Strasbourg, 22/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission's most recent report on the Community's opening up to imports from developing countries was presented to the European Parliament on Tuesday 22 April. The report demonstrates that the EU continues to provide unequalled market access in developed countries to products from the developing world. Key figures in the report illustrate that imports into the EU from developing countries grew by 16% between 2005-06 and by 14% if China is excluded from the figures. According to the WTO, over the same period, world trade in goods grew by 8%. Imports from developing countries with whom the EU has concluded bilateral free trade agreements also increased substantially, with growth rates of 15%, 10% and 54% from products from Mexico, South Africa and Chile respectively. Almost 70% of imports from developing countries entered the Community market paying no duty in 2006; this was the case for almost 98% of imports for goods from ACP countries and 88.5% for imports from Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The report also reveals that over the same period, agricultural exports from developing countries increased by almost 12% and textiles by almost 12.3%. Imports from 50 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) increased by almost 7%. Textile exports from LDCs experienced the steepest rise of 25%. The report assesses Community measures for helping developing countries integrate more in the global economy by developing their trade capacity. It concludes that the EU's aid for trade strategy adopted at the end of 2007 has provided a solid basis to this end. The commissioner for trade, Peter Mandelson, stated in a press release that “this report demonstrates the EU commitment to putting trade at the service of development not only in theory, but in practice. The new economic partnership agreements with Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries have taken EU openness for developing country exports to new levels, eliminating all duties and quotas for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. This gives them the same beneficial terms of access already enjoyed by Least Developed Countries under the Everything but Arms scheme. The EU is active on many fronts to ensure that all Developing Countries have greater opportunity to share in the benefits of trade with the world's largest single market. Our goal remains a trade policy that promotes development and provides greater opportunities to developing countries in support of their own individual development priorities”. (E.H.)