This flagship publication discusses how to better understand the ongoing development and evolution of global value chains (GVC) and their implications for economic development. This report is the result of intensive and detailed work in assembling and analyzing data on the structure of economies and their link to growth and trade. It reflects on two aspects: (1) the evolving patterns of comparative advantage and explains that no country has a comparative advantage in manufacturing a specific product such as smartphones or the iPhones. Multinationals play the role of architects of supply chains, therefore, a country holds comparative advantage in generating either a part or elements/parts of the iPhone GVC (i.e., services, components, and assembly); and (2) Trade is a microeconomic phenomenon and how trade catalyzes growth in emerging economies and poor countries, and how it relates to jobs, productivity, and income growth.