P166 short courses on key international economic and development issues for Geneva-based delegates

Trade Preferences Outlook 2024

Since the 1970s, non-reciprocal trade preferences, such as the Generalized System of Preferences, have supported export growth in developing countries. However, the rapidly changing global trade landscape poses new challenges. UN Trade and Development research shows the diminishing impact of preferential tariffs, as most-favoured nation tariffs decrease, free trade agreements proliferate and non-tariff measures become more prevalent. In addition, the rise of global value chains and the increasing technological intensity of production have shifted the sources of comparative advantages, necessitating a rethinking of trade preferences. The current state of trade preferences among developing countries, particularly the least developed countries, is examined in this course, including possible ways forward on enhancing their development impact, including broadening market access cooperation to areas beyond tariffs, such as non-tariff measures, services trade, foreign direct investment and technology. The course is relevant with regard to Sustainable Development Goal 17 on strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development. At the end of the course, delegates will have gained knowledge of the following:

• Historical evolution of non-reciprocal trade preferences
• Role of trade preferences in promoting export diversification in developing countries: Empirical evidence
• Current trends in preferential trade in the evolving trade landscape
• Possible ways of enhancing the design and implementation of trade preferences and their development impact, including through market access cooperation beyond tariff concessions