Abstract:
Trade preferences towards developing countries do not seem to have been up to the expectations they created in the latter as a way to guarantee their access to markets in developed countries. In this article, I describe the main characteristics of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), review its economic effects and limitations and point out the grounds which caused its gradual loss of relevance in international trade relationships. Finally, I consider the causes of GSP failure and whether or not it is worthwhile to undertake its reform as a mechanism of unilateral trade liberalization alternative to the current regional integration projects (establishment of free trade areas and custom unions) proliferating in the last decade or multilateral liberalization within the World Trade Organization.
Keywords:trade and development; trade preferences; Generalized System of Preferences; WTO (search for similar items in EconPapers) JEL-codes:F1F2 (search for similar items in EconPapers) Date: 2003-07-31 Note: Type of Document - Word; pages: 17 ; figures: included. The paper is in Spanish. It was published in "Boletín Económico de Información Comercial Española" (1999) nº 2605, pp. 27-36. View list of references