WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
23 September  2016 
(16-5091) Page: 1/30 
Sub-Committee on Least Developed Countries    
 WT/COMTD/LDC/W/58  
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MARKET ACCESS FOR PRODUC TS AND SERVICES OF E XPORT INTEREST  
TO LEAST DEVELOPED COUN TRIES: SUMMARY OF RECENT DE VELOPMENTS  
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
Contents  
1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 3 
2  INTRODUCTION  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  4 
3  LDCS' TRADE PROFILE  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 5 
3.1  Trends in Goods and Commercial Services  ................................ ................................ ....... 5 
3.2  Merchandise Trade Developments  ................................ ................................ .................. 10 
3.2.1   Overall trend  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 10 
3.2.2   Commodity price movements  ................................ ................................ ..................... 11 
3.2.3   Trends in product composition  ................................ ................................ .................... 12 
3.2.4   Major products and markets of LDCs  ................................ ................................ ........... 13 
3.3  Services Trade Develo pments  ................................ ................................ ....................... 16 
4  MARKET ACCESS FOR PR ODUCTS OF EXPORT INT EREST TO LDCS  ..............................  18 
4.1  Duty-free market access granted by selected Members  ................................ .................... 18 
4.2  Recent initiatives to improve m arket access for LDCs  ................................ ....................... 20 
ANNEX  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  22 
 
                                                
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's o wn responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positi ons of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/6 4 
 
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  List of T ables  
Table 1: Trends in LDC exports of goods and commercial services  ................................ .............  5 
Table 2: LDCs and world trade in goods and commercial services, 2005 -2015 ............................  8 
Table 3: Trade balance of goods and services (BOP), as a percentage of to tal trade, 2005 
and 2015  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  9 
Table 4: LDCs' top ten exported products, 2005 and 2015  ................................ ...................... 13 
Table 5: LDCs' top ten imported products, 2005 and 2015  ................................ ...................... 14 
Table 6: LDCs' top ten export markets, 2005 and 2015  ................................ .......................... 15 
Table 7: Duty -free market access under LDC schemes in s elected Members, 2014  ..................... 19 
Table 8: Notification of preferences in favour of LDC services and service suppliers  .................... 21 
 
 
List of C harts  
Chart 1: Evolution of LDC exports of goods and commercial services, 2005 -2015 .......................  5 
Chart 2: LDCs' total trade balance, 2005 and 2015  ................................ ................................ . 6 
Chart 3: Development in merchandise trade volume of LDCs and developing economies  ..............  6 
Chart 4: LDCs' shares in world exports, 2005 -2015 ................................ ................................ . 7 
Chart 5: Merchandise trade of LDCs, 2005 -2015 ................................ ................................ ....10 
Chart 6: Merchandise trade balance of LDCs, 2005 -2015 ................................ ........................ 11 
Chart 7: Export prices of primary commodities, 2005 -2015 ................................ ..................... 11 
Chart 8: Evolution of merchandise export structure of LDCs, 2005 and 2015  ............................. 12 
Chart 9: LDCs commercial services exports by region, 2005 -2015 ................................ ........... 16 
Chart 10: Growth in trade in commercial services by economic grouping, 2015  ......................... 17 
Chart 11: Growth in LDC exports of commercial services by selected sector, 2015  ..................... 17 
 
 
List of Annex Tables  
Annex Table 1: Merchandise exports and imports of LDCs by selected country grouping, 
2014 ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 22 
Annex Table 2: Export prices of primary commodities, 2005 -2016, Q2  ................................ .....24 
Annex Table 3: LDCs merchandise trade balance by product groups, 2005 -2015 ....................... 25 
Annex Table 4: Imports from LDCs by major markets and product groups, 2005 -2015 ............... 26 
Annex Table 5: Exports of commercial services of the LDCs by category, 2005 and 2015  ............ 28 
Annex Table 6: Major multilateral non -reciprocal  LDC preference schemes undertaken by 
Membersa ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 29 WT/COMTD/LDC/W/6 4 
 
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  1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  
1.1.  LDC exports of goods and services grew by an annual average of 7.6% over the 2005 -2015 
period and, thus, slightly more than the exports of other developi ng economies (7.3% average). 
However, this fact is due to distinctly higher growth rates in the first part of the period. In recent 
years, LDCs' exports were constrained by unfavourable developments in the prices of 
commodities. In 2015, LDC exports of goo ds and commercial services decreased by 20.1% to 
US$195.5 billion, while LDC imports fell by 7.5% to US$303.6 billion, resulting in an overall trade 
deficit of US$108.1 billion.  
1.2.  LDCs were able to increase their share in world exports of goods and commercia l services 
from 0.7% in 2005 to 1.03% in 2014. However, in 2015, their share stood at 0.9% and hence fell 
below 1% for the first time since the crisis year 2009. This recent decrease reflected lower values 
of merchandise exports, due to falling prices of c ommodities.  
1.3.  In 2015, merchandise exports of the LDCs contracted by 25%, a significantly bigger drop 
than in 2014. As a result, the share of LDCs in world merchandise exports decreased to 0.97% . As 
their imports declined by " only" 9% in 2015, the LDCs recor ded a new high in their merchandise 
trade deficit (of US$87 billion in 2015).  
1.4.  The year 2015 has seen a steep reduction in the price of commodities, especially fuels; also 
due to the slow -down in the Chinese economy and an increase in world supply. For expo rting 
countries, this decline has been partially compe nsated by an increase in the US dollar  exchange 
rate. 
1.5.  Petroleum oils (HS 27 .09) dominated LDC exports in 2015, even if their share in exports fell 
to 28% (48% back in 2005). The importance of clothing p roducts has increased though: in 2015, 
six out of the top ten products belonged to clothing, accounting for 20% of LDC merchandise 
exports.  
1.6.  In 2015, China was the top destination for LDC merchandise exports, followed by the 
European Union (EU) and the Unit ed States. The EU was the largest destination for LDC exports of 
agricultural and manufacturing products.  
1.7.  In 2015, LDCs' exports of commercial services expanded to US$36 billion, up by 1%. This 
trend contrasts with the performances recorded by other develo ping economies and developed 
economies, which experienced sharp declines. As a result, the share of LDCs in world exports of 
commercial services increased to 0.8%. LDCs' services exports c ontinue to be dominated by low - 
to middle -skilled services sectors, such as travel (tourism) and transport. In 2015, LDCs' services 
exports growth was fostered by the sustained expansion of the tourism sector.  
1.8.  In 2015, LDCs’ services trade remained concentrated within a few economies. The top ten 
leading exporters accounte d for more than two -thirds of the group’s services receipts, a proportion 
virtually unchanged since 2005. The LDCs, as a group, are net commercial services importers. 
Over the years, the LDCs' services trade deficit has widened from US$16.3 billion in 2005  to 
US$39 billion in 2015.  
1.9.  Progress has continued in advancing market access opportunities for LDCs. Most of the 
developed country Members accord either full or nearly full duty-free and quota -free ( DFQF ) 
market access to LDC products. A number of developi ng country Members have significantly 
expanded their DFQF coverage and now offer almost comprehensive DFQF market access to LDC 
products. Continuous improvements are being noted in the provision of DFQF market access to 
LDC products, including the further easing of rules of origin conditions in certain markets. Since 
the last report, several Members have submitted notifications regarding preferential treatment for 
services and services suppliers from LDCs –  pushing up the number of notifications to  23. WT/COMTD/LDC/W/6 4 
 
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  2  INTRODUCTION  
2.1.  This Note prepared by the Secretariat responds to paragraph 8 of the WTO Work Programme 
for the Least Developed Countries, which mandates annual review s of market access for products 
originating from LDCs (WT/COMTD/LDC/11/Rev.1). It builds on pr evious Secretariat studies by 
updating the information on trends in LDCs' trade and market access conditions. This year's 
version contains a more concise  summary o f recent trade developments  compared to previous 
editions . However, it attempts to provide mo re detail on trade flows of  individual LDCs with a view 
to better gauging their participation in world trade . In this regard, t he Addendum 
(WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64 /Add.1) to this Note contains export and import statistics for individual 
LDCs on both the top five products and top five markets for the years 2005 and 2015.  
2.2.  The Note is divided into two main chapters , in addition to the executive summary  and the 
introduction . Chapter 3, on trade profile, provides a description of the recent trends of LDCs' trade 
flows, both in goods and commercial services. Chapter 4 contains information on duty -free market 
access for LDC products and on recent initiatives undertaken by Members to improve market 
access for LDCs, mainly based on Members' notifications. The Note does not  attempt to be 
comprehensive in covering all aspects that condition market access for LDC products. It should 
therefore be read in conjunction with previous Secretariat notes prepared on this topic, to gauge 
the different factors that determine market acce ss for LDCs.  
2.3.  Despite improvements in the production of national data , the statistical coverage of LDCs 
remains incomplete . The Secretariat has been using reported national figures whenever available . 
In many instances, it was still necessary to rely on mir ror statistics i.e. data reported by LDCs' 
trading partners. The disadvantage of using mirror data is that it does not allow taking into 
consideration trade among the LDCs, as well as trade with non -reporting developing economies.  
2.4.  Data based on balance of payments (the main source of information for trade in services) 
have been presented according to the current (sixth) edition of the IMF Balance of Payments 
Manual (BPM 6), while the previous year's edition was based on the fifth edition of the manual. 
These  methodological changes should be taken into account when comparing between previous 
versions and the current version of this Note.  
2.5.  The definition of geographical and other groupings in this report  serves only statistical 
purposes; it  does not imply an exp ression of opinion by the Secretariat concerning the status of 
any country or territory, the delimitation of its frontiers, nor the rights and obligations of any WTO 
Member in respect of WTO agreements.  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/6 4 
 
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  3  LDCS ' TRADE PROFILE  
3.1  Trends in Goods and Commercial S ervices  
3.1.  LDC exports of goods and services grew by an annual average of 7.6% over the 2005-2015 
period and, thus, slightly more than the exports of  other developing economies  (7.3% average ). 
However, this fact is due to distinctly higher growth rates in the  first part of the period . During  
2005-2010, the annual average  growth rate  was 14.7% for LDCs and 11.2% for other developing 
economies . In contrast, during 2010 -2015, annual export growth was only 0.9% in LDCs as 
compared to 3.6% in other developing econo mies. After 2011, the growth in the total value of 
LDCs' exports was constrained by unfavourable developmen ts in the price of commodities  (see 
Section 3.2.2.), on which they depend more than the other developing economies.  
Chart 1: Evolution of LDC  exports of goods and commercial services, 2005 -2015 
(Index,  2005 = 100; BOP BPM6 ) 
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat.  
 
Table 1: Trends in LDC  exports of goods and commercial services  
(Billion dolla rs and percentage; BOP,  BPM6 ) 
 
  Value  ($bn)  Annual rate of growth  (%) 
  2005  2015  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2005 -2015  
Total goods and commercial services  94.3 195.5  27.4 23.1 3.3 5.0 -2.1 -20.1 7.6 
Total goods  84.8 159.5  29.6 23.0 2.5 3.7 -3.9 -23.7 6.5 
Fuels and Mining  49.9 60.7 28.4 25.5 -2.1 -0.9 -6.4 -47.4 2.0 
Other goods  34.9 98.7 31.4 19.0 9.9 10.4 -0.6 5.5 11.0 
Commercial services  9.5 36.0 12.4 24.2 9.4 14.7 9.9 1.0 14.3 
Source:  WTO Secretariat.  
 
3.2.  In 201 5, LDC exports of goods and commerci al services de creased by 20.1%, down to 
US$195.5  billion, while LDC imports fell by "only"  7.5% to US$30 3.6 billion, resulting in an overall 
trade deficit of US$ 108.1 billion in 201 5. In 200 5, the overall  trade deficit stood at US$ 9.8 billion, 
thus had inc reased by more than 11 times during this period – in nominal terms.  
WT/COMTD/LDC/W/6 4 
 
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  Chart 2: LDCs' total trade balance, 2005 and 2015  
(Billion dollars; BOP, BPM6)  
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat.  
 
3.3.  In volume terms, LDC  merchandise exports grew by 7.9% in 2015, while their imports 
expanded by 3.1%. In comparison to 200 5, the export volume  increased by almost 1.5 times while 
the import volume  more than doubled  (see Chart 3). This de velopment in volume terms shows , 
inter alia , the high impact of the decrease  in prices on the trade figures in nominal terms.  
Chart 3: Development in merchandise trade volume of LDCs and developing economies  
(Indices, 200 5 = 100) 
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat. LDCs' data are computed based on deflators sourced from UNCTAD.  
 
3.4.  Regarding LDCs' integration in global tr ade, C hart 4 shows that LDCs were able to increase 
their share in world exports of goods and commercial services from 0. 7% in 2005 to 1.03% 
in 2014. However, in 2015, their sh are fell to below 1.0% for the first time since the crisis year 
2009. This recent decrease reflected lower values of goods , due to falling  prices of commodities , 
particularly fuels . For exports of commercial services, LDCs were able to  further  increase the ir 
market share to 0.8% in 2015.  Table 2 contains the respective figures for  both exports and 
imports  for all years since 2005.  
WT/COMTD/LDC/W/6 4 
 
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  Chart 4: LDCs ' shares in world exports, 2005-2015 
(Percentage; BOP, BPM 6) 
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat.  
 
3.5.  Regarding the trade balances of individual economies, Table 3  shows the ratio of trade 
balance to total trade  (sum of exports and imports)  – expressed in percentages – for each 
individual LDC  ("normalise d trade balance" ). The norm alised trade balance represents a record of 
a country’s international transactions with the rest of the world, normalised on its own total trade. 
A trade surplus or deficit  in this analysis is related to total trade  – giving a more pertinent measure 
of tra de performance.  
3.6.  In 2015, the trade balance ratio of goods was positive for only four out of the 48 LDCs – 
namely for Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Chad and Guinea -Bissau (see Table 3 ). However, for all of 
the first three, the ratio had deteriorated in compari son to 2005; only Guinea -Bissau was in 
position to turn the negative ratio of 2005 into a positive one in 2015. All the other LDCs had 
negative ratios in both years – with the exception of Myanmar, Yemen, Guinea, and Zambia that 
had positive ratios in 2005 . Especially Eritrea, Burkina Faso and the Solomon Islands  could reduce 
their negative ratios markedly between 2005 and 2015. Eritrea , for example, had a ratio  of -90% 
in 2005 (i.e. their negative trade balance of 2005 reached a value of 90% of the nominal  trade 
turnover of 2005) and a ratio of " only" -56% in 2015.  The economies with the highest negative 
normalised trade balances in 2015 were Timor -Leste, Afghanistan , and Sao Tome and Principe . 
3.7.  Regarding trade of commercial services, eleven out of the 48 LDCs showed positive 
normalised trade b alances in 2015, with Eritrea, T he Gambia and Cambodia on the top positions. 
Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Lesotho were the LDCs with the 
highest negative normalised trade balances in 2015 , between -96% (Equatorial Guinea) and -83% 
(Lesotho).  
 
 
 
  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 8 - Table 2: LDCs and world trade in go ods and commercial services, 2005-2015 
(Billion dollars and percentage ; BOP, BPM6 ) 
 
Value ( US$bn)  Annual 
percentage 
change  
 2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2005 -2015  
Total trade in goods and commercial servicesa             
   World  12,656 14,536 16,925 19,500 15,536 18,488 21,978 22,275 22,910 23,329 20,681 5.0 
   LDC 198 236 298 391 338 401 492 526 557 573 499 9.7 
     Share in world  0.78 0.81 0.88 1.00 1.09 1.09 1.12 1.18 1.22 1.23 1.21 ... 
Total trade in goodsa             
   World  10,102 11,660 13,499 15,615 12,082 14,721 17,722 17,881 18,246 18,340 15,998 4.7 
   LDC 163 195 244 319 269 325 398 426 449 456 388 9.1 
     Share in world  0.81 0.83 0.90 1.02 1.11 1.10 1.12 1.19 1.23 1.25 1.22 ... 
Total trade in commercial servicesa             
   World  2,554 2,876 3,426 3,885 3,455 3,767 4,256 4,393 4,664 4,988 4,683 6.3 
   LDC 35 41 54 73 69 76 94 101 108 117 111 12.2 
     Share in world  0.70 0.73 0.80 0.94 1.01 1.02 1.12 1.15 1.16 1.18 1.19 ... 
Goods exports              
   World  10,165 11,760 13,642 15,754 12,236 14,914 17,950 18,134 18,555 18,628 16,189 4.8 
   LDC 85 105 131 171 128 166 205 210 218 209 159 6.5 
     Share in world  0.83 0.89 0.96 1.09 1.05 1.12 1.14 1.16 1.17 1.12 0.98 ... 
Commercial services exports              
   World  2,599 2,942 3,523 3,964 3,534 3,842 4,350 4,468 4,747 5,064 4,754 6.2 
   LDC 9 11 14 18 19 21 26 28 32 36 36 14.3 
     Share in world  0.36 0.39 0.40 0.46 0.52 0.54 0.59 0.63 0.68 0.70 0.76 ... 
Goods imports              
   World  10,040 11,561 13,356 15,475 11,928 14,528 17,493 17,628 17,936 18,052 15,807 4.6 
   LDC 78 90 112 148 140 159 193 216 231 247 229 11.3 
     Share in world  0.78 0.78 0.84 0.95 1.18 1.09 1.10 1.22 1.29 1.37 1.45 ... 
Commercial services imports              
   World  2,509 2,810 3,329 3,806 3,376 3,693 4,162 4,319 4,581 4,913 4,612 6.3 
   LDC 26 30 40 54 50 55 68 72 75 81 75 11.3 
     Share in w orld 1.03 1.07 1.19 1.43 1.49 1.50 1.64 1.67 1.65 1.65 1.63 ... 
a World total trade is calculated as the average of world exports and imports , according to the BOP presentation (BPM 6). Total LDC trade in this table is 
approximated as the sum of their exp orts and imports. Total trade shares are calculated in relation to the corresponding world exports plus imports.  
Source : WTO Secretariat.  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
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  Table 3: Trade balance of goods and services (BOP) , as a percentage of total trade , 2005 
and 2015 
(Percentage; BOP, BPM6)  
 
Goods  Commercial services  
 2005  2015   2005  2015  
Angola  48.5 35.7 Eritrea  -33.3 58.0 
Equatorial Guinea  68.7 35.1 The Gambia  27.1 43.2 
Chad 52.9 19.6 Cambodia  25.5 33.6 
Guinea -Bissau  -8.2 18.8 Myanmar  -30.0 25.5 
Solomon Is lands -27.6 -0.7 Vanuatu  32.4 24.2 
Mali -6.1 -1.3 Tanzania  3.6 17.6 
Zambia  2.6 -1.8 Lao People's Dem. Rep.  72.8 17.6 
Tuvalu  … -3.0 Djibouti  11.1 8.3 
Burkina Faso  -36.5 -3.0 Madagascar  -6.1 5.8 
Congo, Dem. Rep. of  -5.6 -4.0 Togo -26.4 5.8 
Madagascar  -27.2 -8.9 Sao Tome and Principe  -5.3 3.9 
Benin  -19.8 -12.1 Nepal  -22.0 -3.6 
Bangladesh  -13.5 -12.5 Haiti -70.0 -6.2 
Mauritania  -39.1 -15.5 Sudan  -83.2 -8.9 
Lao People's Dem. Rep.  -22.9 -15.6 Rwanda  -36.4 -9.6 
Cambodia  -15.0 -16.8 Senegal  -7.3 -13.2 
Guinea  6.5 -17.0 South Sudan  … -14.4 
Togo -18.2 -20.5 Uganda  -10.1 -16.9 
Tanzania  -27.5 -23.9 Bhutan  -50.6 -18.7 
Malawi  -36.0 -25.4 Yemen  -61.2 -19.6 
Bhutan  -32.4 -26.4 Zambia  11.0 -19.6 
Uganda  -26.4 -27.9 Comoros  -7.1 -20.5 
Senegal  -28.8 -30.2 Ethiop ia -19.8 -23.6 
Niger  -23.3 -31.1 Solomon Islands  -21.3 -28.3 
Mozambique  -12.5 -36.6 Benin  -20.1 -33.2 
Lesotho  -34.1 -37.2 Afghanistan  … -35.7 
Myanmar  39.5 -41.5 Guinea -Bissau  -78.7 -43.4 
South Sudan  … -42.2 Mali -39.5 -44.0 
The Gambia  -36.4 -42.7 Malawi -36.6 -46.7 
Sierra Leone  -32.6 -43.9 Liberia  -10.0 -46.9 
Sudan  -10.4 -44.7 Mauritania  -67.5 -50.3 
Rwanda  -48.9 -47.8 Central African Republic  -69.4 -51.7 
Haiti -48.0 -54.0 Burkina Faso  -70.4 -51.8 
Eritrea  -90.5 -56.2 Niger  -53.6 -56.1 
Central Afr ican Republic  -15.5 -62.7 Kiribati  -58.3 -57.7 
Ethiopia  -60.3 -68.7 Mozambique  -33.0 -65.9 
Vanuatu  -55.0 -71.2 Tuvalu  -60.0 -66.7 
Burundi  -51.2 -71.5 Bangladesh  -52.7 -67.7 
Kiribati  -88.1 -71.8 Chad -93.1 -71.6 
Djibouti  -74.8 -74.4 Timor -Leste  … -72.5 
Nepal  -43.2 -77.1 Burundi  -89.4 -73.6 
Liberia  -39.7 -78.6 Sierra Leone  -4.9 -74.9 
Comoros  -73.8 -81.7 Guinea  -71.9 -78.4 
Yemen  15.3 -83.5 Angola  -94.4 -82.9 
Sao Tome and Principe  -71.4 -85.9 Lesotho  -84.3 -83.1 
Afghanistan  … -87.2 Congo, Dem. Rep. o f -77.3 -87.2 
Timor -Leste  … -94.6 Equatorial Guinea  -95.7 -96.4 
Notes:  …  Data not available/ not applicable.  LDCs are  order ed based on their normalized trade  balances 
in 2015.  
Source:  WTO Secretariat.  
 WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
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  3.2  Merchandise Trade Developments2 
3.2.1   Overall trend  
3.8.  In 20 15, merchandise exports of the LDCs contracted by 25 %, thus by an even more distinct 
degree than the 3% decrease in 2014.  Merchandise  imports of LDCs declined by 9 % in 2015 . As 
LDCs depend to a high degree on exports of fuels and mining products, this mirr ors the general 
negative trend of decreased prices and demand in 2015, but concerns the LDCs more intensively 
than most other economic groupings . 
Chart 5: Merchandise trade of LDCs , 2005 -2015 
(Billion dollars and percentages ) 
 
Source: WTO Secretariat.  
 
3.9.  The share of LDCs merchandise exports in world exports dropped to 0.97 % in 2015 – for the 
first time below 1% since 2007 . Their share in world merchandise imports though, slightly 
increased from 1.4% in 2014  to 1.5 % in 2015 . Taking tr ade of developing economies  as basis , the 
LDC share  dropped to 2.1 % in 2015 (2.4 % in 2014) for merchandise exports while the imports 
share increased to 3.4 % (3.3 % in 2014).  Regarding exports of manufactured goods, LDCs' share 
in world exports of these pro ducts decreased from 0.5% in 2014 to 0.4% in 2015 . 
3.10.   The LDCs'  collective trade deficit continues to increase and hit a record level of US$87 billion  
in 2015 , 44% higher than in 2014 and 134 % higher than in 2013. In 2015 , the LDCs ' oil exporters 
registered f or the first time in more than 15 years a trade deficit of US$12 billion, from an average 
surplus of US$38 billion during the previous nine years . The LDCs' manufacturing and agricultural 
exporters recorded a  US$34 billion  and US$20 billion  trade deficit , respectively.  
                                                
2 Differences between BOP (BPM6) and International Merchandise Trade Statistics are explained  in the 
International Merchandise Trade Statistics: Compilers Manual, Revision 1 (IMTS 2010), Chap ter XXIV Section B 
"Goods to be recorded differently in IMTS and BPM6/national accounts" (p. 288)  
(http://unstats.un.org/unsd/trade/eg -imts/imts2010 -final-22march2011.pd f). WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
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  Chart 6: Merchandise trade balance of LDCs , 2005 -2015 
(Billion dollars ) 
-53 4 6
-26-7 -7
-25
-37
-61
-87
-100-80-60-40-20020406080
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015US$bn
LDC exporters of agriculture LDC exporters of manufactures
LDC oil exporters LDC
 
Source: WTO Secretariat.  
 
3.2.2   Commodity price movements  
3.11.   The year 2015 has seen a steep reduction in the price s of commodities, especially  those of  
fuels (-45% against 2014) . For exporting countries, this decline has been partially compensated by 
an appreciation  in the US dollar  exchange rate (actually, the short term fluctuations between the 
US dollar  and the commodity prices are often negatively cor related). But the decline in commodity 
prices was also due to the slow -down in the Chinese economy and an increase in world supply as 
many projects – fuelled by high prices after 2003 – reached maturity. Financial volatility is also 
responsible for higher uncertainty and lower investment worldwide, leading to a further reduction 
in demand for minerals and oil . 
Chart 7: Export prices of primary commodities, 2005-2015 
(Indices, 2005 = 100) 
 
507090110130150170190210230250
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Food and beverages
Agricultural raw materials
Minerals and non-ferrous metals  (excluding crude petroleum)
  Energy  
Source:  World Bank . WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
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  3.2.3   Trends in product comp osition  
3.12.   Chart 8 shows the evolution in the com modity mix of the LDCs between 2005 and 201 5.3 
The decreased  demand from emerging economies and fallen  commodity prices  of recent years , led 
to a shrinking share of primary  products in total exports of LDCs  – from 73% in 2005 to estimated  
58% in 201 5. The share of manufactured  products on the other hand  increased from 21% in 2005 
to 35 % in 201 5, mainly due to an increasing importance of clothing exports .4 During the same 
period, the share of  agricultural product s in LDC exports increased from 11% in 2005 to 13% in 
2015. 
 
Chart 8: Evolution of merchandise export structure  of LDCs , 2005  and 201 5 
(Percentage  shares ) 
 
 
  
Source : 2005: WTO Secretariat , 2015: Estimates based on UN Comtrade data base (mirror data) .  
                                                
3 Data for 2015 are preliminary estimates based on mirror data from UN Comtrade database.  
4 These shares are derived from the WTO network of LDCs by product and destination compiled 
according to the United Nations Standard International Trade Classifi cation (SITC). According to this 
classification, diamonds and non -monetary gold are not part of mineral products  – as opposed to the 
Harmonized System (HS) . As a result, the shares of fuels and mining product in total LDC s' exports derived 
from the LDC net work differ from the shares of exporters of fuels and mining products presented in the annex  
of this report.  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
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  3.2.4   Major  products and markets of  LDCs  
3.13.   Table 4 shows the top ten products (in HS -4-digits  classification) exported by LDCs, for 
2005 and 2015. Petroleum oils (HS 27 .09) dominated LDC exports in both years. Back in 2005, 
almost half (48%) of total LDCs exports were allocated to this product. In 2015, petroleum oils 
were still the most important export product (in value terms), but their share had distinctly  
fallen – down to 28% (mostly due to the fall in  prices). The opposite development c ould be 
observed for petroleum gases/hydrocarbons (HS 27 .11), with the share more than doubled 
between 2005 and 2015 (from 2%  in 2005  up to almost 5%  in 2015 ) – but on a much smal ler 
scale (in nominal figures).  
3.14.   The importance of clothing products increased  between the two years; in 2005, four out of 
the top ten export products were part of this product group, reaching a cumulative share of 11% 
in LDC exports. Ten years later, six out of the top ten products belonged to clothing, with a total 
share of 20% in  LDC merchandise exports.  While back in 2005, the top ten products still covered 
more than two -thirds of LDCs total merchandise exports, their share had gone down to less than 
60% in 2015. This might be interpreted as a factual decrease in product concentr ation of LDCs' 
exports on the first sight, but is in fact just mostly a result of price effects (of especially petroleum 
oils). 
Table 4: LDCs' top ten export ed products, 20 05 and 2015  
(Billion dollars and percentages)  
2005  2015  
HS 
code  Commodity description  Value 
($bn)  Share 
in total 
exports 
(%) HS 
code  Commodity description  Value 
($bn)  Share 
in total 
exports 
(%) 
2709 Petroleum oils, crude  38.5 47.7%  2709 Petroleum oils, crude  43.0 28.0%  
6110 Jerseys, pullovers, cardigans, 
waist-coats and similar 
articles, knitted or ...  3.1 3.8%  6203 Men's or boys' suits, 
ensembles, jackets, blazers, 
trousers  6.9 4.5%  
6109 T-shirts, singlets and other 
vests, knitte d or crocheted  1.9 2.3%  2711 Petroleum gases  and other 
gaseous hydrocarbons  6.9 4.5% 
6203 Men's or boys' suits, 
ensembles, jackets, blazers, 
trousers  1.8 2.3%  6109 T-shirts, singlets and ot her 
vests, knitted or crocheted  6.6 4.3%  
6204 Women's or girls' suits, 
ensembles, jackets, blazers, 
dresses, skirts  1.8 2.3%  6110 Jerseys, pullovers , cardigans, 
waist-coats and similar articles, 
knitted or ...  6.4 4.2%  
2711 Petroleum gases  and other 
gaseous hydrocarbons  1.7 2.1%  6204 Women's or girls' suits, 
ensembles, jackets, blazers, 
dresses, skirts  4.9 3.2%  
7102 Diamonds, whether or not  
worked, but not mounted or 
set 1.7 2.1%  7403 Refined copp er and copper 
alloys, unwrought  4.4 2.9%  
2710 Petroleum oils, other than 
crude  1.6 2.0%  7108 Gold (including gold plated with 
platinum)  4.0 2.6%  
7403 Refined copp er and copper 
alloys, unwrought  1.5 1.8%  6205 Men's or boys' shirts  2.9 1.9%  
7601 Unwrought aluminium  1.3 1.6%  6104 Women's or girls' suits, 
ensembles, jackets, blazers, 
dresses, skirts  2.8 1.9%  
Share of t op 10 in total LDC exports:  68.0%  Share of top 10 in total LDC exports:  57.9%  
Source:  UN Co mtrade (importer data).  
 
3.15.   LDCs' merchandise imports are less concentrated than exports  (see T able 5). Also for 
imports , petroleum oils (HS  27.10) represent the most important product . However, its  share in 
total imports is much lower (8% in both years) than  in the case for exports. Otherwise, cars, 
trucks and other vehicles as well as ships/vessels5 played important roles in both years  – reaching 
cumulative shares of 11% in 2005 and 5% in 201 5. Imports of textiles such as "fabrics of cotton"  
(HS 52 .08) reflect the LDCs' role in global value chains, using imported fabrics as inputs into the 
production of final clothing products for export . Two of the top ten imported products in both years 
are food products (rice and wheat/meslin). The value of imports of medi caments (HS 30 .04) 
almost tripled between 2005 and 2015.  
                                                
5 A distinct part of imports of cruise ships, cargo ships, vessels etc. are in fact a result of "flags under 
convenience", and do therefore not necessarily represent factual imports.  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 14 - 
 
  Table 5: LDCs' top ten imported products, 2005  and 2015  
(Billion dollars and percentages)  
2005  2015  
HS 
code  Commodity description  Value 
($bn)  Share 
in total 
exports 
(%) HS 
code Commodity description  Value 
($bn)  Share 
in total 
exports 
(%) 
2710 Petroleum oils, other than 
crude  6.9 8.3%  2710 Petroleum oils, other than crude  15.8 7.5%  
8901 Cruise ships, excursion boats, 
ferry-boats, cargo ships, 
barges and similar  ... 4.1 4.9%  8703 Motor cars and other motor 
vehicles principally designed for 
the transport  ...  4.0 1.9%  
8703 Motor cars and other motor 
vehicles principally designed 
for the transport  ...  1.7 2.0%  3004 Medicaments (excluding goods 
of heading 30.02, 30.05 or 
30.06)  3.9 1.9%  
1006 Rice 1.6 1.9%  8901 Cruise ships, excursion boats, 
ferry-boats, cargo ships, barges 
and similar   ... 3.7 1.8%  
8704 Motor vehicles for the 
transport of goods  1.6 1.9%  1701 Cane or beet sugar and pure 
sucrose, in solid form  3.6 1.7%  
8905 Light-vessels, fire -floats, 
dredgers, floating cranes and 
other vessels  1.6 1.9%  5208 Woven fabrics of cotton, 
containing 85 % or more by 
weight of cotton  3.6 1.7%  
3004 Medicaments (excluding goods 
of heading 30.02, 30.05 or 
30.06)  1.4 1.7%  1006 Rice 3.4 1.6% 
5208 Woven fabrics of cotton, 
containing 85 % or more by 
weight of cotton  1.4 1.7%  8517 Electrical apparatus for line 
telephony or line telegraphy  3.4 1.6%  
8431 Parts suitable for use 
principally with the machinery 
of headings 84.25 to  ...  1.2 1.4%  8704 Motor vehi cles for the transport 
of goods  3.1 1.5%  
1001 Wheat and meslin  1.1 1.3%  1001 Wheat and meslin  3.0 1.4%  
Share of top 10 in total LDC exports:  27.1%  Share of top 10 in total LDC exports:  22.4%  
Source:  UN Comtrade ( exporter data).  
 
3.16.   At the leve l of individual economies, some heterogeneity in t he product  structure of exports 
and imports  can be observed. The top exports/imports products by individual LDC are shown in 
Table 1 of the Addendum (WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64 /Add.1).  
3.17.   Table 6 lists the top ten markets by product groups for both 200 5 and 201 5. While in 2005, 
the EU, with a n export market share of almost 30 %, was the mos t important destination for 
overall LDC exports , China was the top destination in 2015  (market share of 33%). In 2015, 
exports of fue ls and mining products to China accounted for 13% of total LDC exports and for 
almost half of LDC exports of fuels and mining products  – in spite of fallen energy prices and lower 
demand from China. Regarding agricultural and manufactured products, the EU was still the most 
important market for the LDCs  in 2015 , as it was in 2005 . For agricultural products, the EU's share 
decreased however from 41% in 2005 to 31% in 2015 , while China's share increased from 14% in 
2005 to 23% in 2015. The share of the EU as market for LDCs' exports of manufactures increased 
slightly , from 53% in 2005 to 54% in 2015.  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 15 - 
 
  Table 6: LDCs ' top ten export markets , 2005 and 2015 
(Billion dollars and percentage  shares ) 
Total trade  Agricultural products  Fuels and mining 
products  Manufactures  
2005  Value 
($bn)  2005  Value 
($bn)  2005  Value 
($bn)  2005  Value 
($bn)  
EU (28)  20.6 EU (28)  3.5 China  14.0 EU (28)  9.8 
United States of 
America  19.5 China  1.2 United States of 
America  12.5 United States of 
America  6.3 
China  15.3 India 1.1 EU (28)  7.2 India 0.7 
Thailand  3.6 United States of 
America  0.6 Thailand  2.8 Canada  0.6 
Japan  3.5 Thailand  0.6 Japan  2.6 Japan  0.4 
India 2.0 Japan  0.5 Chinese Taipei  1.6 Hong Kong, China  0.3 
Chinese Taipei  1.8 Saudi Arabia, 
Kingdom of  0.4 Chile 1.2 Turkey  0.1 
Canada  1.6 Viet Nam  0.3 Korea,  Rep. of  1.0 Mali 0.1 
Chile 1.2 Pakistan  0.2 Zimbabwe  0.9 Singapore  0.1 
Korea,  Rep. of  1.1 Zimbabwe  0.2 Canada  0.7 South Africa  0.1 
Grand Totala 70.1 Grand Totala 8.5 Grand Totala 44.4 Grand Totala 18.5 
Share of top 10:  85.9%  Share of top 10:  74.6%  Share of top 10:  92.1%  Share of top 10:  88.0%  
2015 Value 
($bn)  2015 Value 
($bn)  2015 Value 
($bn)  2015 Value 
($bn)  
China  75.9 EU (28)  5.6 China  29.5 EU (28)  29.3 
EU (28)  48.8 China  4.2 EU (28)  12.9 United States of 
America  11.2 
United States of 
America  34.2 India 3.4 India 5.7 China  4.2 
India 23.3 Saudi Arabia, 
Kingdom of  1.5 United States of 
America  4.8 Japan  2.8 
Thailand  12.9 Thailand  0.8 Thailand  4.8 Canada  2.0 
Japan  9.9 United States of 
America  0.8 South Africa  2.5 India 1.4 
Switzerland  6.9 Japan  0.8 Chinese Taipei  1.7 Turkey  1.2 
South Africa  6.6 Pakistan  0.5 Japan  1.3 Thailand  0.9 
Canada  5.8 Malaysia  0.3 Saudi Arabia, 
Kingdom of  0.9 Australia  0.8 
Saudi Arabia, 
Kingdom of  5.4 Zimbabwe  0.3 Canada  0.7 Russian Federation  0.7 
Grand Totala 229.8  Grand Totala 18.2 Grand Totala 64.8 Grand Totala 54.6 
Share of top 10:  74.9%  Share of top 10:  88.3%  Share of top 10:  95.3%  Share of top 10:  91.7%  
a "Grand Total" refers to s um of av ailable reporters (importe rs). 
Source:  UN Comtrade . 
 
3.18.   The major trading partners  for exports and imports  of each  individual LDC can be consulted 
in Table 2 of the Addendum ( WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64 /Add.1).  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 16 - 
 
  3.3  Services Trade Developments  
3.19.   Statistics on trade in commercial services reflect the new services classification contained in 
the 6th edition of the IMF Balance of Payments Manual (BPM6). Thus, data presented in this paper 
are not comparable to previous editions.6 
3.20.   In 2015, LDCs' exports of commercial services expanded to US$36 billion, up by 1%. This 
trend contrasts  with the performances recorded by other developing economies and by the 
developed group, which saw sharp declines. As a result, the share of LDCs in world exports of 
commercial services increased to 0.8 %. Although in a steady ri se over recent years, LDCs' export 
participation remained overall negligible. On the imports side, LDCs ' payments for services reached 
US$75 billion in 2015, contracting by 8 %, due to dropping imports of other commercial services. 
Participation in global i mports stood at 1.6 %. 
3.21.   LDCs' services exports continue to be dominated by low - to middle -skilled services sectors, 
such as travel (tourism) and transport. Their aggregate contribution, in 2015, reached 73.4 % of 
total services exports compared to 56.7 % for o ther developing economies and 37.7 % for 
developed economies . 
Chart 9: LDCs commercial services exports by region, 2005 -2015  
(Billion dollars and percentages ) 
0.00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.9
0246810121416182022242628303234363840
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
PercentageUS$ billionLDCs LDCs Asia
LDCs Africa and Haiti LDCs Islands
Share in world exports (%)
 
Source:  WTO-UNCTAD -ITC estimates . 
 
3.22.   In 2015, LDCs' services exports growt h was fostered by the sustained expansion of the 
tourism sector. Travel exports rose by 6 %, reaching some US$19 billion, led in particular by LDCs 
in Asia (+8 %). Rapid growth reflected increasing inflows of international tourists in particular to 
leading L DC travel exporters. For example, in 2015, international tourist arrivals to Myanmar grew 
by 52 % and in Cambodia by 6 %. However, LDCs' payments for travelling abroad also increased, 
estimated to have expanded by 3 % in 2015. Tanzania remained the largest travel spender among 
the group.  
                                                
6 The new classification covers the following main categories: manufacturing services on physical inputs 
owned by others, maintenance and repair services n.i.e., transport, travel, construction, insurance and pension 
services, financial services, charges for the use of intellectual property n.i.e, telecommunications, computer 
and information services, other business services, and personal, cultural and recreational services.  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 17 - 
 
  Chart 10: Growth in trade in commercial services by economic grouping, 2015  
(Annual percentage change ) 
-10-8-6-4-20246
Least Developed Countries
(LDCs)Other developing economies Developed economiesAnnual percentage changeExports Imports
 
Source:  WTO-UNCTAD -ITC estimates . 
 
Chart 11: Growth in LDC exports of com mercial services by selected sector, 2015  
(Annual percentage change ) 
-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-20246810
Transport Travel Other commercial
servicesGoods-related
servicesAnnual percentage changeExports Imports
 
Source:  WTO-UNCTAD -ITC estimates . 
 
3.23.   LDCs' transport receipts contracted only by 1 %, much less than for the rest of the world 
(-10%) as exports from Ethiopia, the main LDC transport expor ter, recorded positive growth. 
Transport imports decreased by 2 %. Trade other commercial services fell, with exports down by 
9%, and imports by 15 %.7 Goods –related services exports grew by 6 %, while imports stagnated.  
                                                
7 The aggregate other commercial services  compr ise the following categories: construction, insurance 
and pension services, financial services, charges for the use of intellectual property n.i.e, telecommunications, 
computer and information services, other business services, and personal, cultural and r ecreational services.  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 18 - 
 
  3.24.   Goods -related services  is a new aggre gation of services in BOP statistics, which includes 
"manufacturing services on physical inputs owned by others" and "maintena nce and repair services 
n.i.e.".  The first category covers essentially manufacturing on a contract basis including activities 
such as processing, assembly, labelling, packing, etc. The second comprises maintenance and 
repair work by residents of an economy on goods that are owned by non -residents and vice versa. 
Many economies, in particular LDCs, are not yet collecting statistics fo r these new services arising 
from globalization and the fragmentation of the production process across different economies. 
Thus, data should be taken with caution.  
3.25.   In 2015, LDCs'  services trade remains concentrated within a few economies. The top ten 
leading exporters accounted for more than two -thirds of the group’s services receipts, a proportion 
virtually unchanged since 2005. Starting in 2014, Myanmar ranks as the largest exporter of 
services among the LDCs , boosted by rising exports of goods -related s ervices, which , as 
mentioned above,  are not  yet recorded  by most LDCs. For import s, Angola alone represented 
one-quarter of the group’s total commercial services payments.  Annex Table 5 provides services 
exports for individual LDCs by sector.  
3.26.   The LDCs, as a group, are net commercial services impor ters. Over the years, the 
LDCs'  services trade deficit has widened reaching US$39 billion in 2015 up from US$ 16.3 billion 
in 2005. However, while both the transport sector and "other commercial services" sectors ha ve 
experienced persistent trade deficits, travel (tourism) has been recording an expanding surplus 
since 2005. In 2015, the travel surplus attained US$11.4 billion.  
4  MARKET ACCESS FOR PR ODUCTS OF EXPORT INT EREST TO LDCS  
4.1  Duty -free market access granted by selected Members  
4.1.  Table 7 provides statistics on duty -free market access accorded to LDCs by selected 
Members, which have notified LDC preference schemes to the WTO. The preferential LDC scheme s 
of Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland provides full duty-free market access for LDC 
exports. For Canada, Chile, the EU and Japan, 97% or more of their tariff lines are free of duty for 
products originating from LDCs. In 2014, China and India considerably improved the duty -free 
coverage of their LDC schemes,  with around 95% of their tariff lines being free of any import duty. 
Imports from LDCs were subject to trade -weighted average dut ies of 0.3% and 1.4%  in China and 
India, respectively . 
4.2.  In 2014, LDCs exported the highest number of products (in terms of nati onal tariff lines) to 
the EU, followed by China, Canada and the United States . In dollar terms, half of LDC exports were 
dutiable under the Unites States'  GSP LDC scheme, with a trade -weighted average tariff of 8.2%. 
However, eligible LDCs enjoy significan t duty -free access to its market under the Africa Growth 
and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Caribbean Basin Initiative. For instance, the United States 
provided 97.5% duty -free market access to LDC beneficiaries of the AGOA.  Hong Kong, China;  and 
Singapore , have no LDC preference scheme but almost all LDC products enter their markets 
duty-free on an MFN basis.  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 19 - 
 
  Table 7: Duty -free market access under LDC schemes in selected Members, 2014  
Market  Sector  LDC duty scheme  Imports from UN -LDC countriesb 
(million US$ and percentage)  Number of tariff 
lines  Number of tariff lines with imports 
from LDC beneficiariesa 
Dutiable  Duty 
free 
(%) Total  Dutiable 
under MFN  Dutiable 
under LDC 
scheme  TOTAL  Duty 
free 
(%) Weighted 
applied 
dutyc 
Austr alia Total  0 100.0  985 633 0 854.9  100.0  0.0 
Ag 0 100.0  138 44 0 40.2 100.0  0.0 
Non-ag 0 100.0  847 589 0 814.6  100.0  0.0 
Canada  Total  105 98.6 2,154  964 1 3,451.1  99.9 0.0 
Ag 105 92.8 375 185 1 82.5 99.4 0.0 
Non-ag 0 100.0  1,779  779 0 3,368.6  99.9 0.0 
Chile  Total  41 99.5 468 468 0 504.4  100.0  0.0 
Ag 41 97.1 23 23 0 0.9 100.0  0.0 
Non-ag 0 100.0  445 445 0 503.4  100.0  0.0 
Chinad Total  636 95.1 3,345  2,994  87 71,377.7  97.8 0.3 
Ag 143 90.5 241 225 27 1,915.0  71.3 5.1 
Non-ag 493 95.7 3,104  2,769 60 69,462.7  98.6 0.1 
European 
Union  Total  91 99.0 4,182  3,197  8 49,144.3  100.0  0.0 
Ag 73 96.5 714 525 6 3,877.7  100.0  0.0 
Non-ag 18 99.8 3,468  2,672  2 45,266.6  100.0  0.0 
Iceland  Total  707 91.8 - - - - -  
Ag 707 63.3 - - - - - - 
Non-ag 0 100.0  - - - - - - 
India  Total  674 94.1 1,619  1,547  205 13,847.9  95.0 1.4 
Ag 343 77.1 290 268 95 2,825.1  87.4 6.4 
Non-ag 331 96.7 1,329  1,279  110 11,022.8  97.0 0.1 
Japan  Total  197 97.9 1,078  718 23 6,215.0  99.3 0.1 
Ag 69 96.5 158 97 4 445.9  99.8 0.0 
Non-ag 128 98.3 920 621 19 5,769.1  99.2 0.1 
Korea, 
Republic of  Total  1,187  90.3 1,430  1,265  167 5,822.9  81.5 1.5 
Ag 696 59.7 222 211 94 228.8  51.3 20.7 
Non-ag 491 95.3 1,208  1,054  73 5,594.1  82.7 0.8 
New 
Zealande Total  0 100.0  795 519 0 97.4 100.0  0.0 
Ag 0 100.0  108 38 0 19.2 100.0  0.0 
Non-ag 0 100.0  687 481 0 78.2 100.0  0.0 
Norway  Total  0 100.0  954 300 0 385.6  100.0  0.0 
Ag 0 100.0  146 68 0 31.5 100.0  0.0 
Non-ag 0 100.0  808 232 0 354.0  100.0  0.0 
Russian 
Federation  Total  7,415  36.3 - - - - - - 
Ag 997 62.8 - - - - - - 
Non-ag 6,418  28.3 - - - - - - 
Switzerland  Total  0 100.0  1,298  1,090  0 3,707.7  100.0  0.0 
Ag 0 100.0  292 226 0 160.8  100.0  0.0 
Non-ag 0 100.0  1,006  864 0 3,546.9  100.0  0.0 
Chinese 
Taipei  Total  6,159  31.0 858 689 624 3,890.3  96.9 0.4 
Ag 1,145  23.7 115 88 84 73.6 46.8 7.1 
Non-ag 5,014  32.5 743 601 540 3,816.7  97.8 0.2 
Thailandef Total  - - - - - 8,382.4  33.8 3.5 
Ag - - - - - 412.7  28.7 21.5 
Non-ag - - - - - 7969.7  34.1 1.8 
Turkeye Total  2,480  79.0 - - - - - - 
Ag 1,657  25.9 - - - - - - 
Non-ag 823 91.4 - - - - - - 
United 
States  of 
America  Total  1,862  82.6 2,005  1,292  619 18,659.3  50.4 8.2 
Ag 272 85.6 281 171 6 543.2  99.1 0.0 
Non-ag 1,590  82.0 1,724  1,121  613 18,116.1  48.9 8.4 
a Beneficiaries are countries eligible  to the national LDC scheme; some UN -LDC countries may be excluded . 
b 48 LDC s as listed by the UN in 2014.  Full utilization of LDC schemes is assumed when calculating the share of 
duty-free imports and the trade -weighted applied duty.  
c Excludes non -ad val orem duties . 
d Data from ITC; the submission of LDC scheme to the  WTO-IDB is outstanding . 
e 2013. 
f As of April 2015, Thailand has a n LDC scheme: da ta not yet submitted to the IDB.  
Source:  WTO-Integrated DataBase (IDB)  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 20 - 
 
   
4.2  Recent initiatives to improve marke t access for LDCs  
4.3.  Annex Table 6 provides a non -exhaustive list of major multilateral non -reciprocal market 
access schemes undertaken by Members in favour of LDCs. It updates the previous year's 
information based on Members' notifications and statements at the WTO as well as submissions 
made to WTO's IDB. The Table does not include regional or bilateral agreements/initiatives under 
which, too, LDCs receive preferences.  
4.4.  A few Members notified changes or updates regarding their preference schemes.  In 
February  2016,  the United States  submitted a notification regarding  its GSP Programme, 
containing, inter alia , changes to country and product eligibility resulting from GSP annual reviews  
(WT/COMTD/N/1/Add.9 ). As a result of the 2014/2015 limited product review, th e United States 
has designated five additional cotton products as eligible for duty -free treatment  for LDCs only . At 
the Committee on Trade and Development ( CTD) meeting on 8  July 2016, t he United States 
inform ed Members th at, as of 1 July 2016, duty -free status has been added for a range of travel 
goods imported from LDC beneficiaries of its GSP scheme, as well as from beneficiaries of the 
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)  (WT/COMTD/M/99 ).8 
4.5.  On 17 November 2015, India submitted a communication conta ining updated information on 
the product coverage and the rules of origin of its Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme  
(WT/COMTD/N/38/Add.1 ). 
4.6.  As has been reported in the past, most of the developed country Members grant either full or 
nearly full DFQF market access. Developing country Members have also taken concrete steps to 
provide duty -free access to LDC products. In this regard, so far, six developing country Members 
have made notifications pursuant to the established procedure including under the T ransparency 
Mechanism for the Prefere ntial Trade Arrangements: Chile; China; India; Republic of Korea;  
Chinese Taipei ; and Thailand.9 Most of them grant a significant degree of DFQF market access to 
LDC products, and a number of them have reached or are in  the process of attaining 
comprehensive DFQF coverage for LDCs.  
4.7.  Members have continued discussions on DFQF implementation in the CTD. In this regard, on 
27 June 2016 , the LDC Group submitted a proposal for a Secretariat study  concerning the 
implementation of DFQF market access for LDC products  (WT/COMTD/W/218 ). 
4.8.  Continuous efforts are being made to help the LDCs with preferential rules of origin. In line 
with the Decision on Preferential Rules of Origin for LDCs (WT/L/917) of the Bali Ministerial 
Conference,  the Committee on Rules of Origin  (CRO)  has been holding annual reviews on 
developments in preferential rules of origin . The last review was held in October 2015. At the 
Ministerial Conference in Nairobi in 2015 , Ministers adopted a set of provisions with a view to 
further improving preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from LDCs  (WT/L/917/Add.1 ). 
At the CRO meeting on 22 April 2016, the LDC Group presented a submission asking 
preference -granting M embers specific questions about the measures th ey were taking to 
implement the  Nairobi  Decision  (G/RO/W/159 ). On 19 July 2016, the LDC Group submitted a 
communication containing a draft template for notification of preferential rules of origin  for the 
consideration of the CRO  (G/RO/W/160) . 
4.9.  On 3 Novembe r 2015, Japan submitted a notification concerning the simplification of it s 
preferential rules of origin for products classified in  HS Chapter 61 – Articles of apparel and 
clothing accessories (WT/COMTD/N/2/Add.16).  At the LDC S ub-Committee meeting on 
24 June 2016, the delegation of the EU reiterated that under its GSP scheme  a new system of 
self-certification of origin , the Registered Exporter System (REX) , which w ill enter  into force on 
1 January 2017 (WT/COMTD/LDC/M/78).  
4.10.   Progress has been  made with respe ct to preferential treatment of services and services 
suppliers from LDCs. In Nairobi in 2015, Ministers decided , inter alia , to extend the life span of the 
Waiver , initially adopted in 2011  (WT/L/847),  for an additional four years until 31 December 2030  
(WT/L/982). As stipulated by the Nairobi Decision, the CTS maintains a standing agenda item to 
review and promote the op erationalization of the Waiver.  
                                                
8 To be issued.  
9 The references to their notifications can be found in Annex Table 6.  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 21 - 
 
  4.11.   Table 8 provides the list of Members that have submitted notifications of their preferential 
treatment to  services and services suppliers of LDCs. Since the 2015 LDC market access report 
(WT/COMTD/LDC/W/60 ), eight Members have submitted new notifications. Two Members (Canada 
and Turkey) have revised their notifications. As of end September 2016, a total of 23  Members 
had notified preferences.  
Table 8: Notification of preferences in favour of LDC services and service suppliers  
Notifying Member  Date of 
notification  References  
Australia  29-May-15 S/C/N/805  
Brazil  04-Nov-15 S/C/N/839  
Canada  14-Dec-15 S/C/N/792/Rev.1  
Chile 08-Oct-15 S/C/N/834  
China  22-Jul-15 S/C/N/809  
European Union  16-Nov-15 S/C/N/840  
Hong Kong, China  24-Jul-15 S/C/N/810  
Iceland  09-Oct-15 S/C/N/835  
India 29-Sep-15 S/C/N/833  
Japan  31-Jul-15 S/C/N/820  
Korea, Rep . of 10-Jul-15 S/C/N/808  
Liechtenstein  30-Nov-15 S/C/N/841  
Mexico  20-Aug-15 S/C/N/821  
New Zealand  28-Jul-15 S/C/N/813  
Norway  25-Jun-15 S/C/N/806  
Singapore  24-Jul-15 S/C/N/812  
South Africa  02-Dec-15 S/C/N/853  
Switzerland  30-Jul-15 S/C/N/819  
Chinese Taipei  24-Jul-15 S/C/N/811  
Thailand  17-Feb-16 S/C/N/860  
Turkey  14-Jun-16 S/C/N/824/Rev.1  
United States  03-Sep-15 S/C/N/825  
Uruguay  12-Jan-16 S/C/N/857  
Source:  WTO Secretariat.   
  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
- 22 - ANNEX  
Annex Table 1: Merchandise exports and  imports of LDCs by selected country grouping, 201 4 
(Million dollars and percentage)  
  Exports  Imports  
  Value  Annual percentage change  Value  Annual percentage change  
  2015  2005 -15 2013  2014  2015  2015  2005 -15 2013  2014  2015  
LDCs  154,378  6.5 3.7 -3.3 -25.0 241,753  10.8 8.6 6.5 -9.2 
Exporters of agricultural 
products  15,759  11.6 15.5 6.1 -11.9 50,933  12.3 11.2 9.0 -7.3 
Afghanistan  470 2.0 20.1 10.8 -17.6 5,571  8.5 -3.8 -11.4 -27.9 
Benin  2,032  13.4 37.4 29.3 -20.7 3,028  11.5 28.7 27.0 -20.8 
Burkina Fas o 2,132  16.4 7.9 4.1 -13.1 2,647  7.7 22.2 -18.0 -15.6 
Burundi  111 6.7 -31.8 45.1 -15.9 755 10.9 8.0 -5.2 -1.9 
Central African Republic  90 -3.5 -42.9 -17.5 -6.1 348 7.1 -34.1 79.0 -8.9 
Comoros  24 7.3 5.2 14.4 3.4 232 8.9 4.1 -2.2 -16.6 
Ethiopia  3,825  15.5 41.0 9.6 -14.4 19,063  16.6 25.1 27.5 0.4 
The Gambia  108 30.7 -10.6 -2.1 4.1 410 4.7 -7.8 10.6 5.9 
Guinea -Bissau  259 11.2 16.6 8.7 55.8 228 8.0 0.6 17.2 6.4 
Kiribati  9 7.6 14.8 -25.1 80.0 100 3.1 -10.5 -2.2 5.3 
Liberia  260 7.1 21.7 5.0 -55.8 2,237  21.9 14.4 82.7 6.5 
Malawi  1,375  10.5 2.1 11.1 2.5 2,932  9.7 20.5 -2.5 5.7 
Rwanda  659 18.1 19.0 2.9 -8.9 2,570  18.5 0.1 11.3 0.3 
Sao Tome and Principe  15 8.3 5.9 33.6 -12.2 150 11.6 15.8 11.6 -11.8 
Solomon Islands  402 14.5 -10.4 1.7 -11.8 418 8.5 7.2 -2.3 -17.9 
Somalia  440 5.8 -3.7 -1.9 -13.7 1,100  5.7 8.3 -3.8 -12.0 
Timor -Leste  15 6.4 -47.9 -13.5 8.1 850 22.8 26.9 1.9 -1.0 
Togo 1,227  6.4 15.8 -12.9 -7.4 2,127  7.2 16.3 -8.7 -15.9 
Uganda  2,245  10.7 2.1 -6.1 -0.8 5,780  10.9 -3.7 4.4 -4.8 
Vanuatu  62 5.1 -29.6 62.9 -1.3 388 10.0 5.7 -0.1 23.9 
Fuel exportersa 54,271  1.1 -1.3 -11.1 -45.4 66,677  10.3 7.9 7.4 -12.9 
Angola  34,151  3.5 -4.0 -13.3 -42.3 21,703  10.0 11.1 8.5 -24.1 
Bhutan  585 8.5 1.6 -24.8 43.1 1,170  11.7 -8.3 1.9 26.2 
Chad 2,900  -0.6 -18.8 0.0 -25.6 2,200  8.8 7.1 3.3 -29.0 
Equatorial Guinea  6,700  -0.5 -5.2 -14.3 -46.8 4,200  12.4 -15.9 -3.4 -25.0 
Myanmar  5,950  4.7 26.5 -1.8 -46.1 15,920  23.6 30.9 34.7 -1.9  
  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
- 23 -   Exports  Imports  
  Value  Annual percentage change  Value  Annual percentage change  
  2015  2005 -15 2013  2014  2015  2015  2005 -15 2013  2014  2015  
Sudan  2,985  -4.7 17.8 -7.0 -33.0 8,585  2.4 7.5 -7.1 -6.8 
Yemen  1,000  -15.8 0.0 -6.0 -87.2 12,900  9.1 0.2 -2.7 -0.3 
Manufacture exporters  49,081  12.4 15.4 7.5 6.4 68,767  10.8 8.0 10.9 -5.1 
Bangladesh  32,379  13.3 15.9 4.4 6.5 39,460  11.0 8.5 14.0 -6.6 
Cambodia  11,960  14.5 18.0 17.4 10.1 14,400  13.9 12.8 5.5 6.7 
Haiti 990 7.7 8.6 7.4 4.1 3,400 8.9 7.4 9.7 -8.9 
Lesotho  775 1.8 -12.9 -2.4 -6.3 1,954  3.3 -16.4 -1.4 -8.8 
Madagascar  2,258  10.2 26.8 14.2 2.8 3,173  6.4 5.3 -1.0 -1.7 
Nepal  720 -1.8 -3.5 1.2 -19.0 6,380  10.8 8.3 15.1 -15.6 
Exporter s of non -fuel mineralsb 32,603  11.0 2.7 2.1 -17.3 48,800  10.9 8.4 -1.3 -11.2 
Congo, Dem. Rep. of  5,800  9.2 -1.6 11.3 -15.9 6,200  8.7 3.3 4.8 -6.1 
Eritrea  500 46.1 -29.8 97.1 -24.7 1,053  7.9 6.2 9.8 -7.0 
Guinea  2,071  9.3 -11.7 18.0 3.2 1,971  9.2 -1.1 0.5 -12.1 
Lao People's Dem. Rep.  2,340  15.5 -0.3 17.6 -12.1 3,860  15.9 0.8 38.6 -9.6 
Mali 2,532  8.7 -10.4 18.8 -8.9 3,167  7.5 8.0 5.3 -21.0 
Mauritania  1,502  9.2 0.4 -27.0 -22.4 2,053  3.7 -2.7 -13.1 -22.4 
Mozambique  4,195  8.9 4.4 17.4 -11.2 8,293  13.2 16.2 -13.4 -5.2 
Niger  1,050  7.9 10.3 -9.4 -27.6 1,990 7.8 6.3 8.4 -9.1 
Sierra Leone  727 16.5 70.9 -19.0 -53.2 1,477  15.7 11.0 -11.9 -5.8 
Tanzania  4,924  11.4 -10.7 1.9 -2.4 10,285  12.1 6.8 -1.0 -14.3 
Zambia  6,961  14.4 13.1 -8.6 -28.1 8,451  12.7 15.4 -6.1 -11.4 
Diversified and othersc 2,664  5.1 5.1 5.6 -9.5 6,576  5.7 5.2 -0.3 -10.8 
Djibouti  132 12.8 1.4 8.0 2.0 890 12.4 27.5 11.6 10.8 
Senegal  2,532  4.8 5.3 5.5 -10.0 5,675  5.0 3.5 -1.5 -13.4 
Tuvalu  0 16.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 11 -1.6 -53.3 -14.3 -8.3 
Worldd 15,984,695  4.6 2.3 0.3 -13.5 16,299,401  4.4 1.3 0.7 -12.6 
- not applicable . 
a Includes exporters of electricity (Bhutan).  
b Includes exporters of gold (normally classified in n.e.s. according to the UN Standandard International Trade Classification)  and diamonds 
(normally included in manufactures according to  the UN classification).  
c Includes exporters without a clear specialization in a specific category of goods.  
d Excluding re -exports of Hong Kong, China; including EU -intra trade.  
Source:  WTO Secretariat.   
  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 24 - Annex Table 2: Expo rt prices of primary commodities, 2005 -2016, Q2 
(Indices 2005  = 100) 
  
2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2015  2016  
  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 
Food and beverages  100 110 127 157 136 153 182 175 175 171 144 151 146 144 136 138 151 
Food 100 111 127 157 134 150 180 176 178 170 141 148 143 141 132 136 149 
Cereals  100 122 159 222 161 166 230 236 218 180 149 159 152 146 138 136 141 
Wheat  100 126 167 214 147 147 207 206 205 187 143 158 151 138 125 125 123 
Maize  100 124 166 227 168 189 297 303 263 196 173 177 171 172 170 163 174 
Rice 100 106 116 243 205 181 192 202 180 148 132 141 133 130 124 128 139 
Barley  100 123 181 211 135 167 218 251 217 154 135 139 135 135 130 126 145 
Vegetable oils and protein meals  100 103 143 193 154 170 209 216 206 191 154 162 157 152 143 144 164 
Meat 100 95 99 103 98 117 134 132 136 159 137 141 140 141 125 122 131 
Beef 100 97 99 102 101 128 154 158 155 189 169 182 171 174 148 142 151 
Lamb  100 96 101 106 91 91 93 63 66 81 67 76 70 63 59 59 63 
Swine mea t 100 94 94 96 82 110 132 122 128 152 100 97 106 109 89 89 107 
Poultry  100 94 106 115 116 116 118 128 141 149 155 154 156 156 154 152 151 
Seafood  100 121 113 113 114 140 139 113 160 162 132 140 132 133 123 148 165 
Fish 100 125 112 119 121 151 146 117 166 163 131 137 126 129 130 159 181 
Shrimp  100 105 116 91 85 98 115 97 136 160 136 151 152 145 96 107 102 
Sugar  100 133 102 117 152 172 211 175 148 146 118 124 114 107 128 125 144 
Bananas  100 118 117 146 147 153 169 171 161 162 166 169 170 165 162 178 172 
Oranges  100 98 114 132 108 118 102 99 111 90 77 80 71 75 84 79 90 
Beverages  100 108 123 152 154 176 206 167 147 178 173 170 170 176 174 159 164 
Coffee  100 112 129 150 132 165 231 180 147 185 154 168 156 147 144 140 150 
Cocoa beans  100 103 127 167 187 203 193 154 158 198 203 189 199 211 214 193 201 
Tea 100 112 98 125 145 146 160 161 123 110 157 135 148 179 168 134 116 
Agricultural raw materials  100 109 114 113 94 124 153 133 136 139 120 129 126 114 111 106 112 
Timber  100 108 107 109 102 101 111 107 107 109 105 105 103 105 106 97 102 
Cotton  100 105 115 129 114 188 280 162 164 151 128 125 131 129 126 121 129 
Wool 100 104 144 138 115 153 234 215 196 178 162 155 171 164 159 167 176 
Rubber  100 140 153 174 128 243 321 225 186 130 104 115 119 97 84 87 110 
Hides and skins  100 105 110 98 68 110 125 127 144 168 133 161 147 116 109 107 107  
  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 25 -   
2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2015  2016  
  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 
Minerals and non -ferrous metals 
(excluding crude petroleum)  100 156 183 169 136 202 229 190 182 164 126 137 135 121 111 109 115 
Copper  100 183 194 189 141 205 240 217 199 187 150 159 165 143 133 127 129 
Aluminum  100 135 139 136 88 114 126 106 97 98 88 95 93 84 79 80 83 
Iron ore  100 119 130 219 285 522 597 457 482 345 196 222 206 194 164 170 197 
Tin 100 119 196 250 184 276 353 286 302 297 218 249 211 206 204 209 229 
Nickel 100 163 251 143 99 148 155 119 102 114 80 97 88 72 64 58 60 
Zinc 100 237 235 137 120 157 159 141 138 157 140 151 159 134 117 122 139 
Lead 100 132 265 215 177 221 246 212 220 215 184 186 199 176 173 178 176 
Uranium  100 171 355 230 167 165 201 175 138 120 132 136 132 130 129 117 99 
Total of above  100 123 140 151 127 161 190 171 169 162 134 142 138 131 124 123 132 
Energy  100 119 132 185 117 147 201 203 196 180 99 105 115 95 82 64 83 
Natural gas  100 115 117 174 110 113 154 171 165 160 107 137 102 98 91 74 66 
Crude petroleum  100 121 133 182 116 149 204 208 201 184 97 100 116 94 80 61 84 
Coal 100 104 138 266 149 206 254 202 177 149 121 130 125 120 110 108 111 
All primary commodities  100 121 135 172 121 152 197 191 186 173 112 119 124 109 97 86 101 
Note: Beginning with the first quarter of 2011, the crude oil price index is computed excluding West Texas Intermediate (WTI), in o rder to better reflect 
prices in international trade. The price of WTI, which accounts for one third of the IMF's original crud e oil index, became largely dislocated from 
international markets in early 2011. Although suited for measuring oil price worldwide, the WTI inclusion in a crude oil pric e index would however 
considerably distort an index meant to measure oil prices in inte rnational trade.  
Source:  IMF commodity prices.  
Annex Table 3: LDCs merchandise trade balance by product groups, 2005 -2015  
(Billion dollars)  
 2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  
Total merchandise  1.7 6.6 3.4 4.8 -26.9 -27.2 -29.7 -41.0 -56.5 -84.6 -87.4 
Agriculturea -4.0 -5.1 -9.0 -14.8 -14.1 -17.0 -23.2 -23.0 -25.8 -28.2 -18.5*  
Fuels 37.3 47.8 62.7 87.6 52.3 63.6 76.0 77.5 70.6 58.9 29.8*  
Non-fuel minerals  3.4 6.5 7.7 9.7 7.5 12.9 15.9 14.9 14.9 15.4 9.4* 
Manufactures  -35.8 -44.3 -58.8 -78.4 -74.8 -88.6 -105.8  -113.3  -118.0  -132.6  -101.6*  
a Includes forestry and fishery products.  
* Estimates based on UN Comtrade (mirror data).  
Note:  Trade balances for the respective product groups are estimated based on WTO network of world merchandise trade by pr oducts and regions and 
refer to FOB valuation on both export and import sides. These estimates do not add up to the total merchandise trade bala nces, which are 
calculated from of ficial statistics and calculated a s FOB -based exports minus CIF -based imports.  
Source:  WTO Secretariat .  
  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 26 - Annex Table 4: Imports from LDCs by major markets and product groups, 2005 -2015 
(Million dollars and p ercentage)  
  All Commodities  Agricultural products  Fuels and mining products  Manufactures  
Regions* and major 
markets  Value ($bn)  Share 
of total  Annual 
percentage 
change  Value ($bn)  Share 
of total  Annual 
percentage 
change  Value ($bn)  Share 
of 
total  Annual 
percentage 
change  Value ($bn)  Share 
of total  Annual 
percentage 
change  
  2005  2015  2015  2015  2005 - 
2015  2005  2015  2015  2015  2005 -
2015  2005  2015  2015  2015  2005 - 
2015  2005  2015  2015  2015  2005 - 
2015  
Africa  2,834  12,999  100 23 16 816 1,827  14 -5 8 1,299  5,341  41 -19 15 714 1,784  14 -6 10 
South Africa  752 6,578  100 49 24 118 227 3 -24 7 514 2,533  38 -27 17 120 528 8 -16 16 
Zambia (2014)  113 1,620  100 -18 34 20 14 1 -25 -4 77 1,458  90 -10 39 16 147 9 -56 28 
Mali (2012)  438 1,240  100 ... 16 25 92 7 ... 20 286 779 63 ... 15 126 369 30 ... 17 
Kenya  126 506 100 3 15 51 356 70 5 21 18 32 6 -27 6 57 118 23 8 8 
Malawi  243 478 100 -6 7 105 98 20 -12 -1 91 38 8 -87 -8 47 104 22 -9 8 
Egypt (2014)  245 469 100 3 8 118 189 40 7 5 111 248 53 15 9 16 33 7 -8 8 
Côte d'Ivoire (2014)  157 420 100 -62 12 125 289 69 7 10 15 80 19 -33 20 16 49 12 -93 14 
Ghana (2013)  114 378 100 ... 16 33 164 43 ... 22 4 13 3 ... 15 77 180 47 ... 11 
Tanzania, United 
Rep. of  23 277 100 67 29 8 62 22 -16 22 4 26 9 31 20 10 51 18 -30 17 
Sudan (2012)  77 266 100 ... 19 27 51 19 ... 9 31 16 6 ... -9 19 78 29 ... 22 
Ethiopia  137 228 100 25 5 22 15 7 -34 -4 47 71 31 -47 4 69 28 12 10 -9 
Mauritius  52 211 100 120 15 25 66 31 12 10 15 0 0 74 -36 11 39 19 6 14 
Nigeria (2006 and 
2014)  274 157 100 -92 -7 71 128 82 -91 8 78 6 4 -99 -27 124 18 12 -73 -21 
Morocco 70 112 100 -8 5 61 69 62 -11 1 4 1 1 -81 -13 5 34 30 -11 22 
Senegal (2014)  13 59 100 5 18 7 8 14 -6 2 4 41 69 26 30 3 10 16 -35 15 
Americas  23,074  43,720  100 60 7 687 1,000  2 3 4 14,805  6,343  15   -8 6,999  14,287  33 10 7 
North America  21,149  40,999  100 72 7 673 950 2 6 4 13,214  5,540  14 -45 -8 6,956  13,718  33 10 7 
United States of 
America  19,469  34,218  100 71 6 603 802 2 8 3 12,455  4,802  14 -46 -9 6,304  11,243  33 11 6 
Canada  1,568  5,829  100 69 14 48 127 2 -8 10 745 716 12 -43 0 575 2,045  35 3 14 
Mexico  112 953 100 128 24 21 21 2 -2 0 14 21 2 19 4 77 431 45 15 19 
South and Central 
America  1,925  2,721  100 -21 4 14 50 2 -31 13 1,591  803 30   -7 43 569 21 16 29 
Brazil  316 1,804  100 -29 19 5 14 1 -63 10 301 630 35 -72 8 10 258 14 1 39 
Chile 1,200  352 100 -30 -12 1 4 1 252 15 1,197  98 28 -78 -22 2 74 21 15 43 
Argentina  13 222 100 505 33 2 8 4 -40 18 0 71 32 17,690  100 11 31 14 39 11 
Peru 288 112 100 234 -9 1 3 3 218 9 0 0 0 -47 - 11 53 47 63 17 
Colombia  4 67 100 6 33 2 9 13 139 15 0 0 0 -100 -100 1 58 87 -2 46 
Ecuador  28 55 100 56 7 0 3 6 -54 38 27 0 0 -87 -50 0 24 44 -13 69 
Venezuela, 
Bolivarian Republic 
of 5 42 100 318 24 1 0 1 -80 -12 0 0 0 - - 4 42 99 381 27 
Costa Rica  1 29 100 153 36 0 0 1 -75 -4 0 0 0 0 -67 1 14 49 40 32 
El Salvador  2 21 100 199 25 0 6 29 59 - 0 0 0 - - 1 4 21 38 12 
Uruguay  66 13 100 -94 -15 0 1 11 -32 12 64 4 30 -98 -24 1 8 59 23 26 
Guatemala  2 4 100 163 8 1 1 21 -3 -2 0 0 2 - - 1 1 27 61 3  
  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 27 -   All Commodities  Agricultural products  Fuels and mining products  Manufactures  
Regions* and major 
markets  Value ($bn)  Share 
of total  Annual 
percentage 
change  Value ($bn)  Share 
of total  Annual 
percentage 
change  Value ($bn)  Share 
of 
total  Annual 
percentage 
change  Value ($bn)  Share 
of total  Annual 
percentage 
change  
  2005  2015  2015  2015  2005 - 
2015  2005  2015  2015  2015  2005 -
2015  2005  2015  2015  2015  2005 - 
2015  2005  2015  2015  2015  2005 - 
2015  
Asia and Pacific  29,174  140,13
0 100 16 17 4,317  11,176  8 -14 10 22,751  47,353  34 -44 8 2,024  12,637  9 -44 20 
China  15,270  75,946  100 0 17 1,189  4,170  5 -29 13 13,968  29,508  39 -46 8 110 4,213  6 -72 44 
India 2,044  23,316  100 66 28 1,066  3,376  14 2 12 242 5,740  25 -35 37 731 1,418  6 21 7 
Thailand  3,560  12,916  100 62 14 589 827 6 12 3 2,849  4,764  37 -26 5 111 867 7 15 23 
Japan  3,466  9,911  100 59 11 548 802 8 -1 4 2,556  1,310  13 -56 -6 351 2,809  28 14 23 
Chinese Taipei  1,771  3,938  100 -3 8 139 102 3 -43 -3 1,601  1,713  44 -55 1 30 152 4 30 17 
Korea, Rep. of  1,148  3,522  100 -40 12 79 385 11 8 17 986 2,118  60 -52 8 83 1,018  29 -4 28 
Singapore  459 2,349  100 11 18 114 139 6 -5 2 184 714 30 -55 15 122 306 13 -18 10 
Malaysia  373 1,898  100 53 18 164 333 18 -19 7 121 382 20 -39 12 85 231 12 15 11 
Australia  153 1,859  100 114 28 39 62 3 -8 5 43 79 4 -15 6 63 788 42 23 29 
Hong Kong, China  376 1,442  100 125 14 110 171 12 -5 5 7 2 0 -48 -11 259 547 38 20 8 
Pakistan  275 1,437  100 113 18 178 487 34 36 11 54 174 12 -37 12 42 58 4 37 3 
Indonesia  118 1,206  100 54 26 83 263 22 -37 12 10 844 70 221 56 24 100 8 -1 15 
New Zealand  138 200 100 111 4 4 22 11 -34 18 127 0 0 -56 -46 8 78 39 27 26 
Philippines  23 188 100 125 23 17 38 20 -2 9 2 4 2 552 11 5 52 27 17 26 
Europe and CIS  21,826  52,354  100 -7 18 3,887  5,293  10 -14 4 7,746  12,442  24 -41 22 10,025  26,417  50 3 19 
EU (28)  20,640  42,216  100 -17 7 3,515  5,071  12 -8 4 7,165  12,236  29 -41 5 9,795  24,729  59 3 10 
Switzerland  146 6,883  100 86 47 45 170 2 5 14 0 0 0 483 29 101 560 8 5 19 
Norway  139 843 100 118 20 23 51 6 24 9 39 74 9 20 7 77 296 35 4 14 
CIS 666 2,412  100 66 16 191 0     ... 368 131 5 3 -9 105 832 35 -6 40 
Russian Federation  374 1,964  100 76 18 136 283 14 -20 8 213 2 0 -85 -39 24 697 35 -7 40 
Ukraine  149 238 100 -7 5 30 62 26 -15 8 116 114 48 8 0 3 62 26 -21 35 
Kazakhstan  10 146 100 104 30 5 7 5 -40 4 5 16 11 54 12 1 50 34 2 57 
Belarus  4 58 100 1,197  30 3 8 14 217 12 0 0 0   31 1 21 36 996 42 
Kyrgyzstan  0 4 100 … 26 0 0 2 … -9 0 0 0 … - 0 2 48 … - 
Azerbaijan (2014)  33 1 100 42 -31 0 0 30 -2 4026 0 0 3 76 3,115  0 1 67 74 40 
* Regional totals are based on the information available, and may not coincide with aggregated trade figures.  
Source : UN Comtrade database and Global Trade Atlas (IHS Maritime & Trade ). WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 28 - 
 
  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 28 - Annex Table 5: Exports of commercial services of t he LDCs  by category, 2005 and 2015 
(Million dollars and percentage)  
  Value  Share in commercial services  
  Commercial  
services  Goods -related 
services  Transportation 
services  Travel  Other 
commercial 
services  
  2015  2005  2015  2005  2015  2005  2015  2005  2015  
LDCs  36,000  1.6 3.7 21.1 20.8 52.8 52.6 24.5 22.8 
Afghanistan  799 ... 0.0 ... 4.5 ... 13.2 ... 82.3 
Angola  1,751  ... ... 10.2 1.5 49.9 94.5 39.9 4.0 
Bangladesh  1,684  20.4 4.6 18.8 24.2 11.5 9.4 49.3 61.8 
Benin  456 ... ... 18.3 32.1 57.7 33.1 24.0 34.7 
Bhutan  122 ... ... ... 21.4 ... 75.7 ... 2.8 
Burkina Faso  427 ... 0.4 2.2 15.1 75.1 31.6 28.2 52.9 
Burundi  35 ... ... 25.6 7.6 22.2 11.9 52.2 80.6 
Cambodia  3,775  ... ... 12.8 11.8 78.9 82.9 8.3 5.2 
Central African Republic  ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 
Chad ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 
Comoros  74 ... ... 12.3 8.8 61.0 62.6 26.7 28.6 
Congo, Dem. Rep. of  163 ... ... 8.8 80.8 2.4 0.2 88.8 19.0 
Djibouti  ... ... ... 79.1 ... 7.5 ... 13.4 ... 
Equatorial Guinea  49 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 
Eritrea  ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 
Ethiopia  2,851  ... ... 59.1 77.2 21.3 14.4 19.6 8.4 
The Gambia  ... ... ... 19.5 ... 70.8 ... 9.8 ... 
Guinea  ... ... ... 34.4 ... ... ... 65.6 ... 
Guinea -Bissau  45 ... 0.0 10.6 0.0 34.9 46.1 54.5 53.9 
Haiti 677 ... ... ... ... 85.3 90.0 14.7 10.0 
Kiribati  11 ... ... 41.1 10.3 31.8 26.5 27.1 63.3 
Lao People's Dem. Rep.  790 ... ... 19.8 ... 75.4 ... 4.8 ... 
Lesotho  28 ... ... 2.6 6.7 91.3 62.6 6.0 30.8 
Liberia  223 ... ... 13.6 30.1 82.9 41.9 3.5 28.0 
Madagascar  1,114  0.2 ... 28.3 30.4 43.4 51.5 28.1 18.1 
Malawi  98 ... ... 46.1 22.1 45.0 34.2 8.9 43.7 
Mali 404 ... 0.0 13.8 0.9 58.5 52.4 27.6 46.7 
Mauritania  255 ... ... … 13.7 ... 14.3 ... 72.0 
Mozambique  675 ... ... 28.4 64.7 41.1 28.6 30.5 6.7 
Myanmar  4,127  9.3 28.4 45.7 5.5 25.8 39.1 19.2 27.0 
Nepal  1,139  ... ... 12.0 ... 48.4 47.0 39.6 ... 
Niger  271 0.0 0.0 10.1 7.1 51.2 33.1 38.6 59.9 
Rwanda  352 ... ... 40.6 1.8 59.4 93.4 0.0 4.9 
Sao Tome and Principe  67 ... ... 1.6 0.5 82.6 77.4 15.8 22.1 
Senegal  1,160  0.0 1.2 18.8 12.8 35.9 36.5 45.3 49.5 
Sierra Leone  202 ... ... 14.9 19.4 81.9 17.1 3.2 63.5 
Solomon Islands  95 ... 0.0 21.8 27.5 4.2 49.7 73.9 22.9 
Somalia  ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 
South Sudan  ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 
Sudan  1,397  ... ... 2.3 21.8 85.2 67.9 12.5 10.3 
Tanzania  3,665  ... ... 18.3 26.7 67.8 59.4 13.9 13.8 
Timor -Leste  57 ... ... ... 2.7 ... 89.4 ... 7.9 
Togo 439 ... 0.1 55.0 50.6 14.0 28.5 31.0 20.8 
Tuvalu  ... ... ... 11.0 ... 61.9 ... 27.0 ... 
Uganda 1,945  ... ... 1.5 7.5 78.6 60.1 19.9 32.4 
Vanuatu  295 ... ... 19.3 14.1 63.4 80.4 17.3 5.5 
Yemen  1,507  ... ... 16.1 17.1 63.3 68.1 20.6 14.8 
Zambia  851 ... ... 2.8 7.2 92.4 75.4 4.8 17.4 
Memorandum item:                    
World  4,754,000  3.3 3.2 22.4 18.4 26.5 25.9 47.9 52.5 
Note: Figures in italics refer to 2014. The improvement of the quality of data in recent years may have 
resulted in changes relating to the breakdown of exports of commercial ser vices by category of 
services.  
Source:  WTO-UNCTA D estimates . 
 WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 29 - 
 
  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 29 - Annex Table 6: Major multilateral non -reciprocal LDC preference schemes undertaken by 
Membersa 
Preference 
granting 
country  Description  Duty -free tariff line 
coverageb (and major 
exclusions)  References  
Australia  Duty- and quota -free entry 
for LDCs  
Entry into force:  
1 July 2003 100%  WT/COMTD/N/18  
Canada  GSP – Least -developed 
Countries' Tariff 
Programme (LDCT)  
Entry into force:  
1 January  2000.  Extended 
until 31 December 2024.  98.6% (dairy, eggs and poultry)  WT/CO MTD/N/15  
WT/COMTD/N/15/Add.1  
WT/COMTD/N/15/Add.2  
WT/COMTD/N/15/Add.3  
 
Chile DFQF scheme for the LDCs  
Entry into force:  
28 February 2014  99.5% (wheat, wheat flour and 
sugar)   
 WT/COMTD/N/44  
WT/COMTD/N/44/Add.1/Rev.1  
WT/COMTD/ PTA/2/1  
China  Duty-free treat ment for 
LDCs 
Entry into force:  
1 July 2010 95.1% (agricultural products, 
chemicals, machinery, paper and 
wood products, cotton, skins)  WT/COMTD/N/39  
WT/COMTD/N/39/Add.1/Rev.1  
WT/COMTD/M/93  
European 
Union  GSP – Everything But 
Arms (EBA) initiative  
Entry i nto force:  
5 March  2001 99.0% (arms and ammunitions)  
 WT/COMTD/N/4/Add.2  
WT/COMTD/N/4/Add.4  
WT/COMTD/N/4/Add.5  
WT/COMTD/N/4/Add.6  
WT/C OMTD/N/4/Add.7  
Iceland  GSP – Tariff preferences 
for the world’s poorest 
countries  
Entry into force:  
29 January 2002  91.8%  (meat and dairy 
products, eggs, vegetables and 
plants, cereals and starch, other 
food preparations)  WT/COMTD/N /17, 
WT/COMTD/N/17/Corr.1  
India Duty-Free Tariff Preference 
Scheme (DFTP)  
Entry into force:  
13 August  2008 94.1% (meat and dairy 
products, veget ables, coffee, 
tobacco, iron and steel 
products, copper products)  WT/COMTD/N/38  
WT/COMTD/N/38 /Add.1   
WT/COMTD/M/93  
WT/COMTD/LDC/M/73  
Japan  GSP – Enhanced duty - and 
quota -free market access  
Entry into force:  
1 April 2007 
Extended until 
31 March  2021 97.9% (rice, sugar, fishery 
products, articles of leather)  WT/COMTD/N/2/Add.14  
WT/COMTD/N/2/ Add.15  
WT/COMTD/N/2/Add.16  
WT/COMTD/W/150  
Korea, Rep. 
of Presidential Decree on 
Preferential Tariff for LDCs  
Entry into force:  
1 January 2000  90.3% (meat, fish,  vegeta bles, 
food products ) WT/COMTD/N/12/Rev.1   
WT/COMTD/N/12/Rev.1/Add.1  
New 
Zealand  GSP – Tariff Treatment for 
LDCs 
Entry into force:  
1 July 2001 100%  WT/COMTD/27 - WT/GC/36   
 
Norway  GSP – Duty- and quota -
free market access  
Entry into force:  
1 July 2002 100%  WT/COMTD/N/6/Add.4  
WT/COMTD/N/6/Add.5  
WT/COMTD/N/6/Add.5 /Corr.1  
WT/COMTD/N/6/Add. 6 
 
Russian 
Federation  The GSP scheme, in the 
context of the Customs 
Union between Belarus, 
Kazakhstan and the 
Russian Federation.  
Entry into force: 
1 January  2010 36.3% (exclusions cover a wide 
range of products, including 
petroleum products, copper, 
iron o res, t extiles, c lothing, 
leather, footwear ) WT/COMTD/N/42  
G/RO/N/84, G/RO/N/84/Corr.1  
Switzerland  GSP – Revised Preferential 
Tariffs Ordinance   
Entry into force:  
1 April 2007  100%  
 WT/COMTD/N/7/Add.3  
WT/COMTD/N/7/Add.4  
WT/COMTD/N/7/Add.5  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 30 - 
 
  WT/COMTD/LDC/W/64  
 
- 30 - Preference 
granting 
country  Description  Duty -free tariff line 
coverageb (and major 
exclusions)  References  
Chinese 
Taipei  Duty-free treatment for 
LDCs 
Entry into force:  
17 December 2003  31.0% (Some 131 products 
enjoy exclusive duty -free 
access, including selected 
plastic items, raw hides and 
skins, textile and clothing 
articles, parts of vehicles, 
precious stones, etc. Exclusions  
cover a wide range of products )  WT/COMTD/N/40  
WT/COMTD/N/40/Corr.1  
Thailand  DFQF scheme for the LDCs  
Entry into force:  
9 April 2015  - WT/COMTD/N/46  
 
Turkey  GSP  
Entry into force:  
31 December  2005 79.0% (meat, fish, food, steel 
products, etc.)  
 WT/TPR/S/259/Rev.1  
 
United 
States  GSP for least -developed 
beneficiary developing 
countries (LDBDC). The 
Trade Preferences 
Extension Act of 2015 
(Title II) authorizes GSP  
until 31 December 2017 
and makes GSP retroactive 
to 31 July 2013.  
 82.6% (dairy products, sugar, 
cocoa, articles of leather, 
cotton, articles of apparel and 
clothing, other textiles and 
textile articles, footwear, 
watches)  WT/COMTD/N/1/Add.4  
WT/COMTD/N/1/ Add.7  
WT/COMTD/N/1/Add.8  
WT/COMTD/N/1/Add.9  
 (AGOA)  
Entry into force:  
18 May 2000 
Extended  until 
30 September  2025 
(Title I) 
 97.5%  WT/COMTD/N/1/Add.3  
WT/L/754  
WT/L/929  
WT/COMTD/LDC/M/71  
 
 Caribbean Basin Trade 
Partnership Act (CBTPA)  
Entry into force : 
1 October 2000, extended 
until 30  September 2025 
(Title III)  Duty free for most products, 
including textiles and apparels. 
The Haitian Hemispheric 
Opportunity through 
Partnership Encouragement 
(HOPE) Act of 2006 provided 
new trade benefits, especially of  
apparel imports from Haiti.   The 
HOPE II Act of 2008 enhanced 
duty-free treatment for 
qualifyi ng apparel imports from 
Haiti. The Haiti Economic Lift 
Program (HELP) Act of 2010 
provided duty -free treatment 
for additional textile and 
apparel products from H aiti. 
 WT/L/753  
WT/L/928  
a This table represents a non -exhaustive list of non -reciprocal multilateral market access initiatives  
undertaken in favour of LDCs.  
b The DFQF coverage is derived from WTO IDB submissions  for 2014 or the most recent year (see 
Table 7). According to Thailand's notification, 73.2%  of its national tariff lines are duty -free for 
LDCs.  
Source:  WTO Secretariat.  
 
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