The Hummingbird Vol.6 No.12

Oportunidades para el aprovechamiento del protocolo comercial entre Guatemala y Chile

En el presente informe se analiza la dinámica reciente de las relaciones comerciales entre este país centroamericano y Chile. Con ello se busca detectar espacios para la ampliación y diversificación de dicho comercio, especialmente desde Guatemala hacia Chile. Se hace presente que ello no depende solo de la remoción de los obstáculos existentes al comercio bilateral, sino de múltiples otros factores. Este informe tiene como principal valor agregado un análisis del comportamiento de las empresas en el comercio bilateral, en términos de su cantidad, tamaño, concentración y permanencia.…

Innovating, gaining market share and fostering social inclusion: success stories in SME development

This document represents a contribution made by the Tripartite Committee comprising the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to the fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas Initiative, in Santo Domingo, on 5 October 2011. This initiative for promoting growth and prosperity provides a forum for countries to learn from each other's experience and for them to share lessons learned and best practices as they seek to put broader opportunities withi…

Experiencias exitosas en innovación, inserción internacional e inclusión social: una mirada desde las PYMES

El presente documento es una contribución del Comité Tripartito a la cuarta Reunión Ministerial de la iniciativa Caminos a la Prosperidad en las Américas, que se realizará en la ciudad de Santo Domingo, el 5 de octubre de 2011. El objetivo de este documento es poner al servicio de los países participantes de Caminos a la Prosperidad en las Américas un conjunto de experiencias exitosas en los temas relacionados con la iniciativa y su capacidad para mejorar las condiciones de vida de los habitantes de la región. El eje de la información proporcionada en este documento son las pequeñas y medianas…

Brazilian external sector so far in the XXIst century

Policies towards the external sector have maintained their basic characteristics since the beginning of the present decade, although emphasis has been given to some specific aspects. Little doubt remains that the positive outcome - at least until recently – has been clearly a result of the country having profited from very favorable circumstances in the international scenario. This article discusses the main features of the external sector of the Brazilian economy, regarding trade flows, foreign investment, the internationalization of Brazilian entrepreneurial groups and the short-term financi…

Os incentivos às exportações brasileiras: 1990 a 2004

O objetivo da pesquisa é estimar os incentivos concedidos às exportações brasileiras no período de 1990 a 2004. São consideradas incentivos as diferenças de tratamento tributário ou financeiro em decorrência da destinação do produto para o mercado interno ou externo, com impacto sobre as finanças da União ou dos estados. Os incentivos - fiscais, sobre o financiamento, e especiais - foram calculados em bases trimestrais, e agregados segundo a Classificação Nacional de Atividades Econômicas (Cnae). …

Latin America and the Caribbean in the World Economy 2008-2009: Crisis and opportunities for regional cooperation

The 2008-2009 edition of Latin America and the Caribbean in the World Economy is divided into three chapters. Chapter I offers a medium-term view of the current international economic conditions, examining in particular the variables that are most likely to shift global scenarios and affect the position of the Latin America and Caribbean economies in the world economy. The crisis has triggered or accentuated trends such as the growing significance of the emerging economies (with the resulting impact on the region's trade flows), and the differentiated patterns of world trade in manufac…

Latin America and the Caribbean in the World Economy 2008-2009: Crisis and opportunities for regional cooperation

La edición 2008-2009 del Panorama de la inserción internacional de América Latina y el Caribe se divide en tres capítulos. En el capítulo I se analiza la coyuntura económica internacional con una mirada de mediano plazo. Se presta especial atención a las variables que más pueden modificar el escenario global y afectar la inserción internacional de las economías de América Latina y el Caribe. Como ejemplo de los cambios que está generando o acentuando la crisis cabe destacar la creciente importancia de las economías emergentes, con el consiguiente impacto sobre las corrientes comerciales de la…

Los desafíos del sistema de transporte en los países sin litoral de América del Sur

En este informe se pasa revista de la situación imperante en Bolivia y Paraguay, dos países en desarrollo sin litoral. Se examinan tres temas: i); infraestructura nacional y conectividad con los países vecinos, ii); evolución reciente en materia de tratados y leyes internacionales y iii); operaciones transfronterizas. Además de estos temas tradicionales, se hace una evaluación del nivel de costos del transporte internacional y de su posible impacto sobre el comercio, y se describen los costos adicionales generados en las cadenas logísticas, que presentan otro obstáculo para la competitividad d…

Landlocked countries in South America: transport system challenges

This report analyses the current state of the landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) Bolivia and Paraguay. The report analyses the traditional topics (1) infrastructure at national level and connectivity towards adjacent countries; (2) the recent development in international laws and treaties and (3) cross-border operation. Beyond these traditional topics the report evaluates the level of international transport costs and the potential impact on trade. It further presents the currently induced over costs in logistic chains, which pose an additional burden to the competitiveness of the countri…

Status of agrifood regulatory coordination under the North American Free Trade Agreement

Since its initiation on January 1, 1994, the agriculture section of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been controversial, which has led to several trade disputes, suggestions for modification and strengthening, and even Presidential initiatives such as the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP). While NAFTA has done much to spur economic growth and development, it has not realized its potential in integrating agrifood markets. Several illustrations are summarized in this report on progress in overcoming sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) barriers to trade un…

Trade liberalisation, trade performance and competitiveness in the Caribbean

This study provides an analysis of links between trade liberalisation, trade performance and competitiveness in the Caribbean. The study takes an eclectic approach, borrowing from different strands of theory and empirical findings, where necessary. Nevertheless from a broad conceptual frame of reference, an effort is made to analyse the structural, institutional and market (demand and supply); factors that impinge on trade performance and competitiveness outcomes in the region. This approach, it is believed, provides the most relevance for analysing the real world situation in the Caribbean,…

The ECLAC associate member countries: meeting challenges and new opportunities of globalisation

This paper will examine development challenges and new opportunities arising out of globalization in the tourism and financial services sectors, respectively in the ECLAC associate member countries.…

Freeing the Americas of Poverty and Hunger

Latin American South-South integration and cooperation: from a regional public goods perspective

The present level of intra-regional trade of Latin America and the Caribbean in relation to their total exports is still low when compared to the peak of 21.1% registered in 1997, despite its rebound in 2003 and continued recovery into 2004. While this trade holds a high potential for future growth, there are a series of problems to be addressed in order for regional integration to continue on the paths of recovery and deep integration. The countries in the region should keep working on the constraints that its regional integration process continues to suffer from the persistence of non-tariff…

Population Ageing - Subregional Challenges of a Global Phenomenon

E-business innovation and customs renovation for secure supply chain management

Information technologies (ITs) and supply chain management (SCM) are increasingly considered as indispensable tools of competitiveness especially for companies facing excessive global competition, although these companies have not necessarily succeeded in taking full advantage of such cutting-edge technologies and management systems. Their use, especially of international SCMs, is limited to a small number of purchaser-suppliers groups that are formed primarily by transnational corporations (TNCs). The factors impeding a proliferation of SCMs at a global scale include the difficulties that com…

La cooperación financiera en América Latina y el Caribe: las instituciones financieras subregionales en el fomento de las inversiones y del comercio exterior

La integración económica de los países de América Latina y el Caribe ha sido un objetivo perseguido sistemáticamente, pero cuyos logros todavía están distantes. Entre las causas que explican este comportamiento, una de las más incidentes ha sido sin duda, la debilidad de las economías de la región para corregir los desajustes económicos producidos ya sea por razones internas o por los efectos derivados de crisis económicas internacionales, regionales o subregionales. Los efectos de estos impactos en los procesos de integración a menudo afectan negativamente los avances en el crecimiento del c…

Fomento y diversificación de las exportaciones de servicios

El presente documento analiza la situación de las exportaciones de servicios de la región con relación a los esfuerzos y apoyos para el fomento y promoción de dichas actividades. Las políticas comerciales de la región han dado escasa importancia a replicar los esfuerzos que en este sentido se han hecho respecto del comercio de mercancías. El documento consta de cinco secciones. En la primera de ellas se resaltan las principales diferencias entre el fomento y promoción de exportaciones en bienes y en servicios así como las razones para privilegiar los servicios. La segunda sección aborda el pro…

The Millennium Development Goals: Challenges for the Caribbean