This paper considers the salience of commodities in Commonwealth members' merchandise trade and estimates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the commodities exports to five main markets: China, the USA, the European Union (EU-27), the UK and...

International trade fuels economic growth by increasing employment, production and the provision of a wider variety of goods and services at lower prices. However, two unprecedented recent crises are significantly affecting global trade: the US–China...

India accounts for 26 per cent of intra-Commonwealth trade. The impact of its slowdown will be felt differently by Commonwealth countries depending on their economic links. This study uses GTAP analysis to assess the impact of India's GDP slowdown on...

This paper considers domestic climate laws among Commonwealth countries and climate change language across an array of trade and investment agreements featuring Commonwealth parties in order to identify key trends and useful mechanisms for future...

Several countries are to leave the group of least developed countries (LDCs) in the coming decade. Following ‘LDC graduation’, these countries will become ineligible for the international support measures (ISMs) they currently enjoy. Taking into...

This study analyses the supply chains for medical goods across Commonwealth countries. It assesses trade flows related to the health sector and, more specifically, import and export data for essential COVID-19 medical supplies. It also explores...

This International Trade Working Paper examines the effect of the pandemic on the services trade of Commonwealth countries using both descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis. It finds that at least 40 per cent of Commonwealth services exports...

This study examines the determinants of export diversification for a group of Commonwealth member countries. It introduces a measure of participation in global value chains (GVCs) along with the average ‘upstreamness’ of exports as potential...

This paper examines the effect of Commonwealth membership on greenfield investment, using bilateral data in a structural gravity model. Estimates suggest that Commonwealth membership is associated with 19 per cent more greenfield investment, but this...

This paper examines the participation of 43 Commonwealth countries in global value chains (GVCs). It shows that Commonwealth member countries' participation in GVCs increased between 1995–2015, but that it was primarily with non-Commonwealth...

One of the most prominent factors contributing to sluggish global trade growth in recent years has been the rebalancing of China's economy from being investment-oriented to consumption-driven since 2012. This has resulted in dwindling import demand...

In recent years, increases in far-reaching tariffs have been widely publicised. While these have been important, this paper demonstrates that larger shares of Commonwealth member countries' exports have been exposed to changes in other policies,...

With ten years of the 2030 Agenda to go, and with the fifth Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries starting in 2021, there is a need to re-evaluate the system of international support for LDCs. Some LDCs are performing well but some key...

Although small states' total share of global trade has been declining over time, specific sectors, including those related to the ocean economy, have been experiencing growth. A number of Commonwealth coastal small states have been pioneering blue...

The withdrawal of international support measures raises sustainability concerns among countries graduating from the category of least developed countries (LDCs). Despite care taken to ensure a smooth transition, these concerns are rife, especially...

This paper provides a rapid assessment of several major emerging trends in international trade with the objective of better appreciating their implications for the world's poorest, smallest and most vulnerable economies, such as least developed...

This paper focuses on the EU market to analyse the potential implications of LDC graduation for Bangladesh's apparel exports. By using a partial equilibrium model, it estimates that discontinuing tariff preferences could lead to a potential export...

This paper proposes the effective use of Aid for Trade (AfT) programmes as one possible means of addressing some of the challenges faced by LDCs and small states in the services sector. It examines possible ways to enhance the capacity and...

Historically, technology has served as a critical driver of globalisation, underpinning the rapid expansion in world trade and driving human progress, raising living standards and welfare, and precipitating transformative improvements in human...

Drawing on the negotiations and other developments that transpired in the run up to MC11 and thereafter, the paper underlines four core directions to be considered while giving shape to a revamped LDC agenda. First, the de facto dissolution of the...