Publication: Afghanistan Diagnostics Trade Integration Study
Date
2012-11
ISSN
Published
2012-11
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
Trade enables countries to import ideas
and technologies, realize comparative advantages and
economies of scale, and foster competition and innovation,
which in turn increases productivity and achieves higher
sustainable employment and economic growth. Countries open
to international trade tend to provide more opportunities to
their people, and grow faster. Afghanistan could derive far
more benefit from its international trade opportunities than
it does at present. This Diagnostics Trade Integration Study
(DTIS) report is intended to identify concrete policy
actions in three areas of endeavor: lowering the transaction
costs of trade, increasing Afghanistan's
competitiveness in world markets, and providing an
analytical foundation for Afghanistan's national trade
strategy. The study examines how to do this, looking not
only at trade performance and policy, but also at three
sectors with great export potential: agriculture, gemstones
and carpets, as well as the investment climate, customs as a
driver of trade facilitation, and on promoting
infrastructure services. All five chapters in this report
provide a detailed and comprehensive analysis of trade
issues intended to reduce the transaction costs of trade.
Growth in Afghanistan has been strong and volatile because
of its heavy reliance on agriculture. Now it faces a
transition: prospects of a drawdown of international
military forces and a decline in civilian aid by 2014.
Security issues and political instability could undermine
Afghanistan's Transition. Such threats could harm not
only economic growth, but deterioration would repel
private-sector investment.
Citation
“World Bank. 2012. Afghanistan Diagnostics Trade Integration Study. © Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/93244696-f8c6-5c60-8d81-04f89f654550 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”