This paper proposes a unique overview of trade policies since 2001, based on detailed data on tariffs and trade covering 130 countries. It shows that regionalism has delivered limited liberalization, representing only a 0.3 percentage point (p.p.) cut in the worldwide average applied tariff between 2001 and 2013. WTO commitments (1.0 p.p. average cut) and unilateral liberalizations on a most-favored-nation basis (1.3 p.p.) mattered far more. The study also shows that GVC participation was a powerful motivation underlying tariff liberalizations, including those carried out at governments’ own initiative. The paper finally assess that recent trade policy changes more than halved the worldwide welfare gains expected from multilateral tariff-cutting. If all PTA negotiations were concluded, gains would fall to one-third of their 2001 level.

中文翻译：

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竞争的自由化：二十一世纪的关税和贸易

本文基于涵盖130个国家/地区的关税和贸易的详细数据，对2001年以来的贸易政策提出了独特的概述。它表明，区域主义实现了有限的自由化，在2001年至2013年期间仅将全球平均应用关税削减了0.3个百分点。世贸组织的承诺（平均削减了1.0个百分点）和最惠国待遇的单方面自由化（ 1.3 pp）重要得多。该研究还表明，参与全球价值链是推动关税自由化的强大动力，包括那些由政府主动实施的自由化。该文件最后评估说，最近的贸易政策变化使多边关税削减所带来的全球福利收益减少了一半以上。如果所有的PTA谈判都结束，收益将降至2001年水平的三分之一。