The World Economic Forum has published a report entitled Enabling Trade: Valuing Growth Opportunities.
This report examines supply chain barriers to international trade and concludes that they are far more significant impediments to trade than tariffs.
Findings from this report include:
- Reducing supply chain barriers to trade could increase GDP by nearly 5% and trade by 15%
- Reducing barriers benefits households by lowering prices and improving employment prospects
- The effects of reducing barriers are not gradual; changes occur when tipping points are reached
- A barrier’s consequences vary by industry
- Barriers are harder to overcome for smaller businesses
- Clear regulations and better coordination among agencies are needed
- Main country lesson: Governments need to remove the sets of barriers relevant to their industries
- Some companies have a vested interest in preserving barriers
- Main company lesson: Companies may not recognize costs where they should
Recommendations are also included in the report. This report, as well as an executive summary, is available here: http://www.weforum.org/reports/enabling-trade-valuing-growth-opportunities