Containers near the port of Zanzibar, Tanzania. Source: flickr/twocentsworth

Every country needs to trade, as no country is able to produce everything it needs within its own borders. Not all countries, however, benefit equally from trade, and trade can even leave some worse off. The gains are determined partly by what is produced (or could be produced with the right investment and policies for economic growth) and partly on how the producer is integrated into global networks (or 'value chains'). Both can affect the impact of trade on poverty.

The work of ODI on trade encompasses a number of key concerns for developing countries, including:

1. How trade policy influences the way countries integrate (including analysis of major trade negotiations). 
2. How to develop and manage trade patterns for economic growth.
3. What external influences, such as climate change or the global financial crisis, mean for trade strategies.
4. The role of environmental and social standards in international trade.
5. Corporate practice, standard setting and the role of the private sector.
6. Broadening the range of products and services to be traded, e.g. through improved communications and trade agreements.

ODI research on trade is led by the International Economic Development Group, with support and input from other programmes across the Institute.