This paper surveys recent developments in the literature on trade facilitation, defined broadly as reform of non-tariff barriers. The paper looks at what trade facilitation is, why it matters, how to measure it, the gains from reform, and ways to implement it at the global, regional and unilateral level. JEL Classification: F13, F15.

This paper assesses the long-run bilateral trade relations between the US and Mexico. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had no additional impacts on import functions. Gradual switching existed even before the agreement became effective. © 2002 Society for Policy Modeling. Published by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. JEL classification: F13; C22

A dominant firm holding import quota engages in inter-temporal price discrimination when facing a competitive fringe engaged in seasonal production. This causes a welfare loss that comes in addition the loss attributable to limitation of imports below the free trade level. JEL classification: F12, F13

We extend the protection for sale framework by modelling non tariff barriers. Explicitly introducing partial rent capturing leads to a testable specification that bridges the gap between the theoretical Grossman and Helpman (1994) model and its empirical implementation, where coverage ratios have been used to measure protection. Our econometric analysis supports the augmented specification and ...

This paper proposes to reexamine the GATT/WTO membership effect on bilateral trade flows, using nonparametric methods including pair-matching, permutation tests, and a Rosenbaum (2002) sensitivity analysis. Taken together in a coherent manner, these methods provide an estimation framework that is robust to misspecification biases, allows general forms of heterogeneous treatment effects, and add...

Why does the current wave of globalization create more public concern/opposition than previous rounds of trade liberalization? This paper identifies a key difference between globalization and trade liberalization that could be responsible for it. It is shown that while both globalization and trade liberalization create inter-sector income distribution, the former also creates intra-sector incom...

Using a long dataset on openness and productivity this paper tests the influence of openness on TFP growth and per capita growth since 1870 for 16 industrialized countries. It is shown, in simple regressions, that growth is by and large independent of openness. However, once the interaction between openness and foreign knowledge is allowed for, productivity is positively affected by openness. J...

This paper considers a new-product firm’s choice between exporting and foreign direct investment (FDI) to access foreign markets. We find that, when quality is unknown to buyers, the firm may choose FDI over exporting to signal quality, even though FDI is a costlier mode of access than exporting. We then use the model to study the effect of local labor requirement policy imposed by the host cou...

Why would the US threaten punitive tariffs on luxury autos to implement a market share target in auto parts? We show that by making threats to a linked market, a market share target may be implemented with fairly weak informational and administrative requirements. Moreover, such policies can be both pro-competitive and advantageous to US firms. ( 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. ...

This paper considers the phenomenon of third party antidumping; that is, the ability of a firm to bring an AD case in a foreign country against third party dumpers. Recent experience in New Zealand is discussed and suggestions are offered as to why a country might wish to permit foreigners to demand that other foreigners increase prices in that country. D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved....