Since 1978 China has been implementing reforms designed to liberalize the economy. So far the transformation process has been accompanied by high economic growth and an above-average export performance, and seems to have produced less friction than in most countries of East-Central Europe and...

The deficit of the current external account is set to widen to Sch 19 billion in 1994 and 25 billion in 1995. Developments in the trade balance are, by themselves, no major cause for concern. However, a decline in tourism competitiveness implies that the traditional surplus of this sector will...

Der Preisauftrieb war in Österreich 1992 und 1993 stärker als in den meisten OECD-Ländern. Trotz der Konjunkturschwäche und sinkender Rohstoffpreise erreichte die Inflationsrate 1993 3,6% und lag damit nicht nur erheblich über dem OECD-Durchschnitt, sondern war auch höher als in den...

A survey of the relevant literature finds that no really satisfactory answer is yet available on the issue of how important foreign trade really is for labour market developments. European studies have (with some exceptions) arrived at the conclusion that foreign trade has little impact on...

During the Uruguay Round, international trade in services for the first time entered the multilateral liberalisation agenda. The talks resulted in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) which has since provided the general multilateral framework for liberalising trade in services. The...

Austrian exports continue to be focused on Western Europe, in spite of brisk expansion rates achieved for Central and Eastern European markets. In order to better exploit opportunities offered to Austrian exporters, it would therefore be desirable to aim at diversifying exports by expanding into...

Relations between the EU accession countries and Austria operate on three levels: the newcomers to the EU are competitors, they offer a market of new and growing opportunities, and they are low-cost partners in any vertical division of labour scheme. So far, Austrian exporters have done well in...

Developing new export markets is tantamount to navigating an obstacle course. With a view to identifying the chief problems that face exporters, a WIFO study on "Evaluating Promising Sales Markets and Export Potentials for Austrian Exports" included a questionnaire submitted to Austrian enterprises.

In recent years, exports have become a driver of economic growth in Austria and contributed essentially to the creation of employment. Austria was able to conquer increasing market shares at the international level and succeeded in improving its trade balance. Contrary to public fears, the...

Like no other country Austria has been a strong investor in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) since the beginning of the 1990s up to the year 2000 mainly in nearby markets, after that year also in other countries of the region with a higher risk. The momentum of the annual...