Export Profiles of Small Landlocked Countries : A Case Study Focusing on their Implications for Lesotho
World Bank demographic and country characteristic statistics identify 16 small landlocked countries that are similar to Lesotho. The authors attempt to determine what useful policy information can be derived from the recent trade performance of the...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/06/2438510/export-profiles-small-landlocked-countries-case-study-focusing-implications-lesotho http://hdl.handle.net/10986/18176 |
| id |
okr-10986-18176 |
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| recordtype |
oai_dc |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English en_US |
| topic |
ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY ANNUAL EXCHANGE RATE APPAREL CAPACITY BUILDING CENTRAL BANK COMMERCIAL POLICY COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE COMPETITIVE POSITION COMPETITIVENESS CUSTOMS DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE DOMESTIC MARKET DOMESTIC PRODUCTS ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES ECONOMIC PROBLEMS ECONOMIC SIZE ECONOMIES OF SCALE ECONOMISTS ELASTICITY EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION EXPORT EARNINGS EXPORT GROWTH EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES EXPORT PERFORMANCE EXPORT PROSPECTS EXPORT SHARE EXPORT SHARES EXPORT VALUE EXPORTERS EXPORTS FINANCIAL CRISIS FOREIGN INVESTMENT FOREIGN MARKETS FOREIGN TRADE FREE TRADE FUELS GDP GLOBAL EXPORTS GLOBAL IMPORTS GLOBAL TRADE GLOBALIZATION GNP GRAVITY MODEL GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT GROWTH RATE IMPORT STATISTICS INCOME INCOME ELASTICITIES INDUSTRIALIZATION INDUSTRY TRADE INSURANCE INTERNATIONAL MARKETS INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL TRADE MARKET SHARE MARKET SHARES MARKET SIZE METALS MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES NATURAL RESOURCES OIL POLICY ENVIRONMENT PREFERENTIAL TRADE PREFERENTIAL TRADE ARRANGEMENTS PRICE CHANGES PRICE INDEX PRIMARY GOODS REGIONAL TRADE REGIONAL TRADE ARRANGEMENTS TRADE TRADE BARRIERS TRADE DATA TRADE EFFECTS TRADE FLOWS TRADE INTEGRATION TRADE LOSSES TRADE PATTERNS TRADE PERFORMANCE TRANSPORT COSTS VALUE OF TRADE VOLUME OF TRADE WORLD MARKETS WORLD TRADE EXPORT SECTOR LAND LOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES CASE STUDIES TRADE REGIME GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSIFICATION OF BANK INFORMATION COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE EXPORT PERFORMANCE CLOTHING INDUSTRY MULTIFIBER ARRANGEMENTS EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION TRADE STATISTICS COMMERCIAL POLICY ENABLING ENVIRONMENT GOVERNANCE FOREIGN INVESTMENTS INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT COUNTRY COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES COUNTRY GOVERNANCE WORLD TRADE EXPORT SECTOR |
| spellingShingle |
ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY ANNUAL EXCHANGE RATE APPAREL CAPACITY BUILDING CENTRAL BANK COMMERCIAL POLICY COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE COMPETITIVE POSITION COMPETITIVENESS CUSTOMS DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE DOMESTIC MARKET DOMESTIC PRODUCTS ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES ECONOMIC PROBLEMS ECONOMIC SIZE ECONOMIES OF SCALE ECONOMISTS ELASTICITY EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION EXPORT EARNINGS EXPORT GROWTH EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES EXPORT PERFORMANCE EXPORT PROSPECTS EXPORT SHARE EXPORT SHARES EXPORT VALUE EXPORTERS EXPORTS FINANCIAL CRISIS FOREIGN INVESTMENT FOREIGN MARKETS FOREIGN TRADE FREE TRADE FUELS GDP GLOBAL EXPORTS GLOBAL IMPORTS GLOBAL TRADE GLOBALIZATION GNP GRAVITY MODEL GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT GROWTH RATE IMPORT STATISTICS INCOME INCOME ELASTICITIES INDUSTRIALIZATION INDUSTRY TRADE INSURANCE INTERNATIONAL MARKETS INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL TRADE MARKET SHARE MARKET SHARES MARKET SIZE METALS MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES NATURAL RESOURCES OIL POLICY ENVIRONMENT PREFERENTIAL TRADE PREFERENTIAL TRADE ARRANGEMENTS PRICE CHANGES PRICE INDEX PRIMARY GOODS REGIONAL TRADE REGIONAL TRADE ARRANGEMENTS TRADE TRADE BARRIERS TRADE DATA TRADE EFFECTS TRADE FLOWS TRADE INTEGRATION TRADE LOSSES TRADE PATTERNS TRADE PERFORMANCE TRANSPORT COSTS VALUE OF TRADE VOLUME OF TRADE WORLD MARKETS WORLD TRADE EXPORT SECTOR LAND LOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES CASE STUDIES TRADE REGIME GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSIFICATION OF BANK INFORMATION COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE EXPORT PERFORMANCE CLOTHING INDUSTRY MULTIFIBER ARRANGEMENTS EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION TRADE STATISTICS COMMERCIAL POLICY ENABLING ENVIRONMENT GOVERNANCE FOREIGN INVESTMENTS INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT COUNTRY COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES COUNTRY GOVERNANCE WORLD TRADE EXPORT SECTOR Ng, Francis Yeats, Alexander Export Profiles of Small Landlocked Countries : A Case Study Focusing on their Implications for Lesotho |
| geographic_facet |
Africa Lesotho |
| relation |
Policy Research Working Paper;No. 3085 |
| description |
World Bank demographic and country
characteristic statistics identify 16 small landlocked
countries that are similar to Lesotho. The authors attempt
to determine what useful policy information can be derived
from the recent trade performance of these
"comparators." Among questions they pose are
whether the trade profiles of the comparators suggest
potentially promising export ventures for Lesotho, do they
indicate directions for a geographic diversification of
trade, or do they suggest products in which Lesotho might
acquire a comparative advantage. The authors also use U.S.
partner country statistics to evaluate Lesotho's export
performance in this major market. The U.S. data indicate
Lesotho lost competitive export shares for about
three-quarters of its major clothing products during the
late 1990s. The data show these losses were primarily to the
North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries in the
Caribbean. Lesotho was competing on basically equal terms
and did not fare well. But it is generally held that the
most efficient clothing exporters are in the Far East and
not Latin America. Lesotho's difficulties in competing
with the latter have worrisome implications for its ability
to compete with East Asian exporters when the Multifiber
Arrangement is phased out. The comparative advantage
profiles of the landlocked comparator countries suggest
Lesotho's options for a greatly needed export
diversification may be wider than is assumed. One or more of
the comparator countries developed a comparative advantage
in 110 four-digit SITC (non-clothing) manufactures which are
generally labor-intensive in production. Many of these goods
should also be suitable for production and export by
Lesotho. International production sharing often involves the
importation and further assembly of components in developing
countries. This activity can significantly broaden the range
of new products in which a country can diversify. Statistics
show many landlocked comparator countries have moved into
component assembly operations, and it appears this activity
could contribute to Lesotho's export diversification
and industrialization. But the quality problems associated
with Lesotho's trade statistics makes it impossible to
determine the extent to which local production sharing is
occurring. A special effort is needed to tabulate reliable
statistics on Lesotho's current involvement in this
activity. Finally, the authors attempt to determine how the
commercial policy environment in Lesotho compares with that
in other countries. Policymakers previously had difficulty
in addressing this issue, but several recent efforts to
compile comprehensive cross-country indices of the quality
of governance and commercial policies now provide relevant
information. These statistics suggest domestic commercial
policies make Lesotho relatively less attractive to foreign
investment than many other developing countries. Less than
20 percent of all Latin American countries have a domestic
commercial environment judged to be inferior to that in
Lesotho, while the corresponding share for East Asia is
under 30 percent. Overall, almost 70 percent of all
developing countries appear to pursue commercial policies
that make them as, or more, attractive to foreign investment
than Lesotho. |
| format |
Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper |
| author |
Ng, Francis Yeats, Alexander |
| author_facet |
Ng, Francis Yeats, Alexander |
| author_sort |
Ng, Francis |
| title |
Export Profiles of Small Landlocked Countries : A Case Study Focusing on their Implications for Lesotho |
| title_short |
Export Profiles of Small Landlocked Countries : A Case Study Focusing on their Implications for Lesotho |
| title_full |
Export Profiles of Small Landlocked Countries : A Case Study Focusing on their Implications for Lesotho |
| title_fullStr |
Export Profiles of Small Landlocked Countries : A Case Study Focusing on their Implications for Lesotho |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Export Profiles of Small Landlocked Countries : A Case Study Focusing on their Implications for Lesotho |
| title_sort |
export profiles of small landlocked countries : a case study focusing on their implications for lesotho |
| publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
| publishDate |
2014 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/06/2438510/export-profiles-small-landlocked-countries-case-study-focusing-implications-lesotho http://hdl.handle.net/10986/18176 |
| _version_ |
1764439061719678976 |
| spelling |
okr-10986-181762021-04-23T14:03:41Z Export Profiles of Small Landlocked Countries : A Case Study Focusing on their Implications for Lesotho Ng, Francis Yeats, Alexander ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY ANNUAL EXCHANGE RATE APPAREL CAPACITY BUILDING CENTRAL BANK COMMERCIAL POLICY COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE COMPETITIVE POSITION COMPETITIVENESS CUSTOMS DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE DOMESTIC MARKET DOMESTIC PRODUCTS ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES ECONOMIC PROBLEMS ECONOMIC SIZE ECONOMIES OF SCALE ECONOMISTS ELASTICITY EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION EXPORT EARNINGS EXPORT GROWTH EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES EXPORT PERFORMANCE EXPORT PROSPECTS EXPORT SHARE EXPORT SHARES EXPORT VALUE EXPORTERS EXPORTS FINANCIAL CRISIS FOREIGN INVESTMENT FOREIGN MARKETS FOREIGN TRADE FREE TRADE FUELS GDP GLOBAL EXPORTS GLOBAL IMPORTS GLOBAL TRADE GLOBALIZATION GNP GRAVITY MODEL GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT GROWTH RATE IMPORT STATISTICS INCOME INCOME ELASTICITIES INDUSTRIALIZATION INDUSTRY TRADE INSURANCE INTERNATIONAL MARKETS INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL TRADE MARKET SHARE MARKET SHARES MARKET SIZE METALS MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES NATURAL RESOURCES OIL POLICY ENVIRONMENT PREFERENTIAL TRADE PREFERENTIAL TRADE ARRANGEMENTS PRICE CHANGES PRICE INDEX PRIMARY GOODS REGIONAL TRADE REGIONAL TRADE ARRANGEMENTS TRADE TRADE BARRIERS TRADE DATA TRADE EFFECTS TRADE FLOWS TRADE INTEGRATION TRADE LOSSES TRADE PATTERNS TRADE PERFORMANCE TRANSPORT COSTS VALUE OF TRADE VOLUME OF TRADE WORLD MARKETS WORLD TRADE EXPORT SECTOR LAND LOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES CASE STUDIES TRADE REGIME GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSIFICATION OF BANK INFORMATION COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE EXPORT PERFORMANCE CLOTHING INDUSTRY MULTIFIBER ARRANGEMENTS EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION TRADE STATISTICS COMMERCIAL POLICY ENABLING ENVIRONMENT GOVERNANCE FOREIGN INVESTMENTS INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT COUNTRY COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES COUNTRY GOVERNANCE WORLD TRADE EXPORT SECTOR World Bank demographic and country characteristic statistics identify 16 small landlocked countries that are similar to Lesotho. The authors attempt to determine what useful policy information can be derived from the recent trade performance of these "comparators." Among questions they pose are whether the trade profiles of the comparators suggest potentially promising export ventures for Lesotho, do they indicate directions for a geographic diversification of trade, or do they suggest products in which Lesotho might acquire a comparative advantage. The authors also use U.S. partner country statistics to evaluate Lesotho's export performance in this major market. The U.S. data indicate Lesotho lost competitive export shares for about three-quarters of its major clothing products during the late 1990s. The data show these losses were primarily to the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries in the Caribbean. Lesotho was competing on basically equal terms and did not fare well. But it is generally held that the most efficient clothing exporters are in the Far East and not Latin America. Lesotho's difficulties in competing with the latter have worrisome implications for its ability to compete with East Asian exporters when the Multifiber Arrangement is phased out. The comparative advantage profiles of the landlocked comparator countries suggest Lesotho's options for a greatly needed export diversification may be wider than is assumed. One or more of the comparator countries developed a comparative advantage in 110 four-digit SITC (non-clothing) manufactures which are generally labor-intensive in production. Many of these goods should also be suitable for production and export by Lesotho. International production sharing often involves the importation and further assembly of components in developing countries. This activity can significantly broaden the range of new products in which a country can diversify. Statistics show many landlocked comparator countries have moved into component assembly operations, and it appears this activity could contribute to Lesotho's export diversification and industrialization. But the quality problems associated with Lesotho's trade statistics makes it impossible to determine the extent to which local production sharing is occurring. A special effort is needed to tabulate reliable statistics on Lesotho's current involvement in this activity. Finally, the authors attempt to determine how the commercial policy environment in Lesotho compares with that in other countries. Policymakers previously had difficulty in addressing this issue, but several recent efforts to compile comprehensive cross-country indices of the quality of governance and commercial policies now provide relevant information. These statistics suggest domestic commercial policies make Lesotho relatively less attractive to foreign investment than many other developing countries. Less than 20 percent of all Latin American countries have a domestic commercial environment judged to be inferior to that in Lesotho, while the corresponding share for East Asia is under 30 percent. Overall, almost 70 percent of all developing countries appear to pursue commercial policies that make them as, or more, attractive to foreign investment than Lesotho. 2014-05-05T20:31:20Z 2014-05-05T20:31:20Z 2003-06 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/06/2438510/export-profiles-small-landlocked-countries-case-study-focusing-implications-lesotho http://hdl.handle.net/10986/18176 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper;No. 3085 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research Africa Lesotho |