Developing Countries and the Uruguay Round of Trade Negotiations

This paper, which summarizes recent developments in the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, addresses the key questions developing countries must consider in their negotiating: What are the trade and welfare costs and benefits of protection for developing countries? How will developing countries be affected by, and what might they concede in connection with, tariffs and tariff escalation, the protection of textiles and apparel, such market access issues as antidumping and countervailing duties, and such ‘gray area” measures as voluntary export restraints? What concessions should they want—and be willing to make? What do they stand to gain or lose from the socalled new themes of the Uruguay Round: trade-related investment measures, intellectual property, and services? What do net importers of food products stand to lose or gain from reduced agricultural protection? How will dismantling the Multifibre Arrangement affect developing countries? How will overall trade liberalization affect them? And should trade issues be negotiated in isolation from such factors as the debt crisis and conditions imposed by international agencies?