Friday, June 27, 2008
[IWS] World Bank: New! WORLD TRADE INDICATORS 2008 [17 June 2008]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
World Bank
World Trade Indicators 2008 [17 June 2008]
http://www.worldbank.org/wti2008
Welcome to the World Trade Indicators (WTI), an interactive tool designed to benchmark a country's trade policy and institutions and help policy makers, advisors, and analysts' identify the main border and behind-the border constraints to trade integration.
The WTI 2008 database is organized in five thematic categories, namely Trade Policy, External Environment, Institutional Environment, Trade Facilitation and Trade Outcome. Each category contains a main indicator and other reference indicators. Countries' trade performance can be examined individually as well as in relation to other < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/Countrylist.htm> countries or country groupings, including by < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/tradingpartners.doc > membership of < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/tradeagreements.doc> trade agreements. To capture the key insights from both the indicators and country-level trade-related analytical work, < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/Brieftaags.htm>Country Briefs and Trade at-a-Glance (TAAG) tables are also are provided.
An < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/mainpaper.pdf> overview report summarizes global patterns in trade policy and trade outcomes revealed by the database focusing mainly on regional and income level variations. The < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/userguide.pdf> User Guide provides descriptions for the < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/Indicators.htm> 299 indicators in the database, including < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/Weblinks.htm> data sources.
The following five tabs are available to explore the database with a choice to view indicators either by value or by rank. < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/categories.doc> Click here for more details >>
* The < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/1a.asp> Country Ranking tab displays a ranked list of countries for any one time period, for five indicators. Users can choose (up to five) alternative indicators in one or all categories, a sub-set of countries, and any time period.
* The < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/2a1.asp> Country Snapshot tab displays a table of indicators for four time periods for a specific country and two comparators, one of which is the region to which the country belongs. Users can select any number of indicators, four time periods, and the second comparator country or country group.
* In the < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/3a.asp> Country Comparison tab charts and tables are displayed for up to five indicators for one time period and for up to ten countries or country groups, including up to two user-defined country groups.
* In the < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/4a.asp> Overtime Comparison tab a user can view, in chart and table format, the evolution of one indicator for up to ten countries or country groups, including up to two user defined country groups, and some pre-determined comparator countries.
* The < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/5a.asp> Map tab provides a color-coded world map showing relative country performance for one indicator and for one time period, both selected by the user.
Press Release No:2008/377/WBI
World Bank's new Trade Indicators shows falling trade barriers and strong trade performance
World Trade Indicators 2008 compares results in 210 countries and customs territories
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21807483~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html
Washington, June 17, 2008 A new database and ranking tool unveiled today by the World Bank shows that in 2007 most developing countries continued to improve trade policies supporting greater integration. Data in the World Trade Indicators 2008 Benchmarking Policy and Performance, produced by the World Bank Institute, also show that, over the past decade, countries with lower barriers tended to have stronger, more consistent trade and export performance.
"This database allows us to rank countries' progress in liberalizing their tariff regimes, as well as the extent to which countries' broader policy and institutional environment supports export growth" said Roumeen Islam, the World Bank Institute Manager who led the team that developed the World Trade Indicators. "The ranking shows that those countries that have reduced their trade barriers, and are doing well on trade facilitation and institutions, have also experienced sustained increases in their volume of trade. These improvements are possible despite poor endowments."
While high-income countries still have the world's lowest tariff barriers, many developing countries are converging rapidly. Georgia, Haiti, Armenia and Mauritius, are among the 10 countries having the lowest tariffs as measured by the simple average MFN tariff. Neither the European Union nor Japan is among the top 10.
Developing countries showing large declines in import restrictions since the beginning of this decade include Egypt, which reduced its average MFN tariff from 47 to 17 percent; the Seychelles, dropping its average tariff from 28 to eight percent; India, reducing from 32 to 15 percent; and Mauritius, which reduced its average from 18 to just 3.5 percent.
These observations emerge from the World Trade Indicators (WTI), a unique new database and ranking tool that allows benchmarking and comparisons among 210 countries and customs territories, across multiple trade-related indicators. The easy-to-use web-based tool is aimed at helping policymakers, negotiators and researchers assess each country's performance relative to others' as well as relative to its historical achievements.
AND MUCH MORE.....
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
World Bank
World Trade Indicators 2008 [17 June 2008]
http://www.worldbank.org/wti2008
Welcome to the World Trade Indicators (WTI), an interactive tool designed to benchmark a country's trade policy and institutions and help policy makers, advisors, and analysts' identify the main border and behind-the border constraints to trade integration.
The WTI 2008 database is organized in five thematic categories, namely Trade Policy, External Environment, Institutional Environment, Trade Facilitation and Trade Outcome. Each category contains a main indicator and other reference indicators. Countries' trade performance can be examined individually as well as in relation to other < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/Countrylist.htm> countries or country groupings, including by < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/tradingpartners.doc > membership of < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/tradeagreements.doc> trade agreements. To capture the key insights from both the indicators and country-level trade-related analytical work, < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/Brieftaags.htm>Country Briefs and Trade at-a-Glance (TAAG) tables are also are provided.
An < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/mainpaper.pdf> overview report summarizes global patterns in trade policy and trade outcomes revealed by the database focusing mainly on regional and income level variations. The < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/userguide.pdf> User Guide provides descriptions for the < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/Indicators.htm> 299 indicators in the database, including < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/Weblinks.htm> data sources.
The following five tabs are available to explore the database with a choice to view indicators either by value or by rank. < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/docs/categories.doc> Click here for more details >>
* The < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/1a.asp> Country Ranking tab displays a ranked list of countries for any one time period, for five indicators. Users can choose (up to five) alternative indicators in one or all categories, a sub-set of countries, and any time period.
* The < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/2a1.asp> Country Snapshot tab displays a table of indicators for four time periods for a specific country and two comparators, one of which is the region to which the country belongs. Users can select any number of indicators, four time periods, and the second comparator country or country group.
* In the < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/3a.asp> Country Comparison tab charts and tables are displayed for up to five indicators for one time period and for up to ten countries or country groups, including up to two user-defined country groups.
* In the < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/4a.asp> Overtime Comparison tab a user can view, in chart and table format, the evolution of one indicator for up to ten countries or country groups, including up to two user defined country groups, and some pre-determined comparator countries.
* The < http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti2008/5a.asp> Map tab provides a color-coded world map showing relative country performance for one indicator and for one time period, both selected by the user.
Press Release No:2008/377/WBI
World Bank's new Trade Indicators shows falling trade barriers and strong trade performance
World Trade Indicators 2008 compares results in 210 countries and customs territories
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21807483~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html
Washington, June 17, 2008 A new database and ranking tool unveiled today by the World Bank shows that in 2007 most developing countries continued to improve trade policies supporting greater integration. Data in the World Trade Indicators 2008 Benchmarking Policy and Performance, produced by the World Bank Institute, also show that, over the past decade, countries with lower barriers tended to have stronger, more consistent trade and export performance.
"This database allows us to rank countries' progress in liberalizing their tariff regimes, as well as the extent to which countries' broader policy and institutional environment supports export growth" said Roumeen Islam, the World Bank Institute Manager who led the team that developed the World Trade Indicators. "The ranking shows that those countries that have reduced their trade barriers, and are doing well on trade facilitation and institutions, have also experienced sustained increases in their volume of trade. These improvements are possible despite poor endowments."
While high-income countries still have the world's lowest tariff barriers, many developing countries are converging rapidly. Georgia, Haiti, Armenia and Mauritius, are among the 10 countries having the lowest tariffs as measured by the simple average MFN tariff. Neither the European Union nor Japan is among the top 10.
Developing countries showing large declines in import restrictions since the beginning of this decade include Egypt, which reduced its average MFN tariff from 47 to 17 percent; the Seychelles, dropping its average tariff from 28 to eight percent; India, reducing from 32 to 15 percent; and Mauritius, which reduced its average from 18 to just 3.5 percent.
These observations emerge from the World Trade Indicators (WTI), a unique new database and ranking tool that allows benchmarking and comparisons among 210 countries and customs territories, across multiple trade-related indicators. The easy-to-use web-based tool is aimed at helping policymakers, negotiators and researchers assess each country's performance relative to others' as well as relative to its historical achievements.
AND MUCH MORE.....
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 6:36 AM
