The pallet is a platform used for storing, handling and transporting products. There are hundreds of different pallet sizes around the world. The case of pallets is examined to illustrate the impact of multiplicity of standards on trade costs. We select this case because pallets are used all over the world, pallet standards are not too sophisticated, and data on pallet standards and costs are to some extent available. The paper examines why there are so many different pallet standards, the associated trade costs and the reasons why countries have not harmonised pallet sizes to eliminate such costs. It then presents options for exporters to mitigate the adverse effects of standards multiplicity while complying with destination markets' standard requirements. The range of options is limited for exporters from less developed countries because of the lack of rental and exchange pallet markets. To mitigate the costs of this multiplicity of standards, the international community's strategy should focus on developing awareness of the cost of multiplicity of standards and actively supporting standardisation. Copyright 2007 The Authors Journal compilation 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd .
The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent.
This article belongs to the special cluster, “Politics and Current Demographic Challenges in Central and Eastern Europe,” guest-edited by Tsveta Petrova and Tomasz Inglot. Even if Poland has been commonly presented as a typical emigration country, the post–EU accession migration still presents an extremely interesting case in terms of its (very high) scale, structural characteristics, and consequences. With about 2.5 million of its citizens staying temporarily abroad, Poland belongs to the most mobile European nations, and the post-accession migration to the EU is presented as a “natural experiment.” The article aims to discuss the main economic outcomes of the post-2004 migration from Poland and to address the question to what extent the Polish experience is transferable and can be used as a policy lesson for other developing countries. Based on the Polish case, Authors argue that labor migration from a country with large workforce surpluses (as present in most of the less developed countries) can help avoid hysteresis and support the structural transformation of the economy. Fulfillment of these positive expectations is however dependent on several factors including structure of migration (and return migration), structural conditions at origin and public policies imposed. Authors argue that migration policies have only limited impact on the scale and structure of international migration but public policies are critically important in harnessing the developmental potential of migration.
The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent.
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