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The Role of Multilateralism of the WTO in International Trade Stability

Author

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  • Chowdhury, Abdur
  • Liu, Xuepeng
  • Wang, Miao
  • Wong, M. C. S.

Abstract

We look at the effect of the WTO on stabilizing international trade using both a fixed-effects and an event study approach. Our results show that WTO members experience lower trade volatilties in a predictable and integrated system. In addition, we focus on the trade volatility comovement among countries in a multilateral framework. Previous research has mainly focused on WTO membership in a bilateral trade framework, which only allows interactions between two trade partners without considering any possible influence from other countries. A bilateral trade framework does not fully capture the effect of WTO membership, nor does it investigate why the multilateral platform of the WTO should exist. With a unique setup estimating interactions among multiple trading dyads, we find strong evidence supporting positive correlation or comovement of trade volatilities across trading pairs. Such a comovement appears much stronger among WTO members than between WTO and non-WTO members. Due to the feedback mechanism among dyads in a multilateral framework, such as the WTO, bilateral trade stability may further stabilize the global trade. Our results remain robust to a battery of sensitivity checks.

Suggested Citation

  • Chowdhury, Abdur & Liu, Xuepeng & Wang, Miao & Wong, M. C. S., 2021. "The Role of Multilateralism of the WTO in International Trade Stability," World Trade Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(5), pages 668-689, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:wotrrv:v:20:y:2021:i:5:p:668-689_3
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    Cited by:

    1. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2022. "Duration of WTO Membership and Investment-Oriented Remittances Flows," EconStor Preprints 251274, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    2. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2022. "Effect of the Duration of the Membership in GATT/WTO on Commercial Services Exports in Developing Countries," EconStor Preprints 262167, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    3. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2022. "Effect of the duration of membership in the World Trade Organization on Trademark Applications," EconStor Preprints 253266, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    4. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2022. "Effect of Aid for Trade flows on the Accession to the World Trade Organization," EconStor Preprints 261331, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    5. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2022. "Duration of the Membership in the World Trade Organization and Aid for Trade Flows," EconStor Preprints 260562, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    6. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2022. "The Least Developed Countries' Services Waiver and the Stability of Least Developed Countries' Services Exports," EconStor Preprints 260587, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    7. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2023. "Effect of the duration of membership in the GATT/WTO on economic growth volatility," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 448-467.
    8. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2022. "Effect of the Duration of Membership in the GATT/WTO on Human Development in Developed and Developing Countries," EconStor Preprints 265061, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    9. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2023. "Duration of membership in the world trade organization and investment-oriented remittances inflows," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 258-277.
    10. Sena Kimm Gnangnon, 2023. "Duration of the Membership in the GATT/WTO, Structural Economic Vulnerability and Trade Costs," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-32, May.

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