This edition focuses on trade connectivity, which is critical for inclusiveness and sustainable development. Physical connectivity enables the movement of goods and services to local, regional and global markets.

Globalization has had far-reaching consequences to both developed and developing economies, and will inevitably have potentially greater roles and impacts in the future. Developing countries stand to lose or gain from globalization, depending on how they marshal resources and manage the dynamics of globalization to their advantage. Experience shows that only a few developing countries have managed to take advantage of the opportunities offered by globalization or mitigate its negative and far-reaching consequences. Most of them are still mired in the economic doldrums due to the lack of a proper understanding of the factors at play and management incapacity. In this book, various insights which critically address globalization and development issues have been thoughtfully put together in order to provoke debates and lead to solutions that help improve the lot of developing countries. The book is the results of the initiative by University of Dar es Salaam Business School, which, in 2011, brought together various stakeholders to an International Conference on Globalization and Development with the theme “Promoting Trade Competitiveness in Developing Countries”. Thematic areas including regional integration, business regulations, Chinese investments in Africa, globalization, the Africa Growth Opportunity Act, foreign direct investments, and natural resources development were calculatedly selected on account of being topical and relevant in the context of Africa. The book will be valuable for academics, researchers, students and practitioners working in the fields of international business, natural resource management and foreign direct investments not only in Africa, but also in other developing countries. The topics and synthesis dealt with in this book will also be handy for practitioners working in international development agencies, public and private sectors, government ministries, departments and agencies.

The Role of Trade in Ending Poverty looks at the complex relationships between economic growth, poverty reduction and trade, and examines the challenges that poor people face in benefiting from trade opportunities. Written jointly by the World Bank Group and the WTO, the publication examines how trade could make a greater contribution to ending poverty by increasing efforts to lower trade costs, improve the enabling environment, implement trade policy in conjunction with other areas of policy, better manage risks faced by the poor, and improve data used for policy-making.

Global value chains (GVCs) powered the surge of international trade after 1990 and now account for almost half of all trade. This shift enabled an unprecedented economic convergence: poor countries grew rapidly and began to catch up with richer countries. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, however, the growth of trade has been sluggish and the expansion of GVCs has stalled. Meanwhile, serious threats have emerged to the model of trade-led growth. New technologies could draw production closer to the consumer and reduce the demand for labor. And trade conflicts among large countries could lead to a retrenchment or a segmentation of GVCs. World Development Report 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains examines whether there is still a path to development through GVCs and trade. It concludes that technological change is, at this stage, more a boon than a curse. GVCs can continue to boost growth, create better jobs, and reduce poverty provided that developing countries implement deeper reforms to promote GVC participation; industrial countries pursue open, predictable policies; and all countries revive multilateral cooperation.

This edition analyses how trade can contribute to economic diversification and empowerment, with a focus on eliminating extreme poverty, particularly through the effective participation of women and youth. It shows how aid for trade can contribute to that objective by addressing supply-side capacity and trade-related infrastructure constraints, including for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises notably in rural areas.

This toolkit provides a framework, guidelines, and practical tools for conducting an analysis of a country's trade competitiveness in terms of growth and share performance, diversification, and quality.