Haberler Report

Haberler Report in Global Commerce Policy

In this regard, haberler report is: in late 1957 GATT members decided to commission an examination of past and current international trade trends and their implications. The entries on trade policy are here. It was to enquire particularly (a) into the failure of the trade of less developed countries to develop as rapidly as that of industrialized countries, (b) excessive short-term fluctuations in the prices of primary products and (c) widespread resort to agricultural protection. This was the first such examination in the GATT looking particularly at issues facing developing countries. The entries on trade policy are here. A panel of distinguished economists was assembled, led by Gottfried Haberler of Harvard University. The panel report, titled Trends in International Trade, was issued in October 1958. The entries on trade policy are here. It became known immediately as the Haberler Report. The report contained 60 conclusions. The first fifteen are factual accounts of short-term fluctuations and long-term trends in commodities and manufactures trade prevailing at the time. The next eight conclusions deal with the interpretation of past trends, future import requirements and prospects for exports. The report was unable to conclude whether there had been an increase in agricultural protection in industrial countries in recent years, but it also cautioned against counting on any improvement in the terms of trade of the non- industrialized countries to raise their ability to purchase imports. The next 33 conclusions were the most important ones. The called for the stabilization of particular commodity markets, but not in a too ambitious way. They also argued for a moderation of agricultural protectionism in North America and Western Europe. The entries on trade policy in the Encyclopedia are here. One prediction was concerned with the diversion of trade in raw materials and foodstuffs away from outside sources to European sources as real incomes in Europe rose. The entries on trade policy are here. In the final four conclusions, the experts agreed that although the issues covered in the report would affect primarily the policies of the highly industrialized countries, they too would gain from the proposed changes. The experts concluded in any case that there was some justification in developing country views that current rules and conventions on commercial policies were relatively unfavourable to them. The Haberler Report had quite a small immediate impact on rule-making in the GATT, although it furnished some ideas for the Programme for the Expansion of Trade, adopted in November 1958, which ultimately led to the Dillon Round. Part of the reason for this may stem from the fact that by the end of the 1950s the GATT still only had 37 members, 21 of which were developed countries. However, the report vindicated many developing country views on factors affecting their exports of raw materials. Many of the issues it raised found their way into the preparatory process for UNCTAD I (1964), even though many of the participants in that conference would have found the solutions proposed by the Report rather moderate and modest in scope. See also commodity policy and developing countries and the multilateral trading system.[1]

Haberler Reportin the wold Encyclopedia

For an introductory overview on international trade policy, see this entry.

Resources

Notes and References

1. Dictionary of Trade Policy, “Haberler Report” entry (OAS)

See Also