Rules of origin in economic integration agreements signed by countries belonging to the Latin American Integration Association

This article refers to rules of origin included in the main Economic Integration Agreements signed by members of the Latin American Integration Association (LAIA). Issues relating to trade facilitation and reduction of transaction costs of international trade in goods are also discussed.The author is on the staff of the International Trade and Integration Division of ECLAC.

CEFACT: an international private/public sector partnership

The Centre for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices in Administration, Commerce and Transport (CEFACT) constitutes a partnership between the public and private sectors for their mutual benefit. For the private sector, working with governments to improve commerce is critical to improving international competitiveness. For governments, working with the private sector to reduce procedural barriers to trade is critical to improving both their own administrative effectiveness and the economic well-being of their countries. This issue of the Bulletin presents an exposition by the Chairman of the CEFACT, Mr. Henri Martre, at the Trade Facilitation Seminar, carried out between 9 and 10 March of 1998, at the Headquarters of the World Trade Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. Its main purpose is to explain the importance of CEFACT's partnership between the public and private sectors; how this partnership works, and the trade facilitation instruments it has created.

Status of Implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action in South America

Includes bibliography.

Panorama da Inserção Internacional da América Latina e Caribe 2015. A crise do comércio regional: diagnóstico e perspectivas. Documento informativo

Apresentação .-- Síntese. A. A incerteza e o lento crescimento mundial exacerbam as debilidades da região. B. Espaços para obter uma maior diversificação do comércio e dos encadeamentos com a China. C. A América Latina e o Caribe devem avançar na agenda de facilitação do comércio.

Panorama de la Inserción Internacional de América Latina y el Caribe 2015. La crisis del comercio regional: diagnóstico y perspectivas

En la edición 2015 del Panorama de la Inserción Internacional de América Latina y el Caribe se analiza, desde la perspectiva del comercio, el contexto internacional y regional. Desde esa perspectiva, la región enfrenta el contexto económico internacional más desfavorable desde 2009. Más aún, la profundización de la especialización en recursos naturales durante el ciclo de altos precios y la persistencia de una estructura productiva con reducidas capacidades tecnológicas dificultan salir de la compleja coyuntura actual. En este marco, la CEPAL insta a los países a promover la integración económica regional, porque avanzar hacia un espacio integrado y con reglas comunes es indispensable para promover los encadenamientos productivos, aumentar la resiliencia del comercio intrarregional y favorecer la diversificación productiva y exportadora.

La implementación de la trayectoria de desarrollo sostenible por parte de los pequeños estados insulares en desarrollo del Pacífico frente a su condición de vulnerabilidad

La investigación busca determinar el propósito que persiguen los pequeños Estados insulares en desarrollo del Pacífico al adoptar una trayectoria de desarrollo sostenible. Se plantea que la adopción de una trayectoria de desarrollo sostenible es la estrategia por medio de la cual estos Estados buscan hacer frente a su condición de vulnerabilidad; lo cual logran a través del uso de la diplomacia en distintos escenarios multilaterales, con el fin de modificar tanto sus prácticas como las de otros actores.

The facilitation of trade in the European Union

In terms of its contents, this article is a natural continuation of FAL Bulletin No. 167. In that edition of the Bulletin, conceptual progress was made in defining the notion of ?facilitation of trade? and in outlining how this issue is dealt with in some international organizations; here, information referring to the European Union (EU) is presented in a detailed fashion.

ECLAC - Mesoamerica Project cooperation: Support for the facilitation of trade and transport in Mesoamerica

This edition of the FAL Bulletin analyses the activities performed by ECLAC and the Mesoamerica Project related to issues linked to infrastructure services, particularly with regards to the physical integration, facilitation and operation of multimodal services in Central America.

The Facilitation of trade in some integration agreements in the Americas

This article reviews the main progress observed as regards facilitation of trade in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Andean Community (CAN), the Central American Common Market (CACM) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The article does not refer to the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) or the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), these integration agreements being dealt with in FAL Bulletins Nos. 171 and 175, respectively.