Senior Fellow
Education: MA, Johns Hopkins University; BA, Austin College
Kimberly Ann Elliott is the author or co-author of numerous books and articles on a variety of trade policy and globalization issues, including uses of economic leverage in international negotiations (both economic sanctions for foreign policy goals and trade threats and sanctions in commercial disputes). Her most recent book is Delivering on Doha: Farm Trade and the Poor, which was co-published in July 2006 by CGD and the Peterson Institute (PIIE), where she was prior to joining the Center.
Other PIIE publications include Can International Labor Standards Improve under Globalization? (with Richard B. Freeman, 2003), Corruption and the Global Economy (1997), Reciprocity and Retaliation in US Trade Policy (with Thomas O. Bayard, 1994), Measuring the Costs of Protection in the United States (with Gary Hufbauer, 1994), and Economic Sanctions Reconsidered (with Gary Hufbauer and Jeffrey Schott, 3rd. ed., 2007).
In 2002-03, she served on the National Academies Committee on Monitoring International Labor Standards. Kimberly received a Master of Arts degree, with distinction, in security studies and international economics from the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (1984) and a Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors in political science, from Austin College (1982). In 2004, Austin College named her a Distinguished Alumna.
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This week, I’m joined on the Global Prosperity Wonkcast by Kimberly Ann Elliott, a senior fellow here at the Center for Global Development. Kim’s research focuses on ways in which rich country trade policy affects the developing world. She currently chairs CGD’s working group on Global Trade Preference Reform.
Trade preferences are a way for countries to offer access to their markets to poor countries, in spite of other import tariffs or quotas that might otherwise apply. Kim tells me that most countries, including a growing number of advanced developing countries, have some form of trade preference program. However, she says, not all of them benefit developing countries very much.
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CGD senior fellow Kimberly Ann Elliott submitted a written statement for the congressional record following the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee hearing on preference reform. Elliott urges policymakers to consider the special needs of the poorest countries as they debate the future of U.S. trade programs.
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Despite six decades of trade liberalization, trade policies in rich countries still discriminate against the exports of the world’s poorest countries. Much remains to be done to achieve the goal of meaningful market access for the poorest countries, including reformed rules of origin that facilitate rather than inhibit trade.
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Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, editor-at-large at U.S. News & World Report, and a senior political analyst for CNN, David Gergen joined CGD president Nancy Birdsall, and CGD senior fellows who authored essays in our recent book, The White House and the World: A Global Development Agenda for the Next U.S. President, for a lively discussion of the prospects for improved U.S. development policy under President Barack Obama.
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Senior fellow Kinberly Elliott recommends extending duty-free, quota-free access to U.S. markets for the most vulnerable countries.
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Many Americans see trade openness as a threat. Yet access to rich-country markets is crucial for poor people in developing countries to improve their lives. In a new CGD brief based on her essay in The White House and the World: A Global Development Agenda for the Next U.S. President, senior fellow Kimberly Elliott suggests a trade policy approach that would address Americans’ concerns and still be pro-poor. One ingredient: treat market access for the world’s poorest countries as a development issue, not trade policy.
READ THE BRIEF
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The United States can play an important role in
promoting global development while simultaneously advancing
American interests and prosperity. Intellectual property (IP) rights, such as patents and
copyrights, provide protection against unauthorized copying and
are therefore fundamental to creating a policy environment
conducive for innovation. But this
protection creates challenges for developing countries by limiting access to needed products and by misaligning
incentives for innovation. The next U.S. president should come down clearly in favor of a new
policy that better balances public health needs in developing
countries with private incentives for innovative activities.
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The White House and the World: A Global Development Agenda for the Next U.S. President shows how modest changes in U.S. policies could greatly improve the lives of poor people in developing countries, thus fostering greater stability, security, and prosperity globally and at home. Center for Global Development experts offer fresh perspectives and practical advice on trade policy, migration, foreign aid, climate change and more. In an introductory essay, CGD President Nancy Birdsall explains why and how the next U.S. president must lead in the creation of a better, safer world.
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While the precise contribution of biofuels to surging food prices is difficult to know, policies promoting production of the current generation of biofuels are not achieving their stated objectives of increased energy independence or reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Reaching the congressionally mandated goal of blending 15 billion gallons of renewable fuels in gasoline by 2015 would consume roughly 40 percent of the corn crop (based on recent production levels) while replacing just 7 percent of current gasoline consumption. The food crisis adds urgency to the need to change these policies but does not change the basic fact that there is little justification for the current set of policies.
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In the past fifteen years, the U.S. and other rich countries have strengthened patent protection for pharmaceutical products. In this paper, Carsten Fink describes the global shift in intellectual property policies and employs economic analysis to evaluate its consequences for developing countries. He then offers recommendations for policymakers in developing countries and in the United States who seek to better reconcile innovation incentives and access needs.
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The White House and the World: A Global Development Agenda for the Next U.S. President shows how modest changes in U.S. policies could greatly improve the lives of poor people in developing countries, thus fostering greater stability, security, and prosperity globally and at home. Center for Global Development experts offer fresh perspectives and practical advice on trade policy, migration, foreign aid, climate change and more. In an introductory essay, CGD President Nancy Birdsall explains why and how the next U.S. president must lead in the creation of a better, safer world.
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Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, editor-at-large at U.S. News & World Report, and a senior political analyst for CNN, David Gergen joined CGD president Nancy Birdsall, and CGD senior fellows who authored essays in our recent book, The White House and the World: A Global Development Agenda for the Next U.S. President, for a lively discussion of the prospects for improved U.S. development policy under President Barack Obama.
-
Despite six decades of trade liberalization, trade policies in rich countries still discriminate against the exports of the world’s poorest countries. Much remains to be done to achieve the goal of meaningful market access for the poorest countries, including reformed rules of origin that facilitate rather than inhibit trade.
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Agricultural market liberalization is the linchpin for a successful conclusion to the Doha Round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations because these are the most protected markets remaining in most rich countries. But the implications for developing countries, especially the poorest, are more complex than the current debate suggests. In her new book, Delivering on Doha: Farm Trade and the Poor, Kimberly Ann Elliott, a joint senior fellow at CGD and the Peterson Institute for International Economics, examines the structure of agricultural support in rich countries and the challenges and opportunities for reviving and completing the Doha Round of trade negotiations.
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Many Americans see trade openness as a threat. Yet access to rich-country markets is crucial for poor people in developing countries to improve their lives. In a new CGD brief based on her essay in The White House and the World: A Global Development Agenda for the Next U.S. President, senior fellow Kimberly Elliott suggests a trade policy approach that would address Americans’ concerns and still be pro-poor. One ingredient: treat market access for the world’s poorest countries as a development issue, not trade policy.
READ THE BRIEF
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While the precise contribution of biofuels to surging food prices is difficult to know, policies promoting production of the current generation of biofuels are not achieving their stated objectives of increased energy independence or reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Reaching the congressionally mandated goal of blending 15 billion gallons of renewable fuels in gasoline by 2015 would consume roughly 40 percent of the corn crop (based on recent production levels) while replacing just 7 percent of current gasoline consumption. The food crisis adds urgency to the need to change these policies but does not change the basic fact that there is little justification for the current set of policies.
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By any measure, the United States is one of the most open economies in the world—importing more than $1 trillion worth of goods duty-free in 2006 alone. Yet poor nations still pay much higher U.S. tariffs than rich countries—an average of 15 percent on a quarter of their imports, compared to 2-5 percent for rich countries. Not only is this unfair, it also undermines American interests by hindering growth in the poorest countries, thereby making them more vulnerable to epidemic diseases, terrorists, and transnational criminal organizations. In this new CGD Brief, senior fellow Kimberly Ann Elliott makes the case for the U.S. to fix this problem by permanently granting all least-developed countries 100% duty-free, quota-free market access and simplifying rules of orgin.
Learn More
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CGD senior fellow Kimberly Ann Elliott submitted a written statement for the congressional record following the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee hearing on preference reform. Elliott urges policymakers to consider the special needs of the poorest countries as they debate the future of U.S. trade programs.
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The collapse of the Doha trade talks puts at risk one of the rich world's most important commitments to developing countries: to reform policies that make it harder for poor countries to participate in global commerce. Trade has the potential to be a significant force for reducing global poverty by spurring economic growth, creating jobs, reducing prices and helping countries acquire new technologies. Global Trade and Development, a Center for Global Development Rich World, Poor World brief, explains how the U.S. engages in global trade and how trade affects development and global poverty.
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In this brief we focus on potential disruptions in poor countries and the policy priorities for coping with them. In particular, we recommend that the United States, which is the only rich country that does not grant tariff-free access for imports from all least-developed countries, provide this access as quickly as possible. In addition, to take advantage of any resulting opportunities, beneficiary countries must adopt domestic reforms to encourage greater productivity.
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Opening Markets for Poor Countries: Are We There Yet? - Working Paper 184
- Oct 7, 2009
Despite six decades of trade liberalization, trade policies in rich countries still discriminate against the exports of the world’s poorest countries. Much remains to be done to achieve the goal of meaningful market access for the poorest countries, including reformed rules of origin that facilitate rather than inhibit trade.
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U.S. Trade Policy and Global Development (White House and the World Policy Brief)
- Nov 4, 2008
Many Americans see trade openness as a threat. Yet access to rich-country markets is crucial for poor people in developing countries to improve their lives. In a new CGD brief based on her essay in The White House and the World: A Global Development Agenda for the Next U.S. President, senior fellow Kimberly Elliott suggests a trade policy approach that would address Americans’ concerns and still be pro-poor. One ingredient: treat market access for the world’s poorest countries as a development issue, not trade policy.
READ THE BRIEF
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Tripping Over Health: U.S. Policy on Patents and Drug Access in Developing Countries (White House and the World Policy Brief)
- Nov 4, 2008
The United States can play an important role in
promoting global development while simultaneously advancing
American interests and prosperity. Intellectual property (IP) rights, such as patents and
copyrights, provide protection against unauthorized copying and
are therefore fundamental to creating a policy environment
conducive for innovation. But this
protection creates challenges for developing countries by limiting access to needed products and by misaligning
incentives for innovation. The next U.S. president should come down clearly in favor of a new
policy that better balances public health needs in developing
countries with private incentives for innovative activities.
-
The White House and the World: A Global Development Agenda for the Next U.S. President
- Aug 22, 2008
The White House and the World: A Global Development Agenda for the Next U.S. President shows how modest changes in U.S. policies could greatly improve the lives of poor people in developing countries, thus fostering greater stability, security, and prosperity globally and at home. Center for Global Development experts offer fresh perspectives and practical advice on trade policy, migration, foreign aid, climate change and more. In an introductory essay, CGD President Nancy Birdsall explains why and how the next U.S. president must lead in the creation of a better, safer world.
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Biofuels and the Food Price Crisis: A Survey of the Issues - Working Paper 151
- Aug 11, 2008
While the precise contribution of biofuels to surging food prices is difficult to know, policies promoting production of the current generation of biofuels are not achieving their stated objectives of increased energy independence or reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Reaching the congressionally mandated goal of blending 15 billion gallons of renewable fuels in gasoline by 2015 would consume roughly 40 percent of the corn crop (based on recent production levels) while replacing just 7 percent of current gasoline consumption. The food crisis adds urgency to the need to change these policies but does not change the basic fact that there is little justification for the current set of policies.
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Intellectual Property and Public Health: An Overview of the Debate with a Focus on U.S. Policy - Working Paper 146
- Jun 12, 2008
In the past fifteen years, the U.S. and other rich countries have strengthened patent protection for pharmaceutical products. In this paper, Carsten Fink describes the global shift in intellectual property policies and employs economic analysis to evaluate its consequences for developing countries. He then offers recommendations for policymakers in developing countries and in the United States who seek to better reconcile innovation incentives and access needs.
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Trade Policy for Development: Reforming U.S. Trade Preferences
- Sep 4, 2007
By any measure, the United States is one of the most open economies in the world—importing more than $1 trillion worth of goods duty-free in 2006 alone. Yet poor nations still pay much higher U.S. tariffs than rich countries—an average of 15 percent on a quarter of their imports, compared to 2-5 percent for rich countries. Not only is this unfair, it also undermines American interests by hindering growth in the poorest countries, thereby making them more vulnerable to epidemic diseases, terrorists, and transnational criminal organizations. In this new CGD Brief, senior fellow Kimberly Ann Elliott makes the case for the U.S. to fix this problem by permanently granting all least-developed countries 100% duty-free, quota-free market access and simplifying rules of orgin.
Learn More
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A Better Way Forward on Trade and Labor Standards
- Mar 29, 2007
Core labor standards--an end to forced and child labor, nondiscrimination, and respect for workers' right to organize--are important for sharing the benefits of globalization. But how to enforce them remains contentious. In this CGD Note, senior fellow Kimberly Elliott says that U.S. policy should focus on domestic issues, such as ensuring that U.S. workers have adequate safety nets, and international issues, such as assisting countries in improving compliance with labor standards. The U.S should leave the details of labor laws to national governments, with monitoring by the International Labor Organization.
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Globalization, Wages, and the Quality of Jobs
- Oct 14, 2009
This new book provides a comprehensive literature review and a framework of analysis of globalization and working conditions in developing countries and applies this framework to five countries: Cambodia, El Salvador, Honduras, Indonesia, and Madagascar. In particular, it presents the experiences of these low-income countries and suggests that their working conditions have improved in the sectors exposed to globalization. However, it also highlights concerns about the sustainability of these improvements and the uncertainty of the impacts in the rest of the economy.
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Global Trade and Environmental Effects of EU Biofuels Policies
- Jan 13, 2009
Are policies to encourage biofuels part of the solution to global warming? Or do their environmental costs outweigh their benefits? IFPRI senior research fellow Antoine Bouet uses a global trade model to examine the impact of trade, subsidy, and mandate policies that the European Union uses or could adopt to promote biofuels. He finds that these policies result in significant changes in land use in the EU and Brazil, mainly increased planting of such biofuel crops as oilseeds, sugar cane and sugar beets. The direct effects of biofuels policies in terms of reduced CO2 emissions are usually positive but the indirect effects, such as those from land use change, are negative. Moreover, the indirect effects are larger.
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Lessons from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative for Improving Governance
- Jan 12, 2009
The Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) is a multisectoral initiative designed to help resource rich developing countries improve their governance. Although adherence is voluntary, participating governments are required to publish resource revenues and firms operating in these countries must publish what they pay governments to extract these resources. These same governments also must create multistakeholder monitoring groups to examine how governments use extractive industry revenues. Citizen participation is the foundation of the EITI, but not all participating governments allow citizens to fully participate in such activities. Susan Ariel Aaronson will present her paper, which examines government behavior under the EITI and seeks to answer why repressive as well as democratic states are cooperating with it. Many of the countries involved are making top down and grass roots governance improvements prior to and as they implement EITI and some of these countries, including relatively repressive states such as Azerbaijan, seem to be trying to signal to investors and lenders that they are intent on improving governance.
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Preparing for the Next Global Food Price Crisis
- Oct 6, 2008
Commodity prices may have sagged somewhat but the latest spike in food prices will not be the last. Moreover, tight markets, climate change, and the changing role of investors in commodity markets all suggest that food price volatility may be greater in the future. Even with more investment in agriculture, other tools will be needed to buffer poor people in developing countries from future food price shocks. Some policies adopted over the past year, such as export bans and price controls, were understandable in the face of rising hunger but worsened the problem in the long run. What would be better?
Please join us for an exploration of policies that can be put in place now to minimize hunger and instability the next time that the world faces surging food prices. Among the possibilities are improved global grain stock policies, anti-inflationary policies that do not disproportionately hurt poor people, safety nets for poor consumers, and changes in biofuels policies.
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The White House and the World: A Global Development Agenda for the Next U.S. President
- Sep 18, 2008
Each day brings fresh evidence that Americans’ well-being is linked to the lives of others around the world as never before. Accelerating advances in technology and the creation of new knowledge offer undreamed-of opportunities. Yet global poverty, inequality, disease and the threat of rapid climate change threaten our hopes. How will the administration tackle these global challenges? A new collection of essays by the Center for Global Development, The White House and the World, shows how modest changes in U.S. policies could greatly improve the lives of poor people in developing countries, thus fostering greater stability, security and prosperity globally and at home.
Please join us to discuss and highlight the global development agenda for the next U.S. president. CGD experts will offer fresh perspectives and practical advice on trade, global health, foreign aid, and more, and CGD President Nancy Birdsall will explain why and how the next U.S. president must lead in the creation of a better, safer world.
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Are Financial Sanctions Good U.S. Foreign Policy?
- Apr 17, 2008
National security has traditionally been the domain of diplomats and military strategists. But as money flows across borders to finance terrorism and weapons proliferation, financial officials and global bankers are increasingly finding themselves on the front lines of national security policy. For the world's financiers, the stakes are high and the risks involve more than the bottom line. Will U.S. foreign policy inform or compete with the profit-driven risk assessments of the world's banking institutions?
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South-South Cooperation and Global Trade: Bypassing the Hegemon?
- Mar 21, 2008
A distinguished panel of experts will examine a range of issues relating to the new geopolitics of emerging markets, the current state of global trade relations, South-South cooperation, and how to move global trade forward in 2008. Topics to be covered include Brazil and the new South American regionalism, China's role in Africa, Russian outreach to the
Middle East, transnational Muslim networks, and the future of South-South co-operation, among others. The afternoon program will feature a roundtable on the future of global trade relations and new opportunities for progress in the stalled Doha Round.
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Development, Trade and Labor Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Jan 10, 2008
After seven years of experience with a unilateral trade agreement aimed at stimulating trade between the U.S. and sub-Saharan African countries, the Economic Policy Institute will host a day-long conference on the winners and losers under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Please join TheInternational Labor Rights Forum, Global Policy Network and the Center for Research on Multinational Corporations for the release of a report [PDF] produced by the Netherlands-based Center for Research on Multinational Corporations that will provide the backdrop for a broader analysis and debate on the value of linkage and preference programs un AGOA, and the future of global investment and trade under the New Partnership for Development Act (NPDA).
Non-CGD Publications
Peterson Institute for International Economics Books
Peterson Institute for International Economics Policy Briefs
Peterson Institute for International Economics Working Papers
Peterson Institute for International Economics Speeches, Testimony, Papers
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