The Cost of Rich (and Poor) Country Protection to Developing Countries

This study confirms that substantial barriers to market access will remain both rich and poor countries following full implementation of the Round agreement. The analysis finds that approximately 40% the costs of these barriers to developing countries arise from barriers to access in industrial countries and 60% from barriers in developing themselves. The results suggest that there would be large gains almost all regions from a round of negotiations that increased market in the North and South. In Africa, the potential static gains from reform appear to exceed those from preferential liberalisation, the well-known disadvantages of a preferential approach.