The Challenge of ReducingSubsidies and Trade Barriers

Anderson, Kym

World Bank, Washington, D.C.

关键词: ACCOUNTING;    AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION;    AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES;    AGRICULTURE;    BALANCE OF PAYMENTS;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-3415
RP-ID  :  WPS3415

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This is one of 10 studies for theCopenhagen Consensus Project that sought to evaluate themost feasible opportunities to improve welfare globally andalleviate poverty in developing countries. The author arguesthat phasing out distortionary government subsidies andbarriers to international trade will yield anextraordinarily high benefit-cost ratio. A survey isprovided of recent estimates using global economy-widesimulation models of the benefits of doing that by way ofthe current Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations.Even if adjustment costs are several times as large assuggested by available estimates, the benefit-cost ratiofrom seizing this opportunity exceeds 20. That is muchhigher than the rewards from regional or bilateral tradeagreements or from providing preferential access forleast-developed countries' exports to high-incomecountries. Such reform would simultaneously contribute toalleviating several of the other key challenges reflected inthe United Nation's Millennium Development Goals.