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The WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation which was in effect in February 2017 contains provisions on improvement of transparency, facilitation and simplification of Customs procedures, cooperation between agencies at border and implementation tolerance for developing counties and LDCs. Although it should be welcomed to have this new more enforceable agreement in the WTO, it is arguable that many provisions are derived from the WCO Revised Kyoto Convention. Duplication and fragmentation of the contents may imply inconsistency in implementing similar provisions in both agreements. Then, to what extent, the new WTO agreement differs from and reinforce or weaken the provisions of the Revised Kyoto Convention? In this article, with a view to contributing to future possible WTO disputes, provisions of the Trade Facilitation Agreement are compared and examined against those of the Revised Kyoto Convention., 経営と経済, 100(1-3), pp.25-98; 2020

The development of a country cannot now be seen only from the economic point of view, the social and environmental aspects must also be considered. The various trade conventions and decisions must promote and enable sustainable development. The thesis examines the link between the articles of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). TFA is the last major agreement of the World Trade Organization, its purpose is to make trade in goods more fluid through an efficient import, export and transit system among others. The agreement will help less developed countries to participate more actively in international trade. The substantive articles of the TFA are critically studied in the light of sustainable development but also the articles which deal with the mechanism of implementation of the TFA. The latter is very particular and innovative because it adapts to the level of development of the country. The SDGs most affected by the implementation of the TFA have been identified. In addition, this thesis considers the context of the SIDS which are countries with particularities specific to them and Mauritius is studied as a case study to allow a critical analysis of the subject. Recommendations for the WTO and SIDS are made for effective implementation of the AFE., Le développement d’un pays ne peut désormais pas être considéré que du point de vue économique, l’aspect social et environnemental doit aussi être considéré. Les différentes conventions et décisions commerciales doivent promouvoir et permettre un développement durable. La thèse étudie le lien entre les articles de l’Accord sur la facilitation des échanges (AFE) et les dix-sept objectifs du développement durable (ODD) des Petits états insulaire en développement (PEID). L’AFE est le dernier accord majeur de l’Organisation Mondial du Commerce, il y a pour but de rendre le commerce des marchandises plus fluide à travers un système d’importation, d’exportation et de transit efficace entre autres. L’accord aidera les pays moins développés à participer plus activement au commerce international. Les articles substantiels de l’AFE sont étudiés de façon critique à la lumière du développement durable mais aussi les articles qui traitent du mécanisme de mise en œuvre de l’AFE. Ce dernier est très particulier et innovateur car il s’adapte au niveau de développement du pays. Les ODD les plus affectés par la mise en application de l’AFE ont été identifiés. De plus cette thèse considère le contexte des PEID qui sont des pays avec des particularités propres à eux et l’Ile Maurice est étudiée comme cas d’étude pour permettre une analyse approfondie du sujet. Des recommandations pour l’OMC et les PEID sont finalement faites pour une mise en application efficace de l’AFE

Objetivo- Este estudo busca compreender como os objetivos da política pública do Acordo de Facilitação do Comércio (AFC) da Organização Mundial do Comércio são implementados pelos burocratas da linha de frente na Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (Anvisa). Metodologia – A pesquisa adotou abordagem qualitativa analisando documentos e experiências relacionados a implementação do AFC pela gestão da Anvisa de forma a estabelecer o contexto institucional. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas por videoconferência com os burocratas da linha de frente que analisam os processos para concessão das licenças de importação, sendo adotada a técnica de análise de conteúdo para tratamento das degravações. Resultados – A internalização do AFC foi conduzida pelo Poder Executivo federal nas comissões da Câmara dos Deputados e Senado, aprovado sem atuação do controle legislativo. A gestão da Anvisa teve inserção em instâncias interorganizacionais voltadas à construção de alternativas entre governo e setor privado com foco no Programa Portal Único do Comércio Exterior. As ações definidas no Programa não têm aporte de recurso nem planejamento específico nos principais órgãos afetados, o que compromete sua execução. Internamente, a Anvisa de forma experimental modificou suas normas, sistema de informação e criou uma equipe centralizada para atender a meta de redução do tempo de análise das licenças de importação. Os burocratas da linha de frente que realizam essas análises em regime de trabalho a distância referem ser motivados e alinhados à missão institucional. São capacitados para as atividades de forma incidental, um contrassenso com o tempo reduzido devido às metas de produtividade que limitam o aprendizado organizacional. O empilhamento de normas e sistemas de informação utilizados para a tomada de decisão habilita a discricionariedade para realizar exigências de documentações adicionais, inspeções das cargas e interdições, que são aplicadas após discussão entre os colegas por meio de aplicativos de mensagens. O desconhecimento do objetivo do AFC leva a adotar postura restritiva e criação de barreiras indo no sentido contrário dessa política. Não se observou enfrentamento com a supervisão a partir da posição de alguma categoria profissional ou com os operadores do comércio exterior como registrado em estudos semelhantes. Limitações – A principal limitação da pesquisa é estar restrita ao lado da oferta do serviço. Pesquisas futuras podem avaliar esses resultados junto aos operadores do comércio exterior e burocratas de médio escalão. Contribuições práticas – A partir desses resultados, a organização pode definir metodologia de aprendizado organizacional e governança adequada a seu contexto institucional considerando a atuação dos burocratas da linha de frente. Contribuições sociais – O alinhamento da instituição aos objetivos da política pública se efetiva no serviço prestado pelos burocratas da linha de frente. As mudanças institucionais com adoção de trabalho remoto viabilizado por diversos sistemas informatizados e normativa extensa habilitam a discricionaridade e necessitam ser tratados explicitamente pela gestão para alcançar os resultados desejados. Originalidade – Apesar de outros trabalhos já terem pesquisado a atuação de inspetores sob a perspectiva dos burocratas da linha de frente, o estudo com esse perfil de profissionais que atuam por meio de sistemas informatizados no contexto do comércio exterior é original. Purpose – The purpose of this work is to understand how the public policy objectives related to the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of the World Trade Organization are implemented by frontline bureaucrats at the Brazilian National Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa). Design/Methodology - The research adopted a qualitative approach analyzing documents and experiences related to the implementation of the AFC by the Anvisa in order to establish the institutional context. Semi-structured interviews were carried out by videoconference with frontline bureaucrats who analyze the processes for granting import licenses, using the content analysis technique to deal with the overwrites. Findings – The internalization of the TFA was conducted by the executive power on the chamber of deputies and senate committees and was approved without legislative control. The agency's management was inserted in interorganizational instances aimed at building alternatives between the government and the private sector with a focus on the Single Window Foreign Trade Program. The actions defined in the program have no resources or specific planning in the main affected agencies, which compromises their execution. Internally, Anvisa has experimentally modified its rules, information system and created a centralized team to meet the goal of reducing the time to analyze import licenses. Frontline bureaucrats who conduct these analyzes on a distance basis say they are motivated and aligned with the institutional mission. They are incidentally trained for activities, a contradiction with reduced time due to productivity goals that limit organizational learning. The stacking of rules and information systems used for decision making enables discretion to carry out additional documentation requirements, cargo inspections and interdictions, which are applied after discussion with colleagues through messaging applications. Ignorance of the AFC's objective leads to a restrictive stance and the creation of barriers that go in the opposite direction of this policy. There was no confrontation with management from the position of any professional category or cope with foreign trade operators as recorded in similar studies. Research limitations - The main limitation of the research is that it is restricted to the service offer. Future research can evaluate these results with foreign trade operators and mid-level bureaucrats Practical implications - From these results, the organization can define organizational learning methodology and governance appropriate to its institutional context considering the role of frontline bureaucrats. Social implications - The institution's alignment with public policy objectives is effective in the service provided by frontline bureaucrats. Institutional changes with the adoption of remote work made possible by several computerized systems and extensive regulations enable discretion and need to be treated explicitly by management to achieve the desired results. Originality - Although other studies have already studied the performance of inspectors from the perspective of frontline bureaucrats, the study with this profile of professionals who work through computerized systems in the context of foreign trade is original.

Genel olarak uluslararası ticaret faaliyet süreçlerinin her aşamasında etkinliği artırmak suretiyle ticaret maliyetlerini düşürmeyi amaçlayan politikaların oluşturulup uygulanması anlamına gelen ticaretin kolaylaştırılması yolunda atılacak adımlar tüm dünya ülkeleri için olduğu kadar Türkiye için de büyük önem taşımaktadır. Bu çalışma uluslararası düzeyde ülkelerde ticaretin kolaylaştırılma düzeyini ortaya koymayı amaçlayan endekslerden hareketle Türkiye’nin küresel pazarlarda rekabet gücünü artırmaya yönelik ticaret kolaylaştırıcı düzenlemelerin hangi düzeyde olduğunu ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu kapsamda Lojistik Performans Endeksi (LPE), Bilgi ve İletişim Teknolojileri Gelişmişlik Endeksi (BİTGE), İş Yapma Kolaylığı Endeksi (İYKE) ve Küresel Dijital ve Sürdürülebilir Ticaretin olaylaştırılması Araştırması sonuçları incelenmiş ve her bir endeksin incelediği farklı alanlar bağlamında ticaretin kolaylaştırılması yolunda Türkiye’nin bulunduğu konum irdelenmiştir. The steps that should be taken in order to facilitate trade with policy implications which aim to increase the efficiency at every process of trade activities and to decrease trade costs have great importance for all countries in the World as well as for Turkey. This study aims to determine the level of trade facilitating regulations that will increase the competitiveness of Turkey in global markets through the international indexes whose purpose is to state the trade facilitation levels of countries. In this context the results of Logistic Performance Index (LPI), Information Technologies Development Index (IDI), Ease of Doing Business Index and Global Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation Survey are analyzed and the situation of Turkey. On the way to facilitate trade is examined through the different aspects that each index targets to explore. No sponsor

The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) entered into force on February 22, 2017. It has re-oriented thinking on special and differential treatment at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Developing and least-developed countries can make their obligations conditional on the receipt of effective technical assistance that creates the necessary relevant capacity. They can also choose the implementation periods for provisions of the TFA in accordance with their own needs. These innovative approaches may be suitable for adoption in other agreements.

Hoje, um dos temas mais sensíveis para a humanidade é o meio ambiente. Em um mundo globalizado, onde a preocupação com o meio ambiente deve ser repartida entre todos, não há caminho para a prática de medidas unilaterais, estanques, ante a complexidade e influência destas no mundo atual. Assim, litígios podem aparecer e alguns surgem, em razão desta dificuldade em conciliar interesses. A questão é como prevenir e resolver estes dilemas ambientais sem a necessidade da imposição da força. Daí surge a governança global como instrumento para a busca de soluções pacíficas e comuns para as mais diversas questões relativas à proteção ambiental, por meio da adoção de políticas e de instrumentos normativos. Ocorre que estas questões ambientais também atingem o comércio internacional, principalmente quando medidas ambientais aparecem como forma de barreira comercial, caracterizando-se, muitas vezes, como uma medida protecionista, prática combatida pelo comércio internacional e por seu órgão máximo de defesa e regulação, a Organização Mundial do Comércio. Mais uma vez, aparece a governança global, agora, governança global ambiental, como instrumento para a proteção ambiental, expandindo seu campo de atuação nos acordos de livre comércio mundial, sendo a sua importância destacada em dois deles, o Acordo de Facilitação do Comércio, nascido dentro da Organização Mundial do Comércio, objetivando a simplificação e desburocratização do comércio internacional e exterior, e no TransPacific Partnership, este último com grande preocupação ambiental e com mecanismos de solução de conflitos ambientais embasados nas melhores práticas de governança. Assim, em razão da complexidade das questões ambientais, principalmente nos acordos mundiais de livre comércio, o meio capaz de prevenir litígios e resolvê-los são os arranjos de governança global. Today, one of the most sensitive issues for humanity is the environment. In a globalized world, where the concern for the environment must be shared among all, there is no way to practice unilateral, watertight measures, given the complexity and influence of these in today's world. Thus, litigation may appear and some arise, because of this difficulty in reconciling interests. The question is how to prevent and resolve these environmental dilemmas without the need for force. Hence, global governance emerges as a tool for seeking peaceful and common solutions to the most diverse issues of environmental protection through the adoption of policies and normative instruments. These environmental issues also affect international trade, especially when environmental measures appear as a form of trade barrier, often being a protectionist measure, a practice attacked by international trade and by its highest defense and regulatory body, the World Trade Organization. And, once again, global governance now appears as a global environmental governance instrument for environmental protection, expanding its field of activity in global free trade agreements, and its importance is highlighted in two of them, the Trade Facilitation Agreement , born within the World Trade Organization, aiming at simplifying and reducing bureaucracy in international and foreign trade and in the TransPacific Partnership, the latter with great environmental concern and with environmental dispute resolution mechanisms based on the best governance practices. Thus, because of the complexity of environmental issues, especially in trade-free agreements, the means of preventing and resolving disputes are the means embedded in global governance arrangements.

This thesis analyses the negotiations that led to the adoption of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in the World Trade Organization (WTO). In 2013 members of the WTO adopted the first multilateral trade agreement since the WTO was established in 1995. The adoption of the agreement marked the end of 17 years of discussions, and nine years of negotiations. With the stagnation of the Doha round of negotiations as a backdrop, this thesis investigates how and why members were able to reach an agreement on trade facilitation. By investigating why the TFA was adopted, and why it was adopted in its specific form, this thesis challenges the conventional wisdom about the dynamics of negotiations within the WTO. Drawing on institutional theory, this thesis finds that the TFA was adopted because members wanted to reduce the collective action dilemmas associated with un-harmonized customs systems. Furthermore, the negotiations in the WTO affected how actors’ rated their options, which again affected the dynamics of the negotiations. Throughout the negotiations, members relied on the expertise and authority of other organizations within the trade facilitation field. The final agreement mirrors this reliance, as well as being the legacy of enduring political struggles for influence.

This paper aims to understand the economic effect for Brazil and its ability to join Global Value Chains (GVC) when implementing the actions proposed in the Bali package, which intend to increase port efficiency (Trade Facilitations Agreement – TFA). Using a Computable General Equilibrium Model (CGE model from GTAP), it was estimated that the actions would bring economic benefits worldwide, including to Brazil. In addition, the agreement would increase the competitiveness across the globe, which in turn would result in a rise of economic integration of regions in GVC, measured by the vertical specialization metric VS and VS1. The major effects to Brazil would come from VS1 metric, mainly because of the increase of manufacturing activities which focus on primary factors such as skilled labor and capital. Este estudo pretende entender os efeitos que a implementação das ações propostas no acordo de facilitação do comércio de Bali produziriam no desenvolvimento econômico do Brasil e na sua inserção em cadeias globais de valor. Utilizando um modelo de equilíbrio geral computável, foi simulado a implementação do acordo e conclui-se que o mesmo traria benefícios econômicos para todas as regiões estudadas, incluindo o Brasil. Ao mesmo tempo, o acordo aumentaria a competividade global entre as regiões, produzindo uma maior integração econômica mensurada por meio do aumento das métricas de especialização vertical VS e VS1. Os maiores efeitos ao Brasil ocorrem pelo aumento da métrica VS1, direcionados pelo setor de manufatura com foco em trabalho especializado e capital.

The economic globalization and market opening process initiated in the early 1990s generated several effects, among them, the growth of opportunities for the practice of corruption in the field of international trade. The present article addresses this debate aiming to discuss the challenges to improve multilateral anti-corruption rules and suggest possible mechanisms that allow a more engaged participation of the WTO in the anticorruption movement., A globalização econômica e a abertura de mercados a partir da década de 1990 geraram diversos efeitos, dentre eles, o crescimento das oportunidades à prática da corrupção no comércio internacional. Diante disso, o presente artigo endereça o debate buscando discutir os desafios de se investir em normas multilaterais de combate à corrupção e apontar possíveis mecanismos que permitam uma maior participação da OMC no movimento anticorrupção.The economic globalization and market opening process initiated in the early 1990s generated several effects, among them, the growth of opportunities for the practice of corruption in the field of international trade. The present article addresses this debate aiming to discuss the challenges to improve multilateral anti-corruption rules and suggest possible mechanisms that allow a more engaged participation of the WTO in the anticorruption movement.

After a decade of negotiations and additional preparatory work, the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) is poised to enter into force. It promises to streamline and substantially prune the red tape that all too often slows and impedes international commerce - thereby significantly reducing both cost and time needed to do business across borders. The paper chronicles the path from the conclusion of the talks at the 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference to the present day as we prepare for the Agreement to take effect. It reviews the state of the ratification process, analyses implementation schedules and outlines work still to be done. The study shows that the emerging application of the TFA, like its negotiation, has once again confounded the sceptics - who first doubted that a TF Agreement would see the light of day and then questioned if it would ever be put into practice. While plenty remains to be done to implement the TFA across the full WTO membership, its entry into force is set to happen - a valedictory moment.

Article 3 of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) requires each TFA member to issue advance rulings in a reasonable time that are binding on the applicant and the customs authorities of the issuing country. Such binding advance rulings cover, among other things, tariff classification information that is crucial for the calculation of import duties and tariffs. This paper investigates which countries are offering advance tariff classification rulings and which are still not offering such rulings and finds that, in 2018, 72 countries are offering binding pre-entry customs classification. However, without the European Union (EU) member states, only 44 harmonised system member states out of 157 are offering these binding pre-entry customs classifications. Fifty-nine countries that are offering advance rulings on tariff classification have ratified the TFA, but 16 countries are offering this service without having ratified the TFA.