What are the specific problems of landlocked developing countries?
Owing to their lack of territorial access to the sea, remoteness and isolation from world markets and high transit costs, landlocked developing countries are among the poorest of the developing countries. Of the thirty landlocked developing countries in the world, sixteen including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Nepal are classified as being least developed. The long distances from their markets and delays at border crossings increase the total transport cost as well as transit time for goods from landlocked developing countries. The high transport costs and transit times erode the competitive edge of landlocked developing countries and create a more restrictive barrier to trade for these countries than tariffs. These trade-reducing effects are especially pronounced for transport intensive exports and imported intermediate goods for production. According to UNCTAD estimates based on the IMF balance of payment statistics, landlocked developing countries spent
