ERT Survey on Trade Facilitation

This paper outlines the results of a survey of companies behind ERT Members, who were asked to report on their experiences in moving goods across borders in the countries where they have manufacturing, distribution or services investment. The questions put to the companies were largely related to the issues covered by the trade facilitation negotiations currently under way in the WTO Doha Development Agenda (DDA). The purpose of the survey was to place these negotiations into a business strategy context, notably with respect to their link with investment.

It emerges that companies in developed and developing countries are still severely hampered by red tape, delays and excessive costs as they move goods across borders. That is why ERT attaches great importance to the Trade Facilitation dossier of the DDA. The survey found that many companies pay close attention to Trade Facilitation issues when considering further investment and business expansion in countries where they already have an established presence.

ERT: Working Groups: Foreign Economic Relations http://www.ert.be/working_group.htm?xml/wg5.xml

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