Commodity Market Reforms

Agricultural commodity markets in many developing countries are being reformed and are being based on market forces rather than regulated prices and official monopolies. This book discusses reforms in the markets for cocoa, coffee, cotton, grains, and sugar and looks at the reasons for success and failure.

Is the economic reform of Central Europe influenced by or an influence upon capital markets? Where does globalization fit in? Ken Morita's pioneering work investigates the relationship between the systemic transition of Central European economies and capital markets, in particular the commodity futures markets and speculation.

The governments of most developed, and many developing, countries impose border measures—tariffs, tariff rate quotas and export subsidies—to boost the domestic market prices of agricultural commodities. In some OECD countries, governments also ...

China has done much to reform its price system, achieve macroeconomic stability, and restore growth. Nevertheless, price distortions remain in three key areas. This study suggests further price reforms for the energy, grain, and transport sectors. It explains why energy price adjustments should have only a modest effect on consumer prices, but a highly positive effect on the economy. It discusses why China may have to reduce consumer subsidies to achieve the necessary reforms for grain prices. The study describes what the government must do to strengthen commodity markets, generate competition, and make allowances for seasonal price variations. China's transport sector has been a critical development bottleneck. The paper reviews tariff adjustments and other reforms that would modernize the transport system and help it meet growing demand. These reforms also would encourage energy conservation and help integrate the national economy.

Market liberalization has increased the appeal of commodity derivative instruments (such as futures, options, swaps, and commodity-linked notes) as a means of managing price uncertainty. In many emerging countries both government and the private sector are increasingly using these instruments. Liberalization in commodity markets has brought profound changes in the way price risks are allocated and managed in commodity subsectors. Price risks are increasingly allocated to private traders and farmers rather than absorbed by the government.The success of market reform depends on the ability of the emerging private sector to make full use of the available range of modern commodity marketing, price risk management (such as futures, options, swaps, commodity bonds, and so on), and financing instruments. Because farmers do not generally have direct access to these instruments, intermediaries must be developed. Larger private traders and banks are in the best position to become these intermediaries.Preconditions needed for accessing modern commodity marketing, price risk management, and financing instruments are:Creating an appropriate legal, regulatory, and institutional framework.Reducing government intervention that crowds out private sector involvement.Providing training and raising awareness.Improving creditworthiness and reducing performance risk.The use of commodity derivative instruments to hedge commodity price risk is not new among developing countries. The private sector in many Asian and Latin American countries, for example, have been using commodity futures and options for some time. More recently, commodity derivative instruments are being used increasingly in several African countries and many economies in transition. And several developing and transition economies have sought to establish commodity derivative exchanges.This paper - a product of the Commodity Policy and Analysis Unit, International Economics Department - is part of a larger effort in the department to investigate alternative price risk management and finance systems under market liberalization.

This book provides a clear-eyed analysis of questions at the intersection of commodity markets, natural resource economics, and public policy.