Constructing a Composite Index of Market Access

Trade barriers are often opaque and difficult to compare. All too often, an exporter faces costs well in excess of a simple tariff when seeking entry to a market. However, to date, there exist few tools to measure the changes in market access that will takeplace at the conclusion of the Doha Round, or those that may result from any other trade agreement. The Composite Index of Market Access (CIMA) has been conceived as a tool to help trade policy-makers and other stakeholders to address this challenge. This study provides a methdology and country study guide to illustrate the actual costs faced by exporters of selected tropical products when trying to penetrate markets of interest. While liberalisation through tariff reduction may partially achieve the aim of facilitating access for tropical products, the CIMA project highlights the fact that tariff reductions are only a part of the puzzle that trade policy has to solve.