Connecting to Compete 2010

This report presents the findings of the
second edition of Connecting to Compete, a report on the new
dataset for the 2010 Logistics Performance Index (LPI) and
its component indicators. Based on a worldwide survey of
global freight forwarders and express carriers, the LPI is a
benchmarking tool developed by the World Bank that measures
performance along the logistics supply chain within a
country. The index can help countries identify challenges
and opportunities and improve their logistics performance.
The World Bank conducts the survey every two years. The 2010
LPI also provides a snapshot of selected performance
indicators in nearly 130 countries, including expanded
information on the time, cost, and reliability of import and
export supply chains, infrastructure quality, performance of
core services, and the friendliness of trade clearance
procedures. The 2010 LPI and its indicators encapsulate the
firsthand knowledge of movers of international trade,
collected amid the economic turmoil of 2009. This
information is relevant for policymakers and the private
sector seeking to identify priorities for reform agendas.
Findings include the following. First, except in high-income
countries, the availability and quality of trade-related
infrastructure is a major constraint to performance, but the
specific priorities tend to vary across countries. Second,
efficient border management and coordination of the various
agencies involved in border clearance is increasingly
important. Third, a major challenge for the international
community is how to help the lowest performing countries
benefit from an increasingly open global trading system.