"Global value chains (GVCs) powered the surge of international trade after 1990 and now account for almost half of all trade. This shift enabled an unprecedented economic convergence: poor countries grew rapidly and began to catch up with richer countries. Since the 2008 global financial crisis,...

Global value chains have altered the nature of global trade and offer significant opportunities for developing countries to expand exports, access technology, and raise productivity. Policy makers rightly seek to understand what it takes to participate in global value chains. In practice, this...

The paper offers an overview of some key conceptual aspects associated with the rise of global value chains (GVCs). It outlines a series of alternative interpretations and definitions of what the rise of GVCs entails, and it traces the implications of these alternative conceptualizations for the...

The automotive sector is one of the most important industries globally and in South Asia, contributing 19 million of direct and indirect jobs in India alone. This case study identifies both reasons for success and limits on the growth of automotive in South Asia, and recommends policies to...

The paper draws on the Inclusive Global Value Chains report submitted by the OECD and the World Bank Group to G20 Trade Ministers in October 2015, refining and prioritizing the options contained therein. The original report proposed a holistic approach to promoting more inclusive Global Value...

The paper is structured in six further sections following this introduction. Section two develops a conceptual framework, and reviews the literature on the relationship between trade integration and labor market outcomes. Section three outlines the empirical framework and data used in the...

Uruguay has much to gain from further integration with the global marketplace. Increased trade allows economies of scale and increases exposure to technological and knowledge spillovers, resulting in greater productivity. Participating in global and regional value chains is an important...

Cambodia's economy continues to show signs of robust growth, underpinned by solid export performance and strong domestic demand. Key macroeconomic data for the first six-months, however, indicate a slight deceleration of economic activity this year, compared to a strong growth performance of 7.5...

Preferential trade agreements have become deeper over time, often encompassing policy areas that go beyond traditional trade policy, such as investment, competition, and intellectual property rights protection. In the literature, a prominent argument why countries sign "deep" agreements is to...