The impact of opening to trade on economic institutions is likely to be multifaceted and depend crucially on country-specific circumstances. In the past decade an active body of research has studied this relationship. This framework makes is especially clear why international trade opening has...

Integration into global markets can improve the efficiency of the Argentinian economy, providing opportunities for private investment to flourish and for the associated benefits to accrue to consumers. Among many policies that are important for integrating into the global economy, particularly...

In 2015, Lao PDR is virtually unrecognizable from what it was just a decade ago. A more open, more outward trade landscape has transformed the country from a closed-off backwater into a fast-growing developing country, complete with coffee shops, restaurants, and billboards lining the streets of...

Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank, complimented the impressive work of agencies like the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Japan is a big player everywhere in the world. The World Bank depends heavily on Japanese financial markets...

The purpose of this policy note is to present reform options on cabotage liberalization. The goal of cabotage liberalization is to help i) foster more competition in the domestic shipping industry, ii) reduce shipping cost, and iii) improve efficiency, maritime services, and safety standards....

As part of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) program for Trade-Related Assistance to Least Developed Countries (LCDs), which Myanmar joined in April 2013, the Government of Myanmar has asked the World Bank Group (WBG) to be the implementing agency for a Diagnostic Trade Integration Study...

As a small, landlocked economy, Nepal's development prospects are closely tied to its ability to increase integration in the regional and global marketplace. Despite significant changes in Nepal's trade sector over the past decade, the country's export performance has remained poor, with exports...

This study examines the relevance of trade facilitation reforms in maximizing the economic impactof infrastructure connectivity investments through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It providesan overview of trade facilitation performance in BRI economies, with a focus on those...

Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group, spoke about the following: i) understand China's journey and get the historical record right; ii) understand China's past reforms, because they are important for future reforms; iii) understanding China's reforms is increasingly important for the...

Agriculture forms the backbone of Pakistan's economy. Despite the fact that the share of agriculture in the GDP has declined over the years, the sector continues to play an important role in the socio-economic structure of the country. About 60 percent of the population lives in rural areas of...