Sub-Committee on Least Developed Countries - Market access for products and services of export interest to least developed countries - Note by the Secretariat

MARKET ACCESS FOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES OF EXPORT INTEREST

TO LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT[1]


Contents


1   EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. 3

2   LDC'S TRADE PROFILE. 4

2.1   Trends in Goods and Commercial Services Trade. 4

2.2   Merchandise Trade Developments. 6

2.2.1   Major LDC exporters. 8

2.2.2   Trends in product composition and export markets. 8

2.3   Services Trade Development 12

2.3.1   Trends in Commercial Services trade. 12

3   MARKET ACCESS FOR PRODUCTS OF EXPORT INTEREST TO LDCS. 13

3.1   Duty-Free Market Access Granted by Selected Members. 13

ANNEX. 16

 

 


 

List of Tables

Table 1: Trends in LDC exports of goods and commercial services, 2019‑2024. 4

Table 2: LDCs' top 10 export markets, 2019 and 2024. 11

Table 3: Duty-free tariff lines under MFN and LDC schemes in selected Members,
2023 or latest available year 14

 

List of Charts

Chart 1: Evolution of LDC exports of goods and commercial services, 2019‑2024. 4

Chart 2: LDCs' total trade balance, 2019, 2023 and 2024. 5

Chart 3: LDCs' shares in total world trade of goods and commercial services, 2019‑2024. 5

Chart 4: Merchandise trade of LDCs, 2019‑2024. 6

Chart 5: Merchandise trade balance of LDCs, 2019‑2024. 7

Chart 6: Merchandise exports of LDCs by sub‑grouping, 2019‑2024. 7

Chart 7: Top 10 LDC exporters and importers, 2019 and 2024. 8

Chart 8: Merchandise export structure of LDCs, 2019 and 2024. 9

Chart 9: Top 10 products of LDC merchandise exports, 2019 and 2024. 10

Chart 10: LDCs' exports and imports of commercial services, 2019-2024. 12

Chart 11: Structure of LDCs' exports of commercial services, 2024 and 2019. 13

Chart 12: LDCs' services exports of digitally delivered services, 2019–2024. 13

 

List of Annex Tables

Annex Table 1: Merchandise exports and imports of LDCs by selected country grouping, 2024. 16

Annex Table 2: Exports and imports of commercial services of the LDCs, 2024. 18

Annex Table 3: Major multilateral non-reciprocal LDC preference schemes undertaken by Members, 2025 or latest available year 20



[1] This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.