South Africa is no Venezuela, which ranks at the very bottom with one of the worst-performing economies in the world. But neither is it close to the top of the list and among the best. The Economic Freedom of the World Index tells a sad tale of South Africa's decline in recent years.
Trade is indispensable to fostering greater levels of global economic development. As the OECD has written, “No country has lifted itself out of poverty without international trade.” This category consolidates GTIPA-member reports assessing the intersection of trade and economic development.