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Openness, Inequality and Poverty: Endowments Matter

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Author Info
de Melo, Jaime
Gourdon, Julien
Maystre, Nicolas

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Abstract

Using tariffs as a measure of openness, this paper finds consistent evidence that the conditional effects of trade liberalization on inequality are correlated with relative factor endowments. Trade liberalization is associated with increases in inequality in countries well-endowed in highly skilled workers and capital or with workers that have very low education levels, and in countries relatively well-endowed in mining and fuels while it is associated with decreases in inequality in countries that are wellendowed with primary-educated labor. Similar results are also apparent when decile data are used instead of the usual Gini coefficient. The results are strongly supportive of the factor-proportions theory of trade and suggest that trade liberalization in poor countries where the share of the labor force with little education is high raises inequality, although in our sample relative endowments in capital turn out to be the overriding determinant so that trade liberalization is accompanied by reduced income inequality in low-income countries. Simulation results also suggest that relatively small changes in inequality as measured by aggregate measures of inequality like the Gini coefficient are magnified when estimates are carried out using decile data.

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Paper provided by C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers in its series CEPR Discussion Papers with number 5738.

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Date of creation: Jul 2006
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Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:5738

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Related research
Keywords: income distribution; international trade; poverty;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
D3 - Microeconomics - - Distribution
F11 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Neoclassical Models of Trade
F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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    Other versions:
  3. Pritchett, Lant, 2000. "Understanding Patterns of Economic Growth: Searching for Hills among Plateaus, Mountains, and Plains," World Bank Economic Review, Oxford University Press, vol. 14(2), pages 221-50, May. [Downloadable!]
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    Other versions:
  5. Pinelopi K. Goldberg & Nina Pavcnik, 2004. "Trade, Inequality, and Poverty: What Do We Know? Evidence from Recent Trade Liberalization Episodes in Developing Countries," NBER Working Papers 10593, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Branko Milanovic, 2003. "Can We Discern The Effect Of Globalization On Income Distribution? Evidence From Household Surveys," HEW 0310002, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
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  8. Romain Wacziarg & Karen Horn Welch, 2003. "Trade Liberalization and Growth: New Evidence," NBER Working Papers 10152, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  9. Galiano, Sebastian & Porto, Guido G., 2006. "Trends in tariff reforms and trends in wage inequality," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3905, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
  10. L. Alan Winters & Neil McCulloch & Andrew McKay, 2004. "Trade Liberalization and Poverty: The Evidence So Far," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(1), pages 72-115, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  12. Adrian Wood, 2002. "Globalization and wage inequalities: A synthesis of three theories," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer, vol. 138(1), pages 54-82, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  15. Matthew Higgins & Jeffrey G. Williamson, 1999. "Explaining Inequality the World Round: Cohort Size, Kuznets Curves, andOpenness," NBER Working Papers 7224, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  16. Isabelle Bensidoun & Sebastien Jean & Aude Sztulman, 2005. "International Trade and Income Distribution: Reconsidering the Evidence," Working Papers 2005-17, CEPII research center. [Downloadable!]
  17. Xu, Bin, 2003. "Trade liberalization, wage inequality, and endogenously determined nontraded goods," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(2), pages 417-431, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  20. Fischer, Ronald D., 2001. "The evolution of inequality after trade liberalization," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 555-579, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Elena Meschi & Marco Vivarelli, 2007. "Globalization and Income Inequality," IZA Discussion Papers 2958, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  2. Stephen Dobson & Carlyn Ramlogan, 2008. "Is there an openness Kuznets curve? Evidence from Latin America," Working Papers 2008/10, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham Business School, Economics Division. [Downloadable!]
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