Standards are a critical element of the trade landscape. Standards are regulations set by either public or private bodies (including firms) to ensure that products are fit for consumption, that…

On the northern tip of Lake Kivu, where eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) meets Rwanda, the pedestrian border crossing connecting the lush town of Gisenyi, Rwanda and the frenetic city of…

As world trade and investment have increasingly become organized around “value chains” – production lines that cross borders – Africa has struggled to reap the benefits of this trend, even as…

“Ask anyone you meet on the street whether political risk has risen in the last few years, and you’d likely get a convincing yes, ” a high official from Canada’s Export Development Center recently…

Also available in: Français│ Español I recently returned from a trip to West Africa during which I crossed the Benin-Nigeria border by car at the Seme border post. While waiting for our passports…

In developing countries, small businesses employ a disproportionate share of the population: SMEs comprise two-thirds of formal private sector employment in emerging markets and create 95 percent…

When economists think about price shocks, they consider how a change in price will affect the supply and demand of a product. But when that product is human – i.e., a worker – interpreting the…

Trade issues can seem quite complex. Sometimes it's nice to boil concepts down to simpler terms-- terms more familiar, more beloved by many of us. So, let's talk futbol. The latest…

Part of the World Bank’s new vision is to step up its efforts to help fragile and conflict-afflicted states break the vicious cycle of poverty. But this is no easy task.   The destruction of…

Diversification of a country’s exports – increasing both the number of products it produces and the destinations of those products – is considered part of the path to development. Many economists…