• EPA

EPA

This research paper identifies the types of trade facilitation (TF) reforms that could deliver a return in terms of:

• increased revenue collection efficiency
• reductions in trade costs
• promotion of greater regional cooperation

The paper provides a broad review of the types of costs addressed under TF, and how these relate to trade. In addition, it shows that greater trade costs reductions and trade and welfare benefits may be reaped from a broader view of trade facilitation that incorporates transportation, distribution and communication issues. The paper gives some examples of particular measures to improve TF, illustrating how effective such reforms can be. It also considers how TF measures can be incorporated in regional integration agreements, in particular the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).

The paper concludes that there are a number of ways in which TF is relevant in the context of regional integration, and in particular EPAs negotiations:

• reducing the costs of trade will tend to stimulate increased trade, especially in landlocked countries
• TF supports regional integration as many of the measures relate to border procedures
• measures related to customs procedures tend to increase the efficiency of revenue collection
• some European Union (EU) measures or provisions may have impacts on TF
  

Equally important, the paper finds that a number of TF reforms are particularly beneficial:

• improving procedures, especially customs clearance
• introducing automation and use of information technology
• reducing excessive documentation requirements
• addressing lack of transparency in import and export requirements
• addressing lack of modernisation of and cooperation between customs and other government agencies

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