This document presents country studies on customs reforms that have taken place in Mozambique, Angola, Pakistan and Peru. The studies were used as supporting material for the report on "Trade Facilitation Reforms in the Service of Development" (document TD/TC/WP(2003)11/FINAL).

This paper analyses the relation between time for exports and imports, logistics services and international trade. Time is found not only to reduce trade volumes, but more importantly lengthy procedures for exports and imports reduce the probability that firms will enter export markets for...

The informal sector still constitutes an important part of developing country economies. In Africa, it is estimated to represent 43 percent of official gross domestic product (GDP), thus being almost equivalent to the formal sector. While this phenomenon may provide short-term solutions to poor...

The WTO Ministerial Meeting in Hong Kong in December 2005 made some progress in advancing the Doha Development Agenda. But much remains to be done, particularly in settling negotiating modalities in agriculture and NAMA and in putting some flesh onto the bones of the GATS. And where progress was...

Annex D of the July 2004 Decision of the WTO General Council indicates that "the principle (of special and differential treatment for developing and least-developed countries) should extend beyond the granting of traditional transition periods for implementing commitments. In particular, the...

This paper analyses customs automation which is one of the most powerful tools to increase customs efficiency. It focuses in particular on the benefits and implementation costs of automation. It is part of a series of studies that analyse various aspects of trade facilitation and the objective...

This report presents preliminary findings from a series of country surveys on the costs of introducing and implementing trade facilitation measures. It was prepared in response to concerns with respect to the cost implications of a future WTO agreement on trade facilitation and will be...

This paper examines the economic impact of trade facilitation and in particular the link between trade facilitation and trade flows, government revenue and foreign direct investment. It is part of a series of studies that analyse various aspects of trade facilitation and the objective is to...

This report presents the findings of the OECD indicators for assessing the economic and trade impact of specific trade facilitation measures in OECD countries. Twelve trade facilitation indicators (TFIs) have been constructed, corresponding to the main policy areas under negotiation at the WTO,...

Trade logistics facilitate trade. Quality logistics services play an important role in facilitating the transportation of international trade in goods: inefficient logistics services impede trade by imposing an extra cost in terms of time as well as money. As developed nations shift from...