Since each project attempts to address several challenges at once, it is not easy to
assess and isolate the exact impact of overcoming a particular challenge on trade flows.
However, we should note that trade logistics and facilitation reforms usually take
the form of a “policy package,” aiming to enhance efficiency of trade transactions from
various angles – time, cost, and reliability. Thus, a case study approach is useful to
deepen our understanding of the necessary concerted action among various stakeholders.
Each of the sets of policies engaged in these examples can be seen as forming part of
the foundation of trade facilitation agenda of a country or region, with trade facilitation
used broadly to refer to policy action designed to reduce trade costs. One should also
be cautious in assessing the impact of each project because overall trade logistics
performance (e.g. LPI rankings) may be affected by factors outside the reform projects.