However, increases in standardisation reduce global inequality since these increase the productivity (reduce the mistake rate) of the poor countries proportionally more. The impact of the proliferation of GVCs on world inequality therefore depends on changes in complexity and in standardisation. They show that a transition from autarky, where supply chains are purely local, to complete goods market integration, where supply chains are both local and global, leads all workers in developing countries to move into earlier stages of production (their definition of downgrading) and all workers in developed countries to move into later stages (upgrading).