In recent years, there has been a great deal of research on the relative merits of multilateralism and bilateralism and their implications for the nature of the trading regime between countries. In this paper we explore the scope of bilateral free-trade agreements as a foundation for free trade, using recent developments in the theory of strategic network formation. We study a setting with many contries; in each country there are firms, which can sell in the domestic market as well as sell in the foreign markets. The possibility of selling in foreign markets depends on the nature of import tariffs faced by firms. Countries can sign bilateral free-trade agreements which lower import tariffs and thereby facilitate trade. We allow a country to sign any number of bilateral trade agreements. A profile of trade agreements defines the trading regime. We study the nature of trading regimes that are consistent with the incentives of individual countries. Our principal finding is that bilateralism is consistent with global free trade.
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Paper provided by Erasmus University Rotterdam, Econometric Institute in its series Econometric Institute Report with number
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Sanjeev Goyal & Sumit Joshi, 2006.
"Bilateralism And Free Trade,"
International Economic Review,
Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 47(3), pages 749-778, 08.
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Vincent Vannetelbosch & Jean-François Caulier & Ana Mauleon, 2009.
"Contractually Stable Networks,"
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CAULIER, Jean-Franois & MAULEON, Ana & VANNETELBOSCH, Vincent, 2008.
"Contractually stable networks,"
CORE Discussion Papers
2008066, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
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