• TRADE AND INVESTMENT PUBLICATIONS
• SELECTED WORLDWIDE WEBSITES

Exchange Rate Fluctuations and Output in Oil-Producing Countries: The Case of Iran. May 2007. Available online (PDF-Format, 34 pages, 317 KB). IMF Working Paper WP/07/113, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
This paper states that conventional wisdom postulates that currency depreciation in oil-producing countries are contractionary because demand effects, limited by the prevalence of oil exports priced in dollars, are more than offset by adverse supply effects. The Islamic Republic of Iran, however, has experienced a rapid increase in non-oil exports in the last decade. Against this background, the paper tests whether the conventional wisdom still applies to the Islamic Republic of Iran and concludes that the emergence of the non-oil export sector has made currency depreciation expansionary. The expansionary effect is particularly evident with respect to anticipated persistent depreciation in the long-run. Notwithstanding the varying effects of exchange rate fluctuations on the demand and supply sides of the economy, managing a flexible exchange rate gradually over time towards achieving stability in the real effective exchange rate may strike the necessary balance.
Accessed on 3 July < http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2007/wp07113.pdf >

Gains and Losses of India-China Trade Cooperation – a Gravity Model Impact Analysis. April 2007. Available online (PDF-Format, 32 pages, 219 KB). CESifo Working Paper No. 1970, CESifo Research Network.
As revealed by the trade intensity indices, China and India have significant bilateral trade potential, which remains unexplored until now. These countries are presently negotiating for free trade arrangements among them based on their complementarities. This paper makes an attempt to estimate the likely benefits in terms of gains or losses in imports of both India and China due to different preferential trading arrangements and free trade arrangements. Empirical results show that in the short run India’s potential gain is relatively less compared to China because of its high tariffs but in the long run, India’s gains are higher than China once its tariff levels are brought at par. The paper concludes that a free trade arrangement is a win-win situation for both India and China.
Accessed on 3 July
< http://www.cesifo-group.de/pls/guestci/download/CESifo%20Working%20Papers%202007 >

OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2007-2016. July 2007. Available online (PDF-Format, 88 pages, 779 KB). Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
This is the third Agricultural Outlook report prepared jointly by OECD and FAO. It is published annually, as part of a continuing effort to promote informed discussion of emerging market and policy issues. This edition of the Agricultural Outlook offers an assessment of agricultural markets covering cereals, oilseeds, sugar, meats, milk and dairy products over the period 2007 to 2016. It takes account of the enlargement of the European Union and for the fist time includes explicitly assumptions on biofuel production. The Agricultural Outlook presents a scenario for the evolution of agricultural markets over the next decade and provides a yardstick or benchmark for the analysis of agricultural market outcomes that would result from alternative assumptions.
Accessed on 10 July < http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/6/10/38893266.pdf >

Regional Trade Agreements in the Doha Round: Good for India? May 2007. Available online (PDF-Format, 20 pages, 311 KB). ADB Institute Discussion Paper No. 67, Asian Development Bank Institute.
Despite the importance of regional trade agreements (RTAs) as an important factor driving global trade, few studies have highlighted the development dimensions of RTAs envisaged in the Doha Development Agenda of the World Trade Organization. This paper analyzes the issues under this agenda and highlights some important issues related to rules governing RTAs in order to produce possible suggestions for India’s interest. As the keys to growth for developing economies like India, the paper calls for stricter rules governing RTAs in the WTO regime and unilateral trade policies.
Accessed on 10 July < http://www.adbi.org/files/dp67.regional.trade.agreements.doha.pdf >

The Effect of FDI on Child Labor. April 2007. Available online (PDF-Format, 36 pages, 824 KB). IIIS Discussion Paper No. 215, Institute for International Integration Studies (IIIS).
This paper examines the extent to which foreign direct investment (FDI) affects child labor. Using 1995 data for 145 countries, the authors find that, contrary to common fears, FDI is negatively correlated with child labor. This effect, however, disappears when controlling for per capita income. After doing so, the authors find no robust effect of either FDI or international trade on child labor. This result is robust to corrections for the endogeneity of FDI, trade, and income. Furthermore, this result is confirmed when using data from earlier years and when using fixed effects. This suggests that the impact of FDI and trade on child labor, if any, is the increases in income they generate.
Accessed on 3 July < http://www.tcd.ie/iiis/documents/discussion/pdfs/iiisdp215.pdf >

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007. July 2007. Available online (PDF-Format, 21 pages, 882 KB). United Nations.
This report is based on a set of data that has been compiled by an Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Indicators led by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. The Millennium Declaration set 2015 as the target date for achieving most of the Goals. As we approach the midway point of this 15-year period, data are now becoming available that provide an indication of progress during the first third of this 15-year period. This report presents the most comprehensive global assessment of progress to date, based on a set of data prepared by a large number of international organizations within and outside the United Nations system. The results are, predictably, uneven. The years since 2000, when world leaders endorsed the Millennium Declaration, have seen some visible and widespread gains. Encouragingly, the report suggests that some progress is being made even in those regions where the challenges are greatest. These accomplishments testify to the unprecedented degree of commitment by developing countries and their development partners to the Millennium Declaration and to some success in building the global partnership embodied in the Declaration. The results achieved in the more successful cases demonstrate that success is possible in most countries, but that the MDGs will be attained only if concerted additional action is taken immediately and sustained until 2015. All stakeholders need to fulfill, in their entirety, the commitments they made in the Millennium Declaration and subsequent pronouncements.
Accessed on 10 July < http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/mdg2007.pdf >

Unbalanced Trade. April 2007. Available online (PDF-Format, 29 pages, 219 KB). NBER Working Paper No. 13035, National Bureau of Economic Research.
The authors incorporate trade imbalances into a quantitative model of bilateral trade in manufactures, dividing the world into forty countries. Fitting the model to 2004 data on GDP and bilateral trade they calculate how relative wages, real wages, and welfare would differ in a counterfactual world with all current accounts balancing. The results indicate that closing the current accounts requires modest changes in relative wages. The country with the largest deficit (the United States) needs its wage to fall by around 10 per cent relative to the country with the largest surplus (Japan). But the prevalence of non-traded goods means that the real wage in Japan barely rises while the United States real wage falls by less than one per cent. The geographic barriers implied by the current pattern of trade are sufficiently asymmetric that large bilateral deficits remain even after current accounts balance. The United States manufacturing trade deficit with China falls to US$ 65 billion from its 2004 level of US$ 167 billion.
Accessed on 3 July < http://papers.nber.org/papers/w13035 >

World Tariff Profiles. June 2007. Available online (PDF Format, 226 pages, 1.36 MB). World Trade Organization and International Trade Centre.
Up to now, access to tariff data had been cumbersome and limited to trade specialists. This has changed with the publication of “World Tariff Profiles,” which provides detailed data on bound and applied tariffs of the 150 WTO Members. The present publication provides a comprehensive picture of tariff profiles from around the world in an abridged format. The standardized presentation lends itself to easy analyses and comparisons between countries, between sectors and between bound and applied duties for WTO Members. A special effort was made also to include other countries and customs territories, to include ad valorem equivalents, and to ensure international comparability of the indicators. The publication is presented in three main parts: The first part shows summary tables for all WTO Members and other countries and customs territories for all products, as well as broken down by agricultural products and non-agricultural products. The second part contains country pages covering the domestic market access protection and the protection faced in the six major export markets. The third part contains the data sources and two articles that discuss in more detail issues related to the calculation of ad valorem equivalents and to different aggregation methods for tariff averages. A glossary, which briefly explains some of the most commonly used terms, concludes the publication.
Accessed on 3 July
< http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tariffs_e/tariff_profiles_2006_e/ >

http://etrade.gov.in
EC/EDI for Trade in India
E-mail: anupam@nic.in
This website is the Internet portal of the EC/EDI for Trade in India project. The project’s objectives are to provide a system wherein trade documents especially related to import/export require single submission to any of regulating/facilitating agencies; Internetworking of all community partners for electronic document exchange; and electronic document filing/exchange facility by every agency to the relevant stakeholders. The website features useful information and details relating to electronic commerce (EC) and electronic data interchange (EDI), including details on the project; the participating partners and committees; legal issues including access to full text; EC/EDI service providers and Internet service providers; education and awareness programme; as well as access to EC/EDI standards and recommendations such as the UN Layout Key, ISO country codes, etc.; information on article numbering and bar coding and more.

http://www.ftib.org.fj
Fiji Islands Trade and Investment Bureau (FTIB)
E-mail : info@ftib.org.fj
The Fiji Islands Trade and Investment Bureau is a statutory organization to promote exports, investment and advise the Government on economic policies that will lead to the expansion of investment in Fiji. FTIB’s activities include to promote investment opportunities and facilitate development of industries; undertake product and market development and research; advise on policies that would further trade and investment in Fiji. The website’s “Investing in Fiji” section, informs on potential investment opportunities, Fiji's business environment, key infrastructure services, application forms and more. The “Exporting from Fiji” section provides information on how to export from Fiji, opportunities, trade agreements and the national export policy.

http://www.field.org.uk
Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD)
E-mail: field@field.org.uk
The Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development was founded in London in 1989 by a small group of international lawyers with the aim to advise and assist Governments, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations worldwide. FIELD promotes the development of the law through research; the dissemination of the law through teaching, training and publishing; and the application of the law through advocacy, advise and assistance. FIELD has three core programmes covering biodiversity and marine resources; climate change and energy; and trade, investment and sustainable development.

http://www.nafedve.com
Indonesia Virtual Exhibition Centre (NafedVE), National Agency for Export Development (NAFED)
E-mail: nafedve@nafed.go.id
The National Agency for Export Development provides a comprehensive range of services including market identification and research, advise on export procedures, regulations and financing and invitations to take part in trade fairs and trade missions at home and abroad. NAFED’s Virtual Exhibition Centre is a comprehensive portal on Indonesian trade. It includes company lists, product descriptions, trade news, a calendar of events, trade leads for buying and selling, useful links, contacts and other relevant information.

http://www.investhk.gov.hk
InvestHK
E-mail: enq@InvestHK.gov.hk
InvestHK is the Hong Kong, China Government department that promotes Hong Kong, China as a base to locate a business and assists overseas enterprises establish and develop their presence in the city. It offers free investment promotion, facilitation and aftercare services to ensure that companies have all the support required to establish or expand operations in Hong Kong, China. Services include supplying the information on Hong Kong, China's business environment and investment regime; assisting investors in matters like business incorporation, business registration, trade licenses, trade mark registration, visa application, manpower recruitment and choice of office location; assisting investors in liaising with Government departments, organizations and chambers of commerce; identifying and matching potential investors with business partners in Hong Kong, China and overseas; public relations and publicity for new investments; and continuous support and assistance before, during and after new investors come to Hong Kong, China.

http://www.kiasia.org/
Kenan Institute Asia
E-mail: admin@kiasia.org
The Kenan Institute Asia is a Thai non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the sustainable development and competitiveness of Thailand and the Greater Mekong Subregion. It tries to accomplish this mission by developing multi-sector partnerships based on true development needs and mutual benefit between Asia and the United States through the cooperation of universities, Government agencies and the private sector. The website features relevant press clippings and publications; access to e-newsletters on topics such as the Tsunami Recovery Action Initiative or strategic corporate citizenship; information on upcoming events, contacts and details on donors and partners; relevant links as well as a download centre that provides access to documents and further information in the following areas of interest: avian influenza, Business-NGO Network, cluster development, corporate citizenship, economic environment and competitiveness, global development alliance, public health and much more.

http://www.cis-legal-reform.org
Legal Database: Law Reform in Transition States
E-mail: lexinfosys@uni-bremen.de
This website contains over 7500 legal acts of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan that were released before 2004. The main focus of this database is on private and economic law, but legal texts in the field of administrative and criminal law have also been added. The legal acts are published in Russian or in the language of the respective country. Some texts are available in German or English.

http://www.seacen.org/
South East Asian Central Banks (SEACEN) Research and Training Centre
E-mail: info@seacen.org
The South East Asian Central Banks (SEACEN) Research and Training Centre was first established as a legal entity in 1982 with eight member central banks (Bank Indonesia, Bank Negara Malaysia, Central Bank of Myanmar, Nepal Rastra Bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, and Bank of Thailand). It has grown to 16 members with the inclusion of the central banks of the Republic of Korea (1990), Taiwan Province of China (1992), Mongolia (1999), the Ministry of Finance of Brunei Darussalam (2003) as well as the central banks of Fiji (2004), Papua New Guinea (2005), and Cambodia and Viet Nam (2006). The centre reviews and analyses financial, monetary, banking and economic developments in its constituent member countries and in the region as a whole. It initiates and facilitates cooperation in research and training relating to the policy and operational aspects of central banking. Since 2001, training has become the principal activity of the SEACEN centre, focusing on areas that have practical applications in central banking, such as monetary policy, banking supervision and payments and settlement systems. Research plays supporting functions. Research papers are presented and used as course materials at appropriate training events.

http://www.waipa.org
World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA)
E-mail: info@waipa.org
The World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) was established in 1995 and is registered as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Geneva, Switzerland. WAIPA currently has 206 member agencies from 152 countries. It acts as a forum for investment promotion agencies to provide networking opportunities and facilitate the exchange of best practices in investment promotion. Membership is open to all agencies whose prime function is to promote any country or territory for investment. WAIPA aims to improve cooperation amongst IPAs on a regional and global basis and facilitate the exchange of experiences in attracting FDI. The objectives of WAIPA are to promote and develop understanding and cooperation amongst IPAs; strengthen information gathering systems and information exchange amongst IPAs; share country and regional experiences in attracting investment; help IPAs gain access to technical assistance and training through WAIPA sponsored events or by way of referrals to relevant international or multilateral agencies; and assist IPAs in advising their respective governments on the formulation of appropriate investment promotion policies and strategies.

Information is taken mainly from secondary sources and UNESCAP accepts no responsibility for its accuracy. Mention of any companies and their products does not imply endorsement by the United Nations.

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.