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5 Publications found…
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Academic Paper 20 July 2022
Plurilateral Cooperation as an Alternative to Trade Agreements: Innovating One Domain at a Time
By Bernard Hoekman et al.
View postSummary Pre-CITP publication
At the end of 2017, different groups of WTO members decided to launch talks on four subjects, setting aside the WTO consensus working practice. This paper argues that these ‘joint statement initiatives’ (JSIs) should seek to establish open plurilateral agreements (OPAs) even in instances where the outcome can be incorporated into existing schedules of commitments of participating WTO members. Designing agreements as OPAs provides an institutional framework for collaboration among the responsible national authorities, transparency, mutual review and learning, as well as alternatives to default WTO dispute settlement procedures which may not be appropriate for supporting cooperation on the matters addressed by the JSIs. In parallel, WTO members should establish enforceable multilateral principles to ensure OPAs are compatible with an open global trade regime.
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Academic Paper 20 July 2022
Procurement policy and SME participation in public purchasing
By Bernard Hoekman et al.
View postSummary Pre-CITP publication
This study investigates the relationship between regulatory policies governing public procurement and participation by small and medium enterprises (SMEs), using a large dataset on European procurement. The authors find that better quality procurement regulation is associated with greater SME participation and higher probability that SMEs win contracts.
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Academic Paper 20 July 2022
EU Trade Sustainability Impact Assessments: Revisiting the Consultation Process
By Bernard Hoekman et al.
View postSummary Pre-CITP publication
Trade sustainability impact assessments (SIAs) are the main tool used by the European Commission to assess the potential effects of trade policy initiatives and to engage with stakeholders. SIAs have two elements: a model-based quantitative analysis and a consultation process (CP). Both include a focus on a broad range of non-trade issues, many of which are included in sustainable development chapters of EU trade agreements. This paper argues for making CPs a more useful input into the design of trade cooperation. Building bridges between a revamped ex-ante CP and mechanisms that encompass public and private actors to support implementation, resolve problems, and assess progress over time could further help achieve trade and sustainable development goals.
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Academic Paper 20 July 2022
Services Trade Policies and Economic Integration
By Bernard Hoekman et al.
View postSummary Pre-CITP publication
This paper applies machine learning to recreate to a high degree of accuracy the OECD's Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI) to provide quantitative evidence on the restrictiveness of services policies in 2016 for a sample of developing countries, using regulatory data collected by the World Bank and WTO. Resulting estimates are used to extend the OECD STRI approach to 23 additional countries, producing what we term a Services Policy Index (SPI). Converting the SPI to ad valorem equivalent terms shows that services policies are typically much more restrictive than tariffs on imports of goods, in particular in professional services and telecommunications. The SPI has strong explanatory power for bilateral trade in services at the sectoral level, as well as for aggregate goods and services trade.
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Book 20 July 2022
Trade in the 21st Century: Back to the Past?
By Bernard Hoekman et al.
View postSummary Pre-CITP publication
This book assesses the relevance of the WTO in the context of the rise of China and the United States’ turn toward unilateral protectionism. By reflecting on past episodes of protectionism and how they were resolved, Trade in the 21st Century provides both context and guidance on how trade challenges can be addressed in the coming decades.
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