Incluye bibliografía

Partial contents The utilisation of European Union tariff preferences for agricultural and food products. European preference schemes -- Sources and methods for analysing EU preferential imports -- Utilisation of EU tariff preferences for agricultural and food products -- Utilisation of the European GSP -- The scheme in favour of least developed countries : everything but arms -- GSP drugs : against drug production and trafficking -- Agreements with the ACP countries : from Lomé to Contonou -- Summary of non-reciprocal preferences -- Actual and potential utilisation rate : the case of Africa -- United States preference schemes. Reciprocal and non-reciprocal agreements -- Customs duties and flows under preference schemes in the United States -- Imports under GSP -- Preferential imports under ATPA -- Preferential imports under CBI -- Overall utilisation of non-reciprocal preferences -- Actual and potential utilisation rate : the case of Africa -- US non-reciprocal preferences : conclusion.

Developing countries are concerned that multilateral tariff reductions will harm their agricultural sectors because of preference erosion. The findings in this report suggest that although this may indeed be a problem for some countries in some sectors, factors other than preferential schemes may be limiting developing country exports. The report provides information on the extent to which developing countries have used selected, non-reciprocal preferential trading schemes provided by the EU and the US. Secondary data are complemented by interviews with market operators further clarifying the empirical findings. A special section has been devoted to the preferences granted to African countries highlighting the conditions for this set of developing countries.