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Evaluating the Trade Effect of Developing Regional Trade Agreements: a Semi-parametric Approach

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  • Coulibaly, Souleymane

    (The World Bank)

Abstract

Many recent papers have pointed to ambiguous trade effects of developing regional trade agreements, calling for a reassessment of their economic merits. This paper focuses on 22 RTAs involving mostly developing countries and covering all the continents and use trade flows over the period 1962-2006. It proposes a two-step estimation approach to assess their trade impact: first estimate a gravity equation excluding the RTA variables, and then use the trade residuals estimated to run a kernel regression for each of the RTAs. This approach allows capturing the non-monotonic trade effects of the RTAs over time while imposing minimal structure on the model, and is flexible enough to be extended to any new RTA. As existing RTAs are deepened and new ones are being negotiated, ensuring that trade creation dominates trade diversion will be essential, particularly in the post-crisis world where resources will be limited for all countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Coulibaly, Souleymane, 2009. "Evaluating the Trade Effect of Developing Regional Trade Agreements: a Semi-parametric Approach," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 24, pages 709-743.
  • Handle: RePEc:ris:integr:0491
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    7. Csilla Lakatos & Lars Nilsson, 2017. "The EU-Korea FTA: anticipation, trade policy uncertainty and impact," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 153(1), pages 179-198, February.
    8. Jean-Marc Siroën & Aycil Yucer, 2012. "The impact of MERCOSUR on trade of Brazilian states," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 148(3), pages 553-582, September.
    9. FE, Doukouré Charles, 2010. "Réduction de Droits de Douane et Convergence Réelle dans l'UEMOA [Tariffs Reduction and Real Convergence in WAEMU]," MPRA Paper 26763, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Festus Ebo Turkson, 2012. "Using Observable Trade Data to Measure Bilateral Trade Costs in Sub-Saharan Africa," Discussion Papers 12/06, University of Nottingham, CREDIT.
    11. World Bank, 2012. "Reshaping Economic Geography of East Africa : From Regional to Global Integration, Volume 2. Technical Annexes," World Bank Publications - Reports 11916, The World Bank Group.
    12. Ayman El Dahrawy Sánchez‐Albornoz & Jacopo Timini, 2021. "Trade agreements and Latin American trade (creation and diversion) and welfare," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(7), pages 2004-2040, July.
    13. KURTOVIC, Safet & HALILI, Blerim & MAXHUNI, Nehat & TALOVIC, Sead, 2016. "Liberalization of Trade with the EFTA Countries: Some Evidence from Bosnia and Herzegovina - La liberalizzazione del commercio con i paesi dell’ EFTA: evidenze dalla Bosnia e Herzegovina," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 69(3), pages 213-232.
    14. Fabien Candau & Geoffroy Guepie & Reine Kouakou, 2018. "In Gravity no Veritas: Dubious Trade Elasticiy and Weak Effects of Regional Trade Agreements in Africa," Working Papers hal-02625930, HAL.
    15. Martínez-Zarzoso, Inmaculada & Voicu, Anca M. & Vidovic, Martina, 2020. "Production networks in Europe: A natural experiment of the EU enlargement to the east," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 390, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    16. Leudjou, Roland, 2021. "Assessing the impacts of eliminating Non-Tariff Barriers in the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area on Cameroons economy," Conference papers 330231, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    17. Stender, Frederik & Vogel, Tim, 2021. "Murky trade waters: Regional tariff commitments and non-tariff measures in Africa," IDOS Discussion Papers 13/2021, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    18. Felix Barbalet & Jared Greenville & Wayne Crook & Paul Gretton & Robert Breunig, 2015. "Exploring the Links between Bilateral and Regional Trade Agreements and Merchandise Trade," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(3), pages 467-484, September.
    19. Frederik Stender, 2018. "MERCOSUR in gravity: an accounting approach to analyzing its trade effects," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 501-522, April.
    20. Brusselaers, Jan & Buysse, Jeroen, 2018. "Implementation of the EU-Cameroon Voluntary Partnership Agreement policy: Trade distortion, rent-seeking and anticipative behavior," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 167-179.
    21. Ebo Turkson & Abena D. Oduro & Priscilla Twumasi Baffour & Peter Quartey, 2023. "Regional integration and non‐tariff barriers to Intra‐Sub‐Saharan Africa trade," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(2), pages 396-414, February.
    22. Afesorgbor, Sylvanus Kwaku & van Bergeijk, Peter A.G., 2011. "Multi-membership and effectiveness of regional trade agreements in Western and Southern Africa: a comparative study of ECOWAS and SADC," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Berlin 2011 1, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics.
    23. Festus Ebo Turkson, 2012. "Trade Agreements and Bilateral Trade in Sub-Saharan Africa: Estimating the Trade Effects of the EU-ACP PTA and RTAs," Discussion Papers 12/07, University of Nottingham, CREDIT.
    24. Inmaculada Martínez‐Zarzoso & Anca M. Voicu & Martina Vidovic, 2020. "Production networks in Europe: A natural experiment of the European Union enlargement to the east," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 1143-1163, November.
    25. Kassa,Woubet,Sawadogo,Pegdewende Nestor, 2021. "Trade Creation and Trade Diversion in African RECs : Drawing Lessons for AfCFTA," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9761, The World Bank.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    regional trade agreement; kernel regression; two-step estimation; trade impact; gravity model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F11 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Neoclassical Models of Trade
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • O50 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - General

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