In This Section
Key Statistics
- Nearly half of the world’s population still lives on less than $2 a day.
- The 50 Least Developed Countries account for a mere 0.5 percent of U.S. non-oil imports and 0.8 percent of world trade.
- In China, international trade has been a major force in lifting 400 million people out of poverty in the last 20 years by creating jobs and investment.
- U.S. policies discriminate against many of the products that poor countries produce competitively, such as textiles, apparel and agricultural products.
- Poor countries face high barriers to accessing markets, such as a lack of transportation and communication infrastructure, ability to meet product standards, skills, finance, technology, etc.
Poor Countries Face Higher U.S. Tariffs Than Rich Countries |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Tariffs Paid ($) | Imports ($) | Per Capita Income ($) |
| Bangladesh | 496 million | 3.3 billion | 440 |
| United Kingdom | 430 million | 53.5 billion | 37,600 |
| Cambodia | 367 million | 2.2 billion | 380 |
| France | 367 million | 36.8 billion | 34,810 |
2006 figures (Source: Progressive Policy Institute; calculated from Dataweb ITC)
The Poorest Countries Are Still Subject to U.S. Trading Quotas (E.g.: Sugar) |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Exportable production in sugar |
U.S. Sugar Quota | Per Capita Income |
| Malawi | 150,003 mt | 12,817 mt | 160 |
| Ethiopia | 79,446 mt | No Quota | 160 |
Source: Trade Moves, LLC; U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule, World Bank
Poor Countries Are Benefiting Little from U.S. Preferences |
|
|---|---|
| Utilization of GSP Preferences by Bangladesh | 2 percent |
| Utilization of GSP Preferences by Nepal | 5 percent |
Source: World Bank
U.S. Subsidies are a Big Blow to Farmers in Poor Countries |
|
|---|---|
| Agricultural Subsidies to U.S. Farmers | More than $20 billion a year |
| Agricultural Labor Force in the U.S. | 4% of total |
| Agricultural Labor Force in Africa | Average 60-70% of total |
| Loss to West Africa from U.S. Subsidies | $250 million/yr |
Sources: Environmental Working Group, World Bank
Africa Faces High Barriers to Trade |
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|---|---|
| Cost of shipping a car from Japan to Cote d’Ivoire | $1,500 |
| Cost of shipping a car from Cote d’Ivoire to Ethiopia | $5,000 |
| Average number of days needed for customs clearance in Estonia | 1 day |
| Average number of days needed for customs clearance in Ethiopia | 30 days |