Editorial comment

Data on the flow of agricultural trade and on barriers to trade are essential building blocks for analysing agricultural trade, whether to identify new potential markets (or new threats in established markets), or to inform policy makers engaged in trade diplomacy. There already exist several sources of easily available data, most notably the suite of databases coordinated by the ITC (Trade Map, Market Access Map, Investment Map, Trade Competitiveness Map and Standards Map) which are free to users based in developing countries. But the new WTO sources add usefully to the range of what is available.

The data required depends on the use to which it is to be put. What the WTO tools make easier to access are aggregates that are likely to be particularly useful to users (such as those in ACP states’ WTO missions) who need some ‘big picture’ information. This could include, for example, the answer to the question ‘which countries in the world apply the highest tariffs to cotton imports?’ which can be found with just a few clicks.