'This paper examines the determinants of remittance behavior for Vietnam using data from the 2004 Vietnam Migration Survey on internal migrants. It considers how, among other things, the vulnerability of a migrant's life at the destination, their link to relatives back home, and the time spent at the destination affect remittances. The paper finds that migrants act as risk-averse economic agents and send remittances back to the household of origin as part of an insurance exercise in the face of more...

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the trade regimes for Africa that on 1 January 2008 replaced the trade preferences under the Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA), the negotiations that remain to be completed and the challenges facing Africa in implementation, some of which require support from Europe . The first part of the paper gives an overview of the initialled agreements, comparing both the texts of the agreements and the liberalization schedules that give details on the com more...

'Natural products, whether food, cosmetics or alternative medicines, are becoming increasingly popular with a new generation of health-conscious consumers. These products often draw on the traditional knowledge of communities in Africa and elsewhere in the world. PhytoTrade Africa is a new association, set up with IFAD’s support, that helps microproducers see the value of their natural products and the new interest they are generating, so they can promote them beyond the region and gain access more...

The ACP-EU Trade non-partisan website provides access to publicly available information, from a variety of sources, in English and in French, on ACP-EU trade related matters. In particular:

* An extended and regularly updated searchable on-line library provides instant access to the most recent studies, reports, official communications, etc. on trade (-related) issues relevant for EPAs.
* A news section offers regular updates on the status of the EPA negotiations and related matters. more...

'The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) was established in Geneva in September 1996 to contribute to a better understanding of development and environment concerns in the context of international trade.

As an independent non-profit and non-governmental organisation, ICTSD engages a broad range of actors in ongoing dialogue about trade and sustainable development. With a wide network of governmental, non-governmental and inter-governmental partners, ICTSD plays more...

“Free trade” has produced some of the most contentious political debates of our times. In a famous April 2000 article in the New Republic, economist Joseph Stiglitz argued, “Economic policy is today perhaps the most important part of America's interaction with the rest of the world. And yet the culture of international economic policy in the world's most powerful democracy is not democratic.” During the Bush years, economic policy received far less attention in political discussion than more...

'This paper reviews data and research on trade costs for Sub-Saharan African countries. It focuses on: border-related costs, transport costs, costs related to behind-the border issues, and the costs of compliance with rules of origin specific to preferential trade agreements. Trade costs are, on average, higher for African countries than for other developing countries. Using gravity-model estimates, the authors compute ad-valorem equivalents of improvements in trade indicators for a sample of Af more...

As one of the key pillars of the financial services sector the insurance sector is a central element of the trade and development matrix. As both an infrastructural and commercial service, a well-functioning insurance sector plays a crucial role in economic development not just at a macro economic level but also in terms of the activities of individuals and businesses.
'Given the importance of the insurance sector, its potential for growth, rapidly emerging trends within the sector including th more...

'Recent developments in the evolution of the IIA universe might be an indication that more countries are ready to explore new approaches in investment rulemaking. From a development perspective, it is worthwhile considering how to strengthen the investment promotion component in IIAs.'

'In this report the basic infrastructure and systems performance are examined, the key issues identified and possible improvements proposed. Where relevant, performance is compared with the region’s major competitors to help understand what is enhancing/diminishing South Asia’s competitiveness.'