| Summary: | Technological innovations and the
dismantling of trade barriers over the past decade have
contributed to an acceleration of growth in global trade.
This acceleration has been associated with faster growth in
developing countries as a group. However, many of the
poorest countries have not kept pace. This year's
report focuses on international trade and discusses policies
that are required if developing countries are to benefit
from global integration. The report is organized as follows:
Chapter 1 examines the prospects for developing countries
and world trade and projects that long-term growth has
improved and is projected to be higher despite significant
vulnerabilities. Chapter 2 analyzes trade policies in the
1990s and discusses reductions in barriers to trade, trends
in trade and economic growth, weaknesses in domestic
trade-related policies, and trade protection in industrial
countries. Chapter 3 explores the relationships between
product standards and regulatory barriers to trade, labor
standards and trade sanctions, and environmental standards
and trade. Finally, Chapter 4 focuses on electronic
commerce, the digital divide, and its effects on
productivity, international trade, and income distribution,
as well as impediments to Internet use, the role of
policies, and challenges to regulatory regimes in developing countries.
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