2012

0.66

0.64

0.62

0.60

0.58
Index

0.56

0.54

0.52

0.50

0.48
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Source: UNCTAD ([Link]

Note: Figure 13 measures the share of the top five export sectors to total exports.

AFT and economic growth: econometric analysis

To examine the relationship between AFT and real economic growth, a classic
macroeconomic growth model has been adapted and estimated using conventional
econometric techniques. The econometric model to be estimated can be written as:

dlog Yt = b0 + b1 dlog(capital) + b2 dlog(labour) + b3 dlog(land) + b4 (policy) + b5 (A4T) + et

with (et = random disturbances) (1)

The coefficient of the policy variable added to the production function in equation (1)
measures the impact of other policy variables on technological changes after
controlling for the impact of factors of production. The rate of growth in output is
calculated as the log differences of annual real GDP values; all other variables are
similarly calculated with the exception of the policy variable(s). Due to the lack of
sufficient quantitative data, the AFT variable (A4T) is represented by a dummy
variable taking the value of 1 for 2006 and thereafter, and 0 otherwise.

A major challenge facing econometric analysis is data limitation on the AFT variable,
since the AFT initiative took place in 2005 and became effective in 2006. A sample
of annual data covering the period 1980-2010 has been prepared using the
databases of the Central Bank of Jordan and the World Bank. Consistent with the
The potential economic impact of Aid for Trade in the MENA region: the case of Jordan 213

Table 1 Correlation coefficients, using the observations 1980-2010

ld_rgdp ld_labor1 ld_pop ld_remit ld_capf
1.0000 0.0754 -0.0580 0.7668 0.3427 ld_rgdp
1.0000 0.8057 0.0362 -0.0629 ld_labour1
1.0000 -0.0469 -0.1941 ld_pop
1.0000 0.4211 ld_remit
1.0000 ld_capf

ld_fdinf ld_gsize tradeo

0.0451 -0.1751 0.0601 ld_rgdp
-0.0760 0.0177 0.3326 ld_labour1
-0.0794 0.0347 0.2213 ld_pop
-0.0750 -0.0600 0.1266 ld_remit
-0.0521 -0.2978 0.1903 ld_capf
1.0000 0.0346 -0.0805 ld_fdinf
1.0000 0.0433 ld_gsize
1.0000 tradeo
Source: Author’s calculations.

theoretical model explained earlier, the estimated equation included the annual
growth rate of the following variables: real GDP (ld_rgdp), area of utilized land in
production (ld_alandu), gross fixed capital formation at constant prices (ld_capf),
labour force (ld_labour), foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows (ld_fdinf), workers’
remittances (ld_remit) and AFT (A4T).

Inspection of the correlation matrix of the model variables (see Table 1) reveals that
the growth of real GDP is positively and strongly correlated with the growth of
worker remittances (0.767) and the growth of gross capital formation (0.34). No
significant correlation is detected among explanatory variables, which can be
considered as an initial indication of no multicollinearity problem. The only exception
is the high correlation coefficient between growth rates of labour and population
(0.81), which may suggest that each one can be taken as a good proxy of the other.

As the first necessary step before turning to the model estimation, all the model
variables must be checked for unit root to make sure that they are stationary. The
result of applying the ADF unit root test indicates that all variables are stationary and
ensure non-spurious regression results. The constant was dropped from the
estimated equation consistent with the specification of the growth model. The
growth equation was estimated first by OLS and tested for both autocorrelation and
heteroscedasticity. Although no evidence of serial correlation was detected, the
Breusch-Pagan test indicated the existence of heteroscedasticity (Wooldridge,
2009). Therefore, the model was re-estimated after correcting for heteroscedasticity,
and the result is shown in Table 2.
214 Connecting to global markets

Table 2 Macroeconomic growth model, heteroscedasticity corrected,

using observations 1981-2010
Coefficient Std. error t-ratio
ld_labour 0.411014 0.0321100 12.80
ld_alandu 0.0204904 0.0131853 1.554
ld_capf 0.0609170 0.0150442 4.049
ld_remit 0.170534 0.0109724 15.54
ld_fdinf 0.00126 0.000569684 2.218
A4T 0.0357285 0.0046038 7.76
Adj. R-squared = 0.939322 F(6, 24) = 75.65492

Source: Author’s calculations.

Note: Dependent variable: ld_rgdp

The model overall fits very well, as shown by the relatively highly-adjusted R-squared
value (94 per cent) and highly significant Fisher F-test value (75.7). Variance
inflation factors for all model variables turned out to be very close to 1, indicating the
absence of multicollinearity. All estimated coefficients carry the correct expected
sign. In addition, all coefficients are statistically significant at the level of 5 per cent
or better, with the exception of the coefficient of the utilized land variable which,
although carrying the correct sign, is statistically insignificant. The coefficients of
labour and worker remittances were the largest and most significant, indicating the
importance of both variables to economic growth in the Jordanian economy. The FDI
coefficient is very small in size and only marginally significant, indicating a mild
positive effect of FDI openness on economic growth. Turning to the AFT coefficient
(A4T), which is the focus of this study, its estimate, 0.036, turned out to be highly
significant at better than the 1 per cent level. It means that the launch of the AFT
programme has contributed positively to real economic growth, by 0.036 per cent
annually. However, this result must be taken with great caution since AFT is a
dummy variable and may reflect other impacts of unspecified developments.

14.5 Policy implications and concluding remarks

This study analyses the impact of the AFT programme at both regional and single-
country levels. It presents empirical evidence of the impact of the programme in the
MENA region, on export diversification, market share, trade openness and
competitiveness (of selected countries). The study finds evidence of the positive
impact of AFT in all these areas. However, the impacts on export diversification were
mixed and vary across countries.
The potential economic impact of Aid for Trade in the MENA region: the case of Jordan 215

The case of Jordan is interesting since it provides a good example of a small country
with very limited natural resources, but which has been able to achieve good
economic performance. The factors behind this accomplishment are the high quality
of human capital, political stability, strong institutions and infrastructure. These are
Jordan’s competitive advantages, and they continue to allow Jordan to compare
favourably with other countries, both regionally and globally. Policy-makers in Jordan
should continue the ongoing process of economic reform to get rid of all market
distortions and upgrade technology and skills to meet the requirements of Jordan’s
production base and exports. The long-adopted policy of investing in human capital
has proven fruitful and should continue to be applied vigorously.

As mentioned by Diop, Marotta and de Melo (2012), fiscal policy has not contributed
significantly to diversification in the MENA region, because it has been more oriented
towards food and fuel subsidies (consumption) rather than public goods such as
infrastructure. Policy reform at the macroeconomic level can hardly be separated
from diversification policy; furthermore, such reforms and policy actions generally
reinforce each other. Therefore, additional efforts should be taken to address supply-
side constraints to structural diversification. Policy interventions of the industrial type,
which could be used to alter countries’ patterns of specialization on a sector level,
should first be analysed before turning the focus of attention to microeconomic
policy, which can influence technological development and equipment investment as
well as the accumulation of human capital. Another important idea which emerged
from theoretical consideration and the analysis above is that technology and human
capital are key engines for growth and structural diversification. Therefore, AFT flows
could really impact positively on growth and ultimately contribute to economic
transformation. There is no doubt that investment in technology and human capital is
associated with positive external effects on production possibilities.

Endnotes

1. See: [Link]

2. See: [Link]

3. See: [Link]

4. See: [Link]

5. The selected MENA region countries referred to in Figures 3-6 are Algeria, the Kingdom of
Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, the Lebanese Republic, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman,
Palestine, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia,
the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

6. See: [Link]

7. Based on trade data available from the Central Bank of Jordan ([Link]
216 Connecting to global markets

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Learning, 4th ed.
 Connecting

Connecting to global markets - Challenges and opportunities: case studies presented by WTO chair-holders
Connecting
to global markets to global markets
Challenges and opportunities: Challenges and opportunities:
case studies presented by WTO chair-holders case studies presented by WTO chair-holders

In recent decades, trade flows have become

increasingly global, with developing countries and
emerging economies playing an ever-expanding role.

However, these countries face a number of constraints

in connecting to global markets. To obtain a better
understanding of these constraints, the WTO invited
the members of its academic network in developing
countries – the WTO Chairs Programme – to identify
major challenges in their respective countries and
suggest ways to overcome them. In response, the WTO
chair-holders contributed a set of papers to the WTO’s
Annual Conference of the Chairs Programme and to
the Global Review of Aid for Trade in July 2013.

This volume brings together these contributions from

the 14 WTO chair-holders. It is divided into four sections,
focusing on export diversification, the role of non-tariff
measures, the rule of law in connecting to global markets,
and the role of the Aid for Trade initiative in building
trade capacity and overcoming supply side constraints.
The contributions provide some powerful arguments in
support of using trade policy instruments as an engine
for growth and provide valuable insights into how
developing countries can increasingly integrate into
the multilateral trading system.

Edited by
Marion Jansen
Mustapha Sadni Jallab
WTO ISBN 978-92-870-3931-6 Maarten Smeets