Issues No. 3. Import Surges: What are their external causes?
Agricultural import surges in developing countries are usually attributed to external factors, including export subsidies and highly concessional export credits from high income countries, disruptive surplus disposal in the form of food aid shipments, and price supports leading to the accumulation of surpluses that weigh on world market prices and unfair trade practices.
The impacts of both policy and non-policy factors which translate into sudden sharp declines in world prices can be associated with import surges in developing countries. The extent to which such surges materialize depends on the degree to which the importing country is integrated into international markets.
