While the World Bank has promoted exports as an engine of economic growth for decades, in recent years the Bank has redoubled its focus on boosting trade in developing countries. Whether through support for unilateral policy reforms, financing for infrastructure projects aimed to facilitate exchange of good and services, or advice on the negotiation of trade agreements, the World Bank is increasingly concentrating its resources on trade-related operations. The Bank plans to allocate more funds to trade-related activities in 2004-2006 than it did during the eight years from 1996-2003. This heightened attention to trade within the World Bank Group parallels the growing prominence of institutions like World Trade Organization (WTO) and the proliferation of regional and bilateral trade agreements. But this renewed emphasis on a free-market approach to trade is certainly not without its critics.
This page was last modified on January 28, 2009.