This Reference Note introduces guidance on preferential trade agreements (PTAs). In so doing, it responds to the request by the Executive Board in the context of the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) Evaluation of IMF Involvement in Trade Policy Issues. Section II provides context for the...

This paper discusses reviews major issues and developments in the trade area and outlines the problems in the multilateral trading system that governments face as they seek to liberalize trade in the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations. The paper's emphasis is on policy developments in the major...

The paper explores the relationship between trade policy and current accounts. The effect on the current account of a change in protection at home and then abroad is analyzed, assuming that the exchange rate floats. The “savings-and-investment approach” is used. It shows that there is no...

Digital technologies have made it increasingly feasible for buyers and sellers to place and receive orders on a global scale. They also enable the instantaneous remote delivery of services directly into businesses and homes, including internationally. The Handbook on Measuring Digital Trade sets...

The Handbook on Measuring Digital Trade sets out a conceptual and measurement framework for digital trade which aligns with the broader standards for macro-economic statistics. It aims to help statistical compilers to address policymakers' needs for statistical evidence on digital trade. It...

Syria faces two interrelated medium-term challenges posed by the prospective decline in its oil reserves. The recently approved five-year plan (FYP) laid down a comprehensive strategy to address these challenges. Syria’s public finances are headed for challenging times in the coming 10–15...

This paper assembles findings on the use of trade taxes, examines the main contributing factors, and reviews the fiscal aspects of trade policy as they relate to both efficiency and macroeconomic stabilization. It demonstrates why trade taxes would generally not be part of an optimal tax...

This Selected Issues paper provides a brief overview of the Dominican Republic authorities’ structural reform efforts in the 1990s. The paper provides a history of trade reforms, which form an integral part of the structural reform agenda. It presents a review of fiscal policy during the...