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Do Environmental Regulations Increase Bilateral Trade Flows?

Author

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  • Tsurumi Tetsuya

    (Faculty of Policy Studies, Nanzan University, 27 Seirei-cho, Seto, Aichi 489-0863, Japan)

  • Managi Shunsuke
  • Hibiki Akira

    (Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University, 27-1 Kawauchi, Aoba-ku, Sendai-Shi 980-8576, Japan)

Abstract

The argument that stringent environmental regulations are generally thought to harm export flows is crucial when determining policy recommendations related to environmental preservation and international competitiveness. By using bilateral trade data, we examine the relationships between trade flows and various environmental stringency indices. Previous studies have used energy intensity, abatement cost intensity, and survey indices for regulations as proxies for the strictness of environmental policy. However, they have overlooked the indirect effect of environmental regulations on trade flows. If the strong version of the Porter hypothesis is confirmed, we need to consider the effect of environmental regulation on gross domestic product (GDP), because GDP induced by environmental regulation affects trade flows. The present study clarifies the effects of regulation on trade flows by distinguishing between the indirect and direct effects. Our results indicate an observed non-negligible indirect effect of regulation, implying that the overall effect of appropriate regulation benefits trade flows.

Suggested Citation

  • Tsurumi Tetsuya & Managi Shunsuke & Hibiki Akira, 2015. "Do Environmental Regulations Increase Bilateral Trade Flows?," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 15(4), pages 1549-1577, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejeap:v:15:y:2015:i:4:p:1549-1577:n:17
    DOI: 10.1515/bejeap-2014-0164
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    5. Pradyot Ranjan Jena, 2018. "Does trade liberalization create more pollution? Evidence from a panel regression analysis across the states of India," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 20(4), pages 861-877, October.
    6. Honma, Satoshi & Yoshida, Yushi, 2020. "An empirical investigation of the balance of embodied emission in trade: Industry structure and emission abatement," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 277-294.
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    9. Carl Gaigné & Lota D. Tamini, 2021. "Environmental Taxation and Import Demand for Environmental Goods: Theory and Evidence from the European Union," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 78(2), pages 307-352, February.
    10. Martínez-Zarzoso, Inmaculada & Oueslati, Walid, 2016. "Are deep and comprehensive regional trade agreements helping to reduce air pollution?," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 292, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    11. Yushi Yoshida & Satoshi Honma, 2011. "Did International Trade Become Dirtier in Developing Countries? On the Composition Effect of International Trade on the Environment," Discussion Papers 52, Kyushu Sangyo University, Faculty of Economics.
    12. Yulia D. Sokolova, 2023. "Modeling of the Nexus Between Environmental Regulations of Trade Partners and Export Volumes: Analysis of Russian Regions," Journal of Applied Economic Research, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 22(4), pages 975-1005.
    13. Masoud Shirazi Abdolrasoul Ghasemi Teymour Mohammadi Jurica Šimurina Ali Faridzad Atefeh Taklif, 2020. "A Dynamic Network Comparison Analysis of Crude Oil Trade: Evidence from Eastern Europe and Eurasia," Zagreb International Review of Economics and Business, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, vol. 23(1), pages 95-119, May.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F18 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Environment
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • Q59 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Other

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