BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:unctad.org BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6af860a4a4eb3 DTSTART:20210519T084500Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20210519T123000Z LOCATION:Geneva\, Switzerland SUMMARY:Webinar on what drives the utilization of trade preferences? CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:As free trade agreements continue to expand in numbers and comp lexity\, preferential origin requirements also multiply and become more co mplex. Many recent preferential trade agreements have adopted increasingly tailor-made\, more specific\, and tighter rules of origin. As is well kno wn\, the resulting complexity associated with origin requirements increase trading costs and may diminish the appeal of preferential agreements. It is against that background that monitoring the utilization of preferential agreements vests a strategic interest for policy makers. The calculation and examination of utilization rates can help identify with greater precis ion rules of origin or origin requirements that may be hindering trade and hence diminishing the value of preferential agreements. The linkages betw een rules of origin and the utilization of preferences (with a focus on le ast developed countries) have been at the centre of the work of the WTO Co mmittee on Rules of Origin in the past few years.\n\nHowever\, associating low levels of preference utilization with origin requirements and identif ying best practices require the consideration of other factors that may in fluence the decision by businesses to utilize or not\, preferential agreem ents.\n\nThe objective of the webinar is to explore other factors that dri ve the utilization of trade preferences and set rules of origin in that co ntext.\n\nWhat factors may explain that some agreements are very heavily u sed and others not so much? Are governments actively monitoring the utiliz ation of their preferential trade agreements? What are some of the difficu lties associated with the calculation of utilization? Are efforts being ma de to promote awareness and use of preferential agreements among the busin ess community? How are governments building the capacity of companies to u nderstand and comply with preferential origin requirements?\n\nThis webina r will be held via the platform Zoom and will be open to the public subjec t to prior registration. The format will be a 10-minute presentation follo wed by a moderated debate among the speakers.\n\n \n<\;p class="\;t ext-align-justify\n\nView meeting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meetin g/webinar-what-drives-utilization-trade-preferences DTSTAMP:20261114T132244Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR