ABSTRACT
In recent decades, developing countries have dramatically increased their economic power, participation in international trade and engagement in the institutions that govern the multilateral trading system. From 1980 to 2009, developing countries increased their share of global nominal GDP from 21.8 % to 29.03 % . 1 This striking increase is matched by developing countries’ dramatically rising participation in international trade. However, this increased participation has been unevenly distributed across the developing world, with China dominating rising developing-country exports. Developing-country merchandise exports rose from $599 billion in 1980 to $4.908 trillion in 2009. Merchandise export growth in developing countries outpaced that in developed countries, which rose from $1.350 trillion to $7.032 trillion. Consequently, developing countries’ share of world merchandise exports rose during this period from 29.46 % to 39.52 % . However, this increased relative share in world merchandise was largely attributable to China. The share of developing countries excluding China increased only from 28.58 % to 29.85 % . Dividing developing countries regionally, only those in Asia substantially increased their share of world merchandise exports from 1980 to 2009, with a drastic increase from 17.90 % to 30.84 % . In contrast, the relative share of Central and South American developing countries’ grew from 5.47 % to 5.53 % and that of African developing countries declined from 5.99 % to 3.09 % . 2 Developing countries have also substantially increased their world market share for merchandise imports, rising from 23.11 % in 1980 to 36.72 % in 2009. As with exports, Asian developing countries were largely responsible for this increase in relative imports. 3
Developing-country engagement in the institutions governing the multilateral trading system has also markedly increased (Figure 16.1). When the GATT was formed in 1947, 11 of its 23 original members were developing countries. By 2011, over 110 of the WTO’s 153 members were developing countries. 4 Moreover, the level of their engagement in negotiations has also increased dramatically, notably through the formation of bargaining coalitions to more effectively advance their shared interests.
