The book explores the impact of transport costs on trade in Latin America and the Caribbean, and argues that transport costs have assumed an unprecedented strategic importance to the region. The region can no longer rely solely on trade agreements, proximity, labor costs and an abundant supply...

Regional integration among asymmetric countries is a hot and burning policy topic worldwide. Deepening Integration in MERCOSUR analyzes the most important issues of economic integration and policy coordination that countries face as they advance towards deeper integration and are urged to...

Understanding the complex relations between trade integration and poverty reduction is now a priority for Latin American policymakers. The chapters of this book, penned by eminent authors with a long-standing record in the field, represent the current state of knowledge about trade and poverty...

This volume discusses frameworks for policies that can help offset the polarizing effects that may be generated by the asymmetrical distribution of the costs and benefits of integration into the global economy.

This document summarizes the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) experience as one of the main sources of multilateral development financing in Latin America and the Caribbean. From 2000 to 2005, total financing for economic, social and institutional development projects amounted to US$38.7...

Despite the growing political priority given to making trade work for the majority in Latin America, a notable gap exists in the knowledge about the distributive impacts of trade integration. This study attempts to fill this gap: it surveys the most recent contributions to the mainstream trade...

Este estudo, elaborado pelo Setor de Integração e Comércio do BID, propõe uma reformulação da agenda de comercial da América Latina e Caribe. Através de uma rigorosa análise empírica, procura trazer ao centro do debate os custos de transporte da região que tradicionalmente têm sido...

The following presentation summarizes the evolution of regional integration in Latin America since 1994 and the outlook for regionalization in the future, identifying the new drivers of integration. The presentation concludes with a discussion of recommendations for facilitating regional...

The paper addresses the particular issues that arise during the negotiation of comprehensive trade and integration agreements, which involve political and cooperation dialogue in addition to trade liberalization talks. It explores the features of the New Regionalism that emerged in the Southern...

After posting double digit gains in 2010-2011, Latin America's export growth declined to just 1.5% in 2012 for a total value of slightly more than $1 trillion, according to figures just released by the Integration and Trade Sector of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). These results...